Munich (DE), 26th April 2016. BMW Team RLL is looking forward to the
two-hour Continental Monterey Grand Prix, at Mazda Raceway Laguna
Seca, in Monterey (US) to rebound from a disappointing race at Long
Beach (US) as the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
finishes up its two-race West Coast swing.
Debuting two new BMW M6 GTLM racing cars this season, the team has
had its share of the expected ups and downs of a new racing car, but
the sum total of the programme to-date shows great promise. Bill
Auberlen (US) and Dirk Werner (DE) have driven the number 25 BMW M6
GTLM into a tie for second in the GTLM team and driver points
standings based on a fifth place finish at Daytona (US), a second at
Sebring (US) and another fifth at Long Beach. Auberlen scored the pole
at both Sebring and Long Beach as well as the fastest race lap at
Sebring. The duo finished second to their teammates last year at
Laguna Seca.
John Edwards (US), Lucas Luhr (DE) and the number 100 BMW M6 GTLM
have shouldered the bulk of the team’s teething problems and bad luck
this year. A sixth place finish at Sebring has been bookended by hard
crashes at Daytona and Long Beach. The pair were the winners at last
year’s Laguna Seca race, mirroring the 1975 victory – almost 40 years
to the day – when Hans-Joachim Stuck (DE) took the checkered flag in a
3.0 CSL. 1975 was BMW Motorsport’s first year of competition in the US.
The Continental Monterey Grand Prix takes the green flag at 11:15
a.m. (local time) on Sunday, 1st May.
Bobby Rahal (Team Principal, BMW Team RLL):
“Historically we have done well at Laguna Seca and were one-two last
year. We have qualified well and have had a number of podiums over the
years, so Laguna Seca has always been pretty good to us. Laguna
represents more of the kind of circuit the BMW M6 GTLM likes with the
long, fast, flowing corners, because the BMW M6 GTLM has the long
wheel base, and long wheel base cars are inherently better in those
types of corners. As we have seen all year, it is super competitive.
We were pleased being on pole at Long Beach, but it didn’t quite work
out for us. We know the pace of the car is reasonably competitive and
now it’s just a matter of putting a good weekend together.”
Bill Auberlen (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM):
“Now that we are getting the hang of the BMW M6 GTLM I’m feeling
better and better about what we have. I’m coming off two consecutive
poles and a track record. I feel like the next few tracks will be even
better for us. Last year we finished first and second at Laguna Seca,
so I feel great about the combination we are developing this year to
try to repeat our victory from 2015.”
Dirk Werner (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM):
“Laguna Seca is a track I like a lot and the layout should suit our
car. Of course it will be a challenge to go there with the BMW M6 GTLM
for the first time and find a good set-up. But we like these
challenges and we will push for the best possible result.”
John Edwards (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM):
“It’s been a tough start to the season for Lucas and me in the 100
car. The good news is that I don’t see any way that we could have any
more bad luck the rest of the season! We are returning to the site of
our last win, and the weekend in Monterey is always an enjoyable one.
I think the track configuration will suit the BMW M6 GTLM much better
than the bumpy tracks at Sebring and Long Beach, so we have an
opportunity to repeat our win from last year. We’ll be pushing hard
for it as usual, but especially so after our unlucky start in the
first three races.”
Lucas Luhr (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM):
“After winning Laguna Seca last year the pressure is on. We’ll need
some of that luck John and I have been missing in the first three
races, but I think we can turn it around there.”