05.09.2023BMW Junior Team: Successful continuation of a success story

Since then,the car manufacturer from Munich has continued the success story from the 1970s with Dan Harper, Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen.

Back then, in 1977, BMW M Motorsport formed the first BMW Junior Team under the responsibility of Jochen Neerpasch, who is still an important part of the program today. The drivers at that time were Eddie Cheever, Marc Surer and Manfred Winkelhock. Even then, the project was extremely successful and after initial successes in touring car racing, all three drivers made it into Formula 1.

So the bar was set high for the new BMW juniors. But Harper, Hesse and Verhagen accepted the challenge and prepared for their first season of 2020. And the trio celebrated their first success in their very first year: in the BMW M4 GT4, they secured class victory at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.

For 2021, the leap into GT3 racing was imminent. Together with the BMW M Team RMG team, the juniors lined up in the Nürburgring Endurance Series. This effort was also crowned with success after just a few races.

At the fourth round in June, Dan Harper, Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen celebrated their first overall victory on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife and thus entered the history books as the youngest winning team of all time. Their average age when they won the premiere was just 19.6 years.

At the next race, they proved that this success was not a flash in the pan. Also at NLS5 there was no way around the young up-and-coming pilots and they repeated their victory of the previous race.

The model changeover from the BMW M6 GT3 to the new BMW M4 GT3 then followed for 2022. The vehicle's shell design also received an update. After they were on the road in a rather inconspicuous white in 2021, the colors yellow and red now dominate the vehicle, making it an absolute eye-catcher in the "Green Hell".

And with the new vehicle, the first success was not long in coming. At the first race of the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers, the winners were Dan Harper, Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen.

So the trio confidently started the season highlight, the 50th edition of the ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Nürburgring. Having started the race from position six after a strong qualifying session, the juniors were doing well, but had to drop out shortly after halfway through the race.

The model concerning this race is available in a limited edition of 222 pieces in scale 1:18 from the manufacturer Minichamps. The detailed model has a true-to-original interior and a detailed engine compartment. Manufactured exclusively for ck-modelcars, the vehicle has been nominated for the “Model Car of the Year 2023” award from the specialist magazine Modell-Fahrzeug.

BMW M4 GT3 #72 24h Nürburgring 2022 BMW Junior Team 1:18 Minichamps, RRP: €149,95, item-no.: 113222072

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BMW M4 GT3 #72 24h Nürburgring 2022 BMW Junior Team 1:18 Minichamps

149,95 €