Tag Archives: Nürburg

BMW

New John Cooper Works logo debut: Bulldog Racing is once again competing with a MINI John Cooper Works.

Nürburg. The season finale of the Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring 2023, one of Germany’s most thrilling motorsport events, was the perfect stage for Bulldog Racing to showcase the new John Cooper Works logo in action. The logo’s dynamic design reflects the performance of John Cooper Works and stood out amidst the thrilling, rainy racing action.

The new John Cooper Works logo embodies passion and the sporty character of the brand. It will replace the previous JCW logo on all vehicles in the new MINI family, which was unveiled in September. Stefanie Wurst, MINI Brand Director, says, “The new John Cooper Works logo is a testament to the boundless enthusiasm and pride we have for John Cooper Works. John Cooper Works and motorsport are at the heart of MINI’s DNA. They will continue to drive our innovative spirit and creativity in the future.”

During the wet race, the MINI John Cooper Works Edition with a 6-speed manual transmission and the number #616 put up a solid performance, finishing 53rd out of 158 cars after completing 13 laps. In the class for production-based cars with 1,600 to 2,000 cc engines and turbochargers, the black MINI John Cooper Works Edition secured the 13th position out of 23 competing cars.

The MINI John Cooper Works Edition was raced by Sebastian Sauerbrei and Friedhelm Thelen, both from Germany. Sebastian Sauerbrei achieved his personal best placement in a 24-hour race this year while driving this particular car. Friedhelm Thelen, an expert of the Nürburgring, served as the team boss of Bulldog Racing.

BMW

Bulldog Racing to Compete with MINI John Cooper Works Edition at Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring 2023

Nürburg. At this year’s 24-hour race at the Nürburgring, the Bulldog Racing Team impressed with their MINI John Cooper Works Edition with a manual gearbox, securing a 2nd place in the class for turbocharged vehicles with a displacement of 1,600 to 2,000 cc.

In preparation for future races, Bulldog Racing decided to participate in the seventh round of the Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring 2023 (RCN) with their MINI John Cooper Works Edition. The race took place on the 24.358-kilometre track variant (Nordschleife + GP short circuit) under sunny and warm weather conditions. The total race distance was 13 laps.

Behind the wheel this time were drivers Jens Dralle (GER) and Christoph Kragenings (GER). Jens Dralle previously competed for Bulldog Racing in the red MINI John Cooper Works in the SP3T class at the 2022 24-hour race. Christoph Kragenings made his 24-hour race debut earlier this year in the manual MINI John Cooper Works Edition and achieved the best result for a MINI in the brand’s 64-year history.

In the highly competitive VT2 class with 19 participants, the duo of Dralle/Kragenings secured a solid 7th place within their class and 48th place overall out of the 149 cars that started the race, earning a total of 4974.0 points.

The Rundstrecken-Challenge is not solely focused on achieving the fastest lap times but also emphasizes consistency. After four sprint laps, competitors must try to recreate the lap time set in the first lap as closely as possible. This unique requirement sets the Rundstrecken-Challenge races apart from conventional races. The RCN e.V. will host the renowned 3-hour “Schwedenkreuz” race on October 28th, which will mark the end of the season and follow the standard endurance race format at the Nürburgring.

For Bulldog Racing, the final race of the RCN season presents a valuable opportunity to participate before the winter break and prepare their MINI John Cooper Works race cars, which are proudly “Made in Nürburg,” for the 2024 racing season.

BMW

The race is on: Bulldog Racing Edition – special model to commemorate the successful 24-hour race at the Nürburgring.

Nürburg. The Bulldog Racing Edition is a special model based on the highly equipped MINI John Cooper Works, featuring a 6-speed manual gearbox and an impressive output of 231 hp / 170 kW, with a maximum torque of 320 Nm.

This special model celebrates the best finish for a MINI in a 24-hour race in the brand’s 64-year history. While the engine and many features of the Bulldog Racing Edition are similar to the race car with the starting number #126 from Bulldog Racing, it does not include the safety features required by competition regulations, making it more suitable for everyday use.

“Finishing in second place and achieving the first podium for MINI after a grueling 24 hours was a great accomplishment. As soon as we crossed the finish line, we knew we wanted to share this moment with our fans. Our main challenge in developing the Bulldog Racing Edition was to ensure it closely resembled our race car while remaining road legal,” explains Alexander Schabbach, Managing Director of Bulldog Racing.

The Bulldog Racing Edition offers a true “racing feeling” for the road through the use of various motorsport components that can be customized according to each customer’s preferences.

The KW V3 suspension, which is adjustable in compression and rebound damping, lies at the core of the edition. It enhances grip, improves turn-in behavior, and increases safety at the limit. The suspension setup is individually performed for each vehicle by one of Bulldog Racing’s professional drivers on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The 17-inch OZ HyperGT alloy wheels, in combination with the Remus brand sports exhaust, give the vehicle a subtle yet distinctive appearance. Pirelli provides the P Zero Performance tyres, sized 205/45R17, as they have proven to be reliable racing tires. The rear seat is replaced with a strut and fitting mesh and carpet from the Stern Performance Parts Clubsport set, resulting in weight reduction and improved performance.

An exterior highlight of the Bulldog Racing Edition is the large roof decor foil featuring the Bulldog Racing logo, a traditional adornment on every race car of the team. Inside, each Bulldog Racing edition is equipped with an individual badge that signifies it as a numbered limited edition, documenting the day the suspension was set up on the Nordschleife, among other discreet features.

“To cater to a wide range of individual desires, each car is customized according to the customer’s wishes, making each one unique. Our special model demonstrates the modifications we can make to the MINI, and we are proud to offer this service to customers with older MINIs of the current generation from 2014 onwards,” says Alexander Schabbach.

MINI owners interested in the Bulldog Racing Edition can contact: sales@bulldog-racing.com