Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – Aug. 26, 2009… The month of August has been the most intense period on the 2009 American Le Mans Series calendar. The rush of events at Mid-Ohio, Road America and now Mosport provide race fans with nearly uninterrupted action. The BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team heads to Canada and Mosport International Raceway fresh from its first GT2 win on August 16 at Road America, where the No. 90 M3 of Joey Hand and Bill Auberlen led a one-two class sweep for the team in only the seventh race of its inaugural season.
With three high-profile events remaining in the season, the team has had no time for rest. Mosport is known as the fastest track in the history of the American Le Mans Series. The circuit’s high-speed corners and elevation changes require complete preparation and focus by the crew and drivers. The two-hour-and-forty-five-minute race will also provide an excellent opportunity to fine tune for the equally demanding Road Atlanta and the grueling ten-hour Petit Le Mans on September 26.
“Going into the season we had hoped to become quickly competitive, but our opponents continue to raise the bar week after week,” said Martin Birkmann, BMW of North America Motorsport Manager. “The win is a result of all parties growing together more closely and a desire for victory. Nonetheless – it is a huge relief. The confidence that we can challenge the best teams will allow us now to continue to push hard for the remaining three events. There are still a lot of points to go around, and we would like to collect many of them.”
“The win at Road America marks the point where we hit our stride as a new team this season,” said Bobby Rahal. “At Mosport, you must be sharp and focused to win, so I believe this is the perfect time for our team’s first attempt at the track.”
The Mobil 1 Grand Prix of Mosport is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 30 and will be broadcast live on SPEED television.
About the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team:
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupes. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car centers, 335 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 142 BMW motorcycle retailers, 83 MINI passenger car dealers, and 30 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
BMW’s partner, Rahal Letterman Racing, based in Hilliard, Ohio and co-owned by three-time IndyCar Champion and 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal and CBS LATE SHOW host David Letterman, has been competing for more than a decade compiling 20 victories, 30 poles and one series championship (Bobby Rahal in 1992 in CART) and an Indianapolis 500 championship (Buddy Rice in 2004). In 2008 Rahal Letterman Racing again won Rookie-of-the-Year honors at the Indianapolis 500 and partnered with Andersen Racing to run two entries in the Indy Pro Series. In 2009 the team has joined BMW of North America to campaign the new BMW M3 as BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team in the American Le Mans Series and will also serve as the organizers of the Formula BMW Americas championship.
Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:
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www.press.bmw-motorsport.com
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