The team Bonk-motorsport, which is based at Münster, will take part in the ninth round of the BFGoodrich Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring next weekend with the total of seven race cars. Amongst others, team manager Michael Bonk has a lot of testing work at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife on his schedule. At the same time, he wishes to score another class win next Saturday with his top drivers Mario Merten/ Wolf Silvester. The duo is entered for the 4 Hour Race in two different cars. In addition, the Bonk team will come up with a historic particularity in presenting the legendary BMW M1 which will make the hearts of the true Nordschleife fans beat faster.
The Bonk-BMW M3 (start number 210) will be driven by Mario Merten and Wolf Silvester, Oliver Rövenich and Detlef Hirsch will complete the team. The quartet is thus made up of very experienced race drivers who are all looking forward to the race. Class SP5 had a very good entry in the last races but a position on the podium should nevertheless be within reach.
The team has also entered the Bonk-Porsche 997 GT3 (start number 157). Team manager Michael Bonk wishes to carry out some tests with the recently fitted components under racing conditions as the Porsche shall compete in the full 2010 season for which this Bonk racing car should be perfectly prepared. In the Saturday race, the car will be driven by Wolf Silvester as well as Peter and Michael Bonk.
With the team in the Bonk-M3 (start number 510) Michael Bonk will present another surprise: The drivers Toshiya Ito, Yukinori Tani-Guchi and Eiyi Yamada will travel from Tokyo into the Eifel region to have their first race participation in Germany with the Bonk-M3. Michael Bonk explained the surprising contact before the race: „A Japanese motors sport magazine had contacted me by accident asking for my assistance when the first participation for the three Japanese on 17th October was prepared. When their originally contracted German racing team then sold the race car at short notice, the gentlemen from Tokyo had got a problem. This was the moment when I brought the Bonk-BMW into discussion.” So Ito, Tani-Guchi and Yamada will have available a powerful race car from the Bonk team.
Lutz Kögel, Axel Burghardt and Andreas Möntmann are entered in the Bonk-BMW 318ti (start number 600) in class V2 for the race on Saturday. To drive this 318 Compact at the Nordschleife is above all great driving fun for the team. Burghardt thus recently spoke highly of the Bonk team: “I simply like the combination of the Nordschleife, the perfectly prepared Bonk BMW and the sympathetic atmosphere in the whole team”, informed the 59 years old race driver. The trio will of course try again to finish amongst the top 5 although the competition in class V2 has considerably increased in particular during the second half of the season. The contrary weather, too, is yet unknown and makes a result prognosis difficult.
Joe Kramer and Jens Moetfind, who race together in one and the same team for the first time, are entered in the second Bonk BMW 318is (start number 610) in class V2. After a technical problem, the car is now completely repaired again and prepared to reliably complete the laps around the Nordschleife. The team’s target is to “finish the race safely!”
The team of Bonk-motorsport will enter a new terrain with the historic BMW M1. The car which was built upon customer order is prepared by team manager Michael Bonk to participate in next season’s endurance racing championship. Part of the preparation for 2010 is this test under racing conditions next weekend. Michael Bonk wishes to test in particular the suspension, the brakes and the tyres. This participation at the Nordschleife of the legendary race car, which celebrated its first racing appearance almost exactly 30 years ago, will certainly provide a special attraction for all racing fans.
Upon customer order, the BMW Z4 Coupé will next weekend again be serviced by Bonk-motorsport. The race car is entered by BMW dealer Kathan in class V5 of production cars. Bonk-motorsport provides the crew of mechanics for the championship race, prepares the car for the race and is responsible for the suspension set-up, the choice of tyres, the refuel and the tyre change stops during the race.
