BMW Team PTG M3s qualify 3rd, 7th, 8th, 13th in Rd. Atl. Speed GT

BMW Team PTG
Notes and Quotes
SCCA Pro Racing Speed GT Championship - Round 9
Qualifying
Road Atlanta
Braselton, Ga.
Thursday, Oct. 16, 2003
Race Date: Friday, Oct. 17, 2003
Road Atlanta Qualifying: BMW Team PTG to Start third, seventh, eighth  and
13th

Today's 20-minute qualifying for Round 9 of the 2003 SCCA Pro Racing Speed
GT Championship at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., was a two-part affair
after an early accident and resulting track clean-up resulted in a split and
abbreviated session.

Bill Auberlen quickly got up to speed in his BMW Team PTG M3 with a 1:28.842
lap around the 2.54-mile circuit for the fastest Team PTG time of the day.
He elected not to go out again and will start in the third starting spot.

Hans Stuck waited out the delay and went back out shaving another .364 of a
second off his first quick time and will start seventh (1:29.459).

Boris Said will start next to his BMW Team PTG teammate in eighth (1:29.510)
after setting his best time of the weekend early in the session. Like
Auberlen, Said did not go out in the second half of the session.

Justin Marks went out with Stuck for a second try and his 1:30.546 lap time
was good enough for 13th starting spot.

BMW currently leads the Speed GT Manufacturer's Championship by 10 points
over Audi and Bill Auberlen stands atop the Speed GT Driver's Championship.
Hans Stuck is fourth, Boris Said sixth and Justin Marks stands eighth.

BMW Team PTG has combined for four poles, three wins and 20 top-five
finishes so far this season in Speed GT.

Friday's 50-minute, standing-start race is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m.

BILL AUBERLEN, NO. 7 BMW TEAM PTG M3 (third):
"The M3 was very good. We worked hard on the set-up, got the brakes right
and I think we almost have all of the pieces of the puzzle together."

HANS STUCK, NO. 8 BMW TEAM PTG M3 (seventh):
"Too much bad luck today. It took me four attempts to do my qualifying lap,
so seventh fastest minimized the damage. I am not too far back to be a
contender. Points are important for me as I am looking for third in the
Driver's Championship."

BORIS SAID, NO. 6 BMW TEAM PTG M3 (eighth):
"I only got one good lap, but it was my quickest lap of the weekend. I
believe a second lap would have been even faster, but a Corvette crashed in
front of me and there was debris everywhere. Our plan was for only two laps
and save the tires so we accomplished that. We will be good for the race."

JUSTIN MARKS, NO. 80 BMW TEAM PTG M3 (13th):
"Traffic affected every attempt I made at a quick lap before the red flag so
I am disappointed in my qualifying result. I know the M3 will be good for
the race, but wish I could be starting a little closer to the front."