BMW Motorsport News – Issue 04/16.

[totalmotorcycle]

@BMW #Motorsport #News – Issue 04/16.




Whether in the DTM, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, or countless other championships: week after week BMW teams and drivers around the world do battle for points, victories and titles. Away from the track too, members of the large BMW Motorsport family around the world are also creating headlines. The “BMW Motorsport News” allows us to regularly summarise all the action for you in a compact and informative manner. This way, you are always up to speed.

DTM: Bruno Spengler challenges winter sports stars to a contest.

In less than 100 days BMW Motorsport will get its fifth DTM season since its comeback in 2012 underway with the opening race in Hockenheim (DE). But even when there are no races, the BMW drivers don't sit back and relax. Bruno Spengler (CA) took on the ultimate challenge on ice and snow last weekend. At the Winter Challenge hosted by BMW Bank, one of BMW Motorsport's premium partners, the Canadian took on biathlon idol Fritz Fischer (DE) and luge legend Georg Hackl (DE), each with a team made up of fans. In an interview, Spengler talks about the event and his love of winter sports.

Three questions for... Bruno Spengler.

Bruno, you are totally crazy about sport, so the BMW Bank Winter Challenge must have been a dream come true for you...

Bruno Spengler: "Absolutely! The scenery at Königssee and in Saalfelden alone, which was the backdrop for this exceptional competition, was fantastic. To set the mood, on the first evening, we held an ice kart challenge and went on a torch-lit hike to an Alpine meadow. This encouraged real team spirit. Then the actual competition day was on Saturday. We competed in three disciplines – a biathlon, luge and in a BMW Driving Experience. It was a fantastic experience to line up against Fritz and Georg. They are legends in their sports. They have won a combined total of eight medals at the Olympic Games and have been world champions 12 times. That is an impressive record. And they are both fantastic people. We got on really well. Despite the cold temperatures, a lot of sweat was flowing, as was plenty of adrenalin. The three of us are extremely competitive people who always give 100 percent and want to win. In the end, Fritz and his team just edged it, but the result is not that important. The focus was on fun, and we had plenty of that at the Winter Challenge. There was a lot of laughter. The prize-giving ceremony hosted by Magdalena Neuner in the mountain village of Priesteregg in the evening was a fantastic surprise and a brilliant way to round off the event for everyone involved."

Does this type of competition help you keep fit for the upcoming DTM season, even though the focus is on fun?

Spengler: "Definitely, every type of sporting activity helps prepare for the season. If you aren't fit, you have no chance in the DTM. You can only win races when you are at your peak both physically and mentally. That's why I always go full throttle in winter. When cross-country skiing or snowshoeing in Canada, I lay the foundations for the season in terms of endurance. However, my perfect sport is biathlon. The shooting exercises help me remain focussed, even when my pulse rate is extremely high."

What are your expectations going into the 2016 DTM season?

Spengler: "We have to wait and see where we are compared to our competitors. I want to get the best out of myself and my car – that’s my first goal for the 2016 season. I may have been the best BMW driver again in 2015 and able to win a few podium positions, but I was unable to get a victory. I want to change that in the coming season. For me there is nothing better than standing at the very top of the podium after a race. That's what I live for."

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DTM: Timo Glock teaches bob stars to drift.

It wasn't only Bruno Spengler (CA) who ventured onto ice and snow this week. His BMW team-mate in the DTM, Timo Glock (DE), was also on slippery ground last week. He impressed some of the fastest bobsledders in the world with his feel for driving in the BMW Snow Driving Challenge on the Rettenbach glacier (AT) in the Ötztal Alps. The highest winter training course driving terrain in the world is located at an altitude of 3,000 metres, and is where the winter sports stars were flown in by helicopter directly from the Olympic bobsled run in Innsbruck-Igls (AT). Under Glock's instruction, the bob stars mastered demanding challenges such as the drift slalom, traction challenge and off-road course, and had plenty of fun at the wheel of the sporty BMW models. Among those competing were reigning two-man bob world champion Francesco Friedrich (DE) with his pusher Thorsten Margis (DE), as well as four-man bob Olympic Games winner Steven Holcomb (US). For the athletes, this was the perfect warm-up for the upcoming BMW IBSF World Championships in bob and skeleton to be hosted from 8th to 21st February. "It's always a lot of fun with the bob athletes," said Glock. "They were able to take their mind off the World Championships for a while and really went for it today. It's always great to meet other athletes from the BMW Sport family."

MotoGP: BMW M2 MotoGP Safety Car takes leading role in pinnacle of motorcycle racing.

BMW M goes into the 2016 MotoGP season with a Safety Car based on the new BMW M2 Coupé. The BMW M2 MotoGP Safety Car is the new highlight of the official MotoGP fleet and immediately takes a leading role in the pinnacle of motorcycle racing. The BMW M2 Coupé unveiled in Detroit (US) in January 2016 provides the ideal basis for the MotoGP Safety Car. The new inline six-cylinder engine with innovative M TwinPower Turbo technology and three-litre capacity guarantees an extremely sporty performance. With a maximum output of 272 kW/370 hp and a maximum torque of 7,000 rpm, the extremely rev-happy powertrain really makes its mark out on the track. The intelligent, lightweight concept, low point of gravity and small, unsprung weight are further trump cards, which help ensure the maximum agility and dynamics of the high-performance coupé. In the BMW M factory in Garching near Munich (DE), the production car was modified, optimised and prepared by hand for its new role in MotoGP