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Werner and Luhr Qualify Fourth and Sixth for BMW Team RLL at the 63rd Annual 12 Hours of Sebring

Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – March 20, 2015… The second race weekend of the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship (USCC) is in full swing: In qualifying for the classic 12 Hours of Sebring (US), BMW Team RLL secured fourth and sixth on the starting grid in the GTLM category and is well-prepared for Saturday’s race.

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Commemorative livery to race on both BMW Team RLL machines.

 

Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – March 20, 2015… The second race weekend of the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship (USCC) is in full swing: In qualifying for the classic 12 Hours of Sebring (US), BMW Team RLL secured fourth and sixth on the starting grid in the GTLM category and is well-prepared for Saturday’s race.

 

Dirk Werner (DE) clocked a lap of 1:58.842 minutes at the wheel of the No. 25 BMW Z4 GTLM, finishing just 0.255 seconds behind Porsche’s Frederic Makowiecki (FR), who claimed pole position. Werner and his team-mates, Bill Auberlen (US) and Augusto Farfus (BR), will start fourth on the grid in their white BMW Z4 GTLM.

 

For the crew of the black No. 24 car, Lucas Luhr (DE) was on duty in qualifying. Setting a time of 1:58.930 minutes he finished sixth in the GTLM class. Luhr will alternate at the wheel of the BMW Z4 GTLM with John Edwards (US) and Jens Klingmann (DE) on the 3.7-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway.

 

The race in Florida also marks the highlight of the anniversary celebrations of BMW Motorsport’s maiden victory in North America. Forty years ago, the legendary BMW 3.0 CSL carrying No. 25 claimed the first BMW win on American soil in Sebring. Both current BMW Z4 GTLM race cars are running the 63rd Sebring endurance classic sporting a special livery, designed in tribute to the BMW 3.0 CSL from 1975.

 

Bobby Rahal (Team Principal, BMW Team RLL):

“We went a little quicker than we did last year. Fourth and sixth are good spots to start. The Porsches seem to have a little bit on everybody at this point in qualifying, but it is a long hard race. I am generally pleased with where we are, but it really doesn’t matter where you start this race from. I think the pace is pretty good. We will see what happens tomorrow.”

 

Dirk Werner (No. 25 BMW Z4 GTLM, 4th place):

“It was an exciting qualifying. It took quite a long time until the tires came in this session, and pretty much everybody did their fast time on the last lap. We were close and we did our best to qualify fourth, which is a good position for the start of the race. We are really happy with what we have now with our package and we are ready and looking forward to the 12-hour race.”

 

Lucas Luhr (No. 24 BMW Z4 GTLM, 6th place):

“It was obviously very close. I think it demonstrated in qualifying we were showing before what we could do, but not everybody was. Obviously the others are a little bit quicker than us by about two and a half tenths, but other than that I think we still need to work a little bit on our car. Again it is going to be a very tight battle here. I am looking forward to that and we shall see what we have got for tomorrow. It is going to be a very hot race.”

The 63rd 12 Hours of Sebring takes the green flag at 10:40 a.m. Saturday, March 21 with the first two hours of coverage broadcast on FOX Sports One beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET. The remaining 10 hours will be broadcast on FOX Sports Two and IMSA platforms. Follow BMW Team RLL on Twitter at @BMWUSARacing for “from-the-pit-box” updates all weekend.

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, 147 BMW motorcycle retailers, 122 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.

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 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2014, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.118 million cars and 123,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2013 was euro 7.91 billion on revenues amounting to approximately euro 76.06 billion. As of 31 December 2013, the BMW Group had a workforce of 110,351 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been built 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.

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, CBS Late Show host David Letterman and Mi-Jack co-owner Mike Lanigan, has been competing for over two decades. Prior to the start of the 2015 season, the team had compiled 30 victories, 47 poles, 130 podium finishes, three series championships (1992, 2010, 2011) and claimed 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. The following year, the team won both the Manufacturer and Team Championships in the GT category and swept all three GT titles - Manufacturer, Team and Driver – in 2011. In 2012 the team finished second in the Team Championship and third in the Manufacturer Championship and in 2013, the team finished second in the Driver, Team and Manufacturer Championship. The 2014 season brought a new challenge with the creation of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and the team finished on the podium six times including four second-place finishes. In 2015, the team will attempt to add to their 10 wins and 49 sports car podium finishes.

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Journalist note: Information 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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