Auberlen wins Touring in BMW-SPEED WC/Sebring

BMW of North America, LLC
Notes and Quotes
SCCA Speed Touring Car - Round 1
SCCA PRO RACING WORLD CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP
Sebring International Raceway
Friday, March 14, 2003

Contact: Bill Cobb, 215-295-3115

AUBERLEN AND BMW FIRST AT SEBRING

Answering the old question about how to win a sports-car race, Bill Auberlen
pulled out an early lead and extended it today at Sebring International
Raceway to win Round 1 of the 2003 SCCA Pro Racing Speed Touring Car
Championship by a margin of victory of 1.372 seconds over the No. 42 Acura.

Making an excellent start in his No. 93 Turner Motorsports BMW 325i, he led
the 40-car field from the green flag to the checkered to win his second
career SCCA Speed Touring Car race, in only his fourth career Touring Car
start. Setting a new track record in qualifying, he also broke the race lap
record with a lap of 2:27.584 around the 3.7-mile Sebring International
Raceway.

Ken Dobson, driving the No. 7 Chili Pepper Racing 325Ci finished eighth and
Will Turner was ninth in the No. 92 Turner Motorsports 325i to round out the
top 10 BMW finishers.

Fourth-place qualifier, Robert Stretch, had to start from the pit lane after
his car would not start on the grid, but drove his No. 98 Wheels America BMW
325Ci to a fine 12th-place finish.

BMW and Auberlen now lead the Manufacturer's and Driver's Championships
respectively as the series heads to Round 2 at Mosport International Raceway
in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, on May 17-18.

The win is the 34th for the BMW marque in World Challenge history. BMW won
the Touring Class Manufacturer's Championship in 2001.

BILL AUBERLEN, No. 93 TURNER MOTORSPORT BMW 325i:
"The car we raced and won with was the car we came here with; no problems at
all. We can just wax it up and bring it to Mosport. DID YOU HAVE ANY
PROBLEMS OR CONCERNS DURING THE RACE? At the end I began to have an issue
with the front tires starting to lock-up and as soon as we clear up that
we'll be in good shape."

WILL TURNER, No. 92 TURNER MOTORSPORTS BMW 325i:
"We owe a lot to the great platform that the BMW gives us. We do not have
to do much to get these cars to go fast. We came here to win and that is
the way we will look at the rest of the season. Bill (Auberlen) did a great
job today
and I expect to be on the podium with him at the next event."


Unofficial BMW finishing positions:

Position/Car Number/Name-Hometown/Car

1 (93), Bill Auberlen, Hermosa Beach, Calif., BMW 325i
8 (7), Ken Dobson, Carmel Valley, Calif., BMW 325Ci
9 (92)  Will Turner, Newburyport, Mass., BMW 325i
11 (24), Jim Osborn, Ooltewah, Tenn., BMW 325Ci
12 (98), Robert Stretch, Dallas, Texas, BMW 325Ci
21 (94), Frank Selldorff, Boston, Mass., BMW 325i
22 (56), Mickey Miller(R), Costa Mesa, Calif., BMW 328is
23 (36), James Clay(R), Blacksburg, Va., BMW 325i
25 (57), Scott Lang(R), Huntington Beach, Calif., BMW 325i
26 (16), Phil Parlato, Commack, N.Y., BMW 325i
29 (77), Brad Rampelberg(R), San Jose, Calif., BMW 328i
30 (37), Matt Richmond(R), Mooresville, N.C., BMW 328i
32 (50), Matt Plumb(R), Newport, R.I., BMW 325
34 (35), James Sofronas, Newport Beach, Calif., BMW 325i
39 (51), Alfred duPont, Kennett Square, Pa., BMW 325


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