Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – May 19, 2010

Following three podium finishes in the first two American Le Mans Series races of the season, the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team has spent five weeks in focused preparation for the May 22nd six-hour race at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway.

In the program’s second season of competition, BMW now stands second in GT Manufacturer points with drivers Bill Auberlen and Tommy Milner second in GT Driver points, only one point behind a four-way tie. Joey Hand and Dirk Müller are third, eight points behind their teammates.

The 2.238-mile, 11-turn Laguna Seca circuit provides an excellent stage for competition. With the curtain rising in the afternoon California sun and falling well past sunset six hours later, sports car fans are set for a good show. The longest ALMS race ever held at the circuit also awards points some 25% greater then a race of less than four hours, placing increased significance on a good finish.

Following a test last week, the team will switch to E85 fuel. Up to this point the M3 GT Coupes have been fueled by E10, but series allowances for E85 more than make up for the less power inherently available in the fuel.

“Our colleagues in Germany have set the bar very high with their fantastic overall victory at the 24h of the Nürburgring,” said Martin Birkmann, BMW of North America Motorsport Manager. “While we aren’t competing across the ocean, their win sends us into the last race before the ALMS break with increased confidence and competitiveness. Our hopes are to continue the momentum and again challenge for overall honors. We will be using a different race fuel and use Laguna as a test bed for cellulosic E85. The BMW P65 race engine had to be specially adjusted to emulate this fuel and we are curious to learn how it will impact our efficiency, performance and pit stops.”

“Laguna has always been a special place for Rahal Letterman Racing and we’ve had a number of successes in a number of different series,” said Bobby Rahal, Team Principal. “We have had a strong start to our season and we expect to have another good effort at Laguna as we try and stay in the championship hunt.”

BMW M3s have won twice previously (2000, 2001) in ALMS GT competition at Laguna Seca.

Official practice begins at 9:50 a.m. on Friday, with qualifying held from 3:30 to 3:50 p.m. that afternoon. Following a 20-minute warm-up session at 10:15 a.m., the six-hour race will start at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The full race will be streamed live online at americanlemans.com starting at 5:30 p.m. ET in partnership with TodoCast.tv. CBS Sports will broadcast the event from 1:30 to 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 29.

Joey Hand, Driver, No. 90 M3 GT: “Laguna Seca is my home track. I have raced it many times over the years and it is definitely a driver’s track. I keep my head in the racing game at all times and can’t wait to get in the M3 GT at Laguna!”

Dirk Müller, Driver, No. 90 M3 GT: “My weeks since Long Beach have been really busy, but in an extremely nice way. I am looking forward to see the boys again in Laguna. I am happy to see that our team is working hard to give us an even better car every race. Their will to win makes me proud. Six hours will be a tough race, but in my opinion we need more of these races. Laguna is one of my favorite tracks and I am positive that BMW Rahal Letterman will have a great race there!”

Bill Auberlen, Driver, No. 92 M3 GT: “BMW and RLR have done really awesome work preparing our cars. We are one point off the lead and that’s a great place to be. I can’t wait to see how great the M3 GT is next week. We have tested there and the car really likes this track. Dunlop is bringing some new tires and that’s important. We hope to keep this car on the podium race after race. Since Long Beach my sole focus has been Laguna Seca. When I go the gym every day I visualize the track and the way I drive it. I love Laguna. As a spectator it’s a great track, you sit on the hill and can see it all. As a driver I love the scenery, the spectators, and the weather. The energy is great!”

Tommy Milner, Driver, No. 92 M3 GT: “Laguna should be an interesting race. RLR and BMW have continued to look for opportunities to improve the performance of our M3 GT. After a day of testing recently with E85, I think this will be another step in the right direction to keep our BMW's at the front of the GT pack. These guys come up with new tricks every weekend and it's great to be a part of a team that is always pushing forward, always looking for an edge. Bill and I are sitting second in points right now and I'd like to leave Laguna with the points lead. Six hours is the longest race we've had at Laguna but it's a great track with great fans so I'm looking forward to the longer race.”

Race Information

The American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patron moves from October to May with the Series racing for six hours on the Monterey Peninsula. The 2.238-mile, 11-turn Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a favorite of competitors and spectators alike, especially the famed Corkscrew.
American LeMans Series Monterey Presented Patron

The American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patrón from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a six-hour endurance race set for 2:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, May 22. The full race will be streamed live online at americanlemans.com starting at 5:30 p.m. ET in partnership with TodoCast.tv. CBS Sports will broadcast the event from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 29. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche – a production of Radio Show Limited – as well as Sirius Channel 127 and XM Channel 242. Visit the Series’ schedule page for ticket and accommodation information. Live Timing and Scoring, track schedule, entry list and much, much more will be available on Racehub at American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron 2010.

 

Those M3s look soooo BADASS! I love them.

 

Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – May 22, 2010

The BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team fought to its third consecutive podium (four total for the season) with a second place finish by the No. 90 M3 GT of Joey Hand and Dirk Müller in today’s six-hour American Le Mans Series race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

After leading the bulk of laps going into the closing stage of the race, Hand was passed on the final restart to finish second, a bittersweet ending to a day that began with a crash in morning warm-up and an immediate rebuild of the No. 90 machine by the BMW-RLR crew. Bill Auberlen and Tommy Milner finished eighth after a late-race punt dropped the No. 92 M3 down the order. The duo led the GT class twice during the day.

The six-hour race dealt competitors a total 10 caution periods and the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team played every opportunity to its benefit. Splitting strategies on the third yellow flag near the two-hour point, the team pitted the No. 90 M3 GT for fuel with rest of the class and elected to keep the No. 92 M3 on track and gain position. It paid off with the GT lead for Milner, who had replaced starting driver Auberlen just past the one hour mark.

When Milner was hit by a competitor and forced to the pits, Hand took over the lead from his teammate. The race gave fans a roller coaster ride through four more caution periods before the four hour mark as the M3 GTs ebbed and flowed at the front of the GT field based on the differing fuel and tire strategies.

In the fifth hour, the No. 90 M3 GT took the lead with some thirty minutes remaining, but in the final caution period of the race, Hand’s safe lead evaporated and the team was eventually forced to settle for second place.

Following the traditional break in the schedule for the Le Mans 24 Hours, Round 4 of the 2010 American Le Mans Series will be held at Miller Motorsport s Park in Tooele, Utah, on July 9 – 11, 2010.

Bill Auberlen On-board Qualifying Lap

YouTube - 2010 Laguna Seca - Bill Auberlen in-car qualifying laps











I love the new carbon side view mirrors and LCI tail lights!