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ÅðéóôñïöÞ óôï Forum : IMSA 2017


BMW Power
20-01-17, 13:31
TURNER MOTORSPORT GEARS UP FOR 2017

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With one BMW M6 GT3 and four of the best BMW drivers from around the world, Turner Motorsport is geared up for the 55th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona to kick off the 2017 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in just over one week. The 2017 Rolex 24 of Daytona will mark the team¢s 354th professional race with BMW.

Less than two weeks ago, the team tested their BMW M6 GT3 at the Roar Before the 24 on the 3.56 mile, 12-turn Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the team¢s eighth consecutive Rolex 24 at Daytona.

As years past, the seven time championship winning BMW team¢s driver lineup includes some familiar faces as well as some of the best BMW works drivers from around the globe. Turner welcomes Justin Marks back to the blue and yellow for the first time since the 2005.

Marks comes from a long history of racing dating back to the early 2000s as a factory supported BMW driver racing with BMW of North America. Mark¢s racing pursuits quickly grew as he drove for Turner Motorsport in 2004 and 2005 in both World Challenge and Grand Am as well as in other series including the American Le Mans Series, the ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR. Marks also recorded a Rolex 24 GT class win in 2009.

Marks will be joined behind the wheel by drivers Jens Klingmann, Maxime Martin and Jesse Krohn. All three return to Daytona with Turner after an impressive fifth place finish last year in the M6 GT3¢s world race premier with Michael Marsal. Jens Klingmann will be sharing driving duties in the Turner Motorsport car for the season.

Klingmann returns back behind the wheel of the M6 GT3 after recording two race wins in the 2016 WeatherTech Championship with co-driver Bret Curtis as well as a second place finish in the 12 Hours of Sebring.

“We are looking forward to being back at Daytona for our eighth race start for the Rolex 24,” Will Turner said. “Although we had a strong finish last year, Daytona has still remained that one race that we dream about winning. I think that with a full season under our belts with the M6 GT3, we have enough experience and familiarity with the car to do really well if we can avoid trouble and any mechanical issues. Here goes another Rolex 24 and to another year with the M6 GT3.”

Turner welcomes some new and returning partners for the 2017 season including Katerra, IHG Rewards Club, H&R Springs, aFe Power, Motul Lubricants, Borla Exhaust, The Hilliard Group and Pagid Brakes.

On track action begins on Thursday January 26th with practice and then qualifying. Visit IMSA.come to view live timing and scoring from each session.

The 55th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona will take the green flag at 2:40pm ET on January 28th, 2017 and will be televised LIVE from Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida on Fox Sports 1.

Follow Turner Motorsport on social media for all the unique behind the scenes look into the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Driver Quotes:

Justin Marks – No. 96 BMW M6 GT3
"This is a program I'm really excited about. I have a lot of fond memories with Turner Motorsport from earlier in my career so to kind of come home to one of the teams that is familiar is going to be a lot of fun. The IMSA GTD class is quickly becoming one of the most competitive and diverse in all worldwide GT racing. Turner and BMW have had a lot of success in North America so I think we'll be very good so I'm very much looking forward to driving the M6 GT3."

Jens Klingmann – No. 96 BMW M6 GT3
"I'm really excited coming back to Daytona with Turner Motorsport. We are going into our second season with our BMW M6 GTD and after scoring 2 victories last season the expectation are high. We've got a strong package including a very strong driver line up and strategy for the Rolex 24 I can't wait for the race to start and hope to see many, many BMW and Turner fans supporting us on and off track!"

Jesse Krohn – No. 96 BMW M6 GT3
"I am really looking forward to going back to Daytona. Last year was the first for me in the Rolex 24h and it was the first year for the BMW M6 GT3. Since then everyone has learned a lot more about the car and I am sure we have taken a step forward. I am also very happy to share a car with Maxime Martin, Jens Klingmann and Justin Marks. We all have experience from the Rolex 24h and I could not wish for a better lineup for the next weeks race."

