VIN: the works / Jurgen Lassig BMW M1 Procar chassis 4301042
History of chassis 4301042
Chassis 4301042 was the 13th M1 Procar completed. It was retained by BMW Motorsport and raced by a variety of high profile drivers during the inaugural Procar Championship in 1979.
Emerson Fittipaldi gave the car its debut at Monaco (round two of the series) where he started and finished third.
In the non-championship Gunnar Nilsson Memorial Trophy at Donington, James Hunt started fourth, but failed to finish owing to suspension trouble.
Round three of the ‘79 Procar series took place at Dijon where Didier Pironi did his first of three races in chassis 4301042. The Tyrrell driver qualified in fifth spot and moved up to claim the final podium position in third. He also drove the car at round five (Hockenheim: qualified third, finished fourth) and round six (Zeltweg: qualified fifth, finished third).
Other drivers to take the wheel during 1979 were Carlos Reutemann for round four at Silverstone (qualified fourth, finished eighth) and Michael Bleekemolen for the penultimate event at Zandvoort (qualified twelfth but failed to finish when he was crashed into by Elio de Angelis).
For the 1980 Procar series, chassis 4301042 (like all the works cars) was prepared by B&S Fabrications in England.
The now white and green machine contested all nine Procar races in 1979, eight of which were in the hands of Didier Pironi.
Now driving for Ligier in F1, Pironi had a year of mixed fortune; he won the Procar race at Hockenheim and finished third at Brands Hatch, but he also posted four DNFs and one DNS. At the end of the season, he finished tenth in the standings.
The only other driver to feature in 4301042 during 1980 was ‘78 World Champion, Mario Andretti.
Andretti (who was driving for Lotus in F1), contested the Zandvoort Procar race. He qualified ninth, but clashed with Jo Gartner on the opening lap. Andretti hobbled round to the pits with suspension damage where 4301042 was retired.
At the end of the 1980 season, BMW Motorsport sold chassis 4301042 to German privateer, Jurgen Lassig.
Lassig was a keen amateur driver who, since 1973, had campaigned various nomally aspirated and turbocharged Porsches. In 1980, he had paid for a couple of drives in an M1 Procar with Jurgen Kannacher.
For the 1981 season, Lassig had 4301042 prepared by Hans Obermaier. Lassig dovetailed his drives in the BMW with appearances in a Kremer 935 K4.
Lassig also raced 4301042 throughout 1982. He then made a couple of outings with the car in 1983, after which it was retired from competition duty.
Notable History
BMW Motorsport
26/05/1979 PRO Monaco (E. Fittipaldi) 3rd oa (#14)
03/06/1979 PRO Donington (J. Hunt) DNF (#20)
30/06/1979 PRO Dijon (D. Pironi) 3rd oa (#3)
13/07/1979 PRO Silverstone (C. Reutemann) 8th oa (#2)
28/07/1979 PRO Hockenheim (D. Pironi) 4th oa (#3)
12/08/1979 PRO Zeltweg (D. Pironi) 3rd oa (#3)
26/08/1979 PRO Zandvoort (M. Bleekemolen) DNF (#90)
BMW Motorsport (B&S Fabrication)
26/04/1980 PRO Donington (D. Pironi) 15th oa (#25)
11/05/1980 PRO Avus (D. Pironi) DNF (#25)
17/05/1980 PRO Monaco (D. Pironi) 9th oa (#25)
22/06/1980 PRO Norisring (D. Pironi) DNF (#25)
12/07/1980 PRO Brands Hatch (D. Pironi) 3rd oa (#25)
09/08/1980 PRO Hockenheim (D. Pironi) 1st oa (#25)
16/08/1980 PRO Zeltweg (D. Pironi) DNS (#25)
31/08/1980 PRO Zandvoort (M. Andretti) DNF (#11)
14/09/1980 PRO Imola (D. Pironi) DNF (#25)
Sold to Jurgen Lassig (Lassig-Obermaier Racing Team)
White with Green stripes
05/04/1981 DRM Hockenheim (J. Lassig) 9th oa, 5th RT class (#85)
17/05/1981 DRM Mainz-Finthen (J. Lassig) 6th oa, 2nd RT class (#85)
24/05/1981 WSC Nurburgring 1000km (J. Lassig / H.P. Duge) DNF (#37)
28/06/1981 DRM Norisring (M. Ketterer) 9th oa, 4th RT class (#82)
28/06/1981 IND Norisring Trophy (M. Ketterer) DNF (#82)
12/07/1981 DRM Salzburgring (J. Lassig) 3rd oa, 1st RT class (#??)
01/08/1981 DRM Hockenheim (M. Ketterer) 10th oa, 3rd RT class (#81)
06/09/1981 DRM Hockenheim (J. Lassig) DNF (#79)
20/09/1981 DRM Nurburgring (J. Lassig) 7th oa, 3rd RT class (#81)
White with Blue stripes
21/03/1982 DRT Zolder (J. Lassig) ran (#6)
04/04/1982 DRT Hockenheim (J. Lassig) 4th oa (#6)
02/05/1982 DRT Avus (J. Lassig) ran (#6)
09/05/1982 DRT Mainz-Finthen (J. Lassig) 4th oa (#6)
23/05/1982 DRT Salzburgring (J. Lassig) 3rd oa (#6)
30/05/1982 WSC Nurburgring 1000km (Duge / König / Lassig) DNF (#53)
04/07/1982 IND Erding (J. Lassig) 6th oa, 4th GT2.0+ class (#2)
01/08/1982 DRT Diepholz (J. Lassig) ran (#6)
07/08/1982 DRT Hockenheim (J. Lassig) 5th oa (#44)
29/08/1982 DRT Hockenheim (J. Lassig) 4th oa (#6)
26/09/1982 DRT Nurburgring (J. Lassig) ran (#12)
White with Blue stripes (Hugo Boss livery)
20/03/1983 DRT Zolder (J. Lassig) ran (#2)
03/07/1983 DRT Norisring (J. Lassig) ran (#38)
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: BMW - https://www.bmw.com
