The Nurburgring this weekend, where he has won before, will mark the 100th race in Bruno Spengler's DTM career.

Munich, Germany – Two weeks after occupying the top four positions in Spielberg (AT), the BMW DTM teams will compete in the seventh race of the season at the Nürburgring (DE) on 17th August. For BMW Motorsport, the race weekend will be overshadowed by the death of Dieter Lamm. For many decades the twin brother of team principal Charly Lamm celebrated countless successes with BMW Team Schnitzer. The eight BMW M4 DTMs will take to the track sporting black ribbons in the Eifel Mountains.

BMW and the iconic circuit in the Eifel region of Germany have always enjoyed a close relationship: the Bavarian manufacturer has not only celebrated countless victories there, but also puts its production vehicles to the test at the Test Center there.

BMW has won nine times in the DTM at the Nürburgring, most recently when BMW M GmbH celebrated its 40th anniversary during the comeback season in 2012. The man behind the wheel of the first car across the finish line back then was one Bruno Spengler (CA), who will contest his 100th DTM race this weekend. Last year two BMW drivers started from the front row of the grid, in the form of Augusto Farfus (BR) and Marco Wittmann (DE). Farfus finished runner-up to earn a spot on the podium.

This year the BMW drivers arrive at the Nürburgring with the wind in their sails, having won four of the season's six races so far. However, this success also means they will race at round seven carrying a large amount of performance weight. The maximum ten kilograms of additional weight must be loaded onto the BMW M4 DTMs driven by Wittmann, Farfus and Spengler. The remaining BMWs will also all be heavier than the opposition cars.

BMW has enjoyed an extremely successful season so far, and consequently leads all three competitions in the DTM. Wittmann tops the Drivers' Championship with 95 points. The BMW Team RMG driver holds a 39-point lead over Mattias Ekström (SE, Audi). Spengler currently lies third with 42 points to his name. BMW Team RMG leads the Team competition with 128 points. In the Manufacturers' Championship, BMW is currently first with 267 points, followed by Audi (251). Qualifying at the 3.629-kilometre variant of the Nürburgring gets underway at 13:45 on Saturday. The 49-lap race begins at 13:30 on Sunday.

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):
"For us, the race at the Nürburgring will be overshadowed by the death of Dieter Lamm, who was a member of the BMW Motorsport family. It will be extremely difficult for us to focus solely on the sporting side of things. I would like to take this opportunity to say this on behalf of everyone involved.

On the sporting situation: We have shared a common history with the Nürburgring that stretches back several decades. Nineteen wins at the 24-hour race, the BMW Ring-Taxi and the BMW M Test Center at the foot of the Nürburg: BMW and the Ring are simply a perfect fit. Although the Nürburgring is over 500 kilometres from Munich, our close association with the track means the weekend will feel like a home race – thanks also to the fact that BMW Team RMG has its headquarters not far from the racetrack. The historic quadruple success in Spielberg is in the past. We would obviously like to defend our leads in the Eifel Mountains, but the performance weight our teams must carry on board the cars will play a key role and will definitely make our life much more difficult. Despite this, the layout of the Nürburgring ought really to suit our BMW M4 DTM. We are looking forward to the weekend, and really hope that, despite the surrounding circumstances, Bruno Spengler can taste success on what is a landmark weekend for him."

Joey Hand (car number 4, BMW Team RBM):
"The Nürburgring is a famous circuit. It is one of those tracks, on which every driver in the field wants to get a good result – just because it is the Nürburgring. We were showing good pace there last year, but unfortunately our race was over in the very first corner. This time I would like to score some good results as the season enters the finishing straight, preferably starting in the Eifel Mountains."

Bruno Spengler (car number 9, BMW Team Schnitzer):
"The Nürburgring is a fantastic circuit, and the race there is always one of the highlights of the season for me. The crowds are awesome. The people are really passionate about the DTM. I won there on the anniversary of BMW M in 2012. Last year I did not have such a great race. The key will be to find a good set-up in practice. The BMW Bank M4 DTM is usually really quick on tracks like this. It is hard to believe that this will be my 100th DTM race. It doesn't feel like it."

Martin Tomczyk (car number 10, BMW Team Schnitzer):
"The Nürburgring is a great circuit, and one of the most iconic we have in Germany. It is still great fun racing there. I have already driven there this year, in the 24-hour race on the Nordschleife. Now I return to the Eifel Mountains with the DTM. The Nürburgring is an institution and it is hard to imagine the calendar without it."

Statistics ahead of the race at the Nürburgring

DTM Standings After 6 Of 10 Races