ÅðéóôñïöÞ óôï Forum : IMSA 2016
Áãùíéóôéêü Çìåñïëüãéï 2016 (http://www.imsa.com/series/sportscar-championship/schedule)
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New generation raring to go: race debuts for the BMW M6 GTLM and BMW M6 GT3 at the 24h Daytona.
25.01.2016
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08.01.2015 to 10.01.2015, IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, Roar Before the 24, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, ...
Exactly 40 years after the first victory of BMW at the 24 Hours of Daytona back in 1976, two new BMW GT cars will make their race debuts at this year¢s iconic event. BMW Team RLL will field the BMW M6 GTLM in the GTLM class, while Turner Motorsport sends two BMW M6 GT3s into action in the GTD category. The two new cars replace the BMW Z4 GTLM and the BMW Z4 GT3 respectively, both of which claimed numerous victories in North America.
BMW Team RLL enters its eighth season with BMW Motorsport, and it promises to be a historic year: not only will the BMW M6 GTLM make its debut, but BMW is also celebrating its 100th anniversary. To mark this occasion, one of the two BMW M6 GTLMs will line up in the new IWSC season with the number 100. Like the number 25 car, it will feature a special livery, which will be unveiled at a press conference in Daytona on 27th January.
In order to ensure that the new car is able to compete at the head of a high-class GTLM field, featuring the likes of Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford and Porsche, BMW Team RLL has opted for continuity in its driver line-up. The regular crews for the two BMW M6 GTLMs remain unchanged from last year. Bill Auberlen (US) and Dirk Werner (DE) share the cockpit of the number 25 car. They will be supported in Daytona by BMW DTM drivers Augusto Farfus (BR) and Bruno Spengler (CA). As in 2015, John Edwards (US) and Lucas Luhr (DE) are the regular drivers at the wheel of the number 100 car. They will receive back-up in Daytona from Graham Rahal (US) and the only new face in the squad, Kuno Wittmer (CA).
Turner Motorsport will field two new BMW M6 GT3s in the GTD class. BMW works driver Jens Klingmann (DE) and Bret Curtis (US) will contest the entire season in the number 96 BMW M6 GT3. The duo will be supported in Daytona by Ashley Freiberg (US) and BMW DTM driver Marco Wittmann (DE). Like last year, the number 97 car will be shared by Michael Marsal (US) and Markus Palttala (FI). They will be joined at the Daytona International Speedway by BMW DTM driver Maxime Martin (BE) and BMW Motorsport Junior Jesse Krohn (FI).
The BMW teams and drivers are not only looking forward to the race itself, but also to experiencing the extensive modifications made to the Daytona International Speedway, as part of the “Daytona Rising” project, under race conditions. The Daytona 24 Hours take the green flag at 14:40 local time on Saturday, 30th January.
Bobby Rahal (Team Principal, BMW Team RLL):
“We are all excited about kicking the season off. Of course the most difficult race of the season is the first race, which is always a challenge for any team and manufacturer. But, as we've shown over the course of the last several years, we have had some pretty trouble-free runs. It's a tough race. Racing for 24 hours is difficult. It's just comes down to consistency, reliability and staying out of trouble. Even though it¢s a new car, we go into this race feeling pretty confident. I think the BMW M6 GTLM is a more sophisticated car than we've had in the past but we have a lot of confidence in BMW, our drivers and our team and I think that our expectations of having a very good race are reasonable.”
Bill Auberlen (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM):
“A new baby must learn to walk before it can run. However, the BMW M6 GTLM has certainly found its legs quickly, as we demonstrated at the Roar test. I am very proud to be part of the team bringing another BMW racing car to the track. This is the fifth generation I¢ve had the honour of racing in the last two decades.”
Dirk Werner (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM):
“This year will be my ninth Rolex 24 At Daytona and I am looking forward to it as much as my first race there. This year will certainly be special. BMW is celebrating its 100th anniversary and we will race the new BMW M6 GTLM for the first time. We certainly have some big challenges ahead of us, but with the support of BMW Team RLL and the BMW Motorsport team I think we have a good chance of getting a very good result.”
Augusto Farfus (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM):
“It¢s an honour to be back with BMW Team RLL and be part of the first race with the BMW M6 GTLM. The team did a very good job at the Roar test and the car felt very strong. Of course, in a 24-hour race anything can happen, but I think we will make a good first impression.”
Bruno Spengler (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM):
“This will be the third 24-hour race of my career and my second consecutive Rolex 24 with BMW Team RLL. The BMW M6 GTLM is new, but I believe it to be quite well born. We had a strong Roar test and I am very motivated for the race.”
John Edwards (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM):
“We¢re finally switching from testing and development into race mode. It¢s been great to see the improvements made during the development process with our new BMW M6 GTLM, and I¢m confident that we¢ll have good pace in 2016. We found a great car balance during the Roar test and I think we all feel ready to race. There are a lot of unanswered questions in the GTLM class this year, but I know that if we can just survive the first 22 hours of the race, BMW will be fighting for a great result on Sunday afternoon.”
Lucas Luhr (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM):
“After many months of testing and developing our BMW M6 GTLM it is time to go racing. It is a big challenge to have the Rolex 24 as our first race, but I think we are well prepared. It is going to be a very tough fight this year in the GTLM class, but I¢m looking forward to another year with BMW team RLL. I love racing in the US.”
Graham Rahal (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM):
“I am thrilled to be joining BMW for a third year in a row, and now in the new BMW M6 GTLM. I think they have once again assembled a great team that gives us a good chance of having a successful race.”
