BMW Team PTG notes 2001-08-14

Four Races in Six Weeks Plus.
Four races in just six weeks makes for a busy July and August for BMW Team PTG, but the team is not too busy to support the American Le Mans Series. Team PTG participated in an important press conference in Washington D.C. on August 9 and at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, this past weekend in an ALMS series promotion at the CART race there.

A Capital Idea
On August 9, Washington D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams and the D.C. Sports & Entertainment Commission announced a 10-year agreement with National Grand Prix Holdings, LLC, to host the "National Grand Prix of Washington, D.C." on the grounds of RFK Memorial Stadium. The first event will be a round of the American Le Mans Series on July 21, 2002. Team PTG attended the press conference, with driver Niclas Jönsson and team owner Tom Milner representing BMW. PTG also displayed one of its BMW M3 race cars with the capitol building as a backdrop - even starting up the M3 to give the assembled media a serious sound bite.

Tom Milner, owner Prototype Technology Group, located in Winchester, Va.:
"We now have a race in, arguably, the most important city in the world and it is right in my backyard! Fantastic! The time has finally come that after 33 years of racing I can invite all my hometown friends to a race. The National Grand Prix is another great opportunity for the American Le Mans Series as it elevates its program another step. For people who are serious about sports car racing there is only one series - the ALMS."

Niclas Jönsson, driver of No. 10 PTG M3 GTR in the 2001 ALMS:
"A street course is always exciting. I've looked at the track layout and it may be only about 1.7 miles long, but the circuit looks to have all the ingredients to hold a safe, exciting and competitive race. And best of all it looks like a BMW track."

Mid-Ohio
Another first for the ALMS will occur on August 25 when the series comes to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for round 6 of the 2001 championship. Along with the LMP900s of Rinaldo Capello and Klaus Graf, Team PTG driver Niclas Jönsson drove one of PTG's BMW M3 race cars around the 2.25-mile circuit at this past weekend's CART race, during a special demonstration in front of Mid-Ohio's large crowd.

Niclas Jönsson, driver of No. 10 PTG M3 GTR:
"We ran approximately 30 minutes over Saturday and Sunday. Quite a large number of fans made a point of visiting the ALMS paddock to check out our cars and they were all very positive towards us.

"The three of us (Jönsson, Capello and Graf) had never been to Mid-Ohio before so it was time well spent. Mid-Ohio is a very challenging circuit. I now have a good idea of it and can really think about it and prepare before we return in two weeks."

Tom Salkowsky, motorsports manager, BMW of North America, LLC:
"We are excited to be racing at Mid-Ohio not only because it will be the first visit for the American Le Mans Series, but Dublin, Ohio, is the home of BMW Financial Services - one of the co-sponsors of BMW Team PTG. We hope the members of BMW FS will be able to join our dealers and car club members at the race and watch the new M3 GTR. BMW FS is a very important component within BMW's portfolio and many of the new BMW's on the road today are leased through BMW Financial services."

-BMW