BMW Former Race Drivers' Biographies

Mark Surer

• Very successful European driver/Swiss
• BMW Junior Team in mid-'70s
• Formula 2 Champion in a March/BMW...1979
• Formula 1 driver with Brabham and Arrows in the 1980s
• Currently BMW Motorsport Touring Car team manager

Nelson Piquet

• Considered one of the greatest drivers of all time
• Formula 1 World Champion three times, including 1983 in a Brabham/BMW
• BMW M1 Procar Champion 1979

Steve Soper

• European Touring Car specialist
• Competed in Touring Car championships in Germany, Austria, England and Japan
• Competed in Le Mans 24 Hours in McLaren GTR in 1996

Baron Fritz Huschke von Hanstein

• Notable and successful pre-World War II European driver
• Won the 1940 Mille Miglia, considered the most difficult endurance race of the era, in a BMW coupe

Sam Posey

• Factory team driver for BMW in both Europe and America
• Competed at Le Mans in the Calder 3.0 CSL in 1975
• Won the 1975 12 Hours of Sebring in a 3.5 CSL
• Competed in the IMSA series in 1975-76
• Competed in Formula 5000 and Can-Am Series
• Competed at Indianapolis 500

Brian Redman

• One of the most enduring and talented sports car racers of his era
• Factory team driver for BMW in both Europe and America
• Competed at Le Mans, Daytona, and Sebring
• Won Daytona 24 Hours in a 3.5 CSL in 1976 with Peter Gregg
• Won the Formula 5000 Championship three times
• Factory Porsche 917 development driver

Jim Busby

• Veteran American sports car driver in BMWs, Porsches and Chevrolets
• BMW IMSA driver in the 1970s
• Competed in the 320i Turbo
• Competed in the M1

David Hobbs

• One of the most experienced drivers in international competition
• Long-time factory BMW driver in IMSA series in America
• Competed in the 3.5 CSL in IMSA competition
• Drove the 320i Turbo to nine IMSA victories in three years
• Competed in the M1 and M1C prototype in IMSA competition
• Competed in the 1986 BMW IMSA GTP effort

Nick Craw

• Reputedly won more races in America in a BMW than anyone else
• Competed in Trans-Am series in a 2002 in the early 1970s
• Won the IMSA GTU Championship in 1977
• Current Chairman of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)

Dave Cowart/Kenper Miller

• A pair of stockbrokers who turned a hobby into a profession
• Competed together in a 3.5 CSL in IMSA competition
• Together won the 1981 IMSA GTO Championship in the Red Lobster M1, winning 12 of 16 races
• Competed together in a succession of IMSA GTP prototypes with BMW, Porsche and Chevrolet power

Pete Halsmer

• Veteran road racing driver in America
• Won two IMSA GTS Championships in 1989 for Roush Racing and 1991 for Mazda
• Earned three GT class wins in the Daytona 24 Hours event, 1983, '88 & '89
• Won seven Trans-Am races for Roush Racing in 1986 & '87
• Contributed in four Manufacturer's titles for Lincoln-Mercury, Trans-Am in '86 & '87 and IMSA GTS in 1988 & '89
• Competed in IndyCars, off-road and Mickey Thompson stadium trucks
• Contributed to BMW IMSA GTS-2 Manufacturer's title, winning three 1996 races