Kuno Wittmer (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM):
“I am really looking forward to my first race for BMW. Everyone on the team has made me feel at home. We have done a lot of extensive testing with the BMW M6 GTLM. The Rolex 24 will, of course, be its first real test. We are obviously a competitive team that wants to win, but patience is always the key in Daytona.”
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BMW M6 GTLM and BMW M6 GT3 master the challenge of Daytona.
Both the new BMW M6 GTLM and the BMW M6 GT3 proved their promising potentials in the very first round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
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At the classic 24 Hours of Daytona, the number 25 BMW M6 GTLM crossed the line in fifth in the GTLM category. Bill Auberlen, Dirk Werner, Augusto Farfus and Bruno Spengler shared the car over the course of their 721 racing laps.
In the GTD class, the number 97 Turner Motorsport BMW M6 GT3, driven by Michael Marsal, Markus Palttala, Maxime Martin and Jesse Krohn, finished the debut race of BMW Motorsport¢s new GT3 challenger in sixth. The number 96 sister car had dropped back early in the race due to technical problems, ultimately finishing 17th in the GTD category.
The sunrise at 07:13hrs over the Daytona International Speedway showed only one BMW M6 GTLM still in the Daytona 24 Hours. About four hours earlier, on lap 360, the number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, with Lucas Luhr behind the wheel, had a brake problem in turn one. Luhr was unhurt, but the damage from the impact forced the team to retire the car from the race. Luhr had shared driving duties with John Edwards, Graham Rahal and Kuno Wittmer.
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is set to continue on 19th March 2016 with another classic race, the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Back to news overview
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EHAN STILL ON CLOUD 9 AFTER CORVETTE RACING 1-2 ROLEX 24 FINISH
RACE PROGRAM LEADER LOVED LETTING HIS DRIVERS BATTLE
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Doug Fehan has led the Chevrolet¢s Corvette Racing program since its inception in 1999, and you¢d think he¢s seen everything. After all, in 2015, a Corvette scored a GT Le Mans (GTLM) class win in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, and the GTE Pro class win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
So he was probably prepared for the Corvette C7.R one-two finish in the 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona, right?
Wrong. “It was an epic battle,” Fehan said. “Truly, it doesn¢t get any better than that. It¢s what everyone on this team is racing for.”
“Epic” is not an overstatement. In a race where most every GTLM car took its turn at the head of the pack, the two bright-yellow Corvette C7.Rs, the No. 4 of Oliver Gavin and the No. 3 of Antonio Garcia, both veteran Corvette drivers, battled for the win right down to the checkered flag.
In the end, Gavin edged by Garcia with a 0.034-second margin of victory, the closest class finish in the history of the Rolex 24.
It would have been easier, and perhaps more sensible given the fact that there is not only a race but an IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship to win, to issue “team orders” – tell the two drivers to assume a careful one-two posture on the final laps to prevent them from taking each other out. And there have been times, Fehan says, when that has happened.
But not last Sunday. Fehan let the drivers know that there were no team orders, to battle it out on the track but to please, please, be careful. It was a decision Fehan made only after consulting with his bosses, and to their credit, he said, they wanted to see a full-fledged, race-to-the-finish ending themselves.
“We¢ve had situations when it was smart to control the outcome,” Fehan explained. “But in this particular instance, for as hard as everyone worked, it was simply the right thing to do. This is a sporting event, a competition, a race, that¢s why every individual on the team is there, to try and come away victorious. It was not a difficult decision for me, and I was very fortunate that my upper management, to whom I went, had enough confidence and faith in us to let us race for it.
“And it turned out OK.”
After the race, Gavin said, “All I could think about was my boss, Doug Fehan, and what he would say if we did touch!”
Fehan said that the parity in the GT Le Mans class has never been better judging from the race and from the lap times among the manufacturers, all of which logged fast laps in the one minute, 44-second bracket. He said he doesn¢t expect to see major “Balance of Performance” alterations between now and the next race, the Twelve Hours of Sebring in March. BoP, as it is called, is when the IMSA rulesmakers add or subtract performance from cars to ensure a level playing field.
And as for the troubled debut of the Ford GT team?
“They¢ll be fine,” Fehan said. “They had the pace. You can test all you want, but things happen under race conditions that you can¢t anticipate. It happened to them, and it has happened to us.”
Source:
IMSA Wire
- See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/fehan-still-cloud-9-after-corvette-racing-1-2-rolex-24-finish#sthash.GbClcfL5.dpuf
Rolex 24 at Daytona
Daytona International Speedway / 3.56 miles
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
January 27 - 31, 2016 / Daytona Beach, Florida
ÄïêéìáóôéêÜ (http://www.imsa.com/sites/default/files/race_result_files/2016_IWSC_Rolex24_OfficialGrid.pdf)
Áãþíáò (http://www.imsa.com/sites/default/files/race_result_files/2016_IWSC_Rolex24_ProvisionalResults.pdf)
Âáèìïëïãßá (http://www.imsa.com/sites/default/files/race_result_files/2016_IWSC_Rolex24_ProvisionalPoints.pdf)
BMW Team RLL tests the BMW M6 GTLM in Sebring.
BMW Team RLL spent three test days at the Sebring International Raceway preparing the BMW M6 GTLM for the second race of the IWSC, the iconic 12 Hours of Sebring.
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BMW drivers Bill Auberlen, John Edwards, Lucas Luhr, Dirk Werner and Kuno Wittmer shared the driving duties at the 5.955-kilometre circuit. Turner Motorsport was also in action, testing the BMW M6 GT3, with which the team competes in the GTD class of the IWSC. The 12 Hours of Sebring will take place on 18th/19th March.
Three questions for ... Bill Auberlen.