Maxime Martin – No. 96 BMW M6 GT3
“Daytona is one of the races that I always look forward to competing in each year. Last year, Jesse (Krohn), Michael Marsal and Markus Palttala had a great run so I look forward to repeating a strong race again behind the wheel of our BMW M6 GT3.”

BMW Power
20-01-17, 13:35
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BMW Power
24-01-17, 12:30
Turner Motorsport announces line-up for 24 Hours of Daytona.
When the new IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) season starts next weekend, Turner Motorsport will be competing in the GTD class with an powerful driver line-up.

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DTM driver Maxime Martin will be sharing driving duties in the number 96 BMW M6 GT3 with BMW works driver Jens Klingmann, the BMW Motorsport Junior of the Year 2014, Jesse Krohn, as well as Justin Marks. The 24-hour race in Daytona starts this Saturday, 28 th January, at 14:30 local time (20:30 CET).

BMW Power
24-01-17, 12:36
BMW Team RLL kicks off 2017 season.
The 2017 motor racing season will shift up a gear, when BMW Motorsport, BMW Team RLL and BMW of North America launch their 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) campaign on 28th/29th January in Daytona.

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At the biggest 24-hour race in North America, BMW Team RLL will have the rare honour of racing a BMW Art Car, only the ninth of the 19-car BMW Art Car Collection to race since the programme¢s start in 1975. John Baldessari, one of the world¢s most respected conceptual artists, joins luminaries such as Alexander Calder (1975), Andy Warhol (1979) and Jeff Koons (2010) as an Art Car creator.
The BMW M6 continues as the foundation of BMW¢s effort in international sports car racing in 2017, and BMW Team RLL will continue to race two BMW M6 GTLM specification cars in the IWSC. The line-up of the number 19 BMW M6 GTLM Art Car features veteran Bill Auberlen and BMW works driver Alexander Sims. Sims was part of the winning ROWE Racing team with the BMW M6 GT3 at last year¢s 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps. The regular drivers will be supported by DTM stars Augusto Farfus and Bruno Spengler. Both Farfus and Spengler raced the BMW M6 GTLM at Daytona last year with Auberlen and Dirk Werner, finishing fifth in the debut race for the car. For Auberlen, the 48-year-old Californian, the honour of racing a BMW Art Car falls on the 20th anniversary of his first win for BMW at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 1997.
John Edwards and Martin Tomczyk will anchor the number 24 BMW M6 GTLM this season. Edwards, who begins his fifth season racing for BMW, will be joined by BMW works driver Tomczyk, now focusing on GT competition after 16 successful seasons in the DTM. As he did last season, Kuno Wittmer will race the number 24 BMW M6 GTLM in the four endurance rounds (Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen and Petit Le Mans). At Daytona, Nicky Catsburg will be the fourth driver. Catsburg co-drove to a second-place GTD finish in last year¢s Rolex 24.
In its eight seasons of North American sports car competition, BMW Team RLL has posted 13 victories among 60 podium finishes, winning the American Le Mans Series Manufacturer and Team championships in 2010 and repeating the feat and adding the driver title in 2011. Beginning with the BMW M3 GT2 in 2009, the team successfully introduced the BMW Z4 GTLM in 2013 and the BMW M6 GTLM in 2016.

BMW Power
30-01-17, 11:16
BMW Team RLL to start from 10th and 11th.
It was a difficult first qualifying session of the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) for BMW Team RLL in Daytona.

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In the 15-minute session at the classic ¡Daytona International Speedway¢, Bill Auberlen qualified tenth for the 24-hour race at the wheel of the number 19 BMW M6 GTLM Art Car, designed by John Baldessari. The experienced BMW driver set a personal best time of 1:44.759.
In the number 24 BMW M6 GTLM, John Edwards posted a time of 1:44.974. This put him in eleventh position on the Rolex 24 grid, while Ford¢s Joey Hand secured pole position at the wheel of the number 66 car, clocking a time of 1:43.473.
Over the course of the IMSA season opener, Auberlen will share driving duties in the 19th BMW Art Car with Alexander Sims, Bruno Spengler and Augusto Farfus. Edwards will join forces with Martin Tomczyk, Nick Catsburg and Kuno Wittmer over the 24-hour marathon in Florida.
In the GTD category, the number 96 BMW M6 GT3 of Turner Motorsport finished 17th in qualifying with Justin Marks at the wheel. His team-mates on Saturday and Sunday will be Maxime Martin, Jens Klingmann and Jesse Krohn.

