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.