BMW Rahal Letterman's #90 M3 GT2 driven by Dirk Müller has just won the ALMS Race at Road America! Unfortunately the other BMW RLR car, number #92 crashed out of the race. Congrats to BMW RLR and Dirk Müller for the first place finish!
No official press release from BMW yet (which we will post when released), but here are some great race notes courtesy of
BIMMERFILE:
Quote:
- One lap in Joey hand improves one spot to third.
- Lap 2 Joey hand overtakes corvette for 2nd.
- Porsche spin lap 5 caution flag.
- Auberlin up two places by lap 7 after caution to 6 pos.
- Rahal on mic to driver to set up for green as yellow falls.
- BMW hunting corvettes hand takes lead on lap 8.
- 92 crashed out with lmp car lap 8
- Joey pitted for fuel and tires under caution lap 11 dropped to 3rd.
- Bergermeister apologized for taking out the BMW.
- Rahal to driver, “ready set,ready, ready set, , , Green green green”
- Build/switch chassis for mosport – damage to 92 car too severe.
- Vette’s pit , equal pits to Joey, Joey 2nd – 1 hour mark 24 laps in.
- ALMS photographer somewhat impeded driver change stop – muller in 5th from 2nd – stop was under caution.
- Go get em, have fun.
- Fuel only stop under caution, 38th lap, good stop, jumped possibly two positions, maybe three. Dirk in second. Lap 39.
- Dirk grabbed 1st on the restart!!!
- 15 minutes left Dirk leads, porsche 45 in second, and though vette’s closing, he should be able to hold them off.
- Win BMW wins!
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Updated with BMW press release:
BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team Wins at Road America!
* 23.08.2010
* Press Release
Woodcliff Lake , N.J. – August 22, 2010… Proving once again that the BMW M3 knows the way to victory lane at Road America, the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team won the ultra-competitive American Le Mans Series GT class for the second consecutive year at the classic Road America circuit.
No. 90 BMW M3 GT drivers Joey Hand and Dirk Müller completed 66 laps of the 4.0-mile circuit in today’s two-hour-and-forty-five-minute American Le Mans Series race, winning by 2.6 seconds. The outstanding result gives BMW a six point lead in the all-important Manufacturer point standings. Hand and Müller move up to a tie for second in Driver points before the last two races of the season.
The day did not have such a good outcome for teammates Bill Auberlen and Tommy Milner. Auberlen made a strong start in the No. 92 M3 GT, moving quickly up two positions from his P8 grid start. Unfortunately, on lap 8, only 20 minutes into the race, he became victim of a slowing prototype in the “Kink” and was hit hard from behind, just after shifting to sixth gear. The result was a high-energy crash at the fastest part of the track, which appears to have terminally damaged the No. 92 chassis but luckily, caused Auberlen no serious injuries. The car was retired from the race. Tommy Milner did not race and neither driver will score points. However, thanks to their consistent performance this season, he and Auberlen only drop to fourth in driver standings.
With testing scheduled to begin this coming Friday, August 27th for Round 8 at Mosport International Raceway, in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, any celebrations will be short-lived. Before the checkered flag flew over the No. 90 machine, half of the team departed for home to start first thing Monday morning on the build of the new No. 92 chassis.
Joey Hand and Dirk Müller describe their win at Road America.
Martin Birkmann, Motorsport Manager, on the win at Road America.
Bobby Rahal, Team Principal, on the win at Road America.