BMW works drivers Jens Klingmann and Bruno Spengler have won the Italian GT Sprint Cup Championship, with a second-place finish in the season finale at Imola that clinched the title. The pair drove the #7 M4 GT3 entered by BMW Italia Ceccato Racing, which is managed by BMW racing legend Roberto Ravaglia.
The Italian GT Sprint Cup Championship consisted of eight races at four different venues in Italy, with two races per race weekend. The pairing of Klingmann and Spengler was strong all year and led the championship by five points going into the final two races at Imola, but there was more drama than the team hoped for to get the title. In the first race, they failed to score any points as Spengler was knocked into the gravel by another car while he was in position for a podium finish. Fortunately for them, their primary rival failed to score any points as well and the BMW duo still had a five-point lead going into the final race.
Race two went better than race one, as Klingmann and Spengler drove to a second-place finish that was enough to win the title. The BMW pair finished with the same points as their Lamborghini rivals that won the final race, but won the championship based on better individual results. Overall, the duo had five podiums in the eight races, including wins at Monza and Mugello. BMW Italia Ceccato Racing finished second in the Sprint Cup team championship. “I am particularly proud to win a championship with the BMW M4 GT3, especially after all the blood, sweat and tears that went into the development of that car,” said Klingmann.
BMW Italia Ceccato Racing also won the Italian GT Endurance Cup Championship with drivers Stefano Comandini, Marco Cassará, and Alfred Nilsson, also in an M4 GT3. —David Haueter
[Photos courtesy BMW, Italian GT Championship]
