Procar - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

For the later German touring car series, see ADAC Procar Series
ADAC Procar Series
The ADAC Procar-Serie is a yearly motorsport series organized by German automobile club ADAC in Germany and some surrounding countries. The series has been running since 1995.-Current status:...

.

The BMW M1 Procar Championship, sometimes known simply as Procar, was a one-make

One-design

One-Design is a racing method where all vehicles or boats have identical or very similar designs or models. It is also known as Spec series. It is heavily used in sailboat racing. All competitors in a race are then judged based on a single start time...

auto racing

Auto racing

Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...

series created by Jochen Neerpasch

Jochen Neerpasch

Jochen Neerpasch is a former German racecar driver and motorsports manager.His racing career began in the 1960s, first on Borgward touring car, then with the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans as a first major event...

, head of BMW Motorsport GmbH

BMW M

BMW M GmbH is a subsidiary of German car manufacturer BMW AG.BMW M, also known as M-Technik or just "M" was initially created to facilitate BMW’s racing program, which was very successful in the 1960s and 1970s...

, the racing division of automobile manufacturer BMW

BMW

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...

. The series pitted professional drivers from the Formula One World Championship

Formula One

Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

, World Sportscar Championship

World Sportscar Championship

The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...

, European Touring Car Championship

European Touring Car Championship

The European Touring Car Championship was an international touring car racing series organised by the FIA. It had two incarnations, the first one between 1963 and 1988, and the second between 2000 and 2004...

, and other international series against one another using identically modified BMW M1

BMW M1

The BMW M1 is a sports car that was produced by German automaker BMW from 1978 to 1981.In the late 1970s, Italian manufacturer Lamborghini entered into an agreement with BMW to build a production racing car in sufficient quantity for homologation. The result was sold to the public, from 1978 to...

sports car

Sports car

A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....

s.

Billed as an opportunity to see a mix of drivers from various motorsport disciplines, the championship served as support races for various European rounds of the 1979 Formula One season

1979 Formula One season

The 1979 Formula One season was the 30th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1979 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1979 International Cup for F1 Constructors which were contested concurrently over a fifteen round series which commenced on January 21, 1979, and ended on...

, with Formula One drivers earning automatic entry into the Procar event based on their performance in their Formula One cars. Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

n Niki Lauda

Niki Lauda

Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...

won the inaugural championship. In 1980, the series held some events outside of Formula One schedule, and was won by Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

ian Nelson Piquet

Nelson Piquet

Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...

. BMW chose not to continue the championship in 1981 to concentrate on their entrance into Formula One.

Origin

Jochen Neerpasch

, the head of BMW's Motorsports division, was the first to propose the idea of a one-make championship. The division had started construction of the first sports car for BMW in 1978, the M1

BMW M1

, and had planned from the start to enter the new sports car in the World Sportscar Championship

World Sportscar Championship

in 1979, as well as offering the cars to customers for other series. BMW Motorsport planned to build M1s to meet regulations known as Group 5

Group 5 (racing)

Group 5 was an FIA motor racing classification which was applied to four distinct categories during the years 1966 to 1982. Initially Group 5 regulations defined a Special Touring Car category and from 1970 to 1971 the classification was applied to limited production Sports Cars restricted to 5...

, but a rule change instituted by the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile

Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile

The Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile was the governing body for motor racing events. The organisation's origins date from 1922, when the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile delegated the organisation of automobile racing to the CSI , an autonomous committee that would later...

(FISA) in 1977 altered the requirements for Group 5. The new regulations required a minimum of 400 examples of the M1 to be built to meet Group 4

Group 4 (racing)

The Group 4 racing class referred to regulations for cars in sportscar racing, GT racing and rallying, as regulated by the FIA. The Group 4 class was replaced by Group B for the 1983 season.-Production requirements:...

regulations before the car could be further homologated

Homologation

Homologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...

for the Group 5 category.

Development of the Group 4 racing car was already under way at the time of the regulation change. Neerpasch believed that rather than delaying their racing program until 400 road cars had been built, racing cars could be built at the same time since they too counted toward the 400 example minimum. A one-make series

One-design

consisting of the M1 racing cars intended for Group 4 was devised by Neerpasch since the racing cars could not yet legally compete elsewhere, while at the same time allowing BMW to develop the race cars through experience.

To attract drivers to the series, Neerpasch entered into discussions with Max Mosley

Max Mosley

Max Rufus Mosley is the former president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , a non-profit association that represents the interests of motoring organisations and car users worldwide...

. Mosley was the head of March Engineering

March Engineering

March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...

