|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
22 Jan 2002, 15:49 (Ref:202952) | #1 | ||
Take That Fan
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 9,121
|
BMW pull our ALMS
This just in from Autosport.com
BMW pulls out after rule change German manufacturer to concentrate on ETCC programme BMW's sensational M3 GTR will be consigned to the museum BMW has announced that it is pulling out of the American Le Mans Series this year after rule changes that would have seriously hampered its GT class dominating M3 GTR. Neither the official BMW team, run by preparation experts Schnitzer, nor the BMW North America-backed Team PTG squad will continue in the ALMS with the car. "Unfortunately, in December, the M3 GTR was affected by a change in the regulations which would have a radical impact on the car's competitiveness," said BMW Motorsport director Mario Theissen. "We would have had to invest major staff and technical resources to try to compensate for the ensuing disadvantage. "Our main focus on our Formula 1 involvement means we can't spare the capacity," he added. BMW will instead focus on the revamped FIA European Touring Car Championship. Schnitzer will run the BMW Team Germany squad in the series, and other BMW importers from around the continent are also expected to join the programme. "As before, we do not regard our participation in the European Championship as a classic factory involvement," said BMW's Gerhard Berger. "Though the targets have been raised by the entry of other manufacturers." For full details on BMW's ETCC plans, see this week's AUTOSPORT magazine - on sale Thursday January 24. |
||
|
22 Jan 2002, 15:55 (Ref:202955) | #2 | ||
Racer
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 469
|
Yep Expect Teams from:
BMW Spain (With Jorg Gene & Norman Simon) BMW Benlux (Cox & Huisman) Schnitzer (the two Mullers) Also expect an annoucement about the Volvo ETCC line up by the end of the week. |
||
|
22 Jan 2002, 16:44 (Ref:202950) | #3 | ||
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 11,001
|
Quote:
|
||
|
22 Jan 2002, 16:47 (Ref:202951) | #4 | |
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 8,961
|
Can't blame them for pulling out but they did ask for it. With Schnitzer running Team Germany's ETCC team you now know who will dominate the series' this year. |
|
|
22 Jan 2002, 18:39 (Ref:202954) | #5 | |
Racer
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 285
|
When you don't produce what you sell in what is tradtionally a production style class, it is hard to have compassion on BMW. I will miss the V8 roar, but they should have continued to develop the inline 6 M3 or ran a V8 M5.
|
|
|
22 Jan 2002, 21:51 (Ref:202953) | #6 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 4,553
|
AMLS drove them out and I can't BMW ever going back.
|
||
|
23 Jan 2002, 01:44 (Ref:203005) | #7 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 550
|
Its bad news, but its also good news. Maybe this will encourage some privateer Porsche teams to step up and enter a few races. Heck, even Ferrari 360's and Callaway's!
|
||
|
23 Jan 2002, 08:59 (Ref:203070) | #8 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,052
|
Interestingly in one of the Daily Sportscar articles, it suggested that with the power restrictions and weight increase penalties they faced, it would have put them on a par with the Porsches. The only conclusion therefore is that BMW dropped out when they no longer had an unfair advantage and that they didn't want to face a fair fight.
Pity to lose such a great car, but a team with an attitude like that won't be missed. |
||
|
23 Jan 2002, 12:26 (Ref:203147) | #9 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 12,451
|
The thing that concerns me is the intimation that Alex Job Racing may lose their works support and all their drivers under the same rubric. Anybody heard this?
|
||
|
23 Jan 2002, 13:16 (Ref:203167) | #10 | ||
Team Crouton
20KPINAL
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 39,944
|
IMO, good news. The car was never a "proper" sports car.
|
||
|
23 Jan 2002, 13:24 (Ref:203171) | #11 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,206
|
BMW did this to themselves, a fact that they acknowledge with the intention to return in 2003. It's simple, mass producers have to mass produce cars in order to run them in that class. I feel sorry for the fans and the eight drivers whose careers now go off somewhere else for a bit... Lehto may go to Cadillac which should be fun. You can't question BMWs commitment to motorsport in general though. Unfortunately they're not fans like us, we don't have a choice in wether or not we follow sportscars, we just DO! Maybe they anticapted having the rules changed to suit them at the last moment...
Really though Porsche/BMW/Merc seem to take turns with taking the mickey with GT rules in the recent past. Maybe there should be a sperate class for vehicles whose manufacturers logo features a metal circle............. They could always hack the cars apart a bit and turn them into GTPs |
|
|
25 Jan 2002, 05:40 (Ref:204023) | #12 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,043
|
How many M3 GTR's do BMW need to produce to make the cars eligible in the trim they had in 2001.
|
||
|
25 Jan 2002, 13:12 (Ref:204172) | #13 | |||
Team Crouton
20KPINAL
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 39,944
|
Quote:
|
|||
|
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
PCM Pull the plug on ALMS campaign | SALEEN S7R | North American Racing | 82 | 1 Oct 2005 23:19 |
BMW pull our ALMS | rdjones | Touring Car Racing | 14 | 25 Jan 2002 18:38 |