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Unbelievable Twist at 24 Hours of Nurburgring: BMW M4 GT3's Historic Podium Finish

Unbelievable Twist at 24 Hours of Nurburgring: BMW M4 GT3's Historic Podium Finish
June 2, 2024 - Read FAQs About This Article

The #72 BMW M4 GT3 of the BMW M Team RMG, which started brilliantly from pole position, ultimately secured a commendable third place at one of the most challenging motorsport events—the 24-hour Nürburgring race. The race, however, was marred by unanticipated interruptions, contributing to what has now become the shortest edition of the event in history.

A Record-Breaking Short Race

This year's Nürburgring 24 Hours set an unusual record: it became the shortest distance and race time ever completed in the event's history. Covering just about 50 laps, it broke the previous record of 59 laps set in 2021 over nine hours and 30 minutes. Emerging victorious were Frank Stippler, Christopher Mies, Ricardo Feller, and Dennis Marschall from the Scherer Sport PHX Audi team. They were followed closely by the #911 Manthey EMA Porsche team, composed of Laurens Vanthoor, Kevin Estre, Thomas Preining, and Ayhancan Guven.

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BMW M4 GT3 at Nürburgring 2024 – Photo: Gruppe C Photography

The #72 BMW M4 GT3, resplendent in the livery of BMW M Motorsport Premium Technology Partner Shell, was skillfully driven by Max Hesse (GER), Dan Harper (GBR), and Charles Weerts (BEL). Additionally, the ROWE Racing #98 BMW M4 GT3, helmed by Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Marco Wittmann (GER), Maxime Martin (BEL), and Augusto Farfus (BRA), finished a respectable seventh. While the ROWE Racing #99 BMW M4 GT3, driven by Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), Robin Frijns (NED), and Farfus, initially led the race but had to withdraw after an unavoidable accident.

Weather and Woes: The Rollercoaster Ride

The race kicked off amidst the customary Nürburgring chaos, with rain drenching the starting grid and making tire choices a treacherous gamble. Harper, initially driving the pole-sitting #72 BMW M4 GT3, pitted after the formation lap to switch to drying wets, mirroring Wittmann in the #98. Farfus in the #99, starting on drying wets, capitalized on his tire advantage, leaping from seventh to the lead within 20 electrifying minutes. Both Harper and Wittmann navigated back to the front swiftly, benefiting from the strategic tire changes.

Pit stops commenced around the two-hour mark, with van der Linde taking the reins of the #99 car, skillfully maintaining its frontrunner status. Yet, misfortune struck in the fourth hour—a slower car hit the #99 on its left rear, forcing an uncontrollable collision. This incident abruptly ended their pursuit of victory and thrust the #99 BMW M4 GT3 into the barriers and out of the race.

BMW M4 GT3 at Nürburgring
BMW M4 GT3 at Nürburgring 2024 – Photo: Gruppe C Photography

Focus then shifted to the remaining BMW M4 GT3s. As thick fog blanketed the Nordschleife, the race was halted at 23:22, with car #72 then in second place and #98 in seventh. Following over 14 hours, the field resumed behind the safety car for five formation laps starting at 13:30 on Sunday afternoon. The drivers' standings aligned with their positions at the penultimate lap before the red flag, factoring in minimum pit stop durations, thus positioning #72 in third and #98 in eighth. The race director later decided against a restart after these laps, cementing the #72 BMW's podium finish and placing the #98 in seventh.

Beyond the overall standings, BMW M Motorsport teams stole the spotlight in various other classes, clinching nine class victories. The FK Performance Motorsport team notably achieved a one-two finish in the SP10 class with their BMW M4 GT4. The SP8T class saw an all-BMW podium sweep, with former BMW M drivers Timo Glock and Timo Scheider (both GER) among the winners.

BMW M Motorsport Class Triumphs:

  • SP10: #188 BMW M4 GT4, FK Performance Motorsport, Maxime Oosten (NED), Nick Wüstenhagen, Nick Hancke, Lorenz Philipp Stegmann (all GER)
  • SP8T: #145 BMW M4 GT4, Cerny Motorsport, Timo Glock, Timo Scheider (both GER), Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED), Peter Cate (GBR)
  • M240i: #650 BMW M240i Racing, Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels, Sven Markert, Philipp Stahlschmidt, Nick Deißler (all GER), Ranko Mijatovic (SUI)
  • SP3: #275 BMW 318ti, Marc David Müller, Christopher Groth, Alexander Becker (all GER)
  • SP4: #152 BMW 325CI, Ingo Oepen, Henrik Launhardt, Thorsten Köppert (all GER)
  • SP6: #207 BMW M3 CSL, Hofor Racing, Michael Kroll, Chantal Prinz (both SUI), Alexander Prinz, Thomas Mühlenz (both GER)
  • V4: #711 BMW 325i, Desiree Müller, Tim Lukas Müller, Henning Hausmeier (all GER), Michael Fischer (AUT)
  • VT2-Hecka: #504 BMW 330i, SRS Team Sorg Rennsport, Piet-Jan Ooms (NED), Hans Joachim Theiß, Mathias Baar (both GER), Yutaka Seki (JPN)
  • VT3: #599 BMW 335i, Keeevin Sports and Racing, Serge Van Vooren, Jörg Schönfelder, Meik ter Haar, Guido Wirtz (all GER)

Frequently Asked Questions

The BMW M4 GT3 of the BMW M Team RMG secured a commendable third place at the 24-hour Nürburgring race.

The #72 BMW M4 GT3 was skillfully driven by Max Hesse (GER), Dan Harper (GBR), and Charles Weerts (BEL).

The Scherer Sport PHX Audi team, composed of Frank Stippler, Christopher Mies, Ricardo Feller, and Dennis Marschall, emerged victorious at the Nürburgring 24 Hours race.

The #99 BMW M4 GT3 had to withdraw from the race after an unavoidable accident where a slower car hit it on its left rear, leading to a collision.

The Nürburgring 24 Hours race set an unusual record this year by becoming the shortest distance and race time ever completed in the event's history, covering just about 50 laps.
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