Three BMWs in Speed Touring top 10 in Rd. Atl. qualifying
BMW of North America, LLC Notes and Quotes Speed Touring World Challenge Round 5 Qualifying Road Atlanta Braselton, Ga. Thursday, Oct. 16, 2003 Race Date: Friday, Oct. 17, 2003 Contact: Bill Cobb 215-295-3115 Three Speed Touring BMWs to start in top 10 at Road Atlanta; BMW ready to clinch Touring Manufacturer's Championship Despite carrying 225 pounds of REWARDS weight in his No. 93 Turner Motorsport 325i, 2003 SCCA Pro Racing Speed Touring Driver's Champion Bill Auberlen qualified in the fourth starting spot for tomorrow's Round 9 Speed Touring race at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., with a lap time of 1:38.012. The pole-sitter and winner at this track in the series' Round 4 in June, Auberlen is among 13 BMW drivers ready to help BMW clinch the Speed Touring Manufacturer's Championship. If only one BMW finishes in the top six in Friday's race, BMW will claim the title. Robert Stretch's No. 99 Wheels America BMW 325Ci will start in the fifth starting spot (1:38.187) for his second-best start of the year since the season-opener at Sebring, Fla. Nic Jonsson qualified his No. 27 Lectric Air/Tecmark BMW 325Ci sixth (1:38.260) to round out the top 10 for BMW. The 50-minute race is scheduled to start tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. BILL AUBERLEN, No. 93 TURNER MOTORSPORTS BMW 325i (fourth): "All the REWARDS weight is taking its toll. Not only is it slowing me down, but it also burns the tires off much sooner. We have already won the Driver's Championship, so we are just going for race wins now and nothing would please me more than to help BMW win the Manufacturer's Championship." NIC JONSSON, No. 27 LECTRIC AIR/TECMARK BMW 325Ci (sixth): "We had quite a few problems to overcome this week, but all together I am quite happy with my race car. The crew has done a wonderful job and I can't wait to mix it up tomorrow." BMW qualifying positions: 4 (93) Bill Auberlen, Hermosa Beach, Calif., BMW 325i 5 (99), Robert Stretch, Dallas, Texas, BMW 325Ci 6 (27) Nic Jonsson, Dankeryt, Sweden, BMW 325Ci 11 (92) Will Turner, Newburyport, Mass., BMW 325i 12 (50) Matt Plumb, Newport, RI, BMW 325 13 (35), James Sofronas, Newport Beach, Calif., BMW 325i 18 (36) James Clay(R), Blacksburg, Va., BMW 325i 22 (37), Matt Richmond(R), Mooresville, N.C., BMW 328i 23 (94), Frank Selldorff, Boston, Mass., BMW 325i 34 (16) Phil Parlato, Commack, NY, BMW 325i 35 (24) Jim Osborn, Denver, NC, BMW 325i 37 (79) Nick Woodhouse, Vancouver, BC, BMW 325i 38 (98) Rick Maki, Santa Monica, CA, BMW 325Ci ###