, a constructor which BMW was partnered with in their factory efforts in the European Formula Two Championship

Formula Two

Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...

. Mosley was at the time a member of the Formula One Constructors Association

Formula One Constructors Association

The Formula One Constructors' Association is an organization of the chassis builders who design and build the cars that race in the FIA Formula One World Championship...

, and was able to use his position to convince other Formula One

Formula One

constructors to support the use of Neerpasch's one-make series as a support race for European Formula One

Formula One

events. A ruling and organisation body for the series, known as The Procar Association, was set up by BMW and approved by FISA.

Format

With the Procar Championship announced in spring 1978 at the official unveiling of the M1 road car, Neerpasch and the newly formed Procar Association laid out regulations for the 1979 season. Races were planned for the middle of the Formula One season, when the championship remained in Europe for several months. Practice and qualifying were held on Friday of the race weekend, while the race itself occurred on Saturday. The winner of each race received US $5,000, second place received $3,000, and third place $1,000. Races varied in length, but each lasted for approximately half an hour.

To attract Formula One drivers to the championship, seats were guaranteed in the Procar races by cars which were entered by the factory BMW team. The five fastest Formula One drivers from Friday practice were assigned to the factory team, and were even guaranteed the first five grid positions for the Procar race, regardless of their qualifying times in the cars. This not only guaranteed Formula One driver participation, but also allowed for a variety of drivers to be seen over the course of the season. However, because the series ran Goodyear tyres, several Formula One drivers were not allowed to compete due to contractual obligations

Contract

A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...

with competing tyre manufacturer Michelin

Michelin

Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...

. As Scuderia Ferrari

Scuderia Ferrari

Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....

and Renault

Renault F1

Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...

were selling roadcars themselves, they did not allow their Formula One drivers to participate and implicitly endorse BMW.

Other teams were allowed to participate, assigning a variety of sportscar

Sports car racing

Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....

and touring car

Touring car racing

Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...

drivers as well as Formula One drivers who had not earned spots in the factory cars. Points were awarded to the top ten finishers, starting with 20 points and decreasing down to 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, and finally 1 for the nine remaining drivers. An overall championship was awarded to the driver who had accumulated the most points at the end of the season. A new M1 road car was awarded to the championship winner.

Cars

All cars used in the Procar Championship were built to identical standards, although their origins varied. BS Fabrications

BS Fabrications

BS Fabrications was a Formula One team that competed between 1976 and 1978.It was founded by Bob Sparshott, a former engineer at Lotus who had worked with Jim Clark and Graham Hill...

constructed five cars for the BMW factory team

BMW Motorsport

BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...

, while cars for other competitors were constructed by the British Formula Two team Project Four (led by Ron Dennis

Ron Dennis

Ronald "Ron" Dennis CBE is the executive chairman of McLaren Automotive and McLaren Group, and is also a significant shareholder in both companies...

) and the Italian constructor Osella

Osella

Osella is an Italian racing car manufacturer and former Formula One team based in Volpiano near Turin, Italy. They participated in 132 Grands Prix between 1980 and 1990...

. The racing cars, designed to meet Group 4 technical regulations, shared only some basics from the M1 road cars.

For the M1's exterior, simple modifications were made to adapt the car aerodynamically. A deep spoiler

Spoiler (automotive)

A spoiler is an automotive aerodynamic device whose intended design function is to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle in motion. Spoilers on the front of a vehicle are often called air dams, because in addition to directing air flow they also reduce the amount of air...

was added under the nose of the car, while an adjustable wing was added on two mounts at the rear of the engine cover. The arches for the wheels were extended outward to shroud the wider 28 centimetres (11 in) wheels in the front, and 32 cm (12.6 in) wheels at the rear. The alloy wheels, designed by Campagnolo

Campagnolo

Campagnolo is an Italian manufacturer of high-end bicycle components with headquarters in Vicenza, Italy. The components are organised as groupsets and are a near-complete collection of a bicycle's mechanical parts. Campagnolo's flagship components are the Super Record, Record, and Chorus...

, featured a central locking nut and mimicked the straked design of the production car's wheels. Inside, the car featured no finishing or luxuries from the road car, only a rollcage for driver protection. The glass windows were replaced with clear plastic.

Mechanically, the Procar M1s were extensively modified to meet the requirements of circuit racing. The standard M1 featured the aluminimum block BMW M88

BMW M88

The BMW M88/3 is an in line 6 cylinder piston engine. It was based on the M88/1 that was used in the BMW M1's street version, with double overhead cam and four valves per cylinder. The M88/1 was in turn based on the M49 engine which was used in the BMW 3.0CSi...

straight-6

Straight-6

The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...

with 3500 cc displacement. Modified into the M88/1 by a team led by Paul Rosche, it was capable of producing 470 horsepower

Horsepower

Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...

at 9000 rpm

Revolutions per minute

Revolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...

