ALMS makes second European guest appearance in Jarama, Spain, on 20 May 2001

BMW prepares to do battle in Spain

Munich. The heat is on: Team BMW Motorsport are heading for the next race in
Jarama fired with determination. On May 20th, the circuit outside Spain's
capital Madrid will see the two BMW M3 GTRs of JJ Lehto (FIN)/Jörg Müller (D)
and Fredrik Ekblom (S)/Dirk Müller (D) fighting for points at the second
European guest appearance of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS).

The race, which lasts 2 hours 45 minutes, is the Team's fourth appearance
overall this season and the third for the V8-powered M3 GTR. At the last race
in Donington both of the new, beefy sports cars had problems with stability.
"Our preparations have been chiefly concentrating on the difficulties we
experienced in Donington," explains team manager Charly Lamm. "If we can get
both cars across the finishing line in Jarama, we're in with a chance of
winning."

The Spanish event, too, will mark the racing debut of another BMW. Since their
appearance at Donington in mid-April, the Team have assembled the next BMW M3
GTR - Chassis 04 for Lehto/Müller, who were still driving the prototype in
England. Ekblom/Müller were already piloting their new Chassis 03. "We've now
reached the stage one would ideally want to be at for the start of the season,"
admits Lamm. The delay, so unfamiliar to him and BMW, was the result of the
relatively late decision to go ahead with this project which was made at the
end of September.

Jörg Müller took the new Chassis 04 out for its functional test on BMW's
proving grounds in Ismaning, while his namesake Dirk Müller carried out the
reliability tests on the same track. A week before their departure for Jarama,
the Team spent three days testing both cars on the circuit belonging to the
Michelin Technology Centre Ladoux in Clermont Ferrand. Lehto and Ekblom were in
the driving seats.

Challenging circuit with sentimental value

Jörg Müller describes the 3.850-kilometre (2.392-mile) former Grand Prix
circuit as "a track with lots of tight corners that really put the traction and
brakes to the test. Our M3 GTR is strong on both of these. From that point of
view," he believes, "Jarama ought to be right up our street." On the circuit's
single, not very long straight he anticipates a top speed of no more than 240
kph (150 mph). Müller hasn't yet run a race on the Spanish track but is
familiar with it from test drives in the BMW V12 LMR, the winning car of the
1999 Le Mans. "It's a great car! We did the first test drive in Jarama," he
recalls, adding a little wistfully: "and in January I drove the last few yards
in the V12 LMR before it was put in the museum."

The BMW Team well can well recall not only testing the sports car on the Jarama
circuit but also their last race appearance here - one which ended in a one-two
victory. That was in 1987 on their way to the Touring Car World Championship.
Roberto Ravaglia and Emanuele Pirro in a BMW M3 drove to victory ahead of their
team-mates Ivan Capelli and Roland Ratzenberger, who was killed in Formula 1 in
1994.

The race in Jarama forms part of the European Le Mans Series in which BMW won't
otherwise be appearing. However, these races are attractive due to the
regulations which allow points earned in Jarama to count in lieu of a poor
finish in the ALMS.

The race takes place on Sunday, 20 May, from 1.00-3.45 pm local time.

Live commentaries on the Internet are available at www.americanlemans.com.

Eurosport

Race summary: Sunday, 27 May, 8.00-9.00 pm CET

Programmes featuring ALMS reports: Wednesday, 23 May, 6.30-7.00 pm
(repeated Thursday, 24 May, 11.30 am-12 pm and
Friday, 25 May, 10-10.30 am)

Sky Sports 3 (UK)

Live coverage of the event plus edited highlights.

NBC (US)

Same-day coverage of the race.