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  • BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM - GP AUSTRALIA - PRACTICE
    Created: Thursday, March 30, 2006
    Weather: overcast, dry, 21-23°C Air, 23-27°C Track Melbourne (Aus). In practice for the Australian GP, BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers Robert Kubica, Jacques Villeneuve and Nick Heidfeld finished third, 12th and 15th respectively. Robert Kubica: 1st Practice: 9th, 1:29.576s / 2nd Practice: 3rd, 1:27.200s After the engine problem this morning we had a pretty good second session. We tried some promising aero solutions and were able to do consistent times in our long run. On my last outing I had some traffic, otherwise I would have been even quicker, but that is less important in a free practice session. Jacques Villeneuve: 1st Practice: 3rd, 1:28.595s / 2nd Practice: 12th, 1:28.440s The car seems to be competitive. One issue so far has been warming up the tyres, which should not be a problem in qualifying now that we can run more than one lap, or in the race, but it will be critical to be competitive then because of the penalty I will get for needing an engine change. That's a pity, b...
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  • MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - THE BMW 2002 tii CLASSIC CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY AND RESURRECTION
    Created: Wednesday, March 29, 2006
    Munich. The BMW 02 models are cult cars that uniquely embody the spirit of the 1960s and '70s. The aim was to revive this exciting era by reconstructing the 2002 tii model out of individual components. Motoring nostalgics can experience the legendary "young classic" close up from 06 - 09 April at the world's biggest historic vehicle show, Techno Classica in Essen. Old into new The idea was hatched last year. The plan was to bring the BMW 2002 tii back to life using available spare parts, on the basis that Mobile Tradition - the BMW Group's heritage division - is today still able to provide some 90 per cent of all components for the BMW 02. It seemed a logical step, then, to reconstruct this ever-youthful recent classic. Master mechanic Arthur Herrmann and Klaus Kutscher, head of the BMW Mobile Tradition workshop, set to work on an original bodyshell from the 1970s. In a "Glass Workshop" specially constructed for the purpose on the site of the BMW Museum Exhibition n...
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  • Will Turner Fighting Again In The Streets
    Created: Tuesday, March 28, 2006
    ST. PETERSBURG, FL - 03/29/2006 - Will Turner returns to World Challenge racing for this weekend's round two of the SPEED Touring Car Championship in St. Petersburg, Florida. Turner will be behind the wheel of the H&R Springs/EdgeRock Technology Partners BMW 325i, the same car that carried teammate Bill Auberlen to victory at the season-opener at Sebring Raceway two weeks ago. Will Turner has been an active participant in World Challenge since 1998. He has started in over 60 World Challenge races with over 40 top ten finishes. Under his guidance the Turner Motorsport team has won two Touring Car championships and scored 14 victories. Turner himself has three of those wins (Grand Rapids, MI, Pikes Peak, CO, Mid Ohio). His last race in World Challenge was last year at Lime Rock Park where mechanical trouble knocked him out while he was running in third place. This weekend's race is on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. The track is laid out on 1.8 miles of city streets and an ai...
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  • TURNER AND TOYO ROCK T2 WITH VICTORY
    Created: Monday, March 27, 2006
    Turner Claims Victory At Roebling; Second Place At Road AtlantaAmesbury, MA - 03/28/2006 - Will Turner capped off a string of SCCA Club Races this past weekend in the Turner Motorsport/TOYO Tires BMW M3. On March 12 Turner scored his maiden win in the SCCA T2 class with victory at Roebling Road Raceway in Georgia. This past weekend at Road Atlanta, Turner was again atop the podium and scored a second-place finish. At Roebling Road, it was the consistency of the TOYO RA-1 race tires that put Turner in victory lane. From the green flag to the checkered flag, Turner and the M3 ran consistent lap times while other cars in the T2 class fell off by as much as five seconds a lap. Will Turner, pilot, Turner Motorsport/TOYO Tires BMW M3: "Roebling Road is considered to be very tough on tires but no one could match the consistency of the TOYO RA-1's. As the race wore on - the tires didn't. Because I knew Roebling was going to be a tire-buster it was just a matter of letting the TOYO tires d...