, compared to 277 hp from the standard M1's engine. The 5-speed ZF

ZF Friedrichshafen

ZF Friedrichshafen AG, also known as ZF Group, and commonly abbreviated to ZF, is a German public company headquartered in Friedrichshafen, in the south-west German region of Baden-Württemberg....

gearbox housing from the road car was retained, but with multiple gear ratios allowed, as well as its own oil cooler.

The suspension was entirely new, adding adjustable anti-roll bars. The brakes were redesigned to adapt the use of a driver-adjustable brake pressure balance, while the servo

Servomechanism

thumb|right|200px|Industrial servomotorThe grey/green cylinder is the [[Brush |brush-type]] [[DC motor]]. The black section at the bottom contains the [[Epicyclic gearing|planetary]] [[Reduction drive|reduction gear]], and the black object on top of the motor is the optical [[rotary encoder]] for...

-activated braking system was removed. A racing steering rack was used in place of the standard power steering unit. Pneumatic jacks were later added to the cars in the 1980 season to allow for quicker pit stop

Pit stop

In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tires, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, or any combination of the above...

s. Goodyear racing tires were used on all cars. All other non-essential items from the road car were not included, bringing the Procar M1's weight down to 1020 kilograms (2,248.7 lb). The performance of the Procar M1s was increased to a top speed of 311 kilometres per hour (193.2 mph) dependent upon gear ratio

Gear ratio

The gear ratio of a gear train is the ratio of the angular velocity of the input gear to the angular velocity of the output gear, also known as the speed ratio of the gear train. The gear ratio can be computed directly from the numbers of teeth of the various gears that engage to form the gear...

s, and acceleration from 0–100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 4.3 seconds. Each Procar M1 cost approximately US $60,000.

1979 season

An announced schedule for the inaugural season of the Procar Championship featured events taking place from May to September, when the Formula One World Championship ran eight consecutive Grands Prix in Europe. A ninth event was scheduled at Donington Park

Donington Park

Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...

as part of the Gunnar Nilsson

Gunnar Nilsson

Gunnar Nilsson was a Swedish racing driver, born in Helsingborg. Before entering Formula One, he won the 1975 British Formula Three Championship....

Memorial Trophy, a charity event for the Gunnar Nilsson Cancer Fund, although it did not award points towards the overall championship.

Different Formula One drivers earned spots on the factory team over the season based on their performance in Formula One practice. These included Mario Andretti

Mario Andretti

Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...

, Patrick Depailler

Patrick Depailler

Patrick André Eugène Joseph Depailler was a racing driver from France. He participated in 95 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 2 July 1972. He also participated in several non-Championship Formula One races.Depailler was born in Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme. As a child, he...

, Emerson Fittipaldi

Emerson Fittipaldi

Emerson Fittipaldi |São Paulo]], Brazil) is a Brazilian automobile racing driver who throughout a long and successful career won the Indianapolis 500 twice and championships in both Formula One and CART.-Early and personal life:...

, James Hunt

James Hunt

James Simon Wallis Hunt was a British racing driver from England who won the Formula One World Championship in . Hunt's often action packed exploits on track earned him the nickname "Hunt the Shunt." After retiring from driving, Hunt became a media commentator and businessman...

, Jean-Pierre Jarier

Jean-Pierre Jarier

Jean-Pierre Jacques Jarier is a French Grand Prix racing driver, now retired. He was born at Charenton-le-Pont, near Paris, and is regarded as one of the finest drivers never to win a Grand Prix....

, Alan Jones

Alan Jones (Formula 1)

Alan Stanley Jones MBE is an Australian former Formula One driver. He was the first driver to win a Formula One World Championship with the Williams team, becoming the 1980 World Drivers' Champion....

, Jacques Laffite

Jacques Laffite

Jacques-Henri Laffite is a French former racing driver who competed in Formula One from to . He achieved six grand prix wins, all while driving for the Ligier team. He is now a TV commentator on French television TF1....

, Niki Lauda

Niki Lauda

, Nelson Piquet

Nelson Piquet

, Didier Pironi

Didier Pironi

Didier Joseph Louis Pironi was a racing driver from France. During his career he competed in 72 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, driving for Tyrrell , Ligier and Ferrari...

