More than 700 fans attend the BMW Race Club event at 'Ring

By BMW Sauber F1
July 23 2009

On Monday the members of the BMW Sauber F1 Team Race Club experienced a thrilling day at the Nürburgring. For the first since the team was founded, the annual gathering of its followers was hosted at a race circuit. The fans obviously enjoyed watching the performance of the BMW Sauber F1.08 and other BMW Motorsport vehicles at close quarters.

Members of the BMW Sauber F1 Team Race Club are able to experience the fascination of Formula One from closer than ever, and this year's Fan Event was no different. The fans met Robert Kubica, Nick Heidfeld, Peter Sauber and BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen in the BMW Lounge at the Nürburgring, where autograph and interview sessions were held. In addition, the garage of the BMW Sauber F1 Team was open all day, enabling the fans to peer over the shoulders of the mechanics as they went about their routines. As part of the Nürburgring Backstage Tours they were introduced to the long and illustrious history of the classic circuit cutting through the Eifel Mountains.

For the many lucky winners of exciting Race Club raffles it was a matter of belting up and pushing the throttle. Some members were lucky enough to try their skills behind the wheel of a BMW M3 or Formula BMW race car; others watched from the co-driver seats as professional race drivers went about their tasks in a BMW 320si WTCC or BMW M5.

As has become traditional, all members thoroughly enjoyed the day. Theissen and Sauber took on Michael Lange, the fastest driver of the day on the Fan Event Carrera track. Although unable to beat the experienced slot car racer, Theissen and Sauber raced with much enthusiasm.

"Here it is obvious that the fans support the team even if our on-track performance does not always go according to plan," was Theissen's verdict at day's end. "For the entire team, that provides enormous motivation to give them something to cheer about again in the very near future."