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  • BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM - TEST IN PAUL RICARD - DAY THREE
    Created: Sunday, March 26, 2006
    Test in Paul Ricard. March 22nd - 24th 2006 Day three - Friday Weather conditions: Wet in the morning, later dry; air: 9-14°C, track: 10-24°C Number of cars participating: 6 Fastest lap overall: 1:05.287 min, Heikki Kovalainen, Renault R26, Michelin Nick Heidfeld: Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.06-06 / BMW P86 V8 Test kilometres today: 622 km (191 laps) Fastest lap: 1:05.630 min (lap 191) In the morning, Nick ran an intermediate tyre programme and confirmed the tyre information for the Imola race in April. Later he gathered aero test data, and worked on brake and cooling system checks. What comes next: The BMW Sauber F1 Team will be testing again from April 5 to 7 in Paul Ricard....
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  • WTCC - ROUNDS 1 AND 2 - MONZA - PREVIEW
    Created: Sunday, March 26, 2006
    2006 FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) Rounds 1 and 2 - 01st/02nd April 2006 - Preview BMW begins mission to defend title in Monza. Munich, 27th March 2006. The new season of the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) gets underway this weekend. The first stage of touring car racing's biggest prize takes place at the "Autodromo Nazionale di Monza". For the first time in 2006, the BMW national team drivers will race against the competition in two sprint races. The drivers already gave fans a taste of what is to come in the 20 races in Europe, Asia, South and Central America on 21st and 22nd March. During the "Media Days" in Monza, the teams ran a two-day testing programme. Reigning champion Andy Priaulx (GBR) of BMW Team UK topped the timesheets after setting a time of 2:00.688 minutes. However, the BMW Team Germany drivers Dirk Müller (GER) and Jörg Müller (GER), as well as Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) and Marcel Costa (ESP) of BMW Team Italy-S...
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  • BimmerWorld Rolls Into St. Petersburg
    Created: Sunday, March 26, 2006
    BimmerWorld Rolls Into St. Petersburg To The Power of Three Championship contending BMW team sets sights on the podium Radford, Virginia (March 27th 2006): With Sebring in the history books, BimmerWorld Racing drivers, James Clay, Seth Thomas and Paul Goldman, will take the fight for the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car championship to St. Petersburg, Sunday, April 2nd. The race is part of the IndyCar Racing League Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. While development continues on the BimmerWorld E90 BMW 325i’s, scheduled to debut for round 3 at Mid-Ohio, the team will use their successful E46 BMW 325’s. BimmerWorld owner, James Clay, talked about the new E90 and his company’s commitment to doing things right: “BimmerWorld has a reputation of always presenting well-prepared equipment to the grid. As the first US team racing the new E90s in North America, it is extremely important that our cars properly represent BMW and BimmerWorld. With that in...
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  • BMW Sauber F1 Team - Test in Paul Ricard - Day two
    Created: Thursday, March 23, 2006
    Day two - Thursday Weather conditions: Sunny and dry, air: 11-18°C, track: 13-28°C Number of cars participating: 6 Fastest lap overall: 1:04.400 min, Heikki Kovalainen, Renault R26, Michelin Nick Heidfeld: Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.06-06 / BMW P86 V8 Test kilometres today: 367 km (96 laps) Fastest lap: 1:04.905 min (lap 95) In the morning, Nick worked on the set-up of the car and the fine tuning of the electronic systems. The programme was then interrupted by a mechanical problem. In the afternoon, Nick continued the tyre test programme and worked on the tyre evaluation for the Imola Grand Prix. What comes next: Tomorrow, Nick Heidfeld will continue the tyre test programme for Michelin....