, Clay Regazzoni

Clay Regazzoni

Gianclaudio Giuseppe "Clay" Regazzoni was a Swiss racing car driver. He competed in Formula One races from 1970 to 1980, winning five Grands Prix. His first win was the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in his debut season, driving for Ferrari. He remained with the Italian team until...

, and John Watson

John Watson (racing driver)

John Marshall "Wattie" Watson MBE is a British former racing driver from Northern Ireland. He competed in Formula One, winning five Grands Prix and also in the World Sportscar Championship...

. Teo Fabi

Teo Fabi

Teodorico Fabi , better known as Teo Fabi, is an Italian former racing driver.-Career:Fabi participated in 71 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on January 23, 1982. He achieved 2 podiums, and scored a total of 23 championship points...

, Tiff Needell

Tiff Needell

Timothy "Tiff" Needell isa British racing driver and television presenter. He is best known as a former co-presenter of Top Gear and current co-presenter of Fifth Gear.-Biography:...

, Hans-Georg Bürger

Hans-Georg Bürger

- Career :Bürger started his racing career at 23 years of age, winning the German Slalom title in 1976, and graduating to the Renault 5 Cup. In his rookie season he finished with 3 wins and 2nd overall in the championship. Thanks to the help of German magazine Autozeitung, in 1978 Bürger joined the...

and Michael Bleekemolen

Michael Bleekemolen

Michael Bleekemolen is a former racing driver who raced for the RAM and ATS teams in Formula One.He graduated from Formula Vee and tried his hand at Formula One in 1977, where he...

were invited to drive in the factory BMW cars as well although they were not Formula One drivers at the time.

As well as the standard five car entry from BMW, several other notable teams participated. Procar constructor Project Four entered a car for Niki Lauda

Niki Lauda

when he was not in the factory entries, while Osella entered cars for a rotating driver line-up. Touring car teams Tom Walkinshaw Racing

Tom Walkinshaw Racing

Tom Walkinshaw Racing , was an auto racing team and engineering firm founded in 1976 by touring car racer Tom Walkinshaw.-History:TWR started by modifying BMW 3.0 CSLs, but soon was contracted to head Mazda's works program in the British Touring Car Championship. The TWR developed RX-7, with Win...

, Eggenberger Racing, Ecurie Arvor, and Schnitzer Motorsport

Schnitzer Motorsport

Schnitzer Motorsport is a motorsport team based in Freilassing near Munich, Germany. From the early days of its establishment, the team has operated an automobile racing squad for BMW, and has remarkable results in touring car and sports car racing scenes....

entered cars, as did Team Konrad

Konrad Motorsport

Konrad Motorsport is an auto racing team initially from Austria but now residing in Germany. Founded by Austrian racer Franz Konrad in 1989, the team has mostly run Porsches, although they have also run Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Saleens over their existence.-History:Initially competing in the...

and GS Tuning from sports cars.

