The BMW M1 Procar Championship saw the birth of an icon

Originally, the intention was for BMW to enter the World Sportscar Championship in 1979, with construction of its first sportscar, the M1, commencing the previous year. However, Group 4 and Group 5 regulation changes put those plans on hold. Since the car could no longer compete in the WSC or elsewhere legally, BMW decided to carve its own space. Thus, the one-make M1 Procar championship was born.

The inaugural season took place in 1979, and the championship served as the support race for eight of the European Formula 1 race weekends, including Monaco, Silverstone and Monza. Featuring professional drivers from F1, the World Sportscar Championship and the European Touring Car Championship, drivers earned their entry based on their performances.

To encourage F1 drivers to enter the series, the five fastest drivers from the Friday practice session were guaranteed a place with the factory team, which then also allowed a variety of drivers to race throughout the season. Points were awarded to the top ten finishers of each race and an overall championship was awarded (as well as a brand new M1 road car) to the driver who had accumulated the most points.

Then two-time world champion Niki Lauda was crowned the first Procar champion in 1979, topping the standings ahead of Hans-Joachim Stuck and Clay Regazzoni, respectively. Stuck would come third in 1980, as Alan Jones lost out on the championship to Nelson Piquet, the season prior to his first F1 drivers' title.

Other drivers that earned their place in the championship include Mario Andretti, Alain Prost, Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Alan Jones, Jacques Laffite, Riccardo Patrese and John Watson. Teo Fabi, Tiff Needell, Hans-Georg Bürger and Michael Bleekemolen were also invited to race, though they were not F1 drivers at the time.

In 1981, BMW entered F1 as engine supplier for Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham team, and so chose not to continue the Procar championship in order to focus on their involvement in F1, which continued until 2005. Meanwhile, Group 4 homologation was achieved in time for the BMW M1s to participate in the World Sportscar Championship in 1981.

In 2019, the BMW M1 Procar revival event took place at the Norisring, Germany, as part of the DTM weekend, and included Stuck, Jan Lammers and Marc Surer each returning to the cockpit of the iconic M1 40 years on.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.