BMW driver teams for the Nürburgring and Spa 24 Hours.

Munich, 1st June 2004. Who teams up with whom? That question has now
been answered with regard to the BMW M3 GTR drivers for the 24-hour
races at the Nürburgring (12th/13th June) and at Spa (31st
July/1st August). At the Nürburgring the number 42 BMW M3 GTR
will be shared by the three German drivers Dirk Müller, Jörg
Müller and Hans-Joachim Stuck. The number 43 sister car fielded at
the 'Ring' by Team BMW Motorsport will see Duncan Huisman (NLD), Pedro
Lamy (PRT) and Boris Said (USA) taking it in turns at the wheel. At
the Spa circuit in Belgium, the number 42 BMW M3 GTR will be manned by
the identical threesome of Müller/Müller/Stuck. Pedro Lamy
will be driving the number 43 car in the Ardennes as well, but with
different partners this time. Joining the Portuguese driver will be
Antonio Garcia (ESP), Andy Priaulx (GBR) and Kurt Mollekens (BEL). The
31-year-old Belgian will be backing up the number 43 team, while Lamy
has also been signed up as a backup for the number 42 lineup. This
coming Sunday, 5th June, Lamy/Mollekens/Priaulx will already be taking
the 500 bhp GT coupé out for a test drive at Spa during the
Belcar Series. "Our driver teams," says BMW Motorsport
Director Mario Theissen, "are a mix of youth and experience. With
Pedro Lamy and Hans Stuck we also have on board a brace of two-time
winners of the Nürburgring 24 Hour Race. All our drivers have
experience of long-distance events and powerful GT cars. I am convinced
that, in terms of our drivers and our technology, we are well equipped.
But we should not be tempted to make any predictions or indulge in
premature expectations. Firstly, it is difficult for us to judge the
competition in advance, and secondly, 24 hours on the world's most
challenging race track leaves a lot of scope for the
unpredictable." The complete BMW press kit on the Nürburgring
24 Hour Race is downloadable with immediate effect at
www.press.bmw.com. Press contact: Heike Bartsch, BMW Corporate
Communications, Tel: 089-382 33115, heike.bartsch@bmw.de