Race results

Round	Date	Event	Circuit	Winning Driver	Winning Team
1	May 12	Belgian Grand Prix Belgian Grand Prix The Belgian Grand Prix is an automobile race, part of the Formula One World Championship....	Circuit Zolder	Elio de Angelis Elio de Angelis Elio de Angelis was an Italian racing driver who participated in Formula One between and , racing for the Shadow, Lotus and Brabham teams. He was killed during testing at the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet in 1986...	Squadra Osella Corse Osella Osella is an Italian racing car manufacturer and former Formula One team based in Volpiano near Turin, Italy. They participated in 132 Grands Prix between 1980 and 1990...
2	May 26	Monaco Grand Prix Monaco Grand Prix The Monaco Grand Prix is a Formula One race held each year on the Circuit de Monaco. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the world, alongside the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans...	Circuit de Monaco Circuit de Monaco Circuit de Monaco is a street circuit laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the principality of Monaco. It is commonly referred to as "Monte Carlo" because it is largely inside the Monte Carlo neighbourhood of Monaco.The circuit is used on one weekend in...	Niki Lauda Niki Lauda Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...	Project Four
–	June 3	Gunnar Nilsson Gunnar Nilsson Gunnar Nilsson was a Swedish racing driver, born in Helsingborg. Before entering Formula One, he won the 1975 British Formula Three Championship.... Trophy	Donington Park Donington Park Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...	Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...
3	June 30	French Grand Prix French Grand Prix The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....	Dijon-Prenois Dijon-Prenois Dijon-Prenois is a motor racing circuit located in Prenois, near Dijon, France. The undulating track is noted for its fast, sweeping bends....	Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...
4	July 13	British Grand Prix British Grand Prix The British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire...	Silverstone Circuit Silverstone Circuit Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...	Niki Lauda Niki Lauda Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...	Project Four
5	July 28	German Grand Prix German Grand Prix The German Grand Prix is an annual automobile race.Because Germany was banned from taking part in international events after World War II, the German GP only became part of the Formula One World Championship in 1951...	Hockenheimring Hockenheimring The Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other motor racing events, it biennially hosts the Formula One German Grand Prix...	Niki Lauda Niki Lauda Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...	Project Four
6	August 11	Austrian Grand Prix Austrian Grand Prix The Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One race.The first event, in 1964, was held at a race track on the Zeltweg Airfield. The race was a success, but the track was deemed too dangerous; it was narrow and very bumpy, and spectators complained of poor viewing areas...	Österreichring Österreichring The Red Bull Ring is an Austrian race circuit in Spielberg, Styria.The race circuit was founded as Österreichring and hosted the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from to . It was later shortened, rebuilt and renamed the A1-Ring, it hosted the Austrian Grand Prix again from...	Jacques Laffite Jacques Laffite Jacques-Henri Laffite is a French former racing driver who competed in Formula One from to . He achieved six grand prix wins, all while driving for the Ligier team. He is now a TV commentator on French television TF1....	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...
7	August 25	Dutch Grand Prix Dutch Grand Prix The Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One automobile race held at Circuit Zandvoort, from 1948 to 1985. It was a part of the World Championship from 1952, and designated the European Grand Prix two times, 1962 and 1976, when this title was an honorary designation given each year to one grand prix...	Circuit Zandvoort	Hans-Joachim Stuck	Cassani Racing
8	September 8	Italian Grand Prix Italian Grand Prix The Italian Grand Prix is one of the longest running events on the motor racing calendar. The first Italian Grand Prix motor racing championship took place on 4 September 1921 at Brescia...	Autodromo Nazionale Monza Autodromo Nazionale Monza The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception....	Hans-Joachim Stuck	Cassani Racing

Championship standings

The following are the ten highest finishing drivers in the points standings. Niki Lauda

Niki Lauda

won the inaugural championship, initially earning a spot in the factory BMW team in the first round, before running the remaining seven races for Project Four.

Pos.	Driver	Team(s)	Points
1	Niki Lauda Niki Lauda Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport... / Project Four	78
2	Hans-Joachim Stuck	Cassani Racing	73
3	Clay Regazzoni Clay Regazzoni Gianclaudio Giuseppe "Clay" Regazzoni was a Swiss racing car driver. He competed in Formula One races from 1970 to 1980, winning five Grands Prix. His first win was the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in his debut season, driving for Ferrari. He remained with the Italian team until...	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...	61
4	Markus Höttinger Markus Höttinger Markus Höttinger was an Austrian Formula Two driver who died at Germany’s Hockenheimring during a race in April 1980. He was 23 years old at the time. The incident occurred when a loose wheel from Derek Warwick's car struck the head of Höttinger, killing him almost instantly...	GS Tuning	45
5	Toine Hezemans Toine Hezemans Toine Hezemans was an active Dutch touring and prototype racing car driver in 1960s and 1970s, nowadays one of principals of Phoenix Carsport....	Alimpo Sport	44
6=	Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...	35
6=	Jacques Laffite Jacques Laffite Jacques-Henri Laffite is a French former racing driver who competed in Formula One from to . He achieved six grand prix wins, all while driving for the Ligier team. He is now a TV commentator on French television TF1....	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...	35
8	Didier Pironi Didier Pironi Didier Joseph Louis Pironi was a racing driver from France. During his career he competed in 72 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, driving for Tyrrell , Ligier and Ferrari...	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...	34
9	Helmut Kelleners Helmut Kelleners Helmut Kelleners is a former race driver from Germany, winning the Spa 24 Hours and the 24 Hours Nürburgring.His son Ralf Kelleners is also a race car driver.- Career:* Spa 24 Hours* Joest Racing* 1000 km Nürburgring* 24 Hours Nürburgring...	Eggenberger Racing	33
10	Alan Jones Alan Jones (Formula 1) Alan Stanley Jones MBE is an Australian former Formula One driver. He was the first driver to win a Formula One World Championship with the Williams team, becoming the 1980 World Drivers' Champion....	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...	26

1980 season

For the second running of the Procar Championship, the schedule was altered and expanded so that the races did not rely exclusively on Formula One events. This allowed the season to start slightly earlier, this time in April. Donington Park

Donington Park

was retained from the previous year but now counted towards the championship. Two German events were added, with the Procar Championship designated as that year's Avusrennen at the AVUS

AVUS

The Automobil-Verkehrs- und Übungs-Straße, better known as AVUS, is a public road that was also used as a motor racing circuit. It is located in the south-western districts of Berlin, Germany, between Charlottenburg and Nikolassee, and is nowadays an important part of the public highway system, as...

circuit, and the Procars serving as a support race for the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft

Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft

Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft or simply DRM as it was known, was a touring car and Sportscar racing series...

