PressClub Global · Article.
Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner win Texas Shootout at Circuit of the Americas for BMW.
Sun Sep 20 12:04:33 CEST 2015 Press Release
BMW Team RLL survived a very hot and humid afternoon at Circuit of the Americas (US), in Austin, Texas, to finish first and seventh in the two-hour-and-forty-minute Lone Star Le Mans race, the penultimate round of the 2015 United SportsCar Championship. The third victory for the team this season moves BMW to second place in GTLM Manufacturer points standings.
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Munich (DE), 20th September 2015. BMW Team RLL survived a very hot and humid afternoon at Circuit of the Americas (US), in Austin, Texas, to finish first and seventh in the two-hour-and-forty-minute Lone Star Le Mans race, the penultimate round of the 2015 United SportsCar Championship. The third victory for the team this season moves BMW to second place in GTLM Manufacturer points standings.
Bill Auberlen (US) and Dirk Werner (DE) took the victory in the number 25 BMW Z4 GTLM for the duo’s second win of the season. They completed 72 laps of the 3.4-mile, 20-turn circuit during the race, finishing 1.993 seconds ahead of the number 62 Ferrari. The balance of the race saw the number 25 BMW Z4 GTLM race as high as a solid third, but the win was in large part due to excellent BMW Team RLL strategy and management as Werner had exactly the amount of fuel necessary to win. In the closing minutes of the race both of the Porsches, which had led the field for almost every lap, had to pit from the first two positions for fuel. Auberlen and Werner now stand second in the GTLM driver points standings, only three behind the leader Patrick Pilet (FR).
John Edwards (US) and Lucas Luhr (DE) had a disappointing day, finishing seventh in the number 24 car after a late race puncture due to debris on the track forced the car into the pits nine laps from the chequered flag. Edwards and Luhr stand fifth in GTLM driver points.
BMW Team RLL is now firmly back in the championship chase and the season-ending 1000-mile Petit Le Mans on 3rd October will now settle all GTLM class titles.
Bobby Rahal (Team Principal, BMW Team RLL):
“I felt we could have a good day, but I didn’t know we were going to have to wait to that close to the end. It was a great day for the team and BMW. Great drives by Bill and Dirk, who both did a great job. We had to save fuel to make it, as did everybody. The Porsches had to stop a few laps ahead of us and it was just a matter at the end for Dirk to drive as hard as he could and save fuel. It worked out beautifully. After the last couple of races this was pretty sweet.”
Bill Auberlen (Number 25 BMW Z4 GTLM, 1st place):
“Thanks to BMW Team RLL for gritting it out in the heat and the humidity. Days like today make everything worth it. You give it your all every time you are in this car. We have been right in the championship all year long and now we are right at the front again.”
Dirk Werner (Number 25 BMW Z4 GTLM, 1st place):
“What a roller coaster of a race. At the beginning somehow everything went against us. At the start we fell down about four positions. Then I also had one flat spot during my first stint, so couldn’t really go at a good pace. When Bill got in he was really quick. He overtook one Corvette and then he was that close to the leading pack. After the yellow where we again fell back to P6, because the Ferrari overtook us, the Falken Porsche overtook us, both Corvettes overtook us, that was a miracle how we ended up first. Preparation paid off and then the team did very, very good work in calculating the fuel and giving me instructions. The car was just great over the stint. I think everybody can be so happy because we did just a crazy great job today.”
John Edwards (Number 24 BMW Z4 GTLM, 7th place):
“The puncture was a shame for us, but first of all congratulations to the guys in the 25 car. They did a great job. I think we could have had two BMWs on the podium today, even with the second yellow that kind of hurt our car. So it is really disappointing, but at the end of the day Lucas and I were already pretty far back in the drivers’ championship, so our main goal is to help BMW win the manufacturers’ title.”
Lucas Luhr (Number 24 BMW Z4 GTLM, 7th place):
“At the end we were unlucky with the puncture on our car. I think we could have finished third. That is the way it is, and that is how it goes sometimes. I am happy for the 25 car and BMW that we came out with a win here. It was a very tough, hot and close race so whoever came out of here as the winner deserves it.”