Race Incident » ALMS

Rahal Letterman Racing to run Formula BMW Americas

admin — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:06:09 +0000

Rahal Letterman Racing (RLR) will assume the management of the Formula BMW Americas championship. The team will during 2009 run BMW M3′s in the American Le Mans Series so BMW must have seen it fitting to let the team Formula BMW championship, which will take part in the support package for ALMS at four tracks in 2009: Miller Motorsports Park, Lime Rock Park, Road America and Mosport.

“We are pleased to have found in Rahal Letterman Racing a professional, well integrated partner with great experience in US motorsport,” commented BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. “The Formula BMW races held in support of the ALMS will generate synergy effects in terms of PR, marketing and logistics. Lapwing Management already set the bar high last year as far as the organization of the series is concerned, and we thank them warmly for their work. The concept is also proving a success from a sporting perspective, as demonstrated not least by Alexander Rossi. The US driver recently backed up his Formula BMW Americas title triumph with victory in the Formula BMW World Final. We are hoping that the expansion of the race calendar into Mexico as part of the World Touring Car Championship event there will further increase interest from all the Americas in the line-up for 2009.”

No Indy Car or ALMS in Detroit

admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:47:27 +0000

Indianapolis Star are reporting that the Indy Car Grand Prix at Belle Isle in Detroit will be dropped from the schedule. Owner of the Detroit Grand Prix, Roger Penske, stated that he couldn’t in good business sense continue with the event with so many of his area businesses struggling.

This means that the ALMS and IndyCar double header that was scheduled for September 5 and 6 will be off.

Milner and Müller to race Rahal Letterman’s BMW M3

admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:04:42 +0000

Rahal Letterman Racing has now finalized the driver line-up for its 2009 American Le Mans Series GT2 challenge. The new drivers announced were long time BMW touring car veteran Dirk Müller and American Tom Milner.

Dirk Müller finished second this season in the GT2 class driving a Ferrari F430 but Müller’s involvement with BMW goes back to 2002 when he debuted for Team Schnitzer in the European Touring Car Championship. Müller’s European touring car career with Schnitzer ended after the 2006 WTCC season. The 2005 vice-champion will probably not feel too uncomfortable in a BMW M3 as he’s won the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in one.

Tom Milner raced for the Panoz GT2 team in ALMS this year but did run the Rahal Letterman Racing Aston Martin DB9 in the Speed World Challenge GT championship.

The two drivers will join Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand at the team.

“With the high level of competition already established in the ALMS GT2 class, the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team is moving into a very fast lane,” said Martin Birkmann, BMW of North America Motorsports Manager. “Previous BMW M3 and ALMS GT racing experience were critical parameters in our driver selection process. The addition of Tommy Milner and Dirk Müller to Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand gives us a highly qualified driver lineup.”

Audi R15 TDI debuts at the Twelve Hours of Sebring

admin — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:21:44 +0000

For this coming season Audi will cease using their successful R10 Le Mans Prototype and will bring the R15 TDI to track. On March 21 the R15 will debut during the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. According to Dr. Wolfgang Ulrich, head of motorsport at Audi, the step from the R10 to the R15 is much bigger than it was from the R8 to the R10. The new prototype comes equipped with a smaller, lighter and more efficient TDI engine.

The first private tests of the new LMP1 prototype are scheduled for later this year and the car will only be presented to the public immediately before the race at Sebring, in preparation for the three car assault in the 24 Hours of Le Mans later in the year.