Bill, what areas of the new car have you worked on during testing?
Bill Auberlen: “We worked on several areas. We fine-tuned the overall package in order to further improve the BMW M6 GTLM and to make it as reliable as possible. In addition, the test served us drivers to further get acquainted with the size of the car and the central seat position. You try to understand how many millimetres are left before you hit the curb or leave the track. As a driver, you are always fine-tuning on that.”
What do you specifically like about Sebring?
Auberlen: “Sebring is my most favourite circuit next to Long Beach. For me, the 12-hour race is the best endurance event in the world and it is the most historical sports car race in the United States. The best of the best from the world come here to compete. Our class is so competitive, so if you are within the top three you are doing great.”
What do you expect from the 12-hour race?
Auberlen: “We have won this race quite a few times and have often been on the podium. If we take what we learned from Daytona and improve on it, then we can aim for a top result in Sebring.”
BMW Team RLL: Optimistic ahead of Sebring.
A strong two-day test at Sebring International Raceway at the end of February has BMW Team RLL feeling very positive about success at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
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BMW Team RLL started to write a new chapter in BMW racing history at the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona with two new BMW M6 GTLM racing cars. Both cars ran up front and led the class, but teething problems resulted in a fifth place finish by the number 25 car. Unfortunately, a mechanical failure put the number 100 machine into the wall just past the 14 hour mark, resulting in a DNF.
This year is a historic one for The Ultimate Driving Machine® as Bavarian Motor Works celebrates its 100th anniversary. To mark the occasion both of the M6 machines will race with unique liveries and numbers significant to the marque. The number 100 M6, with John Edwards, Lucas Luhr and Kuno Wittmer driving at Sebring, looks forward to BMW¢s next century with an artistic theme that reveals a night-glow surprise.
The number 25 M6, driven at Sebring by Bill Auberlen, Bruno Spengler and Dirk Werner races in honour of BMW Motorsport¢s first season racing in the US in 1975. The car displays images of four significant racing BMWs; the 3.0 CSL, M1, M3 and V12 LMR. BMW has a special history with the 12 Hours of Sebring with two overall wins at the classic event; 1975 3.0 CSL and 1999 V12 LMR. BMW also has scored four GT class wins with the BMW M3; 1997, 1998, 2011 and 2012.
The 64th 12 Hours of Sebring takes the green flag at 10:40 a.m. Saturday, 19th March.
Maiden pole for the BMW M6 GTLM in Sebring.
Bill Auberlen secured GTLM pole position at the wheel of the number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, setting a best lap time of 1:58.402 minutes.
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John Edwards finished just 0.190 seconds behind his team-mate and will start the second round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) from P2 in the number 100 car.
In only its second appearance in the IWSC, the BMW M6 GTLM claimed its first pole position. For BMW Team RLL it was the first pole since Laguna Seca 2015. Auberlen¢s previous pole position dates back to last season¢s Long Beach race. Also at that time Edwards was in P2. Auberlen will share driving duties in the number 25 car with Dirk Werner and BMW DTM driver Bruno Spengler on Saturday. Edwards joins forces with Lucas Luhr and Kuno Wittmer.
The Turner Motorsport team also experienced a successful qualifying in Sebring. For most of the session, BMW works driver Jens Klingmann sat on top of the GTD field at the wheel of the number 96 BMW M6 GT3. Only in the dying moments of the session he was relegated to third, with a lap time of 2:02.660 minutes. However, this is an excellent starting position for Klingmann and his team-mates Ashley Freiberg and Bret Curtis for Saturday¢s race.
The number 97 sister car, driven by Markus Palttala, finished ninth in GTD. The Finn will share the wheel with BMW Motorsport Junior Jesse Krohn and Michael Marsal for the 12-hour classic.
The 64th running of the Sebring 12 Hours will go green on Saturday at 10:40 local time.
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Podiums for the BMWM6 GTLM and the BMW M6 GT3.
BMW Team RLL secured the maiden podium result for the newly developed BMW M6 GTLM at the legendary 12-hour race in Sebring.
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Bill Auberlen, Dirk Werner and Bruno Spengler finished second in the GTLM class at round two of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC), sharing driving duties in the number 25 BMW M6 GTLM.
When last-stint driver Werner crossed the line after 235 laps of the Sebring International Raceway, the gap to the winning Corvette was 2.882 seconds. John Edwards, Lucas Luhr and Kuno Wittmer in the number 100 BMW Team RLL car also had their sights firmly set on a podium finish, until the car was spun by another competitor, dropping it back to sixth in the final phase of the race.
Following the car¢s first pole position on Friday scored by Auberlen, this result is the next milestone in the young racing career of the BMW M6 GTLM. It was again Auberlen who clocked the fastest GTLM lap time of 1:59.182 minutes during the race. Spengler, usually racing with BMW Team MTEK in the DTM, was able to celebrate on the podium after his very first visit to Sebring.
The Turner Motorsport team, fielding two new BMW M6 GT3 cars in the GTD category, also had every reason to be satisfied with the outcome of the race. Ashley Freiberg, Bret Curtis and BMW works driver Jens Klingmann finished second with car number 96. It was also the very first podium for the new BMW M6 GT3 car. Their team-mates Markus Palttala, BMW Motorsport Junior Jesse Krohn and Michael Marsal came seventh with the number 97 BMW M6 GT3.
Once more the enthusiastic crowd in Sebring experienced an action-packed race with countless twists and turns. After one and a half hours it started raining heavily, causing several offs and accidents. For safety reasons, the race director red-flagged the endurance classic after about three hours. Only when the rain eased off and the circuit had started drying out, did the field go out again after the race had been suspended for more than two-hours.
