Spa 24H: BMW preview

BMW ready for 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps.

Munich, 27th July 2010. This coming weekend, Team BMW Motorsport will contest the third 24-hour race of the year in Spa-Francorchamps (BE). 2010 marks the 63rd staging of the classic in the Ardennes. BMW will be racing in the GTN class with two BMW M3 GT2 cars. Jorg Muller (DE), Pedro Lamy (PT) and Uwe Alzen (DE) will alternate at the wheel of car number 78. The second GT sports car (number 79) will be driven by Dirk Werner (DE), Dirk Muller (DE) and Dirk Adorf (DE).

The Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours is a permanent fixture on the international racing calendar, and has a regular winner: BMW cars have triumphed no less than 21 times in the past. The first victory came in 1965 thanks to local favourites Pascal Ickx (BE) and Gerard Langlois (BE) in a BMW 1800 ti. Alain Cudini (FR), Marc Duez (BE) and Eric van de Poele (BE) claimed the latest victory in a BMW 320i in 1998.

BMW most recently lined up at the "Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps" in 2004. Just weeks after Dirk Muller, Jorg Muller and Hans-Joachim Stuck emerged victorious from the Nurburgring 24 Hours in their BMW M3 GTR, the trio clinched the class victory in the GT2 category in difficult conditions in Spa -- only 22 of the 42 starters completed the race.

As Team Manager of Schnitzer, Charly Lamm has been on the pit wall at five of the 21 BMW wins. The team from Freilassing (DE) was victorious in Spa-Francorchamps in 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990 and 1995.

Jorg Muller (Car Number 78):
"Spa will be the most demanding race of the year. It is an incredibly tough race and involves driving for 24 hours on a Grand Prix circuit. There are a lot of quick corners and it is very undