Woodcliff Lake
BMW has shared a significant history with the classic 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course beginning with a win by Hans Joachim Stuck and Dieter Quester in a BMW CSL in 1975. Nothing would please the Bobby Rahal-led team as much as adding one more Laguna Seca victory during BMW Motorsport’s 40th anniversary year.
The six-hour American Le Mans Monterey race will be held on May 12th, returning to the third round of the series, as it was in 2010, rather than being the penultimate round of the championship last year. The team arrives tied for the lead in Manufacturer point standings. Hand and Müller sit atop the Driver points after a win at the season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring and a second place finish four weeks ago at
Teammates Bill Auberlen and Jörg Müller finished fourth in the ALMS class at Sebring, but an early race collision at
“The last two years we were in a position to win the race but we failed to do so, so I’m hopeful that the third time is the charm,” said Bobby Rahal, Team Principal. “The track has suited the car and we are hoping for a great result. Personally, and as a team, whether it be with BMW Team RLL or with the Indy car team, we have had a lot of success at Laguna Seca so we are hopeful that the tradition continues.”
Bill Auberlen, driver No. 55 M3 GT – “Our team was first and second with just minutes remaining in last year’s race when we had a mechanical problem and the other M3 GT fell back. Those days are over and we intend fully on completing what we missed out on last year. The RLL team has been and the Dunlop tires are even better so I am very positive about our potential.”
Jörg Müller, driver No. 55 M3 GT – “My first time at Laguna Seca was 1998 in the GT1 World Championship in the Porsche GT1 and my last time was in 2001 in the BMW GTR. That was a few years ago, but Laguna Seca is a track you never forget with its famous Corkscrew chicane. I'm really looking forward for this ace because the points we have in the championship at the moment do not show the pace and the performance of No. 55 M3 GT.”
Dirk Müller, driver No. 56 M3 GT – “I am really up for the race in Laguna Seca. The season has started brilliantly for me with the win in Sebring and second place in
The six-hour American Le Mans Monterey race is the third round of the 2012 ALMS championship. The race will take the green flag at 1:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, May 12. ESPN2 will air the race at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 13. Live coverage is available starting at 4:15 p.m. ET on ESPN3.
The Series’ website offers additional content such as live in-car cameras, and timing and scoring for all users around the world. Viewers outside the
About BMW Team RLL:
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the
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 nearly two decades, compiling 22 victories, 31 poles and two series championships (1992, 2010) 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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