The BMW ALMS Thread
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Printed Date: 03-May-2024 at 01:59
Topic: The BMW ALMS Thread
Posted By: kbannon
Subject: The BMW ALMS Thread
Date Posted: 17-November-2008 at 22:47
BMW OF NORTH AMERICA NAMES BILL AUBERLEN AND JOEY HAND TO DRIVE FOR BMW RAHAL LETTERMAN RACING TEAM IN THE AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES 17/11/2008
Woodcliff Lake, NJ - November 17, 2008... BMW of North America, LLC has named Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand as the first two drivers of the new M3s for BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team in the 2009 American Le Mans Series. In choosing Auberlen and Hand, BMW of North America has picked two of the most successful BMW drivers in the world and two of the most familiar names to M3 racing fans here in North America. Auberlen, 40, of Redondo Beach, CA first drove for BMW of North America in 1996 when he joined the previous M3 racing program, then in its second year of competition. Auberlen would go on to become the team's most successful driver, winning driver titles in both 1997 and 2004. When he takes the green flag at Sebring International Raceway for the 57th annual 12 Hours of Sebring on March 21, Auberlen will have the distinction of having raced every generation of BMW M3 campaigned by BMW of North America.
Hand, 29, of Sacramento, CA joined the previous M3 racing program in 2004 and raced through the 2006 season. Coming from a background in open wheel racing, Hand quickly adapted to the M3 and endurance racing. He drove to five wins and 13 podium finishes for BMW of North America in three seasons, many of those races partnered with Auberlen.
"BMW of North America is very pleased to have Bill and Joey on the team," said Martin Birkmann, BMW of North America Motorsport Manager. "Their experience with setup, GT racing and their raw speed will support the competitiveness of BMW's GT2 campaign in the ALMS. I have known both of them for many years, and besides being fast, they're both a lot of fun to work with. I am looking forward to seeing them pedal our newest BMW M3 racer."
"My emotions are really high. I feel like I am going back home to my family. To be a part of racing at the level that BMW brings is a dream for any driver," said Bill Auberlen. "I am really looking forward to being teamed up again with Joey. It'll be exciting to be on a team headed by a legend and racing icon like Bobby Rahal. I am really looking forward to 2009."
"I'm very excited to be back in the BMW family and to be driving a BMW M3 again. I built quite a fan base within the BMW community and I can't wait to put on a show for them again," added Joey Hand. "I am looking forward to working with a top-notch team such as Rahal Letterman Racing. Bobby helped me earlier in my career so we have a good relationship. I can't wait to get started!"
Since the program's announcement in February 2008, the ALMS BMW M3 has been developed and tested by BMW Motorsport in Europe. This month begins the official handoff to BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team with two more tests in the US.
"If you are going to start a new BMW team in the United States, it is nearly impossible to find a pair of drivers with more success or more experience with BMWs than Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand," said Rahal Letterman Racing's Bobby Rahal. "Bill is one of the most successful American sedan drivers of the decade and Joey has more than displayed his ability to run right with him, so we expect this driver pairing to be a strong one for the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team."
Four test days are scheduled for November 19-20 at Road Atlanta in Braselton, GA, and Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, FL on Nov. 24-25. The tests will see BMW Motorsport drivers Jorg Muller, Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus behind the wheel of the test car.
Birkmann continues, "Key BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team personnel have been involved in the European testing, but now the two November tests will see them take a larger role. BMW of North America is confident that when our complete team and new M3s arrive at the track early next year we will have built a solid foundation for success."
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Posted By: kbannon
Date Posted: 26-November-2008 at 00:09
Spy shots of the new BMW M3 ALMS car at a test session at Road Atlanta last week have been released.
This marked the North American debut of the BMW which will be making
its competition debut in the GT2 class at the upcoming Sebring race.
The car has been seen at a lot of auto shows this year, and its nice to
finally see it out on the track. Just look at it! Is this car not one
of the toughest looking ALMS cars out there? [ http://speedhunters.com/archive/2008/11/24/gallery-gt-gt-alms-m3-testing-at-road-atlanta.aspx - speedhunters.com ]
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Posted By: kbannon
Date Posted: 04-December-2008 at 21:12
Official Press Release:
BMW lines up again in 2009 WTCC – Return to the ALMS.
29-11-2008 Press Release
In 2009 BMW Motorsport will put its touring and
sports car programmes into action on several popular stages, and will
use racing versions of the BMW 3 series to fight for victories and
titles: BMW once again take part in the FIA World Touring Car
Championship, where the marque will be aiming to recapture the World
Championship titles it missed out on with the BMW 320si WTCC in 2008.
The newly developed BMW M3 ALMS will line up in the American Le Mans
Series, where it is charged with writing another chapter in the success
story of BMW in the US. “Touring cars have traditionally been very
important to BMW,” says BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. “The
same applied to GT sport, to which we are returning in 2009 with the
new BMW M3. Our commitment to the World Touring Car Championship and
the ALMS will allow us to demonstrate the sporting properties of our
cars to a wider public.”
