BMW Team PTG Testing Notes No. 1-SPEED WC

BMW Team PTG
Notes and Quotes
SPEED GT World Challenge Round 1
Testing Day
Sebring International Raceway
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
Race Date: Friday, March 14, 2003

THEY SAY BAD THINGS HAPPEN IN THREES...

If bad things do actually come in threes then BMW Team PTG will have a much
better week for the remainder of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED GT World
Challenge Championship at Sebring International Raceway.

The team¹s first World Challenge test session ended quickly as all three M3s
were back in the paddock within minutes of the start, with the Auberlen and
Stuck M3s out with minor mechanical difficulties and Boris Said only
reaching the end of pit lane.

The No. 7 Team PTG BMW M3 of Bill Auberlen came in with an electronic
throttle problem while the No. 8 of Hans Stuck rolled in with a broken left
front suspension, but both drivers completed enough laps to begin the tuning
of the brand new cars.

Boris Said never reached the track after being involved in an accident at
the end of pit lane when a Honda driven by Bob Endicott turned across pit
out and directly into the path of Said¹s accelerating M3, resulting in
Said's broad-siding the Honda and heavily damaging the entire front of the
No 6 BMW Team PTG M3.

"I only got into second gear," said a dejected Said. "It was the most
amazing thing that has ever happened to me in racing and something that
should have never happened at all.  I was coming out of the pits and Bob
Endicott, driving a Honda, must have been having a problem and just at pit
out made a hard right directly across my bow.  Everyone knows that you don¹t
come into the pit exit from the race track.  Bad, bad timing.  If it was two
seconds earlier or later I would have missed him. Shocking."

The team is working hard to repair the damage to Said¹s M3 in time for
official practice on Wednesday, March 12.

"We never ran a complete lap, but that was the plan with the new car," said
Auberlen, driving the No. 7 BMW Team PTG M3.  "On the third lap the
drive-by-wire throttle began to act up and the engine would only idle."

"Sure, things happen," said Stuck, driver of the No. 8 BMW Team PTG M3. "A
broken monoball on the lower control arm was unexpected, but the crew will
fix it. No big set-back."

Auberlen's and Stuck's M3s were quickly repaired and both were out in the
following test sessions.

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