FORMULA BMW AMERICAS - ROUNDS 5 AND 6 - RACE

Alexander Rossi (Eurointernational) added two more first place trophies to his
collection as he swept Rounds 5 and 6 of the 2008 Formula BMW Americas
Championship at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend. Eurointernational
teammate Ricardo Favoretto finished second in both races. Maxime Pelletier
(Apex-HBR Racing Team) and Giancarlo Vilarihno (Eurointernational) split the
third step of the podium.

Round 5:

Alexander Rossi (Eurointernational) won Round 5 of the 2008 Formula BMW
Americas Championship today at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The 16-year
old Californian led every lap to the 16-lap contest from the pole position,
finishing
14.162 seconds ahead of Eurointernational teammate Ricardo Favoretto. He
recorded the race's fastest lap (1:26.708) on lap 13. Rossi's second consecutive
victory gives him the Overall points lead. Maxime Pelletier (Apex-HBR Racing
Team) finished third. Alexandre Ruiz (Apex-HBR Racing Team) finished fourth
and Giancarlo Vilarinho (Eurointernational) rounded out the top-five.

Fastest in practice and scoring both poles this weekend, Rossi continued to show
the field only the rear of his No. 16 FB02 as the race began. With a five second
gap in hand by lap five; the final two positions of the podium became a fight
between Favoretto and Pelletier. Vilarinho picked up the pace and closed on
Pelletier as the race unfolded. On lap 14 he could not make a pass stick in turn
one and Ruiz was able to sneak past for fourth, equaling his career best Formula
BMW finish. Following the race, Vilarinho was assessed a 30-second penalty for
avoidable contact moving him to 9th place in the results.

Rossi said, "I was a little nervous before the race because I knew that Ricardo
would be fast. I focused on getting a good start and being fast on cold tires. I
pushed for the first 13 laps and then backed off a bit."

Favoretto said, "You cannot be on top every race, but I am happy with second
and gain important points toward the championship. I had a good fight with
Maxime, but it cost me a chance to try to catch Alexander."

Pelletier said, "I had a good start and got right behind Ricardo. I thought I
may be
able to get by him on the back straight, but he drove a good, defensive line. I
was
hoping he would make a mistake, but he was very consistent. Towards the end
Vilarinho was pressuring me. There were places he was faster than me, but I was
able to hold onto third."

The top-finishing Rookies in Round 5 were, Ruiz (P4), Grenier (P6), Raimondo
(P7) and Vilarinho (P9).

Round 6 -

16-year old American Alexander Rossi led a 1-2-3 Eurointernational sweep of the
Round 6 Formula BMW Americas podium this afternoon. In a repeat of Round 5,
he finished ahead of teammate Ricardo Favoretto, this race by a margin of 10.718
seconds. Giancarlo Vilarinho finished third, his second podium appearance this
season. Apex-HBR Racing teammates Mikael Grenier and Maxime Pelletier
finished fourth and fifth respectively.

The race began on a track that was drying following a downpour some two hours
earlier. Rossi got away cleanly with Favoretto, who started fourth, moving past
Vilarinho and Raimondo for second by the end of the first lap. By lap five
seventh-
place starter Grenier had moved into fourth with Ostella, Pelletier and Raimondo
close behind. Pelletier and Raimondo passed Ostella, who was fighting a loose
cowling and loosing speed on the straights, on lap eight. Vilarinho closed to
within
.500 seconds of Favoretto in the closing laps, but the day ended with Favoretto
taking his second runner-up finish of the weekend. Rossi recorded the fastest
lap
of the race (1:27.189) on lap 15.

Rossi said, "I really pushed hard this weekend to find every bit of time in
practice,
qualifying and both races. My car was very good. It allowed me to get into the
turns early and that is the secret to going fast here."

Favoretto said, "Overall I am happy with two second-place finishes. Alexander
was not to be caught this weekend, but I'll see what I can do with the three
races
coming up at Lime Rock."

Vilarinho said, "This track was very difficult to learn, but my team is
fantastic and I
am very happy to reach the podium again."

In Round 6, the top-five Rookies were Vilarinho (P3), Grenier (P4), Ruiz (P6),
Ostella (P7) and Raimondo (P8).

