BMW RLR Places 3rd and 6th at Mid-Ohio. Team tied for championship.

Jason · 08-08-2010, 02:01 PM

BMW M3 GT2 cars place third and sixth in this weekend's Mid-Ohio ALMS race. This represents the eighth podium finish in the sixth race for BMW Rahal Letterman Racing. BMW is now currently tied for the championship lead with three races remaining.

Quote:

Woodcliff Lake, N.J. - August 7, 2010

The BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team scored the team's eighth podium in the sixth round of the American Le Mans Series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course today. Co-drivers Bill Auberlen and Tommy Milner raced the No. 92 M3 GT race car to third, while teammates Joey Hand and Dirk M ller (No. 90) placed sixth.

The start of the race saw Hand, from fifth, and Milner, from seventh, mired in the middle of the ultra-competitive GT field. Milner was unable to advance as he waited patiently for tire pressures to accumulate. Hand quickly moved to fourth, but his progress leveled off.

Just before race clocked one hour, the complexion of the race changed for the BMWs. Seeing another car off-course and anticipating the race's first caution period, the No. 92 crew immediately called Milner to the pits. Quick work put Bill Auberlen out with new Dunlops and a full tank of fuel, even before the yellow flag waved. As the rest of the field pitted under caution, including BMW teammates in the No. 90 M3 GT, Auberlen appeared at the head of the GT class.

BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team

At the half-way point with 57 laps complete, Auberlen held the lead, with Muller, who had replaced Hand during the No. 90's stop, in fourth. Moving forward, the GT battle became even more dynamic, but unfortunately not in BMW's favor. On Lap 66, M ller had an off- course excursion and was called to pit three laps later for a vehicle inspection and driver change. Hand re-entered on Lap 69 near the tail of the GT class battle and began sawing away at the competitors in front. Meanwhile, Auberlen had a brief off-course in the No. 92 and was also called into the pits.

Fortunately, immediately after Auberlen's precautionary stop the second full-course caution period occurred and both M3 GTs stayed out, putting Auberlen in first and Hand in second for the re-start. Upon the re-start, a competitor muscled through and assumed the lead. On Lap 88, Hand suffered a collision with a competitor and fell to sixth, but was able to continue relatively unscathed. Auberlen fell to third place on Lap 93, and maintained it to the finish. Hand briefly advanced to fifth with ten minutes remaining but was unable to hold the spot and finished in sixth place.

What they had to say:

Martin Birkmann, BMW of North America Motorsports Manager: "After our qualifying result, this podium finish is a nice improvement. This weekend we didn't have the pace to challenge our competitors and we congratulate them. This podium finish for BMW is exclusively attributable to excellent pit strategy and hard work by the crew of the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team, and now we just need to find that top step on the GT podium."

Bobby Rahal, Team Principal: "The BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team certainly showed its tenacity on a day where it would have been easy to pack it in and go to the next race. It is results like this one that help win championships and we are right there with three races to go."

Source: BMW

2010 - Mid-Ohio - Bill Auberlen and Tommy Milner - Post-race interview :

BONUS VIDEO:

Bill Auberlen drives the No. 92 M3 GT on opening lap of practice for this weekend's Mid-Ohio ALMS race.

Oulixes · 08-08-2010, 06:55 PM

Congratulations to the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team - a great race.

Box Collector · 08-08-2010, 07:24 PM

love the in-car

ILMOSTRO · 08-08-2010, 07:42 PM

+1

the in-car vid is great. love that engine.

ferrari6891 · 08-08-2010, 08:48 PM

I like the motto on the dash...pretty inspirational

MachineHead · 08-09-2010, 12:05 PM

Great

Go on boys!

Guildenstern · 08-09-2010, 11:22 PM

I was at the race. They were pretty good it seemed a little like they wern't completely dialed in for the track, especialy out of the keyhole. Seemed like a major part of the race was the M3s keeping the Vette from passing, but man the Risi Ferrari were on fire. Completely crazy how fast they were running. Also some of the GTC 911s were doing their best to be rolling chicanes. Some of those guys need to be taught what the blue flag with the yellow stripe means.

I would have loved to see a BMW win. But they beat Flying Lizard and that was goal #1.

08-08-2010, 06:55 PM	#2
Oulixes Lieutenant Colonel 22 Rep 1,938 Posts Drives: 330xi, 335i Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Terra Borealis iTrader: (0)	Congratulations to the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team - a great race.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-08-2010, 07:24 PM	#3
Box Collector Private 22 Rep 54 Posts Drives: F90 M5c Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: USA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2021 BMW M5 Comp [0.00] 2020 BMW M2 CS [0.00] 2020 BMW X3 M Comp [0.00] 2002 BMW M3 [10.00] 2000 Toyota Camry V6 [0.00]	love the in-car
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-08-2010, 07:42 PM	#4
ILMOSTRO ilmostro 7 Rep 171 Posts Drives: BMW 135i Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: California iTrader: (0)	+1 the in-car vid is great. love that engine. __________________
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-08-2010, 08:48 PM	#5
ferrari6891 the original brown guy 117 Rep 1,011 Posts Drives: '22 MBB/SO X5M Comp Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NJ/NYC iTrader: (3) Garage List 2011.75 E90 M3 [7.66]	I like the motto on the dash...pretty inspirational __________________ PREVIOUS 2019 G05 X5 M50 AG/BLK 2017 F15 X5 5.0 M Sport AW/BLK 2011 E90 ///M3 AW/FR 2008 E92 ///M3 IB/BLK
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-09-2010, 12:05 PM	#6
MachineHead New Member 0 Rep 20 Posts Drives: E92 325 6MT M-Sport Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Russia iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 E92 325i [0.00]	Great Go on boys! __________________ "If you can see the tree you are about to hit, it is called 'understeering'. If you can only hear and feel it, it was 'oversteering'." Walter Rohrl
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-09-2010, 11:22 PM	#7
Guildenstern or Rosencrantz 11 Rep 455 Posts Drives: 2008 Montego Blue 128i Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Cleveland, OH iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 128i Coupe [0.00]	I was at the race. They were pretty good it seemed a little like they wern't completely dialed in for the track, especialy out of the keyhole. Seemed like a major part of the race was the M3s keeping the Vette from passing, but man the Risi Ferrari were on fire. Completely crazy how fast they were running. Also some of the GTC 911s were doing their best to be rolling chicanes. Some of those guys need to be taught what the blue flag with the yellow stripe means. I would have loved to see a BMW win. But they beat Flying Lizard and that was goal #1.
	Appreciate 0 Quote