BMW Team RLL – Sahlen’s Six Hour of the Glen Preview

Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – June 24, 2014 . . . BMW Team RLL will contest its first race at the classic Watkins Glen International circuit this weekend at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen in Round 5 of the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

The series restarts following a seven-week break for teams competing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. BMW Team RLL drivers Bill Auberlen and Andy Priaulx currently lead the GTLM driver points and their No. 55 BMW Z4 GTLM leads the team points standings. John Edwards and Dirk Müller, drivers of the No. 56 BMW Z4 GTLM, stand sixth in driver points and eighth in team points. BMW stands second in GTLM Manufacturer points, only two points behind Porsche.

In preparation for the race, the team held a two-day test at the 3.37-mile, 11-turn road course on May 21-22 with drivers Auberlen, Müller and Priaulx present. Completing a total of 207 laps, the critical test gave both Müller and Priaulx their first laps of the circuit that was home of the US Grand Prix from 1961 to 1980. John Edwards did not test, having gained experience at the Glen in recent Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition.

In past years, BMW teams have had success at Watkins Glen and the six-hour race. Most recently Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates raced to the overall win in 2010 with the No. 01 BMW Riley and, in 2004, Bill Auberlen and Boris Said took the GT win in a BMW Team PTG M3. Seventeen years earlier, in 1987, the first-generation BMW M3 (E30) scored a 1-2 finish in the IMSA Firestone Firehawk Endurance Championship Watkins Glen Six Hours. Bobby Rahal, Team Principal, drove his very first Formula One race at WGI in 1978, finishing 12th. He also drove to two top-five finishes in International Race of Champions (IROC) in 1986-1988.

“It’s exciting to be back at Watkins Glen which is certainly one of the crown jewels of racing circuits in this country,” said, Bobby Rahal, Team Principal. “It’s the first race for BMW Team RLL at Watkins Glen and we’re looking forward to it. We tested there recently although the weather didn’t totally cooperate. There are a lot of high speed corners, which we’re pleased about and there is a long straightaway, which we’re not so pleased about but just to be back at Watkins Glen is important for BMW, our team and sports car racing.  It’s going to be a tough race for sure but it’s such a great circuit.  A great-handling car can definitely make a difference there so I’m hopeful we can take advantage of our strengths.”

Bill Auberlen, driver, No. 55 Z4 GTLM – “This has been one of those amazing years and they are very hard to come by.  We have managed to be on the podium all but once in the most competitive racing series around and it's all due to the incredible BMW Z4, Team RLL and Andy Priaulx.  With some luck we can extend our championship lead coming out of Watkins Glen, which is one of the most incredible tracks in the world.  It's going to be a grueling six-hour fight to victory lane and we are more than prepared to get it done.  I'm really looking forward Watkins Glen and giving it our all.”

Andy Priaulx, driver, No. 55 Z4 GTLM – “I’m very much looking forward to getting back to the Glen after what was a great test a few weeks ago and crucially an ideal opportunity for me to learn this very challenging circuit. I would say that The Glen should suit our car; it’s a circuit that requires a good balance in order to fully commit to the high speed corners. This is where the Z4 is strong. Again, like all the races so far the year, we need to keep our head and score points and keep building our championship campaign. It’s going to be a long race with many cars on track and staying out of trouble will be crucial.”

John Edwards, driver, No. 56 Z4 GTLM – “Watkins Glen is one of my favorite tracks in the country, and I'm really excited to be going there this year with the Z4 GTLM. The car has quite a bit more down force than anything else I've driven at Watkins Glen so it should be an intense race. The Z4's strength also lies in carrying momentum, so it is a good thing that there aren't any slow corners leading on to long straights here. Dirk and I have had some bad luck in a couple races this season which has put us behind in points, so we're ready to rebound and win some races the rest of this year, hopefully starting this weekend.” 

Dirk Müller, driver, No. 56 Z4 GTLM – “I’m looking forward to a great weekend with a big six-hour race. Watkins Glen is an incredibly quick and challenging circuit.  We’ve had enough time to get ready after our break and all the batteries are charged and ready to go!”

The Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen will take the green flag at 11:15 a.m. ET Sunday, June 29th. The race will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 with coverage beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET. Follow BMW Team RLL on Twitter at @BMWUSARacing for “from-the-pit-box” updates all weekend. More information on the program can be found at www.bmwusa.com and www.imsa.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 339 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 139 BMW motorcycle retailers, 120 MINI passenger car dealers, and 35 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.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:  www.bmwgroupna.com

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

BMW’s partner, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, based in Hilliard, Ohio and co-owned by three-time IndyCar Champion and 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, Mi-Jack co-owner Mike Lanigan and CBS LATE SHOW host David Letterman, has been competing for over two decades, compiling 30 victories, 42 poles and three series championships (1992, 2010, 2011) as well as claiming an Indianapolis 500 victory (Buddy Rice in 2004). In 2009 the team joined BMW of North America to campaign the new BMW M3 in the American Le Mans Series. In 2010 the team won both the Manufacturer and Team Championships in the GT category. In 2011 the team swept all three GT titles - Manufacturer, Team and Driver.

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Journalist note: Photography for editorial purposes as well asinformation about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwgroupusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com. 

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