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Live Stream: http://www.blancpain-gt-series.com/sprint/live

From July 4th to July 6th, the 24th edition of the Zandvoort Masters will take place at Circuit Park Zandvoort. Drivers such as Nico Hulkenburg, Lewis Hamilton, David Coulthard, Bottas have all driven at the Battle at the Beach and won for F3.

As with F3, Zandvoort is next up for the Blancpain Sprint Series. the GT cars of BMW, Audi, Mercedes, mclaren, Ferrari, etc will converge on the Dutch seaside for a race amongst the dunes on the 4,230m circuit. The Circuit Park Zandvoort is an 11-corner, 2.51-mile track located in the dunes right on the North Sea coastline. Inaugurated in 1948, the track was used for Formula One races until 1985.





There will be a couple of new cars on the grid in Zandvoort as well. Tonino Team Herberth Motorsport enters a Porsche 997R GT3 for the Dutch-German duo Jaap Van Lagen-Robert Renauer, while the BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert joins the Blancpain Sprint Series (Article below)with a car for Austrian youngsters Dominik Baumann and Thomas Jäger. The duo will be at the start for the remainder of the Blancpain Sprint Series season. However, Alex Zanardi and his ROAL Motorsport BMW will be absent in Zandvoort, because of a clashing commitment with the Italian’s handcycling racing programme. (More on this below)

The Porsche 997 GT3 R driven by Dutchman Jaap van Lagen and Robert Renauer is also in ADAC GT Masters as team Herberth Motorsport

The entire weekend will consist of:
- Masters of Formula 3
- Blancpain GT Sprint Series
- BOSS GP Series
- Burando Production Open
- Porsche GT3 Benelux Cup Challenge
- GT4 European Series
- BRCC (Belgian GT)




BSS Rankings so far (these teams overlap with the Endurance Series):
1. HTP Motorsport - SLS Merecedes
2. Belgian Audi Club Team WRT
3. ART Grand Prix
4. M-Sport Bentley
5. Grasser Racing Team
6. Sainteloc Racing
7. BMW Sports Trophy Team Brasil
8. Scuderia Villorba Corse
9. ROAL Motorsport
10. G-Drive Racing
11. Phoenix Racing
12. Bhaitech
13. Nissan GT Academy
13. TDS Racing (tied)
14. Oman Racing
15. AF Corse
16. MP Motorspot AMR
16. Black Falcon (tied)
17. Ecurie Ecosse
17. Fortec Motorsports(tied)




Sergio Jimenez (#0 BMW Sports Trophy Team Brasil): “For me, Zandvoort is one of the best tracks of the season. It is a very challenging, undulating circuit, on which it is difficult to overtake. The closeness to the beach and the crowd make for a great atmosphere as well. We will try to get another podium finish here and if we keep doing our job we might even fight for the championship at the end of the year.”


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Schubert Motorsport is set to return to an international Stéphane Ratel-organized series with an entry in the Blancpain Sprint Series.

The team from Oschersleben, Germany last raced in the FIA GT3 European Championship in 2011, before shifting focus to the VLN series and the ADAC GT Masters and 24-hour races at the Nürburgring and Dubai.

BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert will make its series debut at Zandvoort in two weeks, with 19-year-old Austrian Thomas Jäger behind the wheel of the BMW Z4 GT3.

“My race program for the 2014 season is fixed. I’ll start in the Blancpain Sprint Series with a Team Schubert BMW Z4 GT3,” Jäger said on his personal website.

“We’ll start at the Zandvoort round in early July. The driver line-up will be purely Austrian, this much I can tell you already.”

Jäger’s team mate will be the 2012 FIA GT3 European Champion Dominik Baumann, who races for Schubert in ADAC GT Masters and at the Nürburgring 24 last weekend. The Austrian confirmed his next race weekend is at Zandvoort.

Dominik Baumann (#76 BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert BMW):
“I've always wanted to drive in more than one championship in the course of a season, since the more time you spend on the track, the quicker you develop further. I'm really looking forward to the new series. We will have to get used to the Pirelli tyres, though. Thanks to my time in the FIA GT championship, I know most of the tracks already.”


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BMW team ROAL Motorsports is fielding Alex Zanardi for the Blancpain Sprint Series. Some of you may recall me mentioning Zanardi and ROAL in a previous thread. Well here is the info that I mentioned. Please note that Zanardi will not be at Zandvoort as he is racing in a 9000+ participant-strong handbike race.

Zanardi was a Champ Car, CART and F1/F3 driver and has been racing for a couple of decades. Here is the horrific crash that caused him to lose BOTH of his legs:

He has been racing for BMW in the WTCC series for quite a few years. This year, BMW's ROAL Motorsport retained him as a driver in a specially modified BMW Z4 GT3.

To me, Zanardi is a role model and he shows what can be done with some perseverance and heart in the face of adversity and seemingly insurmountable tragedy.





