An exciting new addition is expected in the 2025 Baltic Touring Car Championship – the “BMW Turbo Cup” class, where BMW “G20” series cars will be eligible to compete. The project has sparked great interest among motorsport enthusiasts, and a solid number of participants is expected already at the first race.
During the off-season, teams have been working productively to prepare their cars – around 7-9 newly built cars are expected to line up at the season-opening “Stateta Bro Grand Prix” race in early May in Kaunas. Five cars are being prepared in Lithuania by the “LIK Racing by KTK Racing division” team, two by Latvia’s circuit racing frontrunners “Rode Racing,” and one more by Artjoms Kočlamazašvili.
“After five exciting seasons in the ‘BMW 325 CUP’ class, I wanted to try something new while keeping the same essence – fighting for every meter on the track! That’s why the logical choice was the new BMW Turbo class – modern cars that I can race in both the Baltic Championship and in events in Germany at the Nürburgring,” says Artjoms Kočlamazašvili.
Despite the relatively high costs of car preparation, the anticipated 7–9 participants for the season’s first race already indicates that this new circuit racing project is both appealing and on the right track, confirmed by the interest from teams and drivers ready to join in mid-season or in the 2026 season.
Povilas Bonkevičius, head of the Lithuanian “LIK Racing by KTK Racing division” team, sees great potential: “I think that by building five cars and renting them out for the upcoming season, we’ve already shown we believe in the project and see a big future for it. These are new and modern cars that will remain relevant in circuit racing for a long time and will have a broad market not only in the Baltics but across Europe. I believe that in a few years, this new class will become a full-fledged replacement for the ‘BMW 325 CUP’.”
Just like the “BMW 325 CUP,” which has gathered up to 50 participants for a single race weekend, the principles are similar – only BMW G20 series “330i” models with identical specifications are allowed: 2-liter turbo engines producing 260 HP, mono semi-slick “Nankang AR-1” tires, standardized brakes, specialized engine and gearbox management software, and all cars must be equipped with data logging systems to ensure compliance with technical regulations and uphold the core idea – equal-performance cars create exciting racing on track.
The first race will take place on May 4th in Lithuania at the “Nemuno Žiedas” circuit. The race will be broadcast live on Baltic Touring Car Championship social media channels. The next round will be held in Riga on June 7th.
