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BMW Driver foursome complete for the 2001 American Le Mans Series

17 January 2001

BMW signs Muller and Ekblom

Munich. A German and a Northerner will be alternating behind the
wheel of each of the factory team's two BMW M3s contesting the GT
class of the 2001 American Le Mans Series (ALMS). Next to the
well-oiled duo of Jorg Muller (D) and Finn JJ Lehto, new drivers Dirk
Muller (D) and Fredrik Ekblom of Sweden have just signed with
BMW for the endurance races of this sports car series. 

Ekblom (30) can draw on experience both in American racing and with
the BMW 3 Series. He began competing in Formula racing in the USA
in 1992, returning to his home country in 1998, where he won the
Swedish Super Touring Car Championship in a BMW 320i. He was
runner-up in 1999 (on BMW) and 2000.  

His new partner, Dirk Muller, is the title-holder in the ALMS GT class.
The 25-year-old German was winner of the 1998 Porsche Carrera Cup
and claimed four class wins in last year's ALMS.  

Former Formula One driver JJ Lehto (34) and ex-Formula 3000
European Champion Jorg Muller (31) both gleaned their first
experiences with BMW in 1995 - the Finn driving the McLaren BMW F1
GTR to victory in Le Mans, and the German in the BMW 318is Super
Touring Car. They have shared triumphs in the open BMW V12 LMR,
namely the sports car's first victory in Sebring (USA) in 1999 as well as
its two final wins in Charlotte (USA) and Silverstone (GB) in 2000.

The race squad under the management of Charly Lamm will again be
drawn from BMW and Schnitzer Motorsport. "This team and these
drivers," says BMW Motorsport Director Gerhard Berger with delight,
"are top-notch. In terms of manpower, we have the best prerequisite
for making our M3 class-leader in America." 

BMW is preparing the race version of the new M3 in Munich. In all,
four cars are being produced - two of them destined for the American
BMW Team PTG, which already has an acclaimed driver in
Hans-Joachim Stuck.
 
"The M3 is a new evolution and we're working flat out on it," says
BMW Motorsport Director Dr. Mario Theissen. "However, due to our
somewhat late decision," he adds, "we won't be able to engage this car
in the first race on March 4th."