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  • BMW Sauber F1 Team - GP Australia - Preview
    Created: Thursday, March 23, 2006
    Preview. Munich/Hinwil, 24 March 2006. The Formula One circus can look forward to rather cooler conditions in the next grand prix of the year following the sweltering heat of the first two races of 2006. Normally the season curtain-raiser, the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne has been given a later slot in the calendar this time around and will take place on 2 April as the third of 18 world championship races. Since last weekend's Malaysian GP, the BMW Sauber F1 Team has been preparing for the race in Australia with testing at the Paul Ricard circuit in France. Work has focused on making further improvements to reliability and building on the race pace the cars have recently shown. Nick Heidfeld: "This season's Australian Grand Prix will certainly have a rather different feel about it. To start with, the race has been put back due to the Commonwealth Games, so there won't be that extra buzz you get when it's the first race of the season. And because it's later in the year, it wo...
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  • BMW Sauber F1 Team - Test in Paul Ricard - Day one
    Created: Thursday, March 23, 2006
    Day one - Wednesday Weather conditions: Overcast, damp in the morning, then dry, air: 12-16°C, track: 13-23°C Number of cars participating: 8 (6 drivers) Fastest lap overall: 1:04.466 min (lap 114), Heikki Kovalainen, Renault R26, Michelin Robert Kubica: Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.06-06 / BMW P86 V8 Test kilometres today: 550 km (144 laps) Fastest lap: 1:04.970 min (lap 81) In the morning, Robert did some starts to optimise the respective settings, then continued with an aerodynamic validation programme. He then did a long-run to gain specific data on cooling. In the afternoon, the team did a tyre test programme for Michelin that revealed some interesting results. Overall it was a very productive test day. What comes next: Tomorrow, Nick Heidfeld will take over and do preparation work in view of the Imola Grand Prix, and he will continue with the aerodynamic validation programme....
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  • BMW Sauber F1 Team - Malaysian GP - Race
    Created: Monday, March 20, 2006
    Weather: dry, overcast, 33-34°C Air, 36-38°C Track Sepang (MAL). Strong performance and first championship points for the new BMW Sauber F1 Team. Nick Heidfeld drove an impressive race in the PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang, before an engine failure cost him fifth place. Jacques Villeneuve finished seventh and thus collected two championship points. Jacques Villeneuve: 7th BMW Sauber F1.06-03 /BMW P86 Fastest lap: 1:36.002s lap 43 (9th overall) I got held up early on behind Trulli, which was a pity because it cost me time, but once I had overtaken him it was just a question of running to the end. Physically it was an easier race than I had expected and I knew I should be in good shape mechanically because it was the first race for my engine. It was bad luck for Nick, but we've scored the points we should have taken in Bahrain so I am happy. The race pace was strong, so we need now to work on our qualifying. Nick Heidfeld: Retired lap 49 BMW Sauber F1.06-04 / BMW P86 Fas...
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  • Formula BMW Asia - Rounds 1 & 2 - Sepang - Round 1
    Created: Sunday, March 19, 2006
    Al Fardan proves masterful in season opener. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Bahrain's Hamed Al Fardan (Team Meritus) took victory today in the opening round of the Formula BMW Asia 2006 season with a masterful display of controlled, mature and skilled driving. Starting from 5th on the grid, Al Fardan beat of spirited challenges from BMW Junior James Grunwell (17/Team Meritus), and pole-sitter, Australian Sam Abay (18/Team E-Rain), who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. Kiwi Earl Bamber (Team Meritus) was 4th home and second fastest Rookie, followed by the second placed BMW Junior, Daniel Ricciardo (16/Eurasia Motorsport). Al Fardan, who contested two seasons in the series but had not been at the wheel of the car since the end of last year, found his Formula BMW Asia form when it mattered: "It went just the way I'd planned it. It was one of my best races ever. I admit I did made one mistake, but I had a good start and felt very confident." Both Grunwell and Abay admitted they had le...
