BMW Sports Trophy 2003

By BMW Motorsport
December 7 2003

   
BMW Sports Trophy 2003
 
British driver Andy Priaulx emerged as the world's most successful private BMW driver of 2003. The 29-year-old was hailed as the discovery of the season in the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC), taking third place overall with BMW Team Great Britain fielded by Bart Mampaey. Priaulx's performance in the BMW 320i - three wins, one second place and two thirds - helped BMW to the Manufacturers' title in the European Touring Car Championship.

This was the 38th presentation of the BMW Sports Trophy, which carries a total purse of 241,000 euros. Trophy winner Priaulx was presented with prize money of 35,000 euros at the BMW Motorsport party in Seefeld (Tyrol/AUT) on Saturday. Based on the Sports Trophy's coefficient system, he managed to accumulate 520 points.

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen presented the prizes to the 20 best independent BMW drivers, emphasising: "I have great respect for the commitment of these racing drivers and their teams. By nature it's the top-echelon events and works motor racing that take centre stage, but these ambitious privateers fly the flag for BMW in mass motorsport around the globe. They compete against other marques in various classes and a variety of vehicle and drivetrain concepts. Thanks to their assertiveness on the race track, they display BMW's technical competence in a wide range of motorsport categories."

With a total of 425 points, last year's trophy winner Duncan Huisman (NLD) was this year's runner-up in the traditional award. In the ETCC the 32-year-old won the Independents' Trophy with Team Carly Motors and, likewise in a BMW 320i, he came first in the famous touring car race in Macau - for the third time in succession.

Taking third place in the BMW Sports Trophy 2003 was Casper Elgaard (25) of Denmark. In his BMW 320i he claimed three wins and six further podium places for the Essex Invest Team in the Danish Touring Car Championship. His results produced a tally of 355 trophy points.

The best German driver was 32-year-old Claudia Hürtgen from Aachen, who took fifth place with 313 points. She made her mark with a BMW 320i in the 2003 German Touring Car Challenge (DTC) by becoming the first woman to take a German touring car title. Driving for Team Schubert Motorsport, she claimed two individual victories and never finished outside the first five.



All placings BMW Sports Trophy 2003:

Driver, Vehicle, Points, Successes
1. Andy Priaulx (GBR), BMW 320i, 520, 3rd place ETCC
2. Duncan Huisman (NLD), BMW 320i, 425, 7th place ETCC
3. Casper Elgaard (DNK), BMW 320i, 355, 2nd place Danish TCC
4. John Nielsen (DNK), BMW 320i, 335, 3rd place Danish TCC
5. Claudia Hürtgen (GER), BMW 320i, 313, 1st place DTC, works driver Nürburgring 24 Hours (BMW M3 GTR)
6. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), BMW 320i, 310, 9th place ETCC
7. Richard Göransson (SWE), BMW 320i, 280, 5th place Swedish TCC
8. Franz Engstler (GER), BMW 320i, 279, 3rd place DTC
9. Antonio Garcia (ESP), BMW 320i, 270, 8th place ETCC
10. Gianluca de Lorenzi (ITA), BMW 320i, 250, 2nd place Italian Super Production Car Championship
11. Tom Coronel (NLD), BMW 320i, 235, 10th place ETCC
12. Thomas Winkelhock (GER), BMW 320i, 232, 5th place DTC
13. Robert Senkyr (CZE), BMW M3, 213, 1st place European Hillclimb Championship
14. Johannes Scheid (GER), BMW M3 GTRS, 205.5, 6th place German Endurance Championship, Nürburgring, Class VLN Special, 2nd place Nürburgring 24 Hours
15. Claus Müller (GER), BMW M3, 200, 1st place German Endurance Championship, Nürburgring, Class SP5
15. Helmut Abels (GER), BMW M3, 200, 1st place German Endurance Championship, Nürburgring, Class SP5
17. Davide Bertozzi (ITA), BMW 320i, 190, 2nd place Italian Super Production Car Championship
17. Francesco Iorio (ITA), BMW 320i, 190, 1st place Campionato Italiano Velocità Turismo
19. Patrik Ernstson (SWE), BMW 320i, 181, 10th place Swedish TCC
20. Rainer Krug (GER), BMW M3, 180, 5th place European Hillclimb Championship

TCC = Touring Car Championship
DTC = German Touring Car Challenge
ETCC = European Touring Car Championship

Other BMW successes in 2003 outside the Sports Trophy.

- 2nd place FIA Formula One Constructors' World Championship, BMW WilliamsF1 Team, Juan Pablo Montoya (third place) and Ralf Schumacher (fifth place), two one-two finishes (Schumacher ahead of Montoya in Europe and France), two single victories (Montoya in Monaco and Germany), four pole positions (Schumacher three, Montoya one)

- 1st place Manufacturers' category FIA European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) and 2nd place Drivers' category. BMW Team Germany (Schnitzer-Motorsport), Jörg Müller, BMW 320i

- 1st place Russian Touring Car Championship, Mikhail Ukhov, BMW 320i

- 1st place Speed World Challenge for touring cars in the USA, Bill Auberlen, BMW 325i

- 1st place German Hillclimb Championship, Group CN sports cars, Herbert Stenger, Stenger BMW

- 1st place DMSB Hillclimb Cup for touring cars, Jörg Weidinger, BMW 318is, Group G

- 1st place Touring Car race 2003 in Macau, Duncan Huisman, BMW 320i

- Maximilian Götz won the Formula BMW ADAC Championship; Sebastian Vettel won the rookie category for newcomers to the championship

- Ho-Pin Tung took the Formula BMW Asia Championship title; Kyong-Ouk You was best rookie
 
 
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