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Steve Holmes
07-04-2016, 03:46 AM
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There was an interesting ‘demonstration’ held at the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring (formerly Österreichring). It was a gathering of cars that contested the mighty BMW M1 Procar Series in 1979 and 1980. In addition, was gathered various former top level racing drivers, to demonstrate the cars. Of course, racers never really stop being racers, even when they retire, and the demonstration turned into a race. 14 cars were entered, driven by Niki Lauda, Gerhard Berger, Dieter Quester, Jochen Mass, Jos Verstappen, Hans-Joachim Stuck, Prince Leopold of Bavaria, Christian Danner, Harald Grohs, Marc Surer, Markus Hotz, Jan Lammers, and Johnny Cecotto, Sepp Manhalter, among others.

Of the many, many one-make series’ born and contested around the world, the BMW M1 Procar Championship is possibly the most ambitious, and spectacular. It combined top level racing drivers, including current F1 drivers, with identical BMW M1 sports racing cars, which looked and sounded incredible. Somewhat fortuitously, this highly memorable and successful series came about due to a FISA rule change to the World Sportscars Championship, for which BMW originally intended to race the car.

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BMW planned to enter the M1, its first mid-engined production sports car, in the 1979 World Sportscar Championship, under Group 5 regulations. However, with BMW having already begun development, a rule change by FISA requiring a minimum 400 cars be constructed to be eligible for Group 4, which qualified the model for Group 5, meant delays in the M1’s debut in the WSC. Therefore, BMW’s Jochen Neerpasch devised the concept for a one-make series, to both provide exposure for the car, and help in its development for the WSC.

The BMW M1 Procar Championship kicked off in 1979, and was contested at selected European Formula 1 Grand Prix events. It combined a mix of both full-time team drivers, as well as Formula 1 drivers. The F1 drivers changed from race to race, as their entry into the Procar series was dependent on them recording a top five time in the Friday Formula 1 practice session. However, even then their entry was not guaranteed, as various conflicts of interest prevented them. For example, the Procar series cars all ran on Goodyear tyres, so Michelin contracted drivers were unable to take part. So too, Ferrari and Renault prevented their drivers taking part, deeming BMW to be a rival car manufacturer. Even those F1 drivers who did qualify in all respects, didn’t always want to compete, but the prize/appearance money usually persuaded them. In addition, a new M1 road car was to be gifted to the championship winner.

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The M1 race cars were all identical, and built to Group 4 regulations. They differed noticeably to the road cars with the fitment of large front and rear spoilers, and wide bolt-on racing flares, housing the 11 inch (front) and 12.6 inch (rear) wide Campagnolo wheels. Glass windows were replaced by Perspex, while the interiors were stripped, and fitted with rollcages. The inline-6 BMW M88 motor was extensively modified, upping horsepower from 277 to 450. Brakes were upgraded, while suspension was all new. Total weight was 1,020kg. In total, 54 Procar M1 race cars were constructed. Cars were built by various companies, including BS Fabrications, who constructed the five BMW factory cars for the F1 drivers, while others were built by Project Four Racing (the F2 and F3 team founded by Ron Dennis which was eventually merged into McLaren when Dennis took over that company), and Osella.

The 1979 championship featured 7 rounds, plus an additional non-championship race held at Donington Park, as part of the Gunnar Nilsson Memorial Trophy. The championship rounds were held at the Belgian, Monaco, French, British, German, Austrian, Dutch, and Italian Grand Prix events. As well as the five car team entered by BMW, other notable teams included Tom Walkinshaw Racing, Eggenberger, and Schnitzer. Niki Lauda ran the full series, switching from a factory entry to a Project Four car when he wasn’t in the top five F1 Friday practice session.

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The opening race was won by Elio de Angeles, in an Osella run car, while Lauda won Round 2. The non-championship Donington event was won by Nelson Piquet, who also won the next championship race, at Dijon. Lauda then won the next two races, with Jacques Laffite taking victory in Round 6, before Hans-Joachim Stuck claimed the final two races at Zandvoort and Monza.

Lauda emerged as the champion, heading Stuck and Clay Regazzoni. Interestingly, when interviewed at the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix about his 1979 Procar Championship, Lauda stated he has still yet to receive his M1 road car! Even now he appears a little perturbed by this.

Steve Holmes
07-04-2016, 03:47 AM
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The 1980 BMW M1 Procar Championship expanded to 9 rounds, kicking off at Donington on April 26, continuing at AVUS, Monaco, Norisring, Brands Hatch, Hockenheim, Österreichring, Zandvoort, and finishing up at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola). The 1980 series included three events (Donington, AVUS, Norisring) that weren’t part of the Formula 1 calendar. New teams entering the series in 1980 included those of Arturo Merzario, Dieter Quester, Helmet Marko, and Sauber.

Jan Lammers won the opening race at Donington, while Manfred Schurti was victorious at AVUS. The next two events were taken by Stuck, while Carlos Reutemann and Didier Pironi were winners in the next two. Piquet then headed the field home in the final three races, and also emerged as the 1980 Champion.

With BMW entering Formula 1 as an engine supplier to Brabham, they elected not to continue with the Procar series beyond 1980, and Lauda and Piquet remain the only two champions. In addition, BMW had met FISA’s build requirements, so the M1 could contest the WSC from 1981. Therefore, the glorious M1 race cars were sold off to various customers, who ran them as privateers in several sportscar championships, as well as the incredible Deutsche Rennsport Meisterchaft (DRM) German Touring Car Championship.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z3f9bRPlaA

In 2008, BMW revived the Procar series, as an exhibition at the German Grand Prix. Since then, a handful of similar revivals have taken place at F1 races, including the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix. Combining the M1’s striking good looks, their guttural inline-6 shriek, and line-up of living legends pedalling them, they always produce a huge amount of interest. Among the car owners whose beautiful machines were part of the exhibition, was none other than McLaren supremo Ron Dennis.

seaqnmac27
07-04-2016, 08:26 PM
Steve it was one of the interesting things for me from watching Goodwood last weekend.

