BMW Team PTG: Auberlen quick in San Juan Speed GT practice

BMW Team PTG
Notes and Quotes
SCCA Pro Racing Speed GT Championship - Round 10
Practice
Isla Grande Airport Temporary Circuit
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Friday, Oct. 24, 2003
Race Date: Sunday, Oct. 26, 2003

Contact: Bill Cobb 215-295-3115

Auberlen quickest in both Speed GT practice sessions: BMW Team PTG drivers
stand first, fourth, fifth and eighth


The Speed GT-class cars had the honor of being the first to take to the new
1.6-mile, 10-turn Isla Grand Prix Circuit in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in this
morning's 35-minute practice session for the 10th and deciding race of the
2003 SCCA Pro Racing Speed GT Championship.

BMW Team PTG driver Bill Auberlen set the fastest time of this first session
of two with a 1:10.328 lap.

PTG teammate Hans Stuck was sixth (1:11.651), Boris Said seventh (1:11.751)
and Justin Marks ninth (1:11.888).

In the 35-minute afternoon session all four BMW Team PTG drivers improved
their morning times with Auberlen again topping the time sheet with a
1:09.484 lap. His session was cut short after being hit by a slower
competitor, but his M3 received minor damage and will be repaired for
tomorrow.

Boris Said recorded the fourth fastest time (1:10.047) with Hans Stuck fifth
(1:10.268). Justin Marks was eighth (1:11.149).

A third 35-minute practice session is scheduled for 9:50 a.m. tomorrow. A
single, 30-minute qualifying session will follow at 2:15 p.m. The 50-minute,
standing-start race is scheduled to start at 10:45 a.m. Sunday.

BILL AUBERLEN, NO. 7 BMW TEAM PTG M3 (first):
"My M3 was good and we are definitely making changes in the right direction.
There is not much grip because the track is so dirty, but that will get
better. I hope they can clean up the track tonight. It feels a bit like I'm
racing Baja. I am disappointed that the second session ended like it did. I
went under a Mazda, but he kept moving over on me until he successfully
broke the left front of my car."

BORIS SAID NO. 6 BMW TEAM PTG (fourth):
"It is a great track. I can only imagine how hard it is to put on an event
like this. Mr. Jorge Diaz (event promoter) has done a wonderful job. The
track is quite dirty today, but that is to be expected. I think it will get
faster and faster. It will be a good track for the M3. It is very hard on
the brakes and the combination of the M3 and Performance Friction is hard to
beat when it comes to braking."

HANS STUCK, NO.8 BMW TEAM PTG M3 (fifth):
"This is my kind of track. It is not a circuit that shows who can jump the
curbs the best. It requires a precision that I like. We will have to be
very, very smart to survive here. My settings are right on for the old tires
I ran in the second session so I am quite happy with the first day."

JUSTIN MARKS, NO. 80 BMW TEAM PTG M3 (eighth):
"We are working on an oversteer that is making it very difficult to get the
power down coming out of the corners. This is not an everyday race track so
there is no rubber down. Some bumps at critical places and all the sand and
dirt on the surface are not helping us either. It will take a while for the
track to come in so we will just have to deal with that for a while."



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