's 200 Miles of Norisring. Six Formula One Grands Prix remained on the schedule.

Unlike the previous year where the fastest drivers in practice earned seats with the factory BMW team, five drivers were designated as the primary drivers for events which did not share a Grand Prix weekend. These five were Alan Jones

Alan Jones (Formula 1)

, Jacques Laffite

Jacques Laffite

, Nelson Piquet

Nelson Piquet

, Didier Pironi

Didier Pironi

Didier Joseph Louis Pironi was a racing driver from France. During his career he competed in 72 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, driving for Tyrrell , Ligier and Ferrari...

, and Carlos Reutemann

Carlos Reutemann

Carlos Alberto Reutemann , nicknamed "Lole", is an Argentine former racing driver , and later a politician in his native province of Santa Fe, for the Justicialist Party....

. Other Formula One drivers to participate during Grands Prix were Mario Andretti

Mario Andretti

, Derek Daly

Derek Daly

Derek Daly is a former racing driver from the Republic of Ireland. He won the 1977 British Formula Three Championship, and competed as a professional racing driver for 17 years participating in 64 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on April 2, 1978. He scored a total of 15...

, Jean-Pierre Jarier

Jean-Pierre Jarier

Jean-Pierre Jacques Jarier is a French Grand Prix racing driver, now retired. He was born at Charenton-le-Pont, near Paris, and is regarded as one of the finest drivers never to win a Grand Prix....

, Riccardo Patrese

Riccardo Patrese

Riccardo Gabriele Patrese is an Italian former racing driver, who raced in Formula One from to .He became the first Formula One driver to achieve 200 Grand Prix starts when he appeared at the 1990 British Grand Prix, and the first to achieve 250 starts at the 1993 German Grand Prix...

, and Alain Prost

Alain Prost

Alain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur is a French racing driver. A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, Prost has won more titles than any driver except for Juan Manuel Fangio , and Michael Schumacher . From 1987 until 2001 Prost held the record for most Grand Prix...

.

Several teams from the previous year entered once more, including Project Four, GS Tuning, Eggenberger Racing, Cassani Racing, and Schnitzer Motorsport

Schnitzer Motorsport

. Newcomers included personal teams from Arturo Merzario

Arturo Merzario

Arturo Francesco "Little Art" Merzario is a former racing driver from Italy. He participated in 85 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 15, 1972...

, Dieter Quester

Dieter Quester

Dieter Quester is an active touring car racing driver from Austria. Dieter has participated in 53 24-Hour Races. He competed in a single Formula One race in which he finished ninth....

, and Helmut Marko

Helmut Marko

Dr. Helmut Marko is a former racing driver from Austria.A friend of Jochen Rindt, he entered racing, and eventually participated in 10 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 15 August 1971...

, as well as Swiss sportscar manufacturer Sauber

Sauber

Sauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993....

