The new BMW M3 on track for first time
14 March 2000
The new 2001 BMW M3 race car took its first laps Monday on the 3.7-mile Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway circuit with BMW Team PTG driver Hans Stuck of Austria behind the wheel. Stuck and the team are preparing for Saturday's Superflo 12 Hours at Sebring, first race in the 2000 American Le Mans Series. HANS STUCK, DRIVER, #6 BMW M3: "I'm very honored that Tom [team owner Milner] gave me the chance to drive the first time in the new baby. Another virgin experience in my 31 years of racing! It was very exciting because my expectations of the team were pretty high and they fulfilled this. Because to take a car right out of the box and do a complete session without any little problems is quite amazing. Under these conditions, so far, so good. This is one of the much better cars I've driven. The previous M3 was more of a compromise between a road car and a race car. This is much more a race car." TOM MILNER, TEAM OWNER, BMW TEAM PTG: "[Sunday], we were the only cars that made it through tech inspection, which is really surprising because it's a brand-new car, and usually you'll find something here or there. But we'll take it one day at a time. We got here on Sunday and had to go to tech and we won that. So let's see if we can be fastest today, fastest tomorrow, qualify on the pole, win the race and sell more M3s on Monday! Can we do that? We'll give it a try."