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  • Formula BMW Asia - Rounds 1 & 2 - Sepang - Round 1
    Created: Saturday, March 18, 2006
    Al Fardan proves masterful in season opener. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Bahrain's Hamed Al Fardan (Team Meritus) took victory today in the opening round of the Formula BMW Asia 2006 season with a masterful display of controlled, mature and skilled driving. Starting from 5th on the grid, Al Fardan beat of spirited challenges from BMW Junior James Grunwell (17/Team Meritus), and pole-sitter, Australian Sam Abay (18/Team E-Rain), who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. Kiwi Earl Bamber (Team Meritus) was 4th home and second fastest Rookie, followed by the second placed BMW Junior, Daniel Ricciardo (16/Eurasia Motorsport). Al Fardan, who contested two seasons in the series but had not been at the wheel of the car since the end of last year, found his Formula BMW Asia form when it mattered: "It went just the way I'd planned it. It was one of my best races ever. I admit I did made one mistake, but I had a good start and felt very confident." Both Grunwell and Abay admitted they had le...
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  • Gearbox Failures Bring an Early End to BMW Team PTG’s American Le Mans Series Return
    Created: Friday, March 17, 2006
    Sebring, Fla. – March 18, 2006… A day of problems ultimately combined with gearbox failures to cause the retirement of both BMW Team PTG M3s from the 54th annual 12 Hours of Sebring before the 10-hour mark. The No. 21 BMW Team PTG M3 of Bill Auberlen, Joey Hand and Ian James completed 197 laps, retiring from the race after 9 hours and 45 minutes. The No. 22 BMW Team PTG M3 of Justin Marks, Bryan Sellers and Martin Jensen retired after 124 laps, just past the four hour mark. “Of course BMW races to win, but we also race because it is part of everything BMW does – win or not,” said Larry Koch, BMW of North America’s Motorsport Manager “The brand was founded on competition. BMW Team PTG has won just less than half of the races they have entered for us and, while we did not win today, the team is an integral part of our successful motorsports history. We have no doubt that success is in our near future”.The first hour of the race went well w...
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  • Third Win For Auberlen At Historic Florida Track
    Created: Thursday, March 16, 2006
    SEBRING RACEWAY, Sebring, FL - 03/17/2006 - Bill Auberlen drove a flawless race to win his third SPEED World Challenge Touring Car race at Sebring International Raceway in Florida. Thanks to a caution-free race, Auberlen was never seriously challenged in his Turner Motorsport/H&R Springs/StopTech Brakes BMW 325i. The SPEED Channel will broadcast the race on this coming Sunday, March 19, at 3:00pm ET. Auberlen set a new lap record in the race just as he did in Qualifying yesterday when he snatched the pole in a dramatic single-lap flyer. Auberlen led today's race from the pole and while battles ensued behind him, he was able to sneak away from the field. Bill Auberlen, pilot, #2 Turner Motorsport/H&R Springs/StopTech Brakes BMW 325i: "All of the good racing was behind me. After the jumble in the first lap it was clear sailing. If there had been a full course caution to bunch us up the results might have been different. But I have to praise the Turner Motorsport crew and H&a...
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  • Seth Thomas and James Clay finish BimmerWorld BMW in 7th and 9th at Sebring
    Created: Thursday, March 16, 2006
    Sebring, Florida (March 17, 2006): Seth Thomas of Cumming Georgia got an impressive launch with his BimmerWorld BMW 325 from his 5th place starting position and as the World Challenge Touring Car field headed into Sebring’s ample turn one he was all over the eventual race winner Bill Auberlen. “He (Thomas) started to make a move on me into one, he had such a good run I actually had to close the door on him and hope he wasn’t going to turn me around,” Auberlen said of the start. “I thought about it” Seth said about diving inside of Auberlen into turn one. “But then I thought that I would follow Bill around and see what he is up to and see what it is like. I almost went for it, but if you hesitate you don’t have it and I hesitated.” Seth was then left to try to hold off the elite of the Touring Car world as Randy Pobst, Pierre Kleinubing, Charles Espenlaub and defending Touring Car champion Peter Cunningham all wanted by. Unfortunatel...