Race results

Round	Date	Event	Circuit	Winning Driver	Winning Team
1	April 26	Stand-alone event	Donington Park Donington Park Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...	Jan Lammers Jan Lammers Johannes "Jan" Lammers, , is a racing driver and team principal from the Netherlands. He participated in 41 Formula One Grand Prix races, debuting on January 21, 1979. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 and later participated in the race with his own team Racing for Holland...	BMW Holland
2	May 11	Avusrennen	AVUS AVUS The Automobil-Verkehrs- und Übungs-Straße, better known as AVUS, is a public road that was also used as a motor racing circuit. It is located in the south-western districts of Berlin, Germany, between Charlottenburg and Nikolassee, and is nowadays an important part of the public highway system, as...	Manfred Schurti	Cassani Racing
3	May 17	Monaco Grand Prix Monaco Grand Prix The Monaco Grand Prix is a Formula One race held each year on the Circuit de Monaco. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the world, alongside the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans...	Circuit de Monaco Circuit de Monaco Circuit de Monaco is a street circuit laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the principality of Monaco. It is commonly referred to as "Monte Carlo" because it is largely inside the Monte Carlo neighbourhood of Monaco.The circuit is used on one weekend in...	Hans-Joachim Stuck	Project Four
4	June 22	200 Miles of Norisring	Norisring Norisring The Norisring is a street circuit in Nuremberg, on the former Nazi party rally grounds site of the NSDAP party conventions. As the city's German name Nürnberg would lead to confusion with the already famous Nürburgring, the old name Noris was chosen for the simple track which is nowadays approx...	Hans-Joachim Stuck	Project Four
5	July 12	British Grand Prix British Grand Prix The British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire...	Brands Hatch Brands Hatch Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...	Carlos Reutemann Carlos Reutemann Carlos Alberto Reutemann , nicknamed "Lole", is an Argentine former racing driver , and later a politician in his native province of Santa Fe, for the Justicialist Party....	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...
6	August 9	German Grand Prix German Grand Prix The German Grand Prix is an annual automobile race.Because Germany was banned from taking part in international events after World War II, the German GP only became part of the Formula One World Championship in 1951...	Hockenheimring Hockenheimring The Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other motor racing events, it biennially hosts the Formula One German Grand Prix...	Didier Pironi Didier Pironi Didier Joseph Louis Pironi was a racing driver from France. During his career he competed in 72 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, driving for Tyrrell , Ligier and Ferrari...	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...
7	August 16	Austrian Grand Prix Austrian Grand Prix The Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One race.The first event, in 1964, was held at a race track on the Zeltweg Airfield. The race was a success, but the track was deemed too dangerous; it was narrow and very bumpy, and spectators complained of poor viewing areas...	Österreichring Österreichring The Red Bull Ring is an Austrian race circuit in Spielberg, Styria.The race circuit was founded as Österreichring and hosted the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from to . It was later shortened, rebuilt and renamed the A1-Ring, it hosted the Austrian Grand Prix again from...	Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...
8	August 31	Dutch Grand Prix Dutch Grand Prix The Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One automobile race held at Circuit Zandvoort, from 1948 to 1985. It was a part of the World Championship from 1952, and designated the European Grand Prix two times, 1962 and 1976, when this title was an honorary designation given each year to one grand prix...	Circuit Zandvoort	Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...
9	September 13	Italian Grand Prix Italian Grand Prix The Italian Grand Prix is one of the longest running events on the motor racing calendar. The first Italian Grand Prix motor racing championship took place on 4 September 1921 at Brescia...	Autodromo Dino Ferrari Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello....	Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...

Championship standings

The following are the ten highest finishing drivers in the points standings. Nelson Piquet

Nelson Piquet

won the championship, aided by three consecutive wins to finish the year.

Pos.	Driver	Team	Points
1	Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...	90
2	Alan Jones Alan Jones (Formula 1) Alan Stanley Jones MBE is an Australian former Formula One driver. He was the first driver to win a Formula One World Championship with the Williams team, becoming the 1980 World Drivers' Champion....	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...	77
3	Hans-Joachim Stuck	Project Four	71
4	Jan Lammers Jan Lammers Johannes "Jan" Lammers, , is a racing driver and team principal from the Netherlands. He participated in 41 Formula One Grand Prix races, debuting on January 21, 1979. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 and later participated in the race with his own team Racing for Holland...	BMW Holland	69
5	Carlos Reutemann Carlos Reutemann Carlos Alberto Reutemann , nicknamed "Lole", is an Argentine former racing driver , and later a politician in his native province of Santa Fe, for the Justicialist Party....	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...	64
6	Manfred Schurti	Cassani Racing	48
7	Hans Heyer Hans Heyer Hans Heyer is a racing driver from Wegberg, the site of the Grenzlandring, a former high speed race track oval...	GS Tuning	41
8=	Jacques Laffite Jacques Laffite Jacques-Henri Laffite is a French former racing driver who competed in Formula One from to . He achieved six grand prix wins, all while driving for the Ligier team. He is now a TV commentator on French television TF1....	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...	37
8=	Marc Surer Marc Surer Marc Surer is a former racing driver from Switzerland. He participated in 88 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 9 September 1979. He scored a total of 17 championship points....	Sauber Sauber Sauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993....	37
10	Didier Pironi Didier Pironi Didier Joseph Louis Pironi was a racing driver from France. During his career he competed in 72 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, driving for Tyrrell , Ligier and Ferrari...	BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...	34

Afterwards

At the start of the 1980 season, BMW announced their intention to enter Formula One as an engine supplier for Brabham. The deal came in part due to Bernie Ecclestone

Bernie Ecclestone

Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is an English business magnate, as president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and through his part-ownership of Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary...

, then head of Brabham, as well as the head of BS Fabrications

BS Fabrications

BS Fabrications was a Formula One team that competed between 1976 and 1978.It was founded by Bob Sparshott, a former engineer at Lotus who had worked with Jim Clark and Graham Hill...

