“We have achieved our goal. We have finished our first common race”, said Franz Groß with a smile in his face. Just after 4 p.m., the BMW M3 took the chequered flag at the end of the BFGoodrich Langstreckenmeisterschaft race and the motor sport family thus finished their first race. Son Max in particular was under a high pressure during the race as two weeks ago he had an accident in the practice and the weekend was terminated prematurely for the team.
“We absolutely wanted to compete this time, and that is also why Max was the final driver in the race”, said Franz Groß after the race. Franz himself was the start driver after the qualifying and completed the first racing kilometres in the newly prepared BMW M3. “We are still at the beginning with the car. It is completely new for us and we all therefore proceed with care. In addition, this is the first season for Max in the endurance racing championship.”
Second driver in the race was Hajo Müller. The nephew of Franz Groß has more racing experience than newcomer Max, but he took it easy, too: “For me, it is most important to have fun. I do not need to win by hook or by crook, I simply want to be quick according to my possibilities and not damage the car.” For the duration of one hour, he completed lap by lap at the Nürburgring Nordschleife almost without any problem.
Max Groß then finally took over the steering wheel. With all the best wishes from his team mates, he started to do the final turn in the race. He complied with the target set by the team and he, too, took it easy – with success. The blue BMW with the orange stripes took the chequered flag after 21 laps and the first family race was completed.
“It was really great fun and I am happy that we have now recorded a concrete result,” said Franz Groß who still has another ace up his sleeve: In autumn at latest, the former Mamerow Porsche 996 GT3 RSR is scheduled to be at the start.
