24h Spa-Francorchamps - Preview

PREVIEW - 24h Race Spa-Francorchamps, 31st July/1st August 2004
Nürburgring winners line up for BMW again at Spa. Munich, 26th July
2004. Seven weeks on from a one-two win in the Nürburgring 24 Hour
Race, BMW is gearing up for its second involvement in an endurance
classic this season. On 31st July/1st August 2004, Team BMW Motorsport
will be fielding two BMW M3 GTRs in the 24 Hour Race at
Spa-Francorchamps. The Nürburgring winners - Hans-Joachim Stuck
(GER), Dirk Müller (GER) and Jörg Müller (GER) - will
take it in turns behind the wheel of car number 142, while Pedro Lamy
(PRT), Antonio Garcia (ESP), Kurt Mollekens (BEL) and Andy Priaulx
(GBR) will be driving the BMW M3 GTR with the number 143. Responsible
for the technical side of the two 500 bhp GT sports cars will once
again be the seasoned Schnitzer Motorsport racing team under the
guidance of team manager Charly Lamm (GER). On the 6.947-kilometre
roller-coaster course in the Ardennes, Team BMW Motorsport aims to
deliver the same flawless performance - both in the cockpit and in the
pits - that enabled it to claim a clean sweep at the Nordschleife of
the Nürburgring. "At Spa we're certainly not among the
favourites for an overall win," states BMW Motorsport Director
Mario Theissen. "The competitive situation is different from the
Nürburgring. We are not fielding the BMW M3 GTR in the highest
class but in Group 2. Starters in Group 1, featuring cars from the FIA
GT Championship, are clearly superior to us in terms of performance,
some of them by a good 150 bhp. We are thus primarily setting our
sights on a class win." In terms of race regulations, there are
also differences at Spa compared to the race through the "Green
Hell". The BMW M3 GTRs will be competing according to BELCAR
regulations. These allow the use of ABS anti-lock braking, while
prohibiting traction control and the GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)
mobile data transmission system. By using the GPRS system, Theissen was
able to stay informed of events on the Nordschleife during the
Nürburgring 24 Hours while in Montrèal, where the Canadian
Grand Prix was being held at the same time. For Spa-Francorchamps, he
will definitely be present at the trackside to follow the race in
person. This scenic circuit offers drivers one of the most spectacular
sections in the world - Eau Rouge - as well as several high-speed
straights. Coupled with Spa's notoriously unpredictable weather, it
represents a major challenge. The 24 Hour Race was first held here in
1924, since when BMW touring cars have celebrated a total of 21 overall
wins. The most recent was in 1998 by Alan Cudini, Marc Duez and Eric
van de Poele in a BMW 320i. For five drivers in Team BMW Motorsport and
for the Schnitzer squad, Belgium has an additional challenge in store.
Apart from their involvement in the 24 Hour Race, Priaulx, Garcia,
Mollekens, Dirk Müller and Jörg Müller will also be
competing in the FIA European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) for BMW's
national teams. The time pressure will be intense: the second FIA ETCC
race is scheduled to finish at 14:17 hrs on Saturday, leaving just
three minutes before the start of the Driver Presentation for the 24
Hour Race. Following the one-two win at the Nürburgring, Siemens
VDO Automotive AG will also be present at Spa-Francorchamps as a
premium partner of BMW Motorsport. The company is one of the world's
leading automotive suppliers of electronics, electrics and
mechatronics. Time schedule for Spa-Francorchamps: Thursday, 29th July
2004 11:00-12:30 hrs - 1st Free Practice (24h Race) 15:15-16:45 hrs -
2nd Free Practice (24h Race) 20:30-21:30 hrs - 1st Qualifying (24h Race)
22:00-23:30 hrs - 2nd Qualifying (24h Race) Friday, 30th July 2004
09:00-09:30 hrs - 1st Free Practice (FIA ETCC) 11:50-12:20 hrs - 2nd
Free Practice (FIA ETCC) 12:35-13:20 hrs - 3rd Qualifying (24h Race)
15:25-15:55 hrs - Qualifying (FIA ETCC) Saturday, 31st July 2004
08:00-08:15 hrs - Warm-up (FIA ETCC) 08:15-08:30 hrs - Warm-up (24h
Race) 12:42 hrs - Start (1st Race FIA ETCC, 8 laps) 13:52 hrs - Start
(2nd Race FIA ETCC, 8 laps) 16:00 hrs - Start (24h Race) Sunday, 1st
August 2004 16:00 hrs - Finish (24h Race) Press contact: Heike
Bartsch, BMW Corporate Aiffars, Motorsport, Mobile: 0172 - 84 85 998,
Tel: 089-382 33115, heike.bartsch@bmw.de BMW press information, press
kit and photos for press purposes at: www.press.bmw.com