Kroll: “The racing itself actually takes a back seat – it is more important to meet the motorsport family again.”

2020.04.02

Kroll: “The racing itself actually takes a back seat – it is more important to meet the motorsport family again.”

Hofor Racing is one of the most successful BMW Customer Racing teams of recent years. In the 2018/19 season alone, the team claimed 25 podium results, as well as the Team title in the 24h Series Champion of the Continents, the 24h Series European Championship, and ADAC GT4 Germany. The title in the BMW Sports Trophy Team Competition was the icing on the cake at the end of a successful year. In an interview, team principal Martin Kroll discusses the importance of this success, logistical challenges, and his personal highlight of 2020.

Mr Kroll, 25 podiums and the Team title in the 24h Series Champion of the Continents, the 24h Series European Championship, and ADAC GT4 Germany – 2019 was a fairy-tale season for Hofor Racing, wasn’t it?

Martin Kroll: “In principle, yes. We are very happy. If you had offered us that at the start of the year, we would have signed for it without a moment’s hesitation. The year started badly and ended badly, but the bottom line is that we came out on top in the end.”

Those results were good enough to earn you the Team title in the BMW Sports Trophy for the first time. What does that success mean to the team?

Kroll: “What more can you wish to achieve than to win so many titles in one year? It was the best year so far for Hofor Racing. That is what we were working towards. And we did it, together with or partners Küpper Racing and Bonk Motorsport.”

Your headquarters are in Switzerland, which makes the logistical side of things more complicated than for other teams. How do you cope with that?

Kroll: “We have simplified the logistics by stationing our cars in Germany during the season, and also by separating our different cars. Our SP6 cars, the BMW E46, are with Küpper, while the BMW M4 GT4 and our BMW M240i Racing are with Bonk. That simplifies logistics, as well as service and the supply of parts.”

” What more can you wish to achieve than to win so many titles in one year? It was the best year so far for Hofor Racing. ”

Martin Kroll, Team Principal Hofor Racing

These partnerships do not have any influence on your driver line-up though, do they? You are independent in that regard – with great emphasis on your own family…

Kroll: “That’s right. Together with my brother Michael and his son-in-law Alex Prinz, we drove in pretty much everything we could last year. My niece Chantal had a break to have a baby, but will be back in 2020.”

You run three different types of car: the BMW E46 in the SP6 class on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, a BMW 240i Racing in the Creventic Series, and the BMW M4 GT4 in ADAC GT4 Germany. Which of these three BMW race cars do you believe has the best chances in 2020?

Kroll: “For me personally, as a driver, it is the SP6. For the team, however, it is clearly the BMW M4 GT4. The strength of the GT4 is that we can compete in the big races with it, within the ADAC GT Masters, at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, and in the Creventic Series. The car can be used wherever there is a GT4 class.”

What would be the biggest highlight of this year for you personally, if the 2020 season eventually gets up and running again after all the cancellations and postponements caused by the coronavirus pandemic?

Kroll: “Given the current situation, it would be to meet up with the entire motor racing family at the racetrack again. Because of situation developing around the world at the moment, I don’t know whether I would display any trophy I may win in my cabinet. However, my personal wish is to get the cars back on the racetrack as soon as possible. The racing itself actually takes a back seat – it is more important to meet the motorsport family again. I have all the possible changes of dates for the individual racing series spread out on my desk: you can’t run your championship operations normally in a situation like this. There will be a lot of clashes, but I don’t want to specify one racing series partner, with whom I will work and who I wish to strengthen. I want to support all our partners to the same degree, as they are all facing the same problems. I don’t want to favour anyone or put anyone at a disadvantage. That would not be in keeping with the philosophy at Hofor Racing. This not only applies to the race organisers, like the VLN, Creventic and ADAC GT Masters, but also the hotels we have always stayed in, as well as our service providers like Küpper Racing and Bonk Motorsport. We cannot simply turn around and say: “We are not using you this year.” My brother and I are trying to use everyone to the same degree. We are planning on being back in full swing from 1st July, if the situation and calendar allow it. And we are trying to utilise the resources in such a way that everyone benefits a little.”

Kroll: “The racing itself actually takes a back seat – it is more important to meet the motorsport family again.”

Mr Kroll, 25 podiums and the Team title in the 24h Series Champion of the Continents, the 24h Series European Championship, and ADAC GT4 Germany – 2019 was a fairy-tale season for Hofor Racing, wasn’t it?

Those results were good enough to earn you the Team title in the BMW Sports Trophy for the first time. What does that success mean to the team?

Your headquarters are in Switzerland, which makes the logistical side of things more complicated than for other teams. How do you cope with that?

These partnerships do not have any influence on your driver line-up though, do they? You are independent in that regard – with great emphasis on your own family…

You run three different types of car: the BMW E46 in the SP6 class on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, a BMW 240i Racing in the Creventic Series, and the BMW M4 GT4 in ADAC GT4 Germany. Which of these three BMW race cars do you believe has the best chances in 2020?

What would be the biggest highlight of this year for you personally, if the 2020 season eventually gets up and running again after all the cancellations and postponements caused by the coronavirus pandemic?

Related articles.

Zug: “In the race we try to deliver the best.”

Maximilian Günther in the points at virtual home race for BMW i Andretti Motorsport in Berlin.

Mental training at Formula Medicine: BMW works drivers have been benefitting from progressive training philosophy for many years.

Sim racing vs. real motor racing: BMW Motorsport engineer Jeroen den Boer assesses the similarities and differences.

No points for BMW i Andretti Motorsport drivers at the ‘ABB Formula E Race At Home Challenge’.

IMSA iRacing Pro Series: Bruno Spengler and Philipp Eng reach the podium in the BMW M8 GTE.

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Kroll: “The racing itself actually takes a back seat – it is more important to meet the motorsport family again.”

Mr Kroll, 25 podiums and the Team title in the 24h Series Champion of the Continents, the 24h Series European Championship, and ADAC GT4 Germany – 2019 was a fairy-tale season for Hofor Racing, wasn’t it?

Those results were good enough to earn you the Team title in the BMW Sports Trophy for the first time. What does that success mean to the team?

Your headquarters are in Switzerland, which makes the logistical side of things more complicated than for other teams. How do you cope with that?

These partnerships do not have any influence on your driver line-up though, do they? You are independent in that regard – with great emphasis on your own family…

You run three different types of car: the BMW E46 in the SP6 class on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, a BMW 240i Racing in the Creventic Series, and the BMW M4 GT4 in ADAC GT4 Germany. Which of these three BMW race cars do you believe has the best chances in 2020?

What would be the biggest highlight of this year for you personally, if the 2020 season eventually gets up and running again after all the cancellations and postponements caused by the coronavirus pandemic?

Related articles.

Zug: “In the race we try to deliver the best.”

Maximilian Günther in the points at virtual home race for BMW i Andretti Motorsport in Berlin.

Mental training at Formula Medicine: BMW works drivers have been benefitting from progressive training philosophy for many years.

Sim racing vs. real motor racing: BMW Motorsport engineer Jeroen den Boer assesses the similarities and differences.

No points for BMW i Andretti Motorsport drivers at the ‘ABB Formula E Race At Home Challenge’.

IMSA iRacing Pro Series: Bruno Spengler and Philipp Eng reach the podium in the BMW M8 GTE.

This highlight is only available for desktop devices.

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COOKIE CONSENT HEADLINE

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