Between 2005 and 2007, BMW won all the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’
Championships in the WTCC. Last year it had to make do with second
place for the first time. Theissen explains: “I am pleased that a
compromise was reached regarding the 2009 rules. This balances out the
different engine concepts and should allow for fair and even
competition between the manufacturers. We are absolutely determined to
be back at the top of the WTCC at the finale of the 2009 season in
Macau. We shall announce our team and driver line up at a later point
in time.”
BMW Team Rahal-Letterman Racing is also aiming to reach the top as
quickly as possible. The team is responsible for the BMW M3 in the
ALMS. Following a comprehensive test programme, the impressive GT
sports car will make its racing debut in Sebring on 21st March 2009.
“The BMW M3 is more than just a racing car,” says Theissen. “It is a
legend among motorsport fans around the world. We are initially
concentrating on being competitive quickly in the ALMS. Other areas of
racing are also possible, and we shall be analysing them in greater
detail over the coming months.” Bill Auberlen (US) and Joey Hand (US)
have already been confirmed as drivers for the ALMS programme.
BMW can look back on numerous victories and titles in the ALMS. In
1999 and 2000 the BMW V12 LMR claimed six victories in the prototype
class. In 2001 BMW switched to the GT category. The BMW M3 GTR, which
was designed specifically for the ALMS, was victorious in all areas:
Jörg Müller won the Drivers’ Championship, BMW Motorsport took the team
title, and BMW won the Manufacturers’ Championship in the company’s
most important foreign market.
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Posted By: kbannon
Date Posted: 17-December-2008 at 23:00
BMW OF NORTH AMERICA ADDS TOMMY MILNER AND DIRK MUELLER TO BMW RAHAL LETTERMAN RACING TEAM ROSTER 16/12/2008
Woodcliff Lake, NJ - December 16, 2008... BMW of North America, LLC announced today the addition of Tommy Milner and Dirk Mueller as BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team drivers in BMW's return to American Le Mans Series competition in 2009. "With the high level of competition already established in the ALMS GT2 class, the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team is moving into a very fast lane," said Martin Birkmann, BMW of North America Motorsports Manager. "Previous BMW M3 and ALMS GT racing experience were critical parameters in our driver selection process. The addition of Tommy Milner and Dirk Mller to Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand gives us a highly qualified driver lineup."
Milner, 22, of Leesburg, Va., began his racing career in 2004 as a Formula BMW USA Junior driver. The son of Prototype Technology Group owner Tom Milner, Tommy would join PTG later that year and qualify on pole position in his very first professional sports car race. His ALMS debut was in 2006; Milner joined Rahal Letterman Racing in 2007, driving the team's Porsche to five podium finishes and fourth place in GT2 driver points. Milner was back with Panoz in 2008. Co-driving with Joey Hand he finished on the podium in the season's final race.
"I'm very pleased to be racing for BMW," said Milner. "Following the start of my career as a Formula BMW Junior driver in 2004 I've also had some of my best results driving previous generation M3s. I hope to continue those successes in 2009 for the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team."
Mller, 33, originally from Burbach, Germany, is considered to be one of the best GT drivers in the world. With vast experience in sprint and endurance racing series in both North America and Europe, Dirk Mller has raced in five previous ALMS seasons between 1999 and 2008. Winning the ALMS GT driver's championship in 2000, Mller became a BMW driver for the first time in 2001, continuing through 2005. Driving a BMW M3 GTR in 2001, Mller raced to five podium finishes in a season that saw the BMW sweep all ALMS GT class titles. Mller also co-drove the M3 GTR to victory in the 2004 Nrburgring 24 Hour race.
"I am honored to be part of the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team and to be working with BMW of North America and Bobby Rahal," said Mller. "I enjoyed being part of the BMW family from 2001 until 2006 so this makes me feel like I am home again. I am also happy to have the engine back at the front of the car!"
"Adding a pair of drivers with the skills and road-racing acumen of Dirk Muller and Tommy Milner really increases the overall talent level of the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team," noted Rahal Letterman Racing co-owner, Bobby Rahal. "We have worked with Tommy over the last two years in a number of different cars and he has been a quick study and taken each of our cars straight to the front! Dirk has long been recognized as one of the top talents in road racing and we think the addition of Milner and Muller to our team gives us one of the best lineups in the ALMS GT2 class."
The BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team will begin the 2009 American Le Mans Series season on March 22 at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
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Posted By: kbannon
Date Posted: 22-January-2009 at 21:29
2009 BMW M3 ALMS Race Car BMW presented the racing version of the new BMW M3 at the Chicago Auto
Show. Powered by a 485 bhp eight cylinder engine, this impressive race
car has been designed to compete in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS)
beginning in 2009. The car is based on the fourth generation of the BMW
M3, the high-performance sports car produced by BMW M GmbH.
BMW
Motorsport Director Mario Theissen says: "With the sporting genes of
the production BMW M3 being clearly evident, developing a racing
version of the car was the next logical step. The fact that the
road-going vehicle is fitted with a V8 engine as standard provided us
with an ideal base. However, the BMW M3 is more than a race car, it has
achieved legendary status amongst race fans across the globe. I am
convinced that this unique story of the BMW M3 racing cars will now be
expanded upon by the addition of further chapters."