With BMW celebrating its 10 years this year, Marc Surer drove an M1 Procar up the hill. I knew he was a BMW factory driver, its how Arrows got the BMW turbo, same as Winkelhock and ATS especially as THAT supply had been meant for Tyrrell. Anyway, its also how Surer got the Brabham drive in 1985 after Bernie sacked Francois Hesnault after Hesnault had a terrible crash at Paul Ricard which bears striking similarity to the accident that would claim Elio de Angelis' life the following year.

Surer was interviewed at the top of the hill, and it was he who had done the majority of the testing for both the M1 road car and the M! Procar. The other link for Surer and the M1, is what is known as the ultimate M1, which was raced at Le Mans. Surer was also a March factory driver as well, and March built the M1 that raced at Le Mans.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjOfJZLf1a8

Steve Holmes
07-05-2016, 04:13 AM
Thanks Sean, thats a beast! BMW originally intended to build several cars for Group 5, which would have been a lot more radical than the Group 4 cars that ran in Procar. I guess the car(s) you've posted the video of is what BMW planned as their Group 5 arsenal.

By the time the M1 was approved for homologation, BMW had changed focus and were now working on their F1 engine project. I believe only a couple of Group 5 cars were built?

khyndart in CA
07-05-2016, 09:47 PM
I know not many of you have a 1980 BMW calendar, so I climbed into the garage rafters to grab this to share.
January 1980 shows Clay Regazzoni in his Saudi Arabian Airlines 1979 BMW M1 Procar in Group 4 trim at speed.
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April 1980 shows the 1979 Andy Warhol painted BMW M-1 - Group 4 at Le Mans. It looked like it had been painted with a 4 inch brush and had mixed reviews at the time. Now worth a ton of money !

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June 1980 shows the 1979 March BMW M-1- Group 5 which did not compete due to eligibility questions at the time. It was designed to compete against the Porsche 935s.
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September 1980 shows 1978 F1 World Champion, Mario Andretti competing in a BMW Pro-Car Championship in 1979.
These races accompanied many of the European Grand Prix at that time.

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(Ken Hyndman's calendar, which is going back in the rafters unless there are any offers ?)

John McKechnie
07-05-2016, 11:47 PM
Ken- I am not a Merc. or BMW follower . however this is one neat calendar.
My offer- would you like to swap it for a Team Cambridge calendar I am doing soon ?

Steve Holmes
07-06-2016, 01:45 AM
Thanks Ken, thats a really cool calendar!

khyndart in CA
07-06-2016, 05:40 AM
Ken- I am not a Merc. or BMW follower . however this is one neat calendar.
My offer- would you like to swap it for a Team Cambridge calendar I am doing soon ?
John,
Sorry to hear about your lack of BMW enthusiasm but perhaps this calendar can change that. It is 18 inches wide and 12 inches high.
It is a bit ratty on the edges but It does have neat pictures. If you are still interested please contact me with mailing address. I will look forward to your Team Cambridge calendar in return.
This BMW calendar is for you only.

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(Ken Hyndman )

John McKechnie
07-06-2016, 07:02 AM
Ken- its because these look so much like our Sports Sedans.-
My people and your people can get together to exchange the addresses.
BTW- did you ever get one of my BIIIIIIG Sports Sedan posters................?

khyndart in CA
07-06-2016, 05:48 PM
Here is a bit of information on the customer version of the BMW M1 as sold in the USA. April 1980 Sports Car Graphic.
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(Would have been a decent investment at the time. $ 65,000 U.S. new in 1980 and now selling for approx. $ 600,000 U.S.+ in 2016, plus all the fun in between !)

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(Ken Hyndman )

John McKechnie
07-07-2016, 12:47 AM
Ken- when Barry Algie was still with us, he had a BMW Coupe sitting in his back yard....along with many other wrecks.
He was planning to run a Chev V8, -what better engine to put in a BMW- and a Porsche 928 rear trans.
All 80s period equipment.
We did some drawings of how it would look with the Algie Sports Sedan make over.
It was very damn near identical to the bottom right pic #8- the red car.
The car would have looked a stunna, and I would have been hard pushed to find a reason not to let it run with us.

Can you see why I would value this calendar.

khyndart in CA
07-07-2016, 07:04 AM
John,
That is Ronnie Peterson driving a non aspirated BMW 320i in 1977. He was part of the BMW racing team at that time and had Jochen Neerpasch as the director of BMW Motorsports. Neerpasch was the one who developed the BMW M1 and all other BMW racing programs.
Ronnie Peterson was one of my favorite drivers from the seventies before he was tragically killed at Monza in 1978.

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This is the Peterson 1977 BMW 320 I today as it is being restored.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM37rAr4y9Q

(Ken Hyndman )

khyndart in CA
07-07-2016, 07:17 PM
Here is a clipping from a March 1979 "Autosport" that describes the introduction of the March Engineering version of the BMW M 1 for the Group 5 series. (Before the FISA rule changes ! )

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Here are the drivers of a very strong BMW team in 1976-77 whose inputs and results helped develop the BMW M 1.

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(Ken Hyndman )