BMW Power
30-01-17, 11:18
Eighth place in Daytona for the 19th BMW Art Car.
The 19th BMW Art Car experienced an eventful race appearance at the Daytona 24 Hours, finishing eighth in the GTLM class.

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The opening round of the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) once again offered fans excitement right down to the final lap.
One of the highlights of the 24-hour race at the Daytona International Speedway was the BMW M6 GTLM Art Car, designed by American artist John Baldessari and driven by Bill Auberlen, Alexander Sims, Augusto Farfus and Bruno Spengler. After 652 laps of racing, Farfus took the chequered flag at the wheel of the 19th member of the BMW Art Car Collection. The quartet of drivers, as well as team principal Bobby Rahal¢s crew, delivered a focussed performance, despite difficult conditions with heavy rain and a total of 21 full-course yellows. GTLM victory went to the number 66 Ford.
The Baldessari car is only the third BMW Art Car in history to finish the 24-hour race it appeared in. The same feat was only achieved by Roy Lichtenstein¢s BMW 320i in the 1977 Le Mans 24 Hours and the BMW M1 Art Car created by Andy Warhol at the same event in 1979. Prior to this year¢s Rolex 24, the latest BMW Art Car appearance dated back to 2010, when the BMW M3 GT2 Art Car created by Jeff Koons was sent into action at Le Mans.
In contrast, the 55th Rolex 24 At Daytona came to an early end for the number 24 BMW M6 GTLM. Only 14 laps into the race, first-stint driver John Edwards came to a stop at the pit lane entrance after suffering vibration at the rear of the car. BMW Team RLL tried to get the BMW M6 GTLM back out onto the track, and Edwards did actually rejoin briefly after a long break for repairs. However, he was then forced to retire permanently just one lap later due to persisting powertrain issues. Martin Tomczyk, Kuno Wittmer and Nick Catsburg did not play a part in the race.
The Turner Motorsport team delivered a fighting performance in the GTD class: Jens Klingmann, Jesse Krohn, Maxime Martin and Justin Marks lost ground – and several laps – due to repair work on their yellow number 96 BMW M6 GT3 following a collision they got involved in on Saturday night. Afterwards, however, the team moved up the ranks again, eventually finishing eighth out of 27 GTD competitors. Victory in this category was secured by the number 28 Porsche.

BMW Power
10-04-17, 13:13
BMW Team RLL finish fourth and seventh.
BMW Team RLL finished a season¢s-best fourth and seventh in today¢s BUBBA burger SportsCar Grand Prix of Long Beach.

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The No. 25 BMW M6 GTLM of Bill Auberlen and Alexander Sims finished fourth while the No. 24 BMW M6 GTLM of John Edwards and Martin Tomczyk salvaged seventh place after a power loss due to a temporary electrical issue dropped Tomczyk from the lead of the race with only 10 minutes remaining.

For the first 90 minutes of the race BMW Team RLL was in control of the race, executing a strategy that put the team in position for the BMW M6 GTLM program¢s first win.

The concrete-walled, unforgiving environs of a temporary street circuit showed its teeth only one minute after the green flag flew to start the 100-minute street fight as one prototype and three of the leading GTLM cars were involved in an incident that created the first caution period of the contest. Bill Auberlen, starting the No. 25 M6 from the fifth position, skillfully dodged the wreckage and moved into second place. John Edwards also gained three positions, moving into fourth.

A second yellow flag for debris on track waved 16 minutes later and the team quickly decided to split strategies, pitting Edwards for fuel, tyres and to hand over to Martin Tomczyk. Auberlen stayed out, conserving his second place position while Tomczyk rejoined the field, still in the fourth spot. Auberlen was called to the pits on lap 25, handing over to Alexander Sims who rejoined the field in the eighth position. As other competitors pitted Tomczyk inherited the lead of the race on lap 29.

