BMW Motorsport News – Issue 21/13.
Whether in the DTM, the American Le Mans Series, or countless other championships: week after week BMW teams and drivers around the world do battle for points, victories and titles. Away from the track too, members of the large BMW Motorsport family around the world are also creating headlines. The “BMW Motorsport News” allows us to regularly summarise all the action for you in a compact and informative manner. This way, you are always up to speed.
GRAND-AM: Successful outing for Turner Motorsport in Mid-Ohio.
Bill Auberlen (US) and Paul Dalla Lana (CA) won the GT class in the sixth race of the GRAND-AM Championship at the “Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course” (US). The duo in the number 94 BMW M3 crossed the finish line first at the end of the 105 lap race. The second Turner Motorsport car, with Billy Johnson (US) and Michael Marsal (US) at the wheel, finished sixth. In the Daytona Prototypes class, Team Sahlen’s BMW Riley, driven by Dane Cameron (US) and Wayne Nonnamaker (US), was the best-placed BMW in eighth. Defending champions Scott Pruett (US) and Memo Rojas (MX) from Chip Ganassi Racing had to settle for 11th.
Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge: Podium for Auberlen/Dalla Lana.
Mid-Ohio also hosted the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge this weekend – and Auberlen and Dalla Lana claimed another top-three finish. After 83 laps, the duo in the BMW M3 finished runners-up behind the Porsche of Nick Longhi (US) and Matt Plumb (US). Fall-Line Motorsports narrowly missed out on a podium, with Mark Boden (US) and Bryan Sellers (US) finishing fourth in their BMW M3.
British GT: BMW Z4 GT3 in top form in Snetterton.
After a win and a third place at the latest round in Silverstone (GB), the BMW Z4 GT3 was once again on the podium as Snetterton (GB) hosted the British GT Championship: Steve Tandy (GB) and Dan Brown (GB) from Team 888 Optimum Racing finished runners-up in race two. Their team-mates Joe Osborne (GB) and Lee Mowle (GB) were fourth, while Ecurie Ecosse finished seventh to complete a good overall result for the BMW teams. No BMW Z4 GT3 made it into the top ten in race one.
Italian GT Championship: Team BMW Italia narrowly misses out on podium.
ROAL Motorsport just missed out on a place on the podium when the “Red Bull Ring” in Spielberg (AT) hosted the Italian GT Championship this weekend. Stefano Comandini (IT) and Stefano Colombo (IT), in the number 1 BMW Z4 GT3, finished fourth in the first race at the 4.326-kilometre circuit. Their team-mate Michela Cerruti (IT) crossed the finish line 11th. The second race was even more successful for Team Principal Roberto Ravaglia’s (IT) outfit: this time, Cerruti finished fourth, with Comandini and Colombo behind her in fifth.