Racing News

    Thirty-seven years after its premiere on the race track, the BMW M1 once again generated a fantastic atmosphere among motorsports fans in the warm-up for the July Formula 1 race in Spielberg, Austria. BMW Group Classic staged a revival of Procar Series racing cars just before the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.

    When the first Procar Race was held at Zolder, Belgium, in May 1979, contemporary Formula 1 racing drivers competed in identical racing versions of the BMW M1 against national sports-car professionals, private drivers, and talented upcoming drivers. Some of these drivers are now taking the opportunity to get back into the cockpit of the BMW M1 at the Legends Parade in Spielberg—including three-time Formula 1 World Champion Niki Lauda, who won three Procar Races in 1979 and also succeeded in claiming the overall championship.

    Lauda will be campaigning against a number of former rivals at his historic home competition. Hans-Joachim Stuck, runner-up in the overall championship in 1979 and third place in 1980, is returning to the cockpit of his successful car. Jochen Mass, Christian Danner, and Marc Surer will also be behind the wheel of the same models of the BMW M1 in which they raced. Austrians Dieter Quester and Sepp Manhalter, and Markus Hotz from Switzerland will also be rekindling their memories of exciting battles for position in Procar races.

    Gerhard Berger, Jos Verstappen, and Jan Lammers are three other former Formula 1 racing drivers who will be taking part in the Legends Parade. The field of celebrity drivers is completed by Harald Grohs, who won races in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) driving the BMW 635CSi and the BMW M3, and BMW brand ambassador Leopold Prinz von Bayern. Both drivers once lined up on the grid in a BMW M1 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and they are being joined by multiple Touring Car Champion Johnny Cecotto from Venezuela.

    The BMW M1 was the first vehicle designed from scratch by BMW Motorsport GmbH to compete in racing. The series version generated 277 horsepower and was propelled to a top speed of almost 165 mph and was the fastest road-going German sports car of its time. The Procar Series not only provided the perfect stage for the first super sports car from BMW, but at the same time created an entirely new form of competition on the race track. The trial of strength in the racing versions of the BMW M1—constructed in conformity with the Group 4 regulations and each generating 470 hp—turned into a big success with spectators. And today the drivers, too, continue to eulogise about the handling characteristics of the mid-engined coupé, the sound of the legendary inline six-cylinder engine, and the sporty appeal of a race series that was all about the skills and abilities of the drivers.

    Last year at the Austrian Grand Prix, the BMW Group took part in a rendezvous of historic Formula 1 racing cars. Nelson Piquet drove the Brabham BMW BT52, which he had previously driven to victory in the Formula 1 World Championship in 1983. This year, BMW is providing the entire starter field in celebration of the centenary anniversary of the company with a total of 14 former racing cars registered for the Legends Parade! To an BMW Motorsport fan, this will defintitely be a sight to see!