For the 61st time, BMW M Motorsport honoured the most successful private teams and drivers for their performances in BMW race cars around the world at the BMW M Sports Trophy Awards last Saturday. Turner Motorsport topped the team ranking this time, while Michael Schrey (GER) triumphed in the driver ranking. BMW M CEO Franciscus van Meel congratulated the winners on site and also paid tribute to the long-standing GT3 team Walkenhorst Motorsport, which will face a new challenge in 2024 and will only represent the BMW M Motorsport colours with the BMW M4 GT4.
“It is a decades-long tradition at BMW M Motorsport to offer the private teams and drivers the big stage they deserve as ambassadors of BMW and BMW M around the world at the end of each racing season through the BMW M Sports Trophy Awards,” said Franciscus van Meel. “I thank all participants for their loyalty and dedication and congratulate the winners very warmly. Especially the first-placed Turner Motorsport and Michael Schrey, who have contributed significantly to an overall very successful season for the BMW M Motorsport family. At the same time, I wish Walkenhorst Motorsport, which will face a new challenge in the GT3 sector in 2024, all the best! We will always remember the shared victories – especially the triumph at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps – and look forward to continuing to work together in GT4.”
Between 2013 and 2023, Walkenhorst Motorsport competed with BMW M Motorsport GT3 cars. In 2018, the team celebrated the biggest success in its history with the 24-hour victory at Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) with the BMW M6 GT3. Walkenhorst Motorsport has also represented the colours of BMW M Motorsport excellently in the DTM and other high-class GT racing series. In 2023, the team won five season races of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) with the BMW M4 GT3 and secured the title in the NLS Speed Trophy. In addition, they won the GT title in the Asian Le Mans Series. Walkenhorst Motorsport finished fourth in the BMW M Sports Trophy team ranking.
This time, Turner Motorsport from North America topped the team ranking. Thanks to strong results with the BMW M4 GT3 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Fanatec GT World Challenge America, as well as title wins with the BMW M4 GT4 in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, the team of Will Turner prevailed with 1,165 points. BimmerWorld Racing and Adrenalin Motorsport followed closely behind in second and third place.
Michael Schrey triumphed in the driver ranking with 912 points, mainly due to his title win in the GT4 European Series. He was also successful in the NLS. Second place in the driver ranking went to his teammate at Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport in the GT4 European Series, Gabriele Piana (ITA). Third place went to Chandler Hull (USA).
“Congratulations to all BMW M Motorsport teams and drivers who have celebrated successes this season – especially to the winners of tonight’s awards,” said Björn Lellmann, Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport. “We look back on a fantastic season for our race cars. The BMW M4 GT3 has won titles in the IMSA series, the GTWC Europe Gold Cup, British GT, Italian GT, NLS, and the Asian Le Mans Series, and has won major individual events such as the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the 24 Hours of Dubai, 9 Hours of Kyalami, and 8 Hours of Indianapolis.
The BMW M4 GT4 has won titles in the GT4 European Series, the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, the GT4 Asia, and the GT4 America. In addition, we have seen great brand trophies with the BMW M2 CS Racing. A very special congratulations goes to Adrenalin Motorsport for their sixth consecutive overall NLS victory – what an incredible achievement! I can’t wait to watch our teams and drivers strive to top this outstanding record again in 2024.”
BMW M works driver and BMW SIM Racing ambassador Bruno Spengler (CAN) presented the awards, which for the first time also included the recognition of the best participants in the BMW M SIM Trophy, the virtual counterpart to the BMW M Sports Trophy. Those sim racers were honoured who were most successful in virtual BMW M race cars.