However, conditions remained changeable, so the fans witnessed many more incidents over the course of the race. The outcome was determined in a furious sprint that started after the 13th full-course yellow in the final 20 minutes.
The third round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be held in Long Beach on 16th April 2016.
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"There is no reason for disappointment at BMW Team RLL."
The 2016 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship (IWSC) entered its second round last weekend with the 12 Hours of Sebring.
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The BMW teams enjoyed success at the classic in the US state of Florida. On Friday, Bill Auberlen of BMW Team RLL claimed the first pole position for the new BMW M6 GTLM. This was followed on Saturday by the first podium for the GT sports car, which is making its debut in the IWSC in 2016. At the end of an eventful race, which was suspended due to heavy rain, Auberlen, Dirk Werner and Bruno Spengler came home second in the GTLM class at the wheel of the number 25 BMW M6 GTLM. Their team-mates John Edwards, Lucas Luhr and Kuno Wittmer finished sixth in the number 100 car. There was also a podium in the GTD class: Ashley Freiberg, Bret Curtis and Jens Klingmann finished runner-up in the #96 BMW M6 GT3 of Turner Motorsport. This was the first podium for the new BMW M6 GT3 on the international stage.
Three questions for ... Bill Auberlen.
Bill, you scored the pole position, did the fastest race lap and finished the race in second place. How would you sum up the weekend?
Bill Auberlen: “We can be happy, but on the other hand, even more would have been possible. We made some mistakes and came up some three seconds short of the win. But there is no reason for disappointment at BMW Team RLL. We scored valuable points and proved the BMW M6 GTLM is ready to compete. It won¢t be long until we¢re on the top sped of the podium.”
Next up in the IWSC is the Long Beach Grand Prix – your home race. What are your expectations?
Auberlen: “I have won that race on two out of the last three years. And I am confident that we can fight for the first BMW M6 GTLM victory at my home circuit.”
You have been part of the BMW family since a long time. How many years have you raced for BMW?
Auberlen: “Twenty one years. It has been an amazing time for me and, as we proved here in Sebring, neither BMW nor myself are slowing down. This relationship continues to get better and better and I am extremely proud to race with the company into its next 100 years.”
BMW Team RLL aiming for first win in Long Beach.
After the two classics in Daytona and Sebring, the next round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) takes BMW Team RLL now to Long Beach.
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BMW Team RLL has had more success at Long Beach than any other venue that has played host to the IWSC. Since its inaugural season in 2009, the team has not failed to finish the race without at least one BMW on the podium. The Bobby Rahal-led team has won the race three times; once with the BMW M3 GT2 in 2011 and twice with the BMW Z4 GTLM, in 2013 and 2015.
The Long Beach contest sets a much different stage than the season¢s opening 36 hours of combined racing at Daytona and Sebring. It is a street course, only 1.968 miles long and, at 100 minutes in length, the shortest race of the season.
BMW Team RLL is looking to the race at Long Beach to celebrate the first win with the BMW M6 GTLM. Introduced at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January, the two new BMW M6 GTLMs showed strength, but succumbed to teething problems with the number 25 car finishing fifth. The number 100 car did not finish. At the 12 Hours of Sebring in mid-March the story was a different one as Bill Auberlen scored the class pole in the number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, drove the fastest GTLM lap of the race, and finished second with co-drivers Bruno Spengler and Dirk Werner. The number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, with Lucas Luhr, John Edwards and Kuno Wittmer at the wheel, finished sixth. After two races, BMW stands third in the GTLM manufacturer points.
Auberlen, who makes his home only a few miles from Long Beach in Redondo Beach, and season-long teammate Werner are looking to carry the momentum from Sebring and duplicate last season¢s Long Beach performance - a win from the pole. The duo stands third in GTLM driver points, Edwards and Luhr are ninth.
The race at Long Beach takes the green flag at 4:05 p.m. Saturday, 16th April.
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P5 and P10 for BMW Team RLL in Long Beach.
BMW Team RLL had a difficult debut of the BMW M6 GTLM at Long Beach, finishing fifth and tenth in the Bubba Burger Sports Car Grand Prix, the third round of the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC).
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The 100-minute race started with great promise as the number 25 car of Bill Auberlen, starting from the class pole, led the opening 13 laps of the race. A drive through penalty Auberlen served on lap 28 after contact with a Prototype Challenge car on lap 24 dropped the number 25 car down to sixth. Dirk Werner got into the car on lap 31 and rejoined the race in seventh. He raced hard, but was unable to regain any considerable ground. At the restart on lap 55 Werner was hit in the right rear by a Prototype Challenge car in the hairpin and was forced to the pits to change the cut Michelin tyre. In the end he finished the race in fifth. Victory went to Porsche.
John Edwards and Lucas Luhr were unlucky again in Long Beach. Luhr started the race from sixth, but was quickly into the pits on lap four with an electrical issue. He rejoined the race in ninth. Edwards took over on lap 49 and moved up to eighth. On the lap 55 restart contact with a competitor caused damage that was quickly realised by both Edwards and the crew. Before the team could call him into the pits Edwards was into the wall and out of the race. Finally the car was classified in tenth.
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Two action-packed weeks in North America.
Following an eight-week hiatus in the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC), BMW Team RLL shifts right back into high gear with races at Watkins Glen International on the 3rd July and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park one week later.
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The two venerable North American permanent road courses will surely be a challenging test for the new BMW M6 GTLM that showed early promise at Daytona and Sebring, but struggled to put all the pieces of the new package together at Laguna Seca.