, who had built several of the Procar M1s. BMW planned to enter the series in 1982, and BMW Motorsport

BMW Motorsport

was tasked with concentrating their efforts on the new Formula One engines instead of the Procar series.

That same year, BMW officially met FISA's requirements by having built approximately 400 cars. The M1 was therefore homologated for Group 4 on December 1, 1980, allowing BMW to enter the Championship for Makes in 1981. As BMW shifted towards Formula One, the company ended their plans to enter the Group 5 category after the construction of only two race cars. With BMW no longer needing to quickly build race cars, and with BMW Motorsport shifting to Formula One work, the series was not held in 1981. The M1s used in the Procar series were sold to various customers for use in the World Championship, as well as smaller series such as the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft

Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft

Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft or simply DRM as it was known, was a touring car and Sportscar racing series...

and Camel GT Championship

IMSA GT Championship

IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:...

.

In 1988, Motor Racing Developments, the owners of the Brabham Formula One Team, were sold to Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...

. Wishing to revive the Procar series, Brabham and Alfa Romeo developed a prototype racing car using a mid-mounted Formula One-based V10 engine

V10 engine

A V10 engine is a V engine with 10 cylinders in two banks of five with a distinct exhaust note.- Mechanics :The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion...

, covered in a bodywork silhouette mimicking the Alfa Romeo 164

Alfa Romeo 164

The Alfa Romeo 164 is an executive car with saloon body, produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1987 to 1998.The 164 was re-badged as the 168 for the Hong Kong and Malaysian markets, as the number "164" had a very negative connotation , and "168" has quite the opposite The Alfa Romeo 164...

. Alfa Romeo intended to use identical copies of the car for a resurrected Procar series, but the plans never came to fruition and only the prototype was built.

Revival

On June 30, 2008, BMW announced plans to revive the Procar series in an exhibition event at the 2008 German Grand Prix

2008 German Grand Prix

The 2008 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 20, 2008 at the Hockenheimring, Hockenheim, Germany. It was the 10th race of the 2008 Formula One season and was contested over 67 laps. It was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after starting from pole...

at the Hockenheimring

Hockenheimring

The Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other motor racing events, it biennially hosts the Formula One German Grand Prix...

. The races involved ten original M1 Procars driven by several drivers who had participated in the original series as well as modern drivers. Each car included a passenger seat for a guest. The line-up included former competitors Christian Danner

Christian Danner

Christian Danner is a former race car driver from Germany.The son of well-known car safety expert Max Danner, Christian started motor-racing in the Renault 5 cup...

, Harald Grohs

Harald Grohs

Harald Grohs is a race driver and team owner from Essen, Germany.Grohs took part in more than 50 24 Hours endurance racing races, mainly 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours Nürburgring.- Career as driver :...

, Niki Lauda

Niki Lauda

, Dieter Quester

Dieter Quester

Dieter Quester is an active touring car racing driver from Austria. Dieter has participated in 53 24-Hour Races. He competed in a single Formula One race in which he finished ninth....

, and Marc Surer

Marc Surer

Marc Surer is a former racing driver from Switzerland. He participated in 88 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 9 September 1979. He scored a total of 17 championship points....

. Former BMW driver Prince Leopold of Bavaria

Prince Leopold of Bavaria (b. 1943)

Prince Leopold of Bavaria is a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach and a former champion race car driver.-Early life & racing career:...

, BMW Sauber

BMW Sauber

BMW has been involved in Formula One in a number of capacities since the inauguration of the World Drivers' Championship in . The company entered occasional races in the 1950s and 1960s , before building the BMW M12/13 inline-four turbocharged engine in the 1980s...

test driver Christian Klien

Christian Klien

Christian Klien is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver. In total he has scored 14 points in Formula One.Klien currently drives for Aston Martin Racing in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup-Racing career:...

, and a current M1 Procar owner, Marco Wagner, also competed. The BMW M1 Art Car

Art car

An art car is a vehicle that has had its appearance modified as an act of personal artistic expression. Art cars are often driven and owned by their creators, who are sometimes referred to as "Cartists"....

Andy Warhol

Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...

was involved, driven by series founder Jochen Neerpasch and with fellow Art Car

Art car

artist Frank Stella

Frank Stella

Frank Stella is an American painter and printmaker, significant within the art movements of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction.-Biography:...

as his passenger.

Lauda won the first race held on Saturday, July 19, while Neerpasch was able to win the race held on Sunday, July 20, the morning of the Grand Prix.

External links

BMW Sauber F1 Team – BMW M1 Procar Revival

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.