Plano, Texas-based Classic BMW became the first American team to win the coveted BMW Sports Trophy for teams, awarded to the privateer BMW racing team that accumulates the most points over the course of the season. Classic BMW, which raced M4 GT4s and M235iRs in Pirelli World Competition in 2018 and also raced M4 GT4s in selected IMSA Continental Challenge races, broke the four-year win streak of Pixum Team Adrenalin, who placed second this year. The award, which carries a 30,000 Euro prize, was accepted by team owner Eric Maas and team principal Toby Grahovec.
The award was one of several given to privateer drivers and teams at BMW’s annual motorsports gathering in Munich on December 7.
The BMW Sports Trophy for drivers went to Danny Brink, Philipp Leisen, and Christopher Rink, who contested the VLN Endurance Series at the Nürburgring, scoring six class wins in nine races and winning the overall VLN championship in an E90 325i.
A new audience award, based on fan votes for the highlight of the racing season drawn from among ten events posted on the BMW Motorsport Facebook site, went to the Spa 24-Hour winning Walkenhorst Motorsport team. Pixum Team Adrenalin finished second for its overall wins in VLN and in the M235i Racing Cup, and Turner Motorsport finished third in the voting for its IMSA GTD win in in the M6 GT3.
Charly Lamm, retiring after almost four decades leading the Schnitzer Motorsport team, was honored at the gathering. BMW motorsport director Jens Marquardt presented Lamm with the hood of an M6 GT3 signed by all guests present at the event. —Brian Morgan