With ROWE Racing’s Nick Catsburg, Alexander Sims and Nick Yelloly celebrating their victory in the No. 99 car, BMW Team Schnitzer followed in third place with the No. 42 M6, thanks to drivers Augusto Farfus, Jens Klingmann, Martin Tomczyk and Sheldon van der Linde.
Here are a few reactions from ROWE Racing, whose previous best result was a second place at the 2017 24 Hours of Nürburgring.
Hans-Peter Naundorf, Team Principal: “It is fantastic that BMW rocked the race here. Together, we showed what the BMW M6 GT3 is really capable of. The key to the success was the team spirit and our great squad of drivers, who did not make any mistakes. All the drivers did a magnificent job and were at the limit, even in difficult conditions. There was obviously an awful lot of tension in the final laps because it was extremely close. However, Nicky Catsburg did a really good job of closing it out. It was one of the toughest races we have ever been involved in. A big thank you goes to the organizers, the other teams and manufacturers, and everybody who made it through the event. It doesn’t get any better. We are overjoyed.”
Nick Catsburg, Driver: “I am incredibly happy. I have wanted to win this race for so long. The Nordschleife is my favorite circuit. We have tried so often, and have now finally done it. A big thank you to my teammates Alexander Sims, Nick Yelloly and the whole team. Our brief was to keep the car on the track and not make any mistakes. That is exactly what we did.”
Alexander Sims, Driver: “It is simply fantastic to have won this race. It almost feels a bit strange to be relatively refreshed at the end of such a tough race, because we had the break in the night. It is a fantastic feeling. We have been trying for a long time—first with the BMW Z4 GT3, then with the BMW M6 GT3. That makes today’s success special.”
Nick Yelloly, Driver: “That was my first 24-hour race, as I did not get to drive here last year. The pressure was on, as we really wanted to get that 20th win, 50 years after the first BMW victory. My teammates and the car were mega and we made the right decisions at the right time. In the end, we made it through the race without a single mistake. This is definitely the biggest success of my career so far.”