For both races BMW of North America will race the number 25 car, driven by Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner, with a special livery to celebrate the 4th July as well as to pay homage to one of the most popular BMWs ever to race in North America - the BMW M3 GTR. The BMW M3 GTR raced and won with this stars and stripes livery at the October 2001 Petit Le Mans race in Road Atlanta. Auberlen, along with Boris Said and Hans-Joachim Stuck, were the winning drivers. The number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, co-driven by John Edwards and Lucas Luhr, will continue to race with its unique livery celebrating BMW¢s 100th anniversary.
The Sahlen¢s Six Hours of the Glen is up first at the newly resurfaced 3.4-mile, 17-turn Watkins Glen circuit. The team tested twice at Watkins Glen in May, gaining experience on the new Michelin tyre that was introduced at Laguna Seca before the Le Mans break. An additional two-day test recently at Road Atlanta provided more data that will help the BMW M6 GTLM compete on the high-speed, unforgiving circuit in the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
The Sahlen¢s Six Hours of the Glen takes the green flag at 16.10 CET Sunday, 3rd July. The Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park takes the green flag at 17.05 CET Sunday, 10th July.
Fourth round of the season at Watkins Glen.
After a two-month break, the 2016 Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge (ICTSC) resumed this weekend with the fourth round of the season.
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In Saturday¢s two-and-one-half-hour race the No. 84 BimmerWorld Racing BMW 328i of James Clay and Tyler Cooke was the highest placed BMW in the field with a sixth place finish in the Street Tuner (ST) class. A tenth place finish was scored by BimmerWorld racing teammates Jerry Kaufman and Kyle Tilley in the No. 81 BMW 328i. Two additional BMWs competed in the ST class.
Podium finish for BMW Team RLL.
BMW Team RLL drivers Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner, racing the number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, finished third in Sunday¢s six-hour race at Watkins Glen.
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Teammates John Edwards and Lucas Luhr finished eighth in the number 100 BMW M6 GTLM. Both cars completed 190 laps of the 3.4-mile, 11-turn Watkins Glen International circuit during the fifth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC). Victory went to Ford.
The GTLM class headline in the Six Hours of the Glen was the battle between BMW and Ford. For virtually every lap of the race it was either a Ford or a BMW at the front of the field - usually separated by less than one second, even as the chequered flag signalled the end of the race.
The racing spectacle continues.
The fifth race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) has only just been completed, but the next race is just around the corner.
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Last Sunday, Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner drove the #25 BMW M6 GTLM to a third-place finish, securing important points for BMW Team RLL, and the competition continues this weeked at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Auberlen and Werner will be aiming for the podium once again, as will their team-mates John Edwards and Lucas Luhr in the #100 car.
If there is a circuit in North America that can be considered “old school” it is Mosport International Raceway. Host to the F1 Canadian Grand Prix from 1967 to 1977, the track is finally undergoing a renaissance. The high-speed circuit requires a lot of courage of the drivers. BMW Team RLL narrowly missed out on the podium in the GTLM class in 2014. One year later, Edwards and Luhr stepped onto the rostrum after finishing second.
The Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park takes the green flag at 17.05 CET Sunday, 10th July.
BMW Team RLL returns to Road America.
BMW Team RLL is looking to Road America, in Elkhart Lake, for a repeat of the magic the classic road racing circuit brought to the team, when it raced to its first BMW victory in 2009, to see the BMW M6 GTLM reach the top of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTLM class podium.
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Since that first win in 2009, a BMW Team RLL BMW M3 GT2 has won twice more at Road America in the remaining three years of that programme, finishing second in 2011 - the only year it failed to win. The BMW Z4 programme raced from 2013 through 2015, with the Road America highlight being a run to second from the pole in 2014.
This season¢s two-hour-and-fourty-minute Continental Tire Road Race Showcase will see BMW Team RLL arrive with two newly rebuilt racing cars after both were punted off and crashed during the 23rd July race at Lime Rock Park. Both Bill Auberlen and Lucas Luhr were unable to race.
After seven rounds completed and four remaining in the season, Auberlen and Dirk Werner, with two podium finishes to their credit, stand fourth in the GTLM driver points. Luhr and John Edwards stand ninth. BMW is ranked fifth in Manufacturer points.
BMW Team RLL returns to Road America.
BMW Team RLL is looking to Road America, in Elkhart Lake, for a repeat of the magic the classic road racing circuit brought to the team, when it raced to its first BMW victory in 2009, to see the BMW M6 GTLM reach the top of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTLM class podium.
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Since that first win in 2009, a BMW Team RLL BMW M3 GT2 has won twice more at Road America in the remaining three years of that programme, finishing second in 2011 - the only year it failed to win. The BMW Z4 programme raced from 2013 through 2015, with the Road America highlight being a run to second from the pole in 2014.
This season¢s two-hour-and-fourty-minute Continental Tire Road Race Showcase will see BMW Team RLL arrive with two newly rebuilt racing cars after both were punted off and crashed during the 23rd July race at Lime Rock Park. Both Bill Auberlen and Lucas Luhr were unable to race.
After seven rounds completed and four remaining in the season, Auberlen and Dirk Werner, with two podium finishes to their credit, stand fourth in the GTLM driver points. Luhr and John Edwards stand ninth. BMW is ranked fifth in Manufacturer points.
Edwards and Luhr finish third at Road America.
After starting at the rear of the entire 41-car field in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Continental Tire Road Race Showcase, the two BMW Team RLL BMW M6 GTLM cars finished third and eighth in the GTLM class.
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John Edwards and Lucas Luhr, driving the number 100 car, had a strong day to finish third, scoring the duo¢s first podium of the season and the 60th podium finish for BMW Team RLL since 2009. Teammates Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner, driving the number 25 sister car, finished eighth. The GTLM class win went to the number 4 Corvette.
