BMW Team PTG: Auberlen, Stuck quick in Speed GT practice at Rd. Atl.

BMW Team PTG
Notes and Quotes
SCCA Pro Racing Speed GT Championship - Round 9
Practice
Road Atlanta
Braselton, Ga.
Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2003
Race Date: Friday, Oct. 17, 2003

Contact: Bill Cobb 215-295-3115

Auberlen and Stuck quickest in the afternoon; BMW Team PTG drivers stand
third, fifth, seventh and ninth after today's Speed GT practice


In the combined results following today's two 20-minute practice sessions
for Friday's Round 9 of the SCCA Pro Racing Speed GT Championship at Road
Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., the four BMW M3s of BMW Team PTG stand in good
position with all four cars in the top 10.

Bill Auberlen is third quickest overall with a time of 1:29.125, the fastest
time overall in the afternoon session. Hans Stuck ran second to Auberlen in
the afternoon, also improving his morning time for fifth fastest time of the
day (1:29.332).

Auberlen and Stuck were two of only three drivers in the top 10 overall who
went faster in the heat of the afternoon's 4:00 p.m. session. Friday's race
is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m., boding well for BMW Team PTG.

Justin Marks was seventh fastest (1:30.410) and Boris Said was ninth quick
(1:30.489), standing on their times set in the morning session.

The morning's practice session also saw all four M3s in the top 10 with
Stuck fifth (1:29.644), Auberlen sixth (1:30.004), Marks seventh (1:30.410)
and Said ninth (1:30.489).

A final, single 20-minute qualifying session is scheduled for 1:55 p.m.
Thursday. The 50-minute, standing-start Speed GT race is scheduled to start
at 3:30 p.m. Friday.

BILL AUBERLEN, NO. 7 BMW TEAM PTG M3 (third):
"We think we are having a particularly tough time setting up our M3 this
weekend, but seeing that Hans and I were the fastest in this last session
means that perhaps we are better than we think. This track is very
temperature-sensitive and usually slows in the heat, but I liked the balance
this afternoon. Perhaps tires are the greatest factor and the new set of
tires we put on was much better than the set we ran this morning. New tires
can mean a whole new car."

HANS STUCK, NO.8 BMW TEAM PTG M3 (fifth):
"I always try to simulate qualifying during one of the practice sessions so
I am happy with the 1:29.3 in the afternoon session on the new set of tires.
I did try some settings that were not so good, so I will have to go back a
bit for tomorrow's qualifying. Before we switched to the new set I did learn
where I was overdriving the car on old tires, so it is very good to know
that for the race."

JUSTIN MARKS, NO. 80 BMW TEAM PTG M3 (seventh):
"I only got two laps in the second session because of a brake problem. I
would have only gotten one if the crew had not been able to fix my M3 so
quickly. It is important to know the problem is fixed before qualifying and
that last lap was a competitive time on old tires, so I am confident that we
are ready for tomorrow."

BORIS SAID NO. 6 BMW TEAM PTG (ninth):
"We used the afternoon session to explore the race set-up with my car. I was
happy with how the M3 performed on old tires so I am confident that the car
will perform consistently throughout the race on Friday."


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