BMW's 2009
entry into the American Le Mans Series will be driven by a partnership
between BMW of North America, LLC and Rahal Letterman Racing, co-owned
by US motorsport legend Bobby Rahal.
"We are very pleased to be returning to the American Le Mans Series
with our latest generation BMW M3," states Tom Purves, Chairman and
CEO, BMW of North America. "Sports car racing has been part of BMW of
North America's history practically from day one. Just two weeks after
the company was incorporated in March 1975, a BMW CSL won the Twelve
Hours of Sebring. We are confident that the fourth generation M3 will
continue the legacy of its two predecessors which combined to win six
manufacturer's championships over nine seasons in US sports car racing.
As it has been in the past we believe the ALMS is the ideal venue to
showcase the potential of the newest BMW M3."
Echoing that
sentiment Bobby Rahal adds, "BMW has an illustrious racing heritage.
Rahal Letterman Racing is eagerly anticipating, not only becoming part
of that heritage, but helping to enhance it. Our dedication to this
project will be without equal and we look forward to racing at the
front of the grid with BMW in the years to come."
Martin
Birkmann, Motorsports Manager, BMW of North America, adds: "We are very
excited to announce our return to the American Le Mans Series with the
4th generation M3 at the same time as the road car hits the BMW
showrooms. We are also excited about our partnership with Rahal
Letterman Racing. The ALMS offers racing where we can compete against
the finest and most renowned automotive brands from Europe and the US.
Motorsport is deeply ingrained in the BMW DNA and we are pleased to
partner with an organization which shares that same heritage. Rahal
Letterman Racing is the perfect partner to be behind the wheel of our
new BMW M3 racing effort." http://carwad.net/Article/2009_BMW_M3_ALMS_Race_Car/5148 - http://carwad.net/Article/2009_BMW_M3_ALMS_Race_Car/5148
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Posted By: kbannon
Date Posted: 27-January-2009 at 22:42
BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team M3 debuts at Sebring winter test.
26-01-2009 Press Release
A new era in North American motorsports
begins on January 26th when the first BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team
M3 drives onto Sebring International Raceway for opening day of the
American Le Mans Series Winter Test.
The official debut of BMW of North Americas newest racing program
comes less than one year after the announcement of BMWs return to ALMS
competition was made at the Chicago Auto Show on February 11, 2008.
With final design changes made by BMW Motorsport following European
and US testing, the new M3 race car was assembled by the BMW Rahal
Letterman Racing Team crew over long days and late nights beginning in
December. The M3 received its final homologation inspection on
Wednesday, January 21.
The test will mark the first time drivers Bill Auberlen, Joey Hand,
Tommy Milner and Dirk Mller will drive the ALMS M3 and the very first
time the three Americans will be behind the wheel of a
fourth-generation race car. The race to the race track has ended and we are pleased to
start the 2009 season, said Martin Birkmann, BMW of North Americas
Motorsport Manager. BMW is delighted to return to the track with the
latest M3 bringing MPower back to ALMS competition. We are also pleased
to introduce BMW EfficientDynamics to the North American motorsports
community. Through BMW EfficientDynamics every part of every BMW is
maximized for optimum performance and efficiency, whether maximizing
mileage or MPower.
"The BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team has worked extremely hard to
get the new BMW M3 ready for the ALMS Winter Test and we expect to get
a lot accomplished over the three days of testing," said team co-owner
Bobby Rahal. "We are excited not only to get the cars and drivers on
track together, but also to give the BMW fans their much-anticipated
first look at the M3 race car."
BMW EfficientDynamics is a philosophy adopted by the BMW Group
that drives everything the company does. All BMW road cars are designed
to maximize efficiency while remaining true to the promise of the
Ultimate Driving Machine. Applied to the latest M3 GT2 race car, BMW
EfficientDynamics makes more engine power by reducing internal friction
to increase horsepower and reduce the cooling load. It is what BMW
engineers can do with those gains that are at the heart of
EfficientDynamics. The new M3 race car looks quite different than
previous generations because we can reduce the size of cooling openings
and channel the air more efficiently, making the new racing car more
aerodynamic. This car goes a few steps further by sealing drag inducing
openings in the cockpit and incorporating a new on-demand air
conditioning system. When the proper temperature is reached the system
disengages to reduce parasitic losses. The power steering system is
corner-sensing, supplying assist when required, but disengaging when
the car is straight.
Birkmann continues, We look forward to educating the public, as
well as our GT2 class competition, on the benefits of BMW
EfficientDynamics.
The Winter Test will be held January 26, 27 and 28 at Sebring
International Raceway. The BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team will host a
media conference on Tuesday, January 27 at 10:45 a.m.
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Posted By: kbannon
Date Posted: 29-January-2009 at 22:04
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-rahal-letterman-racing-team-m3-gt2/1319941/ - Some lovely BMW ALMS pics
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