The German Motorsport driver took over as the race¢s overall leader on lap 34 as the faster prototype cars pitted during the race¢s fourth caution period. Tomczyk got the news from the crew that he had enough fuel to reach the checkered flag. Sims circulated further back in the field in the sixth position.

Tomczyk controlled the class lead during two more restarts, but with only 10 minutes remaining a loss of power due to a temporary electrical issue slowed the No. 24 machine. He ultimately finished seventh. Sims took advantage of a last lap incident in turn 11 and squeezed by stopped cars to grab the fourth position. Bret Curtis and Jens Klingmann came ninth in the GTD class with the BMW M6 GT3 of team Turner Motorsport.

BMW Power
04-05-17, 10:20
BMW Team RLL takes renewed momentum to COTA.
03.05.2017 Press Release
A change in the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) schedule will see BMW Team RLL race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin (USA) on 6th May instead of the series¢ usual September date. The two-hour-and-forty-minute race will see the team racing with renewed momentum after a strong effort at Long Beach (USA) where both BMW M6 GTLM cars showed increased competitiveness and season¢s-best fourth and seventh place finishes.

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Munich. A change in the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) schedule will see BMW Team RLL race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin (USA) on 6th May instead of the series¢ usual September date. The two-hour-and-forty-minute race will see the team racing with renewed momentum after a strong effort at Long Beach (USA) where both BMW M6 GTLM cars showed increased competitiveness and season¢s-best fourth and seventh place finishes.

The team tested at the 3.4-mile, 20-turn COTA for one day during the week following the Long Beach race with all four regular season drivers, Bill Auberlen (USA), Alexander Sims (GBR), John Edwards (USA) and Martin Tomczyk (GER), on duty. Most recently Edwards, Sims and Tomczyk were among BMW drivers spread across nine BMW M6 GT3 racing cars at the 23rd April six-hour qualification race for the Nürburgring 24 Hours (GER). All three BMW Team RLL drivers will compete in the 45th annual Nürburgring 24 event on 27th/28th May.

The Circuit of the Americas has seen BMW Team RLL finish on the podium twice, including a victory by Auberlen and Dirk Werner (GER) in a BMW Z4 GTLM in 2015. In the first season of the BMW Z4 GTLM programme, Edwards and Dirk Müller (GER) finished third in 2013.

The fourth IWSC round takes the green flag at 13:35hrs CT (20:35hrs CET) on Saturday, 6th May.

Bobby Rahal (Team Principal, BMW Team RLL): “We have had some success at COTA. In 2015 we won with the BMW Z4 GTLM because of great race strategy. Because of the long, long straight there, it has always been a track that is not necessarily to our advantage. We had a reasonably good car at Long Beach – we should have won the race – so I think our pace is much more in line with the other cars so there is reason to be optimistic. We just have to make sure our strategy is right, the car is handling well, and we make no mistakes.”

Bill Auberlen (no. 25 BMW M6 GTLM): “COTA is a track where we¢ve seen success in the past and will provide a good test for the improved performance of the BMW M6 GTLM we saw at Long Beach. The long straights and high speed, sweeping turns of COTA will give us a much better understanding of where we stand among the competition.”

Alexander Sims (no. 25 BMW M6 GTLM): “I am really looking forward to racing at COTA. I have tested there before – once last year and just recently – and I enjoyed. To race there will be cool. We have continued to work on the car and I feel we should be competitive again after our improved Long Beach showing.”

John Edwards (no. 24 BMW M6 GTLM): “The final minutes of the race were disappointing at Long Beach, but we took away some positives. We were leading and competing for the win. Our aim is to take that competitiveness into the next round at COTA and rebound from the difficult start we¢ve had to the season. I¢m looking forward to returning the podium with BMW.”

Martin Tomczyk (no. 24 BMW M6 GTLM): “We went testing at COTA right after Long Beach and it was great for me. It went a long way to erasing the disappointment of that race and turn my focus to the next race. It was great to drive the circuit for the first time. Once again our goal is to have a clean race and finish within the front runners.”