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Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, CANADA (May, 23, 2004) – BMW Team PTG drivers Boris Said and Bill Auberlen claimed their third Rolex Sports Car Series GT win in a row at the 6 Heures du Circuit Mont-Tremblant today. The win moved the pair to the top of the Driver’s Point Standings and BMW to within 10 points of the lead in the Manufacturer’s Standings.
Said and Auberlen started the No. 21 BMW Team PTG M3 from the pole and covered 191 laps around the 2.65-mile road course. The race ended under a yellow flag, but BMW Team PTG’s third victory was undecided until the final minutes of the six-hour contest.
The No. 21 M3 enjoyed a flawless run at the front, two laps up on the second place Porsche, until the fifth hour when Said hit a lapped car and heavily damaged the front and left side of his M3. Said pitted and after quick pit work by the crew returned to the race still in the lead, but with significantly less bodywork and advantage. The time to the second place car reduced to less than a minute, but with three laps remaining in the race a yellow flag was thrown securing BMW Team PTG’s third win in a row.
The No. 22 BMW Team PTG M3 of Joey Hand and Justin Marks started third and finished fourth after a number of unscheduled pit stops to repair a non-retracting air jack dropped them four laps behind their teammates. The fourth was the pair’s second top-five finish of the season.
The Rolex Sports Car Series next visits Watkins Glen International on June 18-20 for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen. The race is scheduled to broadcast live on Speed Channel beginning at 11 a.m. EDT on June 20.
BILL AUBERLEN, DRIVER NO. 21 BMW TEAM PTG M3 (first): “We are really getting a handle on this new M3. Our race was going like clockwork until Boris had his shunt, but sometimes its better to be lucky than good. We could have lost the race 1000 different ways, but we found the one way to win.”
JUSTIN MARKS, DRIVER NO. 22 BMW TEAM PTG M3 (fourth): “Early on we had a problem that cost us a number of laps, but no one on the team gave up. We knew we could still have a good finish and close to the end we were back to third. Ultimately, we had to settle for fourth, but overall a great effort by everyone.”
JOEY HAND, DRIVER NO. 22 BMW TEAM PTG M3 (fourth): “Although we experienced some problems that were not within our control we focused on what we could do something about. We came back from eighth to fourth at the end. The way the stops worked out I drove about two-thirds of the race and I learned a great deal about pit strategy and how to make up both time and positions.”
TOM MILNER, OWNER BMW TEAM PTG: “This is the first time BMW Team PTG has won a six-hour race. We have won sprint races, 12 and 24 hours, but not six before. We were sweating it out at the end hoping that there was no suspension damage on the No. 21 car, but everything was okay and it all worked out. Next it’s Watkins Glen, one of my favorite racetracks. My first time there was in 1966 and it is always a pleasure to return.”
HERNANDO CARVAJAL, MOTORSPORT MANAGER, BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC: “As we expected Mont-Tremblant was perfectly suited to the M3. Our drivers were very consistent through out the entire weekend and that allowed us to formulate a great strategy. In the end our success was a mixture of great pit work, great driving and luck.” Only registered users can write comments. Please login or register. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |