BMW is joining the list of GT3 manufacturers that are stepping their game and committing to a full time run in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, with at least two BMW M6 GT3s set to travel around the globe to bring worldwide glory to the Bavarian manufacturer.
The announcement came at the annual end of season event that BMW holds, and Walkenhorst Motorsport was confirmed to run one of the cars, while the team that will take care of the second machine remain unknown, although it’s already public that Martin Tomczyk and FIA GT World Cup winner Augusto Farfus will be part of the second car, with the Brazilian driver moved to full time sportscar commitments with BMW.
Still in the drivers department, Mikkel Jensen was confirmed as the newest BMW factory driver after being part of the junior programme. Jensen drove for Walkenhorst during part of the 2017 Blancpain GT Endurance Cup and was focusing his efforts with Schnitzer Motorsport in ADAC GT Masters this year, although his destination remains unconfirmed for 2019.
As for Walkenhorst Motorsport, the team has an endurance racing prowess that’s needed for IGTC, which comes from being a regular contender in the VLN and the Nürburgring 24 Hours at home in Germany. The 2017 and 2018 Blancpain GT seasons for them were spent in the Pro-Am and Am Cups, with a one-off Pro Cup effort winning the 2018 TOTAL 24 Hours of Spa with Philipp Eng, Tom Blomqvist and Christian Krognes.
Despite not being a full time IGTC contender before, BMW was represented in some races by local teams , mostly at the Bathurst 12 Hour like SRM, and with the possibility of other teams joining the program, the use of local teams with some factory assistance can’t be discarded.
PHOTO: BMW Motorsport
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