After both cars had been relegated to the back of the grid due to an infringement of the rules in qualifying, Luhr, starting the number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, and Auberlen, starting the number 25 car, took the green flag in positions 40 and 41. However, by the fifth lap they had passed the GTD class leader with Auberlen in front of Luhr, and then the fight to move back to the front was on.
Bobby Rahal (Team Principal BMW Team RLL):
“I think we have to feel pretty happy, given where we started. It was a trouble-free race for us and we were able to take advantage of some mistakes by others. After the bad luck at Lime Rock we have recovered. All credit for the team for changing the cars so quickly. So now on to the next one at VIR.”
John Edwards (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, 3rd place):
“It is not fair to say we haven¢t had pace throughout the year, but we have had a ton of back luck. We had a pretty good fight going on with a couple of cars and the way the race was unfolding towards the end I thought we had shuffled back a bit, but the last yellow bunched everybody up. It was a bit of chaos but we came out the other side with a podium. I really enjoyed this race and it is great to get some champagne again.”
Lucas Luhr (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, 3rd place):
“Finally we have a good result, even if it was a little bit lucky at the end. But over the weekend we have been on pace and had performance, apart from in qualifying. I think finally now the monkey is off our back. For everybody in the 100 crew this is great, as we were getting frustrated. For all of us today was the day.”
Bill Auberlen (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, 8th place):
“Congratulations to the 100 car. They did an excellent job. It was one of those weekends when we were on the back foot from the moment we got here, and we never quite got our stride. Every little thing that could go the wrong way did, but this team never quits.”
Dirk Werner (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, 8th place):
“It was a tough day for Bill and me. We didn¢t have a good start to the weekend and this kind of went through to the end of the race. There was a situation where we tried something and were hoping for some luck when we pitted early, but it didn¢t work out. For sure this weekend was very difficult, but it was good for the team to get a podium with the 100 car.”
BMW Team RLL ready for COTA.
This year¢s tenth IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race will see BMW Team RLL arrive at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, with BMW¢s newest GT class competitor, the BMW M6 GTLM, ready for the penultimate race of the 2016 season.
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The team will be racing for its fourth podium finish of this year, still gunning for the first GTLM class victory for the new car. To date, the team has scored very promising results at three of North America¢s classic circuits; second place at Sebring and a third place finish at both Watkins Glen and Road America.
Last year¢s IWSC race at COTA saw BMW Team RLL score the last of three wins in the 2015 season with the BMW Z4 GTLM as Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner finished the season strongly, ultimately finishing a close second in the driver¢s championship.
The team closes the development season chapter of the BMW M6 GLTM at this weekend¢s two-hour-and-forty-minute contest at COTA and the 10-hour Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta, in Braselton in two weeks time. As with any new racing car testing has been at the top of the engineers list. The past two weeks following the race at VIRginia International Raceway at the end of August have seen the team criss-cross the country to complete a very rigorous testing schedule that included two days at Circuit of the Americas and one day at Road Atlanta.
Bobby Rahal (Team Principal, BMW Team RLL):
“We¢ve had a pretty good record at COTA. We were on pole a couple of years ago with Joey Hand and then last year we won a great fuel strategy race. We were able to defeat the faster Porsches on fuel strategy which was fun. It¢s clear the BMW M6 GTLM likes tracks with fast corners, which of course Circuit of the Americas has a lot of so we should be competitive.”
Bill Auberlen (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM):
“It's been a bit of a tough start for the BMW M6 GTLM. We have been in position to win a few races, but Lady Luck was not looking down upon us. We have been on the podium a few times but have just missed the top step and now hopefully at COTA it's time to bring home the victory.”
Dirk Werner (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM):
“Our testing at COTA went quite well. We certainly made improvements to the car, but this race - especially with the heat we usually have there this time of the year - can make it very difficult. A development year is always challenging because the progress you make does not always immediately result in victories, but it is all part of moving the program forward.”
John Edwards (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM):
“COTA is always a tough race. Tyre management will certainly be one of the keys to success. Our recent testing has answered many of this year¢s remaining questions and I believe we may see some gains in the next two races. Our podium at Road America has helped our spirit because Lucas and I have not had much luck, but I¢m confident our time is coming.”
Lucas Luhr (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM):
“Going into the final two rounds of the season John and I are working really hard to get a couple of good results for the No. 100 BMW M6. This season has been one of the most up and down ones I have ever experienced in America, with sadly more downs than ups. COTA is a track I like a lot as it is very challenging – especially the higher speed corners. We know we have the pace to be competitive in GTLM which is so close this year, but pretty much anything that can go wrong has gone wrong for us.”
Second win for the BMW M6 GT3 in North America.
An exciting penultimate round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at the “Circuit of the Americas” in Austin saw the number 96 BMW M6 GT3 of Turner Motorsport score the second GTD class victory of the season for BMW works driver Jens Klingmann and Bret Curtis.
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In third position coming into the last round of pit stops, quick work by the crew leap-frogged the yellow BMW M6 GT3 into the lead, going on to win by 15.7 seconds over the 14-car class. It was the pairing¢s second victory of the year. Klingmann and Curtis had secured the maiden win for the new BMW M6 GT3 on North American soil at Mosport in July.
In the GTLM class, BMW Team RLL was able to turn around a difficult weekend with a focus on consistency, ultimately scoring fourth and seventh at COTA. Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner, driving the number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, finished fourth. Despite getting a drive-through penalty early into the race, the pairing managed to gain ground from their seventh grid position. Teammates John Edwards and Lucas Luhr came seventh in the number 100 car. Both cars completed 73 laps of the 3.4-mile, 20-turn circuit during the two-hour-and-forty-minute contest. The race was won by the No. 912 Porsche.
