ROWE RACING returns to racing mode after the greatest success in their team history, victory at the tradition-steeped 24 Hours of Spa. After the team from St. Ingbert had a little bit of time to enjoy the victory and recover, it was time to focus on building up a new BMW M6 GT3 for the next race in the Blancpain GT Series this weekend (27th/28th August). The winning car from Spa has gone into early retirement, is currently being preserved in the state in which it crossed the finish line and will be displayed as an exhibit at events and trade fairs in future.
So the two ROWE RACING regular drivers Philipp Eng from Austria and Alexander Sims from Great Britain will set off in search of further points in the overall standings of the Blancpain GT Series, in which they are currently ranked fourth, in a new #99 “company car”. Considering they trail by just eleven points with three races to go this season, the BMW works drivers are still within reach of at least second place.
In the #98 sister car, the two Dutchmen Nick Catsburg and Stef Dusseldorp will share the cockpit of the BMW M6 GT3 on the Formula 1 track just outside the Hungarian capital. The race on the 4.381-kilometre Hungaroring will be a first for ROWE RACING as a team, but the drivers do have experience of the angular track.
The one-hour Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup race gets underway at 12:30 p.m. CEST on Sunday. The 60-minute qualifying race takes place at 5:15 p.m. CEST on Saturday.
ROWE RACING team principal Hans-Peter Naundorf: “The whole team revelled in the fantastic victory in Spa for the first few days after the race. But we have returned to reality now and are focussed on our preparations for the three remaining races in the Blancpain GT Series. Since we would like to keep the winning car from Spa in the condition in which it crossed the finish line to remind us of the greatest moment in our team history to date, we have built up a new BMW M6 GT3 for Philipp Eng and Alexander Sims. It is difficult for us to assess the track in Budapest since we have never driven there as a team. And the new asphalt on the track is a technical challenge; no doubt the summery temperatures will also make things difficult for us. However, I am confident that we will do well in Budapest, and might even be able to make up more ground in the overall standings.”