BMW Power
14-12-11, 15:55
First "GT triple" for BMW since 2001.
The 2011 motorsport season once again saw BMW claim victories, podium finishes and titles around the world. Join us as we take a look back at last season’s highlights, beginning with the American Le Mans Series.
http://www.bmw-motorsport.com/var/ezwebin_site/storage/images/motorsport/news/2011/december/first_gt_triple_for_bmw_since_2001/1695326-1-eng-GB/first_gt_triple_for_bmw_since_2001_news_detail.jpg
Eleven podium finishes, three wins and at least one car within the top-3 after every race: BMW Team RLL’s record in the GT class of the 2011 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) makes impressive reading. After nine thrilling races in the USA and Canada, Team Principal Bobby Rahal’s team was rewarded for its excellent performances with all three titles in the GT class.
Dirk Müller and Joey Hand, at the wheel of a BMW M3 GT, won the Drivers’ Championship with 159 points. Their team-mates, Dirk Werner and Bill Auberlen, ended the season on 129 points in third place. In the team competition, BMW Team RLL won the title with 180 points, while BMW topped the manufacturers’ standings with the same number of points. The result is that all three ALMS titles in the hard-fought GT class are destined for Munich for the first time since 2001.
BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt said: "This season, BMW Team RLL dominated proceedings in the GT class of the ALMS right from the first race. The one-two in Sebring was the perfect start, and was followed by a succession of further victories and podium finishes. The combination of the drivers’ excellent performances, the team’s consistency, and the reliability of the BMW M3 GT formed a near unbeatable package."
Rahal said: "As we prepared for the 2011 season, we knew we had all of the ingredients to contend for the championship, but it takes a lot of effort from everyone involved to actually make it happen. Each one of our drivers gave us everything they had, BMW provided us with a great car and outstanding support from throughout its great organisation and the crew both at the track and at the shop worked extremely hard to make this happen, and now we have achieved our goals."
Backed up by Andy Priaulx as the third driver, Müller and Hand started the 2011 season with a triumph at the iconic 12-hour race in Sebring. They followed this win with victories in Long Beach and Lime Rock. After two fourth place finishes in Mosport and Mid-Ohio, the two team-mates returned to the podium with a third place in Road America. Second place at the first running of the "Baltimore Grand Prix" gave Müller and Hand "match point" going into the race at Laguna Seca. They took their opportunity brilliantly, crossing the finishing line in second place to secure the championship.
Werner and Auberlen also stepped onto the podium on five occasions and finished in the points at every race. The duo lined up alongside Augusto Farfus in Sebring and at the "Petit Le Mans" in Road Atlanta at the end of the season.
The 2011 motorsport season once again saw BMW claim victories, podium finishes and titles around the world. Join us as we take a look back at last season’s highlights, beginning with the American Le Mans Series.
http://www.bmw-motorsport.com/var/ezwebin_site/storage/images/motorsport/news/2011/december/first_gt_triple_for_bmw_since_2001/1695326-1-eng-GB/first_gt_triple_for_bmw_since_2001_news_detail.jpg
Eleven podium finishes, three wins and at least one car within the top-3 after every race: BMW Team RLL’s record in the GT class of the 2011 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) makes impressive reading. After nine thrilling races in the USA and Canada, Team Principal Bobby Rahal’s team was rewarded for its excellent performances with all three titles in the GT class.
Dirk Müller and Joey Hand, at the wheel of a BMW M3 GT, won the Drivers’ Championship with 159 points. Their team-mates, Dirk Werner and Bill Auberlen, ended the season on 129 points in third place. In the team competition, BMW Team RLL won the title with 180 points, while BMW topped the manufacturers’ standings with the same number of points. The result is that all three ALMS titles in the hard-fought GT class are destined for Munich for the first time since 2001.
BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt said: "This season, BMW Team RLL dominated proceedings in the GT class of the ALMS right from the first race. The one-two in Sebring was the perfect start, and was followed by a succession of further victories and podium finishes. The combination of the drivers’ excellent performances, the team’s consistency, and the reliability of the BMW M3 GT formed a near unbeatable package."
Rahal said: "As we prepared for the 2011 season, we knew we had all of the ingredients to contend for the championship, but it takes a lot of effort from everyone involved to actually make it happen. Each one of our drivers gave us everything they had, BMW provided us with a great car and outstanding support from throughout its great organisation and the crew both at the track and at the shop worked extremely hard to make this happen, and now we have achieved our goals."
Backed up by Andy Priaulx as the third driver, Müller and Hand started the 2011 season with a triumph at the iconic 12-hour race in Sebring. They followed this win with victories in Long Beach and Lime Rock. After two fourth place finishes in Mosport and Mid-Ohio, the two team-mates returned to the podium with a third place in Road America. Second place at the first running of the "Baltimore Grand Prix" gave Müller and Hand "match point" going into the race at Laguna Seca. They took their opportunity brilliantly, crossing the finishing line in second place to secure the championship.
Werner and Auberlen also stepped onto the podium on five occasions and finished in the points at every race. The duo lined up alongside Augusto Farfus in Sebring and at the "Petit Le Mans" in Road Atlanta at the end of the season.