BMW CAR CLUB (GB)
SOUTH EAST REGION
Website design by Melvyn Pettit
Top
2004 European Touring Car Champion
BMW Team Great Britain, Driver - Andy Priaulx
2004 ETCC Champion
9th October 2004 - Dubai, 2004 European Touring Car Champion
The Icing on My Racing Cake I suppose once I get home and see my children I may suddenly realise that I am the 2004 FIA ETCC champion, but at the moment I am not quite taking it all in. For me this is the biggest thing that has happened in my career. I have not just five wins from the season, but now I have a title and for me one of the best you can win.
I don’t think it could have been tighter. Dirk Müller and myself both finishing on 111 points, but thanks to my five wins against his three I will get to lift the Drivers’ Championship Trophy. I have to feel sorry for Dirk as it could so easily have gone the other way and I know about disappointment. However, it didn’t and so I am going to savour every moment of the next few hours, days and weeks.
Before I tell you anything else, I need to pay tribute to everyone who has got me here as the first British European Touring Car Champion for twenty years – the last one was in 1984 when Tom Walkinshaw claimed the title at the final race of the season. There is a long list of family and friends who have been there for me as well as personal sponsors. They have been just tremendous over the years and I think I have the best wife in the world in Jo. Also this year it has been the amazing working relationship and friendship from everyone at RBM that has really got me to where I am now. I can’t thank Bart and all the boys enough for the long hours they spend putting my car together to make it such a great racing car.
It was also great that there to watch this victory were two of my loyal supporters from BMW Great Britain, Peter Walker and Chris Willows. They have given me a lot of help and support through the year and it is good they are here to help me celebrate.
Now back to these final two races. It was quite simple I got my head down and tried not to make any mistakes! I tried to turn my pole into something positive for race day. We never expected Alfa to be so fast, but we dealt with it. They were two of the toughest races I have ever known. In the first race James Thompson put me under a lot of pressure, but his driving was really clean. Then in the second race the car was really battered in the first lap accident and I privately thought it could have been all over. However, I kept cool, let the boys repair it and knew I had to do the business on the first lap of the re-start. I got my head down, went through the gap and then drove away. If I had not done that I would have ended up in a massive scrap.
The rest, as they say, is history. I am now looking forward to the WTCC next year and aim to make it back to back championships.
Report from AndyPriaulx.com
BMW has won the FIA ETCC Manufacturers’ Championship for the second successive year and it could not have chosen a more perfect venue than home territory in Oschersleben. The title celebrations did not have to wait until the end of the weekend as a win for Andy Priaulx (BMW Team Great Britain) and third for Dirk Müller (BMW Team Deutschland) in race one secured the prestigious title.
This was not the only success for BMW over the weekend as Dirk was second in race two, moving him into a twelve point lead in the drivers’ table over Andy, with Jörg Müller (BMW Team Deutschland) third ensuring only a BMW driver can win the Drivers’ Championship. Meanwhile Tom Coronel lifted the Independents Trophy after winning the class in race one in his Carly Motors BMW 320i. This has also given the Dutch Carly Motors team its second successive title.
Priaulx did exactly what he said he would. He got the perfect start and went on to score a win. Behind him things were not so straight forward, despite the fact the positions were not changing as many drivers had championship results rather than race results at the forefront of their minds
Gabriele Tarquini’s challenge disappeared on lap five when his Alfa Romeo came to a halt on the side of the track with smoke and flames coming out of the engine compartment while he was in third. This left Augusto Farfus to fend off Dirk Müller, who was also being caught by Fabrizio Giovanardi’s Alfa and Jörg Müller. This battle was settled when Giovanardi ran into the back of Dirk’s car and earned himself an immediate thrive through penalty from the Stewards. Dirk lost a couple of places but was able to make it back to third by the end of the race.
Tom Coronel had a good start and so was able to lead the Independents class with his main rival Salvatore Tavano (Alfa Romeo) second. Antonio García (BMW Team Italy-Spain) started from the back of the grid after an engine change, but his car was performing really well and so he was able to get up to ninth. Sadly his team-mate, Alex Zanardi, didn’t have a good race as he had a clutch problem at the start and then, after a collision with the Alfa of Michele Bartyan, suffered a puncture. Despite a pit stop for a new tyre he eventually retired, as the car did not handle properly after that.
4
BMW win second successive Manufacturers’ title
Britain's Andy Priaulx has taken the 2004 ETCC title at Dubai on Friday despite finishing level on points with rival Dirk Muller. Priaulx was second in both races at the new circuit to overhaul the 12-point deficit to Muller, while the German suffered a disastrous weekend after being knocked out of the first race and finishing fifth in the second.
Following Muller's retirement from the first race, the German not only saw his points advantage reduced from 12 to just four points, but he had to start the second race from the back of the grid while Priaulx was up in seventh on the grid, albeit loaded down with ballast. The reverse grid saw Luca Rangoni start from pole but it was the BMWs who took control at the start with Alex Zanardi leading Jorg Muller and Priaulx through turn one. That was before the carnage began.
Zanardi attempted a desperate lunge up the inside of Jorg, putting the German into a spin that forced him into the side of Priaulx who then slowed. Antonio Garcia spun, forcing the SEAT of Rickard Rydell to drive straight into him who in turn saw the Peugeot of Jan Magnussen flipped onto its roof.
The race was stopped for twenty minutes to clean up the circuit and at the re-start Priaulx took the lead ahead of Zanardi, who proceeded to hold up the rest of the field until the BMWs eased past within a few laps
Meanwhile, Priaulx was in the distance while Dirk Muller was fighting back to sixth. Rcae 1 winner Gabriele Tarquini then overtook Priaulx for the victory while Fabrizio Giovanardi's retirement elevated Dirk to fifth, putting him equal on points with Priaulx.
"I have to give my credit to everybody, my RBM team, my mechanics, my boss and my family," Priaulx said. "Winning races it the most important thing, and the title is the icing on the cake. I'm going to treasure this for the rest of my life..."
Dirk Muller, however, was inconsolable. "Losing the championship by being shunted out by a private car has infuriated me. I had to start the last race from the back which effectively ended my hopes of winning the title. I have to congratulate Andy who has been strong all season, but I am well annoyed," he moaned. "At the moment I am empty and I don't know what to think."
Race report from Autosport.com port from www.bmw-motorsport.com - 20th September 200
Race Reports
