Joey Hand will race an M3 DTM in 2012
BMW Motorsport has announced that Joey Hand will move from his BMW Team RLL ride to race in the DTM series in 2012. Hand will join Andy Priaulx, Augusto Farfus, Bruno Spengler, and Martin Tomczyk in the new M3 DTM cars. One driver vacancy remains on the team.
The departure of the 32-year-old Hand, the reigning ALMS GT champion along with his co-driver Dirk Müller, leaves an opening at BMW Team RLL for the 2012 season. (Text continues after photo)
BMW motorsport director Jens Marquardt said, “Joey has been a member of the BMW family for many years, and we are extremely pleased that he will now form part of our DTM project. His past successes have impressively underscored his skills set, and during the test in Monteblanco with the BMW M3 DTM he immediately proved to be very fast. We are convinced the addition of Joey to our line-up will substantially strengthen our project. In addition, his character fits into our team perfectly.”
Hand said, “I am really looking forward to my new challenge in the DTM, and thank BMW sincerely for the company’s confidence in me. I immediately enjoyed the BMW M3 DTM. Its downforce and carbon brakes are extremely impressive. I know some of the team members from the past, and was able to acquaint myself with the others in Monteblanco. Now I am looking forward to our close teamwork in future!”
The 2012 DTM season begins in April. Before then, Hand will once again contest the Rolex 24 at Daytona in a Ganassi Racing Riley-BMW, along with Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, and Graham Rahal. The four drivers won the race for Ganassi in 2011.—Brian S. Morgan, motorsports editor, bmwcca.org