The final round of the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the 10-hour Petit Le Mans, will be held at Road Atlanta, in Braselton, on 1st October.
Jens Klingmann (Number 96 BMW M6 GT3, 1st place GTD):
“It was just a perfect day and I am super happy. It was a great car and my first race here in Austin. I felt good and Bret, for whom this is a home race, did a great job with no mistakes. The only big problem was the heat and that my drink bottle didn¢t work at all for my last stint, which was about an hour long. But I had the adrenaline by leading, so I tried not to think about it. I think we can perhaps be in the top three in the championship, but we just want to win races for Turner Motorsport and BMW Motorsport.”
Bret Curtis (Number 96 BMW M6 GT3, 1st place GTD):
“Jens did such a good job. We had an advantage in the high speed turns that just stayed consistent throughout the race, and in the low speed turns we just hung on in there the best we could and were fairly even with the other cars. It was so incredibly hot today, but when I passed off the car to Jens I knew we would have a good chance. I knew he would like the car, and he showed me in his first stint by passing six cars in the first six or seven laps. This second win just shows what the team and the BMW M6 GT3 are capable of.”
Dirk Werner (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, 4th place GTLM):
“Another tough race. If you start that far back you are always in the mix at the start and, unfortunately, I hit a car and got a drive through, which put us pretty far back. We were lucky with the yellows and caught back up. I think we improved compared to practice and qualifying. It is a good result, so I am quite happy with the outcome and in the end it turned out to be a good race for us.”
Bill Auberlen (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, 4th place GTLM):
“I don¢t think you are every happy with fourth, but we moved up and we moved up solidly. The team did a great job. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, as we have this new car and it doesn¢t always work out how you want it to. But we will always keep our heads up.”
John Edwards (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, 7th place GTLM):
“It was a hard and hot day. We had some issues in qualifying and tried to fix them, but the car still had a lot of understeer and it was really a difficult car to drive. We need to regroup and look forward to the race in Road Atlanta where we know anything can happen. I have some good memories from last year where we finished second overall.”
Lucas Luhr (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, 7th place GTLM):
“It was tough race. We didn¢t have any kind of speed over the whole weekend. We did our best, but were unable to really move forward.”
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Season finale at Road Atlanta.
The 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) will come to an end this weekend at Road Atlanta.
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BMW Team RLL will finish its eighth consecutive year racing for BMW and the first season for the all-new BMW M6 GTLM at Petit Le Mans, near Braselton, Georgia.
The traditional ten-hour season-ender will see BMW Motorsport DTM driver Augusto Farfus rejoin Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner in the number 25 BMW M6 GTLM. Farfus, along with fellow DTM team-mate Bruno Spengler, drove to a fifth place finish in the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona, the inaugural race for the BMW M6 GTLM. Farfus also co-drove with Auberlen and Werner at last year¢s Petit Le Mans to a fourth place finish. Kuno Wittmer will co-drive the number 100 BMW M6 GTLM with John Edwards and Lucas Luhr. Wittmer participated at Daytona and Sebring this season, joining the team for the balance of the races as reserve driver. Edwards, Luhr and Wittmer drove to a second place finish in last season¢s Petit race.
The development year for the BMW M6 GTLM has resulted in three podium finishes to-date; a second at the 12 Hours of Sebring, a third at Watkins Glen and Road America to record the 60th podium finish for the team since 2009. Because of this, the team is out of the competition for any GTLM class titles, but Auberlen and Werner are currently tied for second place in the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup, the four-endurance race championship within the championship. The number 25 BMW M6 GTLM finished fifth at Daytona, second at Sebring and third at Watkins Glen. A strong finish at Petit could win Auberlen and Werner the TPEC drivers¢ title.
The final race of this year¢s IWSC season at Road Atlanta takes the green flag at 11:10hrs ET Saturday, 1st October.
BMW Team RLL drivers qualify sixth and ninth.
In the final qualifying session of the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the GTLM field proved to be as fiercely-fought as ever: All cars finished within 0.8 seconds at Road Atlanta.
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Driving the number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, John Edwards set the sixth-fastest time in class with a time of 1:18.382 minutes. He was just 0.251 seconds slower than Ford¢s Richard Westbrook who secured pole position.
In the second BMW Team RLL car it was Bill Auberlen who was on duty over the 15-minute qualifying session, setting a lap time of 1:18.752 minutes at the wheel of the number 25 car. Together with his team-mates Dirk Werner and BMW DTM driver Augusto Farfus he will start ninth on Saturday. Edwards will alternate at the wheel with Lucas Luhr and Kuno Wittmer in the ten-hour race. Petit Le Mans will go green at 11:10hrs local time.
In the GTD category, BMW works driver Jens Klingmann, Bret Curtis and Ashley Freiberg in the number 96 BMW M6 GT3 came ninth after Curtis posted a time of 1:22.421 minutes. Their Turner Motorsport team-mates Michael Marsal, Markus Palttala and Cameron Lawrence had to make do with 12th in the number 97 sister car.
Bobby Rahal (Team Principal, BMW Team RLL):
“That was not bad. It is all close, as we are sixth with John, a tenth off P2, and on a two and a half mile race track that is not a lot. Also Bill is not too far back, and is right there with us. As we have seen in these races, it really doesn¢t matter where you qualify, because it is all going to come down to having to stay out of trouble, the balance tomorrow and being fast at night when everything starts to cools off. It looks like we are going to have nice weather, so that is good for this car. I am pretty happy with where we are, as we are right in the thick of it.”
