Biagi is the most successful BMW privateer of the 2012 season

Maisach (DE), 1st December 2012. This year’s trophy for the most successful BMW privateer goes to Italy: BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt and Alessandro Zanardi (IT) presented Thomas Biagi (IT) with the winner’s cheque for 30,000 Euros at the 51st BMW Sports Trophy Award Ceremony in Maisach near Munich. Biagi can also look forward to a drive in the BMW M3 DTM – which was the special reward for the winner of the 2012 BMW Sports Trophy.

Biagi’s success came courtesy of overall victory in the Italian GT Championship at the wheel of a BMW Z4 GT3 run by BMW Team Italia, as well as third place in the International Superstars Series in a BMW M3, again representing ROAL Motorsport. Biagi claimed four race wins and 14 podiums in the two series.

“Congratulations to Thomas Biagi,” said Marquardt. “Together with his team-mates he really made his mark on the 2012 Italian GT Championship. Over the course of last season we once again witnessed countless magnificent performances from BMW drivers in high-class racing series. The fact that Biagi has come through to win the BMW Sports Trophy against such strong opposition underlines just how consistent he has been this year. He can now look forward to a drive in the BMW M3 DTM.”

Biagi, who won the BMW Sports Trophy with a score of 434.23 points, said after the Award Ceremony: “First place in the BMW Sports Trophy is a huge honour for me. I had been invited to the ceremony for the top 25 BMW privateers for the last two years. I would like to thank the fantastic team at ROAL Motorsport for enabling me to win it at the third attempt. We had an amazing year. I am proud to be a part of the BMW family. I will soon be even prouder when I get behind the wheel of the BMW M3 DTM. That is the stuff of dreams for any BMW driver.”

The 51st BMW Sports Trophy saw a total of 243 participants – more than ever before in the long history of this competition – do battle for a share of the 250,000 Euros prize money. Marquardt said: “Even after over half a century, the BMW Sports Trophy still remains extremely attractive to drivers all over the world. This year we had 243 entrants from 24 countries on four continents. They represented BMW in 47 racing series around the world. Every driver who enters the BMW Sports Trophy is part of the BMW Motorsport family. Our privateers are fantastic ambassadors for the BMW brand.”

Second place behind Biagi, and a cheque for 25,000 Euros, went to Maxime Martin (BE). Among the 26-year-old’s achievements were second place overall in the Blancpain Endurance Series with the BMW Z4 GT3. He narrowly missed out on winning the DTM test by just 25 points in the BMW Sports Trophy. However, Martin had already completed a test at the wheel of the BMW M3 DTM just a few weeks ago. Third place, and 21,000 Euros in prize money, went to Norbert Michelisz (HU) with his BMW 320 TC. He won the Independents' Trophy in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). He also claimed one of three BMW race wins in the 2012 WTCC at his home event in Budapest (HU).

As well as the prospect of winning a healthy amount of prize money at the end of the year, participation in the BMW Sports Trophy also comes with many other advantages. Particularly attractive are the many cooperations that BMW Motorsport enjoys with selected companies within its Customer Racing programme.

Result of the 2012 BMW Sports Trophy

Pos.	Name	Country	Points
1.	Thomas Biagi	IT	434.23
2.	Maxime Martin	BE	409.87
3.	Norbert Michelisz	HU	391.07
4.	Tom Coronel	NL	334.00
5.	Franz Engstler	DE	322.67
6.	Henry Walkenhorst	DE	314.55
7.	Robert Thiele	DE	296.07
8.	Yelmer Buurman	NL	276.67
9.	Matthias Lauda	AT	274.13
10.	Stefano D’Aste	IT	273.60
11.	Steve Jans	LU	269.10
12.	Michael Bartels	DE	261.33
13.	Rob Servers	NL	255.95
14.	Markus Palttala	FI	253.87
-	Bas Leinders	BE	253.87
16.	Ralf Oeverhaus	DE	246.55
17.	Hajo Müller	DE	242.00
18.	Emin Akata	DE	239.90
-	Wolf Silvester	DE	239.90
20.	Jörg Weidinger	DE	239.00
21.	Nick Catsburg	NL	236.53
22.	Robert Collard	GB	231.67
23.	Christian von Rieff	DE	230.65
24.	Carsten Knechtges	DE	225.90
-	Tim Scheerbarth	DE	225.90

BMW Motorsport