Around seven weeks after the 12 Hours of Bathurst (AUS), BMW teams are set to take on the second race of the season in the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC). The ‘8 Hours of California’ will be held at another legendary track this Saturday, the “WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca†(USA). BMW Team Schnitzer and Walkenhorst Motorsport will once again race with one BMW M6 GT3 each. The same six drivers that were behind the wheel in Bathurst will take it in turns in the cockpits.
In the BMW Team Schnitzer #42 BMW M6 GT3, Augusto Farfus (BRA), Martin Tomczyk (GER) and Chaz Mostert (AUS) will alternate stints at the wheel. The trio battled for a spot on the podium down to the wire at Bathurst and ended up in fifth place. The two BMW works drivers Nick Catsburg (NED) and Mikkel Jensen (DEN), as well as Christian Krognes (NOR) will represent Walkenhorst Motorsport in the #34 car, which retired at the season opener.
The race gets underway on Saturday 30th March at 8:30 a.m. local time (4:30 p.m. CET).
Quotes ahead of the race in Laguna Seca:
Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):
“First Sebring, now Laguna Seca; we’re continuing our tour of America. We wowed the fans at Sebring with the BMW M8 GTE mid-March, now the BMW M6 GT3 will take on another legendary track in North America. We are aiming to fight for the top positions again at Laguna Seca given that we have been very successful in GT races in recent months with plenty of podiums and race wins.â€
Martin Tomczyk (#42 BMW M6 GT3, BMW Team Schnitzer):
“I’m really looking forward to returning to Laguna Seca. The track is brilliant to drive, and I have great memories of my class win there with the BMW M6 GTLM in the 2017 IMSA season. I think I will find my feet quickly. The combination of BMW Team Schnitzer, the BMW M6 GT3 and us drivers – Augusto Farfus, Chaz Mostert and me – has already proved to be competitive at the Bathurst season opener. I hope that we can deliver more of the same at Laguna Seca.â€
Mikkel Jensen (#34 BMW M6 GT3, Walkenhorst Motorsport):
“This will be my first ever time in the USA, so I’m excited and am really looking forward to the new experience. Travelling to countries totally new to me and the legendary racetracks that I get to drive in the BMW M6 GT3 make my appearances in the Intercontinental GT Challenge very special events for me. Of course, I’m familiar with the Laguna Seca track from countless virtual laps. Now I’m really excited to see what it feels like in real life.â€