BMW signs Martin Tomczyk as works driver

• DTM project shaping up nicely:
• BMW signs Martin Tomczyk as works driver.

Presentation BMW M3 DTM, Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport Director and Charly Lamm, Teammanager BMW Team Schnitzer

Photo by: xpb.cc

BMW has completed yet another stage in its preparations for a return to the DTM: the newly crowned DTM champion, Martin Tomczyk (DE), will be lining up on the grid for BMW Motorsport in 2012. Following several positive discussions in recent weeks, the two sides have agreed a deal. Twenty nine-year-old Tomczyk is the fourth BMW Motorsport works driver so far in the DTM line-up, joining Andy Priaulx (GB), Augusto Farfus (BR) and Bruno Spengler (CA).

“Our squad of drivers is gradually firming up,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “With Martin Tomczyk we are proud to have gained an absolute top-notch driver for our DTM involvement. Despite being fairly young in the touring car context, he is one of the most experienced DTM drivers around: he’s consistently fast, of impeccable character and an out-and-out winner.

In 2011 he was the first driver ever to win the DTM championship in an older spec car. We will do everything we can to consolidate this success with him in the future. Our target is to become competitive as quickly as possible, and from that point of view we see Martin as an extremely important asset.”

Tomczyk was born on 7th December 1981 in Rosenheim, Bavaria, and currently lives in Basel (CH). After several years in karting, 1998 and 1999 saw him compete in the BMW Formula ADAC junior racing series initiated by the ADAC and BMW.

2011 DTM Champion Martin Tomczyk will be driving for BMW in 2012

Photo by: xpb.cc

Following a year in Formula 3, he took the step up into the DTM, where he has been driving for Audi since the 2001 season. In 2007 and 2011 Tomczyk was voted ADAC Motor Sportsman of the Year. The highlight of his career so far came this season, in which he celebrated three out of his total of seven DTM wins, made it onto the podium eight times, and became the first driver in DTM history to take the title in an older spec car.

From 6th to 8th December, Tomczyk will get behind the wheel of the BMW M3 DTM for the first time in Monteblanco, southern Spain. As of the 2012 season, BMW will be lining up on the DTM grid with BMW Team Schnitzer, BMW Team RBM and BMW Team RMG. All three teams will be fielding two cars each.