BMW Adds More Star Drivers to an Already Strong M235iR Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car Championship Contingent for Rounds 5 and 6 at Lime Rock Park;

Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – May 30, 2017 . . . A record 18 BMW M235i Racing drivers were entered in Rounds 5 and 6 of the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car Championship at Lime Rock Park, in Lakeville, Conn. The BMW headline was the return of Turner Motorsport to Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car competition with two BMW M235i Racing cars for team owner Will Turner and Dane Cameron. For Turner, the weekend would mark his 120th and 121st professional starts. For Cameron, the weekend would result in a third place finish in Round 5 and a victory in Round 6. Four-time PWC champion Randy Pobst would also be making his debut drive in a BMW M235iR.

Round 5:

Dane Cameron started the No. 96 TMS BMW M235iR from the third position. Cameron, a veteran TMS driver, ran the entire 40-minute race within the top-3 positions, ultimately finishing third. Toby Grahovec, driving the No. 1 M235iR finished fourth and CTMP Round 4 winner Mason Filippi, driving the No. 12 M235iR, in fifth. Nick Wittmer’s No. 91 M235iR finished eighth. A total of six BMW M235iR drivers finished in the top-10, including Pobst in 10th.

Round 6:

With a strong start from the fifth starting spot, Dane Cameron jumped his No. 96 M235iR into the second position as the green flag flew to start the 40-minute Round 6 race. By the eleventh lap of the classic Lime Rock Park circuit Cameron moved into the lead. Two caution periods for cars off track slowed the pace of the race, but Cameron held the point through both restarts. At the checkered flag, it was Cameron first. Nick Wittmer, driving the No. 91 BMW M235iR secured fourth after a strong pass on lap 30, with Anthony Magagnoli, in the No. 80 M235iR, and Mason Filippi, driving the No. 12 M235iR, following in fifth and sixth respectively. Toby Grahovec, driving the No. 1 M235iR finished eighth to make it a total of five BMW drivers in the top-10.

Dane Cameron, driver No. 96 BMW M235iR: “While I have had experience in the GT classes of PWC, these two rounds were my first Touring Car races. It was a lot of fun. You can follow close, run side-by-side, making for great racing among some very different types of cars. The M235iR is a very approachable car to race. As a package it is complete and certainly has enough of everything to get the job done.”

Victor Leleu, BMW of North America Motorsport Manager: “It’s always special to see a BMW on the top step of the podium at Lime Rock, even more so today after such an intense battle. Congratulations to everyone at Turner Motorsport on a stellar performance at their home track. On the whole we’re happy with how the first half of the season went and look forward to the Western part of the championship.”

Returning to PWC competition in 2016, BMW finished second in TC manufacturer points standings to cap an excellent inaugural season for the BMW M235i Racing in North America. Toby Grahovec, of Little Elm, Texas, was crowned TC class driver’s champion following a strong season in the No. 26 Classic BMW Motorsports M235iR. Classic BMW Motorsports also scored the TC class Team title.

Rounds 7 and 8 of the 2017 PWC Touring Car Championship will be held at the Utah Motorsport Complex, in Tooele, Utah on August 11 - 13.

BMW of North America Customer Racing

BMW of North America’s customer racing program supports privateer BMW drivers across North America with racing cars, engineering, parts and contingency. During 2016, BMW NA supported the M235i Racing, BMW Z4 GT3 and BMW M6 GT3 platforms. For more information, please contact Victor Leleu, BMW NA Motorsport Manager at victor.leleu@bmwna.com.

BMW Group In America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003.  The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country.  BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 and X3 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 and X4 Sports Activity Coupes.  The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 341 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 152 BMW motorcycle retailers, 127 MINI passenger car dealers, and 36 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.  BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

The BMW Group

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2016, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.367 million cars and 145,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax was approximately € 9.67 billion on revenues amounting to € 94.16 billion. As of 31 December 2016, the BMW Group had a workforce of 124,729 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

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