John Edwards (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, 6th place):
“You have to look at the times to understand that our qualifying session went fairly well compared to the last couple of events, as we are closer than we have been. To only be a couple of tenths off in qualifying is a nice bonus for us. We still start P6, when we would prefer to be a little closer to the front, but with ten hours to go and a good race car I think we are in a great spot.”
Bill Auberlen (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, 9th place):
“Although our starting position is at the back of the GTLM field, I am very happy with how well our BMW M6 GTLM has progressed this weekend. It is running well and handling great – only some six-tenths of a second from the class pole position.”
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Difficult season finale for BMW Team RLL.
In the final race of the all-new BMW M6 GTLM¢s debut season at Road Atlanta, BMW Team RLL missed another top result in the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) due to technical issues.
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John Edwards, Lucas Luhr and Kuno Wittmer came sixth in the GTLM class after ten eventful hours of racing at Petit Le Mans. As had often been the case this season, car number 100 suffered a dose of bad luck at the finale. After two and a half hours the BMW M6 GTLM with Wittmer at the wheel was hit by another competitor and spun off the track. Later on, the alternator had to be repaired during a long stop. Although the team completed this job under yellow, when repairs to the track surface that had broken up were being done, the trio lost several laps that it couldn¢t make up again by the end of the race.
For several hours it looked as if Bill Auberlen, Dirk Werner and Augusto Farfus could fight for another podium result for BMW Team RLL. With two hours to go, the number 25 BMW M6 GTLM was running in the final podium position. Unfortunately then bad luck also hit this crew: Long repair work due to a damaged steering rack also made them lose ground – and ultimately forced Auberlen, Werner and Farfus to retire. Victory at the final race of the year went to the number 62 Ferrari.
In January, the new BMW M6 GTLM celebrated its race debut at the 24-hour race in Daytona and mastered this first test of strength at this marathon by finishing fifth. Three podium finishes were recorded by the team during the course of the season, at Sebring, Watkins Glen and Road America.
Petit Le Mans also marked the end of the debut season in the GTD class for the Turner Motorsport team with the newly developed BMW M6 GT3. Will Turner and his team celebrated two wins – recording one in the IWSC race at Mosport and another coming in Austin. BMW works driver Jens Klingmann and Bret Curtis topped the podium on both occasions. In Road Atlanta, the duo was supported by Ashley Freiberg and had to retire shortly before the chequered flag with the number 96 BMW M6 GT3. Their team-mates Michael Marsal, Markus Palttala und Cameron Lawrence finished fourth in the GTD class with the number 97 sister car.
Next year¢s IMSA WeatherTech Championship begins on 28th/29th January 2017. The 24 Hours of Daytona will kick off another exciting season, including a total of 11 races scheduled for the GTLM class.
Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):
“The race in Road Atlanta was a turbulent conclusion to a thrilling debut season with the BMW M6 GTLM in North America. Unfortunately BMW Team RLL missed out on another top result at Petit Le Mans this year. However, two pole positions and three podium finishes in the new car¢s debut season is a result we can build on for next year. The whole team, in Munich and at RLL in the USA, worked hard to make use of the experience gained and to improve our overall package, race by race. Thanks for all the hard work and dedication. We will now prepare in detail for the new season – and we will be ready to attack at the 2017 24-hour race in Daytona. A big thank you also goes to our customer team of Turner Motorsport. With its two wins in the GTD category, Will Turner¢s crew successfully proved the competitiveness of the new BMW M6 GT3 here in North America.”
Bobby Rahal (Team Principal, BMW Team RLL):
“It is a disappointing end to the year. The 25 car was having quite a good race and maybe could have had a podium, but it had issues at the end. The 100 car got taken out by a Ford GT early on, then we had an alternator failure because of that later on. Everyone worked so hard this year and I feel bad of the team and bad for the drivers as you hate to end it on this note. That is racing. Now we put our heads down and get ready for next year and hopefully have a much better one.”
John Edwards (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, 6th place):
“It was a hard race and a hard season. I think we learned a lot about the car this year, but unfortunately we don¢t have a lot to show for it. We have a lot planned for the off season in the way of testing. I am optimistic for next year, and looking forward to putting this season to the back of my memory.”
Lucas Luhr (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, 6th place):
“The season in a way ended exactly as it had started – with a disappointing result. We wanted to finish the season with a respectable result, maybe even a podium. But this just wasn¢t to be. Nevertheless, this is racing.”
Kuno Wittmer (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, 6th place):
“The race didn¢t go according to plan. The accident with car number 67 was a race changer. Maybe he didn¢t expect me defending my position that hard, then he made a mistake. We managed to go on, but then the technical issues occurred. We will come back stronger next year.”
Bill Auberlen (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, DNF):
“The car was good at times, but we are just not where we want to be, as we want to be fighting up front. Right now we are not at that point and hopefully we can get better, come back next year and put our footsteps on the top of the podium. Today I am very disappointed.”
Dirk Werner (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, DNF):
“That was very disappointing, especially as, until we ran into the problems with our car, we were running strong. We had the pace. Definitely that was not the way we wanted to end the season, as it would have been nice to end it on the podium. The team tried to repair the car, they didn¢t give up and showed that they always give everything, but in the end the car could not be repaired in the time we had left.”
Augusto Farfus (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, DNF):
“This was the first time since 2011 that I have been here and it hasn¢t rained. I think my stint was strong. I had good pace, good fights on the track and made some positions up. It was all looking good. I think Dirk and Bill did brilliant jobs and unfortunately what happened to us is racing.”
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