BMW Motorsport concluded three days of tests with its 2012 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters M3 at the Monteblanco circuit near Seville, Spain Thursday, with three cars and five drivers representing four teams, turning laps and collecting data.
BMW drivers Martin Tomczyk, Bruno Spengler, and Andy Priaulx were joined by reigning GP2 champion and ex-F1 pilot Romain Grosjean, and F3 driver Marco Wittmann, collecting data for BMW Motorsport, BMW Team Schnitzer, BMW Team RBM, and BMW Team RMG, which will carry the BMW banner in the 2012 season of Germany’s version of NASCAR.
“We are very happy with this test,” BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt said in a press release. “As expected, Martin had no problem adapting to the car; he was very quickly able to concentrate on the actual test program. Overall, the teams, with Martin, Bruno and Andy, were able to tick off all of the points on our list. Romain and Marco also gave valuable feedback. We took another big step forward with the development of our BMW M3 DTM.”
DTM is the most popular racing series in Germany and attracts big-name sponsors. Like NASCAR, the series uses purpose-built chassis clothed in modified bodies resembling popular street cars. Unlike NASCAR, the cars race only on road courses, and use high-tech engines.
The series started in 1984, with BMW wining the first championship, and winning again in 1987 and 1989. The original series ended in 1996; but when it restarted in 2000, BMW chose not to get involved. Mercedes and Audi, which dominated the original series, were so successful that by 2005 they were the only remaining manufacturers.
BMW had originally thought that the revived series would lack prestige, and chose to spend its money on international series and racing in North America—a huge market for all three manufacturers. But as DTM’s popularity has grown, and with rumors of a possible North American version linked with NASCAR starting in 2013, BMW decided to rejoin the fray.
BMW Motorsports is clearly serious about winning in DTM, as evidenced by their time spent testing in Spain, completing more than 1000 laps and focusing on component endurance, chassis setup, and electronic testing.
Martin Tomczyk, who won the 2011 DTM championship driving for Audi, said he was very positive about the tests. “It we continue like this, I have no doubt that the car will be competitive by the first race,” he said in the press release.