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  • Malaysian Grand Prix - 17-19 March 2006 - Preview
    Created: Thursday, March 16, 2006
    Munich/Hinwil, 12 March 2006. After the initial stocktaking at the season opener in Bahrain, there's no opportunity for the Formula One teams to catch their breath. The second of 18 races in the FIA Formula One World Championship - the "PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix" - is lined up for this coming Sunday, 19 March. The BMW Sauber F1 Team is looking forward to the home race of its main sponsor Petronas and bracing itself for the rigours of a race in tropical conditions. On Tuesday and Wednesday prior to the PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix, drivers Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve as well as BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen and Peter Sauber will have several PR appearances. For Wednesday, the 15th of March, interview sessions with the media is scheduled for 10:00 am at level 41 of Tower 1 of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. For further information please contact: Farah Aziz, Communication and Resource Management, Petronas Motorsports, phone +60 3 2331 3970 / +60...
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  • Strong international field for Formula BMW Asia 2006
    Created: Thursday, March 16, 2006
    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - As Formula BMW Asia gears up for the start of its fourth season at the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix this weekend, the field this year is the most international ever, with drivers from the Middle East, across South and East Asia, and all the way "down under" to the Pacific. Three of the four BMW Juniors this year, each of whom will receive a 50.000 US Dollar cash contribution and the benefit of the season-long Education & Coaching programme, are: Australian Daniel Ricciardo (Eurasia Motorsport); New Zealander Dominic Story (Team Eurasia); and Thai-based Briton James Grunwell (Team Meritus), all 16 years old. Ricciardo is a full-time student and has already been karting for six years - winning the Australian CIK Championship and the West Australian State Championship. Bangkok-based Grunwell has flown the flag for Thailand during his promising karting career, most recently in the Rotax Max World Junior finals. As well as karting, Grunwell has rac...
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  • BMW Team PTG M3s Qualify 7th and 14th in GT2 for 12 Hours of Sebring
    Created: Thursday, March 16, 2006
    Sebring, Fla. – March 17, 2006… Bill Auberlen qualified the No. 21 BMW Team PTG M3 seventh in the GT2 class for tomorrow’s 12 Hour of Sebring. His lap of 2:04.471 minutes around the 3.7-mile Sebring International Raceway was only .908 seconds off the class pole time. He will be joined by drivers Joey Hand and Ian James in Saturday’s 12-hour contest. “We are still working on getting familiar with and finding the fast blend of all the new components on our M3s,” said Auberlen. “We will make changes for tonight’s practice, as well as tomorrow morning’s session. Everyone has their eyes on the same goal. We are certainly not where we want to be, but stay tuned.” This morning’s practice session ended with an engine problem for the No. 22 BMW Team PTG M3. A quick change by the crew before this afternoon’s qualifying session allowed Justin Marks to make a few laps. He qualified 14th in class with a 2:07.001 minute lap. &l...
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  • TMS and Auberlen Set New Sebring Lap Record
    Created: Thursday, March 16, 2006
    SEBRING RACEWAY, Sebring, FL - 03/16/2006 - It didn't take long for Bill Auberlen to reclaim his dominance of Sebring International Raceway - one lap to be exact. That was all it took for Auberlen to put the Turner Motorsport/H&R Springs/StopTech Brakes BMW 325i on the pole position for tomorrow's SPEED Touring Car race. Auberlen considers Sebring to be his favorite track and he loves to celebrate here. The two-time winner of the Sebring 12 Hour has scored multiple victories here in SPEED Touring Car races as well. Auberlen also scored the pole in the 2003 and 2004 events. This is his 13th pole of his Touring Car career - all with Turner Motorsport BMWs. Bill Auberlen, pilot, #2 Turner Motorsport/H&R Springs/StopTech Brakes BMW 325i: "It was by design. If you can't get out in the front of the pack, I didn't really want to get out in the middle, so I went out in the back. From there, I had a pretty good idea I could get some space away from everybody. It worked out, the Toy...
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