BMW Motorrad Motorsport - World Enduro Championship - Iglesias, Italy - Races.

Munich. Finn Juha Salminen has secured the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team's first
ever World Enduro Championship double podium result having placed third in the
Enduro 2 class on both days of the GP of Italy, staged in Iglesias, Sardinia.
With the opening two rounds of the championship in Portugal and Spain having
ended disappointingly for Salminen the GP of Italy - round three of the '09 WEC
series - finished with the vastly experienced rider both encouraged by the
changes that he'd made to his bike for the event and also his performances.

As expected the GP of Italy proved to be every bit as challenging as the
opening two rounds of the `09 WEC series. With the event marking a return to an
all-natural extreme test, it also featured one of the longest and toughest
enduro tests seen for many years in the WEC. In addition a slow speed motocross
test and two long, rocky time controls ensured that all competitors were made
to work hard throughout both days of competition.

With testing in Italy prior to the third round of the World Enduro Championship
series having enabled Salminen to significantly change the set-up of his G 450
X, the opening day's competition in Sardinia ended with the Finn having battled
hard to claim a place on the podium. Much more confident in his riding Salminen
performed well throughout the day. Withonly a handful of seconds separating
Salminen from Polish rider Bartosz Oblucki and Spaniard Cristobal Guerrero as
the day drew to a close, Juha used his many years of experience to claim his
and BMW's first podium result of the '09 WEC season.

Day two again saw Salminen claim third in the Enduro 2 class. Starting well he
recorded the fastest E2 class time on the long and demanding enduro test, and
remained in a podium position throughout the day. Unable like many riders to
get to grips with the short but incredibly slippery extreme test, Juha
eventually finished just eight seconds behind the second placed rider after
another determined performance. Salminen's Enduro 2 class team-mate Simo Kirssi
found the conditions in Iglesias tough and on day one placed 14th. On day two
Simo improved both his speed and consistency and claimed a top 10 result with
ninth in the E2 class.

While Juha's results in the Enduro 2 class were extremely encouraging BMW
Motorrad Motorsport Enduro 3 class riders David Knight and Marko Tarkkala
frustratingly enjoyed little success in Sardinia. Following a determined start
to day one Knight crashed heavily on the enduro test hitting his head, which
forced him to withdraw with vision problems. Day two also ended early when a
clutch problem prevented him from continuing. Finishing both days Marko
Tarkkala placed seventh and ninth.

Juha Salminen - Enduro 2 class:
"Considering the way the first two GPs went I'm really pleased with my results
this weekend. I'm really happy to be on the podium, especially as it was very
close between a handful of riders on the second day. We are not completely
there with the bike yet, but we have made some big improvements. We are moving
things in the right direction and now I am able to push hard, which I wasn't at
the first two GPs. I felt pretty good in the motocross and enduro test but I
was losing time in the extreme test. Like I said there was a bunch of riders
all fighting for the podium so I enjoyed being in among the competition."

Wolfgang Fischer - BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager:
"It's especially pleasing that Juha finished on the podium on both days. Last
week he made some changes to his bike settings after a test in Italy, and they
have really helped him. He is now able to attack the special tests. His
fighting spirit was really clear on both days. Although third position isn`t
where Juha wants to be there was a lot of competition for the final rostrum
place and he made sure that he was the rider that got it. Juha also put in the
fastest time on the opening enduro test, which was extremely demanding, and
with the exception of one or two of his extreme tests he was consistent
throughout the first day as well. Although the event went well for Juha it was
disappointing that David crashed on the enduro test on day one and hit his head
quite badly. Also, Marko and Simo both failed to find their
rhythm"

2009 World Enduro Championship - GP of Italy , day 1

Enduro 2 class
1. Johnny Aubert (KTM) 56:40.04; 2. Bartosz Oblucki (Husqvarna) 57:58.27;
3. Juha Salminen (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 57:59.40; 4. Cristobal Guerrero
(Yamaha) 58:01.33; 5. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg) 58:11.14; 6. Alessandro
Belometti (KTM) 58:22.05; 7. Oscar Balletti (Honda) 58:48.46; 8. Taddy
Blazusiak (KTM) 59:24.48; 9. Matti Seistola (Husqvarna) 59:26.27; 10. Si Wakely
(Husqvarna) 59:37.78...14. Simo Kirssi (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1.00:36.47;

Enduro 3 class
1. Sebastien Guillaume (Husqvarna) 57:07.01; 2. Christophe Nambotin (Gas Gas)
57:13.00; 3. Ivan Cervantes (KTM) 57:17.77; 4. Samuli Aro (KTM) 57:54.20; 5.
Fabio Mossini (Honda) 58:05.95; 6. Marcus Kehr (KTM) 58:59.33; 7. Marko
Tarkkala (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 59:27.64; 8. Tom Sagar (Husaberg) 59:41.58;
9. Bjorne Carlsson (Husaberg) 59:49.78; 10; Jordi Figueras (Gas Gas)
1.00:29.35; 11. Rudy Cotton (Beta) 1.00:59.22; 12. Daniele Tellini (Husqvarna)
1.02:18.94

2009 World Enduro Championship - GP of Italy , day 2

Enduro 2 class
1. Johnny Aubert (KTM) 1.04:59.82; 2. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg) 1.06:25.19;
3. Juha Salminen (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1.06:34.07; 4. Valtteri Salonen
(Husaberg) 1.06:35.71; 5. Bartosz Oblucki (Husqvarna) 1.06:35.86; 6. Cristobal
Guerrero (Yamaha) 1.06:38.72; 7. Alessandro Belometti (KTM) 1.06:44.38; 8.
Oscar Botturi (Honda) 1.07:38.00; 9. Simo Kirssi (BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
1.08:06.60; 10. Rodrig Thain (TM) 1.08:28.96;

Enduro 3 class
1. Ivan Cervantes (KTM) 1.05:11.29; 2. Sebastien Guillaume (Husqvarna)
1.05:27.70; 3. Samuli Aro (KTM) 1.06:12.40; 4. Christophe Nambotin (Gas Gas)
1.06:37.86; 5. Fabio Mossini (Honda) 1.06:53.25; 6. Marcus Kehr (KTM)
1.07:09.0; 7. Bjorne Carlsson (Husaberg) 1.07:44.24; 8. Alessandro Botturi
(KTM) 1.08:01.26; 9. Marko Tarkkala (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1.08:51.12; 10.
Rudy Cotton (Beta) 1.10:23.57;

High resolution photos can be found for downloading at
www.motorsport-communication.com/bmw (user: bmw, password: press).