Overall points standings following Round 6: Rossi (91), Favoretto (67), Raimondo
(63), Vilarinho (48), Pelletier (46), Ruiz (44), Goncalvez (44), Grenier (37),
Jovanovic (20), Ostella (13). Rookie points: Raimondo (63), Vilarinho (48), Ruiz
(44), Grenier (37), Jovanovic (20), Ostella (13) Team Points: Eurointernational
(144), Apex-HBR Racing Team (98), Autotecnica (59), Jensen Motorsport (20)

Rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the 2008 Formula BMW Americas Championship will be
held at Lime Rock Park on July 11-12.

Licensing courses for the 2009 season are scheduled for July 28-29 and August
4-5. They will be held at the Formula BMW Racing Center at the Circuit de la
Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, in Valencia, Spain. Applications are now
available at www.formulabmwamericas.com.

Race Results - Round 5 - 16 laps

1 Alexander Rossi Eurointernational 23:25.837
2 Ricardo Favoretto Eurointernational 23:39.999
3 Maxime Pelletier Apex-HBR Racing Team 23:40.559
4 Alexandre Ruiz (J, R) Apex-HBR Racing Team 23:41.465
5 Jorge Goncalvez Apex-HBR Racing Team 23:47.989
6 Mikael Grenier (J, R) Apex-HBR Racing Team 23:50.012
7 Gianmarco Raimondo (J, R) Autotecnica 23:57.415
8 David Ostella (R) Eurointernational 23:58.458
9* Giancarlo Vilarinho (R) Eurointernational 24:14.129

* 30 seconds added to total race time for violation of IMSA Code 5.6

Race Results - Round 6 - 16 laps

1 Alexander Rossi Eurointernational 23:32.962
2 Ricardo Favoretto Eurointernational 23:43.680
3 Giancarlo Vilarinho (R) Eurointernational 23:44.199
4 Mikael Grenier (J, R) Apex-HBR Racing Team 23:50.498
5 Maxime Pelletier Apex-HBR Racing Team 23:55.931
6 Alexandre Ruiz (J, R) Apex-HBR Racing Team 23:58.704
7 David Ostella (R) Eurointernational 24:05.086
8 Gianmarco Raimondo (J, R) Autotecnica 24:05.235
9 Jorge Goncalvez Apex-HBR Racing Team 24:05.978

J = BMW Junior
R = Rookie

Background:

Formula BMW is the world's leading entry-level series in formula racing. In 2008
the three Formula BMW series - Formula BMW Europe, Formula BMW Pacific
and Formula BMW Americas - will be held in the key motor sport markets of
Europe, pan-Asia and North and South America. The end of the year will see the
Formula BMW World Final staged for the fourth time. The winner will be granted
the opportunity of a test drive with the BMW Sauber F1 Team. Formula BMW will
be held on the undercard of Formula One on 12 occasions. The series gives
young racing talents the chance to enter professional motor sport in a safe
racing
car - the Formula BMW FB02.

The FB02 has been in use since season 2002. It is powered by a 140 hp BMW
engine that takes it to a top speed of up to 230 km/h. It ranks among the safest
vehicles in its category and exceeds the FIA safety regulations that govern this
class of car. Innovations such as the FORS (Formula Rescue Seat) were
developed by BMW Motorsport specifically for Formula BMW. Following Formula
One, Formula BMW was the first single-seater series outside the US in which the
HANS system was made mandatory.

Formula BMW drivers have the opportunity to take part in an Education and
Coaching Programme that runs parallel with the racing season. The program
includes driver coaching at the races by professional race drivers, attending a
Formula One test, fitness courses, tuition in driving technique and strategy, as
well as seminars on sponsoring and sport management.

Among the 20 team drivers in this season's Formula One, there are now four
Formula BMW graduates: Nico Rosberg, Adrian Sutil, Sebastian Vettel and Timo
Glock. The test and reserve drivers add three more to the tally, namely
Christian
Klien, Sebastien Buemi and Nicolas Hülkenberg.

In the words of BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen: "With our worldwide
Formula BMW concept, we offer drivers and teams a platform which, in this
format, is unprecedented in a junior series and which allows them to benefit
from
our Formula One involvement. Through Formula BMW the drivers are equipped
with the tools they need to assert themselves successfully in the world of
professional motor racing."

Note to editors:

Information and copyright free Formula BMW images for press purposes will be
available at the BMW Motorsport Press Club, www.press.bmw-motorsport.com
(no registration is required).

Press Contact: Press Officer Bill Cobb, Tel. +1215.295.3115, +215.431.7223
mobile, E-Mail: bill.cobb@partner.formulabmw.com.