The Nürburgring 24h Qualifiers this weekend were overshadowed by a fatal accident during Saturday’s race. Juha Miettinen, a 66-year-old Finnish privateer racing a BMW 325i, was involved in a multi-car collision on the Nordschleife and sustained severe injuries. Despite immediate medical intervention at the circuit’s Medical Center, all resuscitation attempts failed. He did not survive.
Six other drivers were also taken to the Medical Center or nearby hospitals following the incident. All are reported to have escaped with less serious injuries. Saturday’s race was stopped after the accident. Miettinen was a long-standing presence at the Nürburgring, having raced there for many years and collected several class victories over the course of his career.
BMW M Motorsport issued a statement expressing its condolences: “We received the news of Juha Miettinen’s fatal accident during the first race of the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers with great shock. We have lost a member of the BMW racing family under tragic circumstances. Our deepest sympathy goes to his loved ones.”
Racing resumed on Sunday. The BMW M Motorsport entries from ROWE Racing, Schubert Motorsport, and Gamota Racing all took to the track — but each car carried a mourning ribbon. ROWE Racing’s #99 BMW M4 GT3 EVO finished fifth overall, with Schubert Motorsport’s #77 M4 GT3 EVO directly behind in sixth. The #81 BMW M3 Touring 24H from Schubert took first in the SPX class. Gamota Racing’s #23 M4 GT3 EVO finished 13th.
Results, under the circumstances, were secondary. Our thoughts are with Juha Miettinen’s family and friends.
