Bill Auberlen - Mid-Ohio victory

Bill Auberlen returned to victory lane at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on June
19, topping the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT class in the No. 94
Turner Motorsport BMW M6. The win was Auberlen's fifth on the technical
2.258-mile road course in Lexington, Ohio. His previous wins were all in BMW
M3 cars.

 

Auberlen, of Redondo Beach, Calif., and Joey Hand of Sacramento, Calif.,
combined for the victory - the first for a car powered by a BMW M6 in the
Rolex Series GT class. The win was especially sweet for Auberlen and Hand,
who came close to winning at Homestead-Miami Speedway in March, then missed
the last series race, at Watkins Glen International on June 5, after their
co-driver, Paul Dalla Lana of Toronto, crashed during practice.

 

"The first time we should have won, now the second time we did win. We made
good on what should have happened at Homestead," Auberlen said. "The team
did an amazing job to get this car put back together after the big crash at
Watkins Glen. Luckily, Paul was uninjured, but the car needed every
available minute to repair it for Mid-Ohio. They got it done, the car sat on
the front row and then won the race. That's a tribute to the Turner
Motorsport team and how good they are."

 

Hand drove the first stint of the two-hour 45-minute race, starting from
second on the GT grid. He took the class lead on the second lap and held it
until the first driver change. Auberlen returned to the track 10th in class,
but quickly regained the lead. Hand took over for the final stint, dropping
back after the pit stop, then charging ahead for the win.

 

Dalla Lana was initially entered to drive the No. 94 BMW with Auberlen, but
withdrew in favor of Hand. Auberlen and Dalla Lana drove the No. 96 Turner
BMW M3 Coupe in the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race that
preceded the Rolex Series race on Saturday.

 

"Don Salama and Will Turner called the pit strategy - for sure, that's what
put us to the front. They are magicians when it comes to strategy. It was
perfect," Auberlen noted.

 

"Thanks to Paul Dalla Lana and Northwest for putting us in the car and
giving us the tools to make it happen. Also to GlycoMax for developing a
performance drink that kept me alive on a day that was so insanely hot. Our
cool suits failed, so we were melting away in the car. It took everything we
had to win."

 

Bill Auberlen has driven BMW cars in more races than any other driver in the
world. He has won six professional auto-racing championships, four with BMW
power. He has competed in 416 professional races to date, 259 in BMWs. His
results include 79 race victories, 155 podium finishes, 55 pole positions,
70 fastest race laps and 104 records. 

 

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Sylvia Proudfoot

sylvia@spurcom.ca

403 287 3945