Racing News

    2014 had been a great year, competing for BMW Team RLL in the new Tudor United Sportscar Championship, teamed with my now good friend Bill Auberlen. I had raced in the States previously, winning the Twelve Hours of Sebring, but never for a whole season, and I loved it. My family loved it too, and we combined the racing with an extended RV holiday, USA style. So when I was asked to head up the European Le Mans Series programme in 2015 for BMW Motorsport and test the new BMW M6 in Europe, I was sad not to be in the US again for the whole season, whilst of course being very excited about the new challenge.

    Fortunately, through my partners IHG® Rewards Club, I was able to combine my programme with three endurance races in the States for Turner Motorsport’s championship winning team, as well as stay in some amazing hotels along the way - no downside there! We had some fun together, particularly at Daytona International Speedway, where I was able to swap the cold British weather for a room at the Holiday Inn Resort Daytona Beach Oceanfront, some sunshine and long runs along the Atlantic coast. A great way to kick off the year. Luck had it that I was back in the Florida sunshine again just two months later, this time at Sebring Circuit. After a long and hard fought endurance race I was able to rest each night in the Holiday Inn Express Lake Placid, which offered me the largest room and my own spa tub (which was excellent respite for aching muscles).

    Whenever I visit Florida my entry point is Orlando where, after a nine hour flight, I get what I call a performance rest at the Crowne Plaza Orlando Universal Hotel. The Sleep Advantage Kits they have keep jetlag at bay, whilst the run station makes early morning training easy. A nice fresh apple, a towel and a map…. doesn’t get much better than that. I even managed a day on a Harley Davidson riding the coast roads to clear my mind ready for the racing ahead, and passing all the Disney theme parks reminded me that I must come back with the kids. At the other end of the scale and the year, Petit Le Mans, Atlanta, was one of the most challenging and dangerous events I have ever taken part in, with heavy rain and low visibility for the duration. My stay at the Holiday Inn Express Buford Mall of Georgia was awesome though – the hotel has had a complete refurbishment and is so comfortable. And the icing on the cake at this event was one night at the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, celebrating the end of season with my teammates at one of the finest IHG® hotels in the US, with the most fantastic spa: heaven. As I move to 2016, I feel I have unfinished business on the USA circuits and plan to be back.

    Back in Europe, a highlight was that I won the last ever race for the BMW Z4 GTE racecar run at Estoril circuit, Portugal, which also proved to be my last ever race for BMW, after thirteen years together, where in mixed conditions with focused teamwork we won by almost a lap, as well as securing second place in the ELMS Championship. The new InterContinental Estoril was my luxury home for the event, and what an amazing hotel this is with contemporary design, sun deck and dining room overlooking the ocean, with a great health club for much needed re-energising shoulder massages. Similarly after racing (and also BMW testing) at Paul Ricard circuit in France, I was able to relax in the InterContinental Marseille, built within the original structure of an 18th Century hospital and equally fabulous in both design and service, and it’s just two blocks to the port.

    The travelling can be tough but when you have a great hotel to return to it’s not so bad, although sometimes even I can find myself lost. Such as our trip from the track to the InterContinental Marseille where my usually reliable sat-nav took us straight into the oldest part of the city. We were heading towards the rear of the hotel and making some kind of progress (I guess) but the roads were just getting narrower and narrower. The unbelievable thing was, we could see the hotel but we just couldn’t get to it, so, we ended up driving through a square full of very French restaurants with tables that we had to negotiate around. You should have seen the looks that we were getting – hilarious. No more for the fact that I was in an X5 that barely fitted between the street walls. Hindsight tells me I should have used the hotels directions and not a computer.

    With three races in the States, five in Europe and extensive testing of the new BMW M6, you would think that this would be enough for me, but I am happy to say that in addition I was given the opportunity by IHG® Rewards Club and BMW UK to compete in the world-renowned British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) with BMW Team and 2014 champions West Surrey Racing in their BMW 135i race car. This uber-close racing makes excellent TV, so do take a look.

    I was particularly excited to get pole position at Brands Hatch circuit on my first race back and to finish second to the eventual champion by 0.040 second, one of my closest ever finishes. I had got pole on my last BTCC event in 2002, so I guess that may be the longest time between consecutive pole positions in one championship? My return to Croft Circuit in northern England was also one to savour with our BMW Team WSR taking 1, 2, 3 finish and the next being the race at Silverstone Circuit, which was my 50th career win for BMW, and a very special moment.

    It was the second race of the BTCC contest at Silverstone and what makes this milestone so memorable was that I had to fight from start to finish in a car that shouldn’t have won the race due to overall race pace – a rooftop moment again at last. Over the season I won two races, was on the podium five times and on the front row 40% of the time, so a very happy return in what is a very tough championship to compete in, let alone win. This is also unfinished business.

    The best thing about racing in the UK is that my family can be with me each weekend. Thank goodness for Holiday Inn® hotels which are dotted throughout the land, which welcome families, are close to everything, have comfortable rooms for us to be together, nice restaurants and free WiFi and sometimes a Spirit Healthclub with a pool for the kids to relax in while I spend long hours at the track into the night.

    Another highlight to share for all the Classic Car fans, was the famous Goodwood Revival race weekend where I partnered my friend Richard in his BMW 1965 TISA. We had a great race, and watched some spectacular cars whilst all dressed up in past era theme. One to put on your vacation list for sure.

    I was honoured to be asked to represent England at the prestigious Race Of Champions event at the London Olympic Stadium. This is me and the family outside the Staybridge Suites London Stratford The City, the ROC organisers’ hotel. On a typically cold evening, driving a mixture of cars from NASCAR to buggy’s, I beat Formula One drivers Sebastien Vettel, Nico Hulkenberg and Jenson Button to win the Nations Cup for England with fellow BTCC ace Jason Plato. A fantastic and rewarding experience to cap a great year.

    And so to the future.

    After thirteen years with BMW, a European title, three FIA World titles and numerous wins and podiums, particularly at Sebring, Daytona, Nürburgring and Le Mans, I have decided to leave BMW Motorsport for new challenges and a new era in my career. Whilst I leave BMW with some sadness I have the best memories of meeting and working with some of the greatest people in the automotive industry, the motorsport industry and passionate car owners. I thank you all for the support, friendship and inspiration, and look forward to a new chapter and new opportunities. #Andy111 will hit the tarmac in January—watch this space.

    As my parting note for 2015, I want to share with you that being away from home and my family for weeks at a time is hard and I miss them terribly and all that they do. Thank goodness for technology and mobile phones, but a special thanks has to go out to IHG® and IHG® Rewards Club for all they do to make me welcome and comfortable on the road and most of all for the free WiFi, great bedrooms, good food and of course the IHG® Rewards Club points to take my family on vacations and mini-breaks for our special time together. I couldn’t do it without you guys. Have a safe, healthy and Happy Holiday and an extra-special New Year. See you all in 2016.—Andy Priaulx