The second half of the season will be starting on July 16th at Croft in Yorkshire and will end on October 15th at the famous circuit of Silverstone. The Formula BMW UK Championship 2006 will be won and lost over 10 race weekends with each meeting featuring two Formula BMW races to create a 20-round series. Nine of these double-header events will be held in conjunction with the UK's premier motor sport drawcard, the high profile British Touring Car Championship.
With packed grids of evenly matched cars racing at top speeds approaching 150mph, Formula BMW is the world’s leading entry-level class in Formula racing. The 2006 series is also to be held in Germany, the UK, Asia and the USA. The best-known alumni of this talent hothouse who then moved on to become Formula One drivers are Ralf Schumacher, Christian Klien and Nico Rosberg.
Sponsoring a car participating at this year’s Formula BMW UK Championship has provided Nortel and its developer partners with a significant marketing opportunity including hospitality, branding and a chance to invite customers, channel partners and internal employees to the events. Teleopti, also a Nortel developer partner is another of the car sponsors.
Daniel McKenzie, driver of the Nortel sponsored car said "I have really been enjoying the first half of the season and really looking forward to a better second half. With this being my first year in Formula BMW, I will be up against a number of other drivers in their second year of FBMW so competition will be tough. The Formula BMW UK championship is a prestigious series and I really appreciate the opportunity that my sponsors, Nortel, Datapulse, Teleopti and Wood BMW have given me"
BMW Motorsport director, Mario Theissen, added “Formula BMW offers talented young drivers more than just a car. In the Education and Coaching Programme we have designed specially for them, they learn everything they need to know to hold their own in the big wide world of motor racing. Formula BMW has shot out of the blocks to become the top entry-level class for Formula racing worldwide.”