Schnitzer Motorsport
Schnitzer Motorsport is a German motor racing team from Freilassing in Bavaria. The tuning company AC Schnitzer is based in Aachen takes its name from the Bavarian headquarters.
Occupational career
1936 Josef Schnitzer founded an automotive repair shop with Opel representation and driving school. In addition, he expanded the operation with a Leuna gas station. 1939 took over Schnitzer also a Ford representative for cars and trucks In 1945, Josef Schnitzer died at the age of 37 in an accident on the way to Zolder. Schnitzer's stepfather Charles Lamb took over the business and later formed the sons of Joseph Schnitzer, Joseph Jr. and Herbert to car mechanics from. In 1962, the brothers bought an accident damaged race car and put this repaired. While Josef Schnitzer concentrated on his racing career, continued his brother Herbert its focus on selling. From 1964 to the marketing for BMW Schnitzer. 1966 ended Josef Schnitzer his racing career as the reigning German champion race track. In 1967 the racing department " Team Schnitzer ". 1978 accident Josef Schnitzer fatal. On January 1, 1987, the Company Schnitzer GmbH signed a contract with the BMW dealer Kohl Automobile GmbH in Aachen. The aim of the contract was and is the worldwide marketing of tuning products under the trademark AC Schnitzer.
Sports career
The Motorsport department was created in the late 1960s. Are used almost exclusively since models of BMW. In 1965, Josef Schnitzer Jr. second in the German Circuit Championship on a BMW 1800 TI / SA, a year later he became German champion. Between 1968 and 1971, first won Ernst Furtmayr and then Walter Brun four times the European Hill Climb Championship in a BMW 2002 and BMW 2800 CS.
Jacques Laffite 1975 won the Formula 2 European Championship in a fired BMW Martini MK16. 1977 took part Schnitzer with a Toyota Celica in the German Racing Championship, a season later, Harald Ertl won the championship in a BMW 320 Turbo with a model developed by Schnitzer even turbo engine. Between 1980 and 1998 the team won nine times in the touring car race at the Guia Circuit in Macau. 1983, 1986 and 1988, Schnitzer European Touring Car Champion.
1985, 1986, 1988, 1990 and 1995 the team won the 24-hour race in Spa -Francorchamps, as well as 1989, 1991, 2004, 2005 and 2010 in the 24 -hour race on the Nürburgring. 1987 Roberto Ravaglia first World Touring Car champion in a BMW M3. Also Schnitzer won the national touring car championships of Germany (1989 ), Italy ( 1989, 1990 ), the United Kingdom (1993 ) and Japan ( 1995). With Joachim Winkelhock 1995 and Johnny Cecotto 1998 Schnitzer was German Super Touring Car Champion. Schnitzer won the 1999 with a BMW V12 LMR the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 12 Hours of Sebring. In the 2001 season Schnitzer finished with a BMW M3 GTR in the American Le Mans Series, the first place in the GT class.
From 2005 to 2009 Schnitzer took first as the BMW factory team at the World Touring Car Championship in part, with a BMW 320si and Jörg Müller and Augusto Farfus as a driver. 2006 Muller was runner-up.
Since 2012, Schnitzer is again represented as a BMW works team in the DTM. As a driver, Bruno Spengler and Dirk Werner are used here. 2012 Schnitzer won in the first year after re-entry into the DTM title in both the driver as well as in the team standings. Victorious driver, Bruno Spengler, who vorbeizog still at Mercedes driver Gary Paffett for half of the season in the final race at the Hockenheimring after 37 points behind.