Roberto Ravaglia, Team Principal of ROAL Motorsport:
"The test on the Slovakia Ring was important for us for two main reasons: Alex could for him new route to get to know and in the long break between races at Brands Hatch and Slovakia more kilometers with the BMW Z4 GT3 unwound. We are satisfied with the test. Alex drove the two days a total of around 550 kilometers., we have not worked on major changes, but focused on the details. Alex's lap times were quite fast, even if these are not available to us during a test in focus. most important is that Alex is happy with the car. "


Also, in May of this year Zanardi was announced as a BMW Brand Ambassador and "in this role the BMW works driver will not only represent the brand by competing in the Blancpain Sprint Series, but also off the race-track."
-- Credit: BMW Group Danilo Coglianese Tel.: +49-89-382-25506 E-mail: danilo.coglianese@bmwgroup.com --


Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales and Marketing BMW.
“We are delighted to welcome Alessandro as a brand ambassador into our BMW family. “For his fans all around the globe he is far more than a superb racing driver. With his fighting spirit and his positive attitude, Alessandro is a true role-model. He has shown that it is possible to overcome all adversities and barriers. He is a real champion on and off the race track – and therefore a perfect international ambassador for our brand.”

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A little background on the Blancpain Sprint Series:


This is the first year that the Sprint Series and the Endurance Series are under one roof. Previously, the Sprint Series was a GT (Grand Tourer) one under the FIA umbrella as - you guessed it - FIA GT Championship and the FIA GT1 World Championship. It was organized by Stéphane Ratel and his SRO Motorsports organization.

SRO is the same group that is organizing the Blancpain events and it still requires FIA approval. While following on behind the FIA GT event now that it has been cancelled the cars are only GT3 (no GT1, etc.) spec.

So the BSS and BES names might be new to you (This is the first year after all) but the racing itself has been around for quite some time under the FIA...

Here is what Stefane says;

Stephane Ratel - Founder & CEO of SRO Motorsports Group

"2014 is another busy and exciting year for the SRO Motorsports Group as we take an exciting step forward, bringing our two main international GT series under one roof.

The new Blancpain GT Series brings together the hugely successful Blancpain Endurance Series with the Sprint events previously promoted as the FIA GT Series. With a combined title as well as individual prizes for Endurance and Sprint, the Series will also feature some innovations such as the Silver Cup for young drivers aged 25 and under, and a large prize fund.

In the UK, the Avon Tyres British GT Championship is going from strength to strength, with a full and competitive grid making it the strongest National GT Championship in Europe. The Cooper Tires British Formula 3 Championship has returned to the UK circuits, in an attempt to find its place alongside the now firmly established FIA F3 Championship. It will be a challenge to save it, but SRO is used to challenges, and a 63-year history that has taken many famous drivers to Formula One definitely deserves the effort.

The Total 24 Hours of Spa event, on the last weekend of July will be once again the jewel in our crown, particularly in this special year, when the traditional and prestigious race will celebrate its 90th anniversary. The combination of action-packed competition on the beautiful and spectacular Spa-Francorchamps circuit, with a popular festival of music off the track, makes it a unique event around which all of our teams, from the various series, form their season.

Finally, I would like to say thank you to all our commercial partners, the event promoters and of course all the competitors for their great sporting commitment to our series once again in 2014."

Stephane Ratel

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More on Zanardi. This is a great video up on the BMW Motorsports homepage

ZANARDI AT HIS BIKE RACE

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Don't forget!!

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Links to series:

- Masters of Formula 3 --> http://www.fiaf3europe.com/en/

- Blancpain GT Sprint Series --> Listed above

- BOSS GP Series --> http://www.bossgp.com

- Burando Production Open --> http://www.dutchpowerpack.nl/index.p...roduction_open

- Porsche GT3 Benelux Cup Challenge --> www.gt3cupchallengebenelux.com

- GT4 European Series --> http://gt4series.com

- BRCC (Belgian GT) --> http://www.brcc.be/docs.aspx

[954Stealth]

BMW Team Schubert 5th at Zandvoort


1 - #28 Proczyk/Bleekemolen - Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini 30 laps
2 - #84 Götz/Buhk – HTP Motorsport Mercedes + 0.408
3 - #1 Ramos/Vanthoor – Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi + 2.245
4 - #2 Ide/Rast – Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi + 3.290
5 - #76 Baumann/Jäger – BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert BMW + 5.263
6 - #21 Renauer/van Lagen – Tonino Team Herberth Porsche + 5.480
7 - #61 Pentus/Lloyd – Bhaitech McLaren + 15.331
8 - #27 Halek/ Landmann – Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini + 20.376
9 - #3 Rusinov/Ortelli – G-Drive Racing Audi + 28.327
10 - #5 Latif/Basseng – Phoenix Racing Audi + 29.095

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by 954Stealth

BMW Team Schubert 5th at Zandvoort


1 - #28 Proczyk/Bleekemolen - Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini 30 laps
2 - #84 Götz/Buhk – HTP Motorsport Mercedes + 0.408
3 - #1 Ramos/Vanthoor – Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi + 2.245
4 - #2 Ide/Rast – Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi + 3.290
5 - #76 Baumann/Jäger – BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert BMW + 5.263
6 - #21 Renauer/van Lagen – Tonino Team Herberth Porsche + 5.480
7 - #61 Pentus/Lloyd – Bhaitech McLaren + 15.331
8 - #27 Halek/ Landmann – Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini + 20.376
9 - #3 Rusinov/Ortelli – G-Drive Racing Audi + 28.327
10 - #5 Latif/Basseng – Phoenix Racing Audi + 29.095

Clarification: this is qualifying results.
The race comes soon!

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BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert 2ND
Who got to watch the race??