24 Hours Race Spa-Francorchamps - Qualifying

Team BMW Motorsport are well prepared for the 24 Hours of Spa
Spa-Francorchamps, 30 July 2004: Team BMW Motorsport has had a
trouble-free qualifying for the 24 Hours of Spa. The BMW M3 GTR with
starting number 142 - driven by Dirk Müller (GER), Jörg
Müller (GER) and Hans-Joachim Stuck (GER) - will start the classic
long distance race from 11th on the grid. In the Group 2 class, in
which both of the cars run by Team BMW Motorsport under the guidance of
team manager, Charly Lamm, the trio of German drivers took second
place. Dirk Müller was at the wheel of the car, that with the same
driver line-up won the 24 Hours of Nürburging, when it set its
quickest lap (2m 19.043s) and he did this on Thursday night in the
first of the three qualifying sessions. "I am really happy with
the performance of the M3 GTR", said the 28-year-old, "We
hoped for such a result and our goal has to be the class win. If we
make no mistakes and are a bit lucky we may also move up the overall
rankings." Pedro Lamy (PRT), Andy Priaulx (GBR), Antonio Garcia
(ESP) and Kurt Mollekens (BEL) qualified car number 143 in third place
in Group 2 with a lap time of 2m 20.233s, taking 14th spot on the grid.
The quartet, who are also competing in the two FIA ETCC races at Spa
along with Dirk Müller and Jörg Müller, also set their
time in the same session with Lamy at the wheel. "It is nice to be
back at Spa in the M3 GTR", commented Lamm, who has already
notched up five wins in this race with Schnitzer Motorsport, "We
are competing against the more powerful FIA GT cars here, that is why
we concentrated on qualifying both cars with all the drivers. For the
third session we concentrated on preparing the cars in the garage
rather than going out on the track." The 24 hour marathon on the
6.947 kilometre circuit will start on Saturday at 16.00 hours.
Results: Overall: 1. L Cappellari /F Gollin/L Bryner/E Calderari
(Ferrari 550M) 2m 15.047s, 2. E Van De Poele/U Alzen/M Bartels/F Konrad
(Saleen S7) 2m 15.221s, 3. M Bobbi/G Gardel/S Livio/ M de Castro
(Ferrari 550M) 2m15.996s, 4. V Vosse/M Salo/F Babini/P Peter (Ferrari
575M) 2m 16.913s, 5. F Bouvy/ D Defourny/E Naspetti/G Morbidelli
(Ferrari 575m) 2m 17.012s, 6. M Goossens/A Kumpen/Y Lebon/E Cayrolle
(Corvette C5-R) 2m 17.518s?. 11. D Müller/J Müller/H-J
Stuck (BMW M3 GTR) 2m19.043s,?. 14. P Lamy/K Mollekens/A Priaulx/A
Garcia (BMW 3 GTR) 2m 20.233s. Group 2: 1. M Goossens/A Kumpen/Y Lebon
(Corvette C5-R) 2m 17.518s, 2. D. Müller/J Müller/H-J Stuck
(BMW M3 GTR) 2m 19.043s, 3. P Lamy/K Mollekens/A Priaulx/A Garcia (BMW
M3 GTR) 2m 20.333s. Contacts: Heike Bartsch, BMW Press, mobile +49 (0)
172 8485998, heike.bartsch@bmw.de The press kit for the 24 Hours of Spa
and photographs from qualifying and the race are available to download
from www.press.bmw.com.