Rene Rast’s BMW M3 GT3 was christened at the Lausitzring: Why the DTM racer has an unusual name and why his mechanic initially had doubts
DTM champion Rene Rast has already named his Audi championship-winning cars together with the mechanics – and at the Lausitzring, BMW Team Schubert did the same for the first time: But while the Audi cars in the Class 1 era were still called Tracy and Joyce, the M4 GT3 now bears the name Selidijo
What’s that all about? “It’s a special name”, “I’ve always given my cars normal names until now. This is the first name that has a deeper meaning because it is made up of four names. I thought that was very original.”
The idea came from Rast’s number 2 mechanic Dominik Birk, who explains the name. “Se stands for Sean Edwards,” he says, referring to Rast’s former Porsche Supercup team-mate and friend, who was killed in an accident in 2013. “Li stands for his first son Liam, Di for his wife Diana and Jo for Joah, his second son. “
How Rene Rast reacted to his mechanic’s idea
Birk surprised Rast in the Schubert pit at the Lausitzring with a vehicle badge bearing the unusual name. The 37-year-old racing driver then attached it to the chassis himself. “I didn’t expect it at all,” admits Rast. “And I found it totally touching, because I would never have expected someone to come up with an idea like that. It was a really nice moment.”
But how did Rast’s Austrian mechanic from Tyrol come up with the idea? “We want to become champions – and a champion car needs a name. He agreed with me,” grins Birk, who is also known as “Checker” in the team. “Then I thought to myself: he’s in the M4, the DTM is turning 40 and we’re aiming for a fourth title. So we make a name out of four people who I think are important to him. “
How did he come up with the four people? “It was clear to me that family would come first. And he was very close to Sean Edwards. He also has his picture on his helmet. So I took the first letter of each one, but nothing came out of it. “
How to pronounce the name of the racing car correctly
Then he added the second letter, shuffled the names around – and out came Selidijo! “The name is a bit of a tongue twister, but it’s all about the meaning,” he says. “And to pronounce the name correctly, you have to pronounce the first names correctly: Scho – li – di – dscho.”
Rast’s 39-year-old mechanic admits that he initially had doubts about how Rast would accept the idea because his family is a private matter. “But then he was brutally pleased,” he says. “And you could see that it meant a lot to him that Sean was involved. So the name was a direct hit. “
The only thing missing now is the champagne on the plaque to finally seal the christening, grins Birk. In Sunday’s race at the Lausitzring after the safety car phase, it even briefly looked as if the podium chance was alive, but then Luca Engstler overtook the BMW works driver and pushed him into fifth place. The next chance will be in Zandvoort in a week’s time.
Incidentally, the name badge is not the only place on Rast’s M4 GT3 where mechanic Birk has immortalized himself: The inscription “Mission 4” on the radiator grille and in the rear of the car and the Austrian-German flag, which Rast, who lives in Bregenz, has been driving since 2023, were also his ideas.
