A spectacular win for the #99 Rowe Racing in the Total 24 Hours of Spa thoroughly helped their championship chances with one round to go.
The victory sees them leap to third in the drivers standings and ensures they collect their first win of 2016. It was a fitting win as it comes a year after the last BMW, the Z4 GT3 won its last event.
“What an incredible race!” said driver Alexander Sims. “I’m so pleased that we were able to win the biggest GT race in the world! The team did an incredible job with preparation and strategy – the car felt great in every stint.”
While they didn’t lead the entire event, the BMW M6 GT3 was a constant contender. After a solid stint from local driver Maxime Martin, Sims took over to rise them through the field, with Phillip Eng also performing strongly.
Sims continued; “With the BMW M6 being a new car this season, a lot of work went into this win behind the scenes. We took a lot of [information] from the Nürburgring 24 Hours back in May, there was a lot of preparation before the race and so much effort was invested during practice, qualifying and each race stint. This is such a punishing race for everyone involved.”
“The last stint was reasonably hectic but I didn’t feel the pressure. We were in a good position and the team was keeping me informed, I just needed to make sure I did my job and brought the car home – I’m so happy that it was in first place!”
Elsewhere, team principal Hans-Peter Naundorf praised the crew for their efforts on and off the track; “Everyone in the team did a flawless job, kept going and tried to avoid making any errors. Then you get such a result.”
“This win is the biggest for our team. We have attempted to win a race of this magnitude so many times, but the fact that we finally achieved it with the new car and our new manufacturer partner BMW is phenomenal.
“I can’t quite take it in right now. It is an enormous success for everyone involved, which will now fill us with boldness, momentum and confidence for the coming races. We weren’t able to relax at all during the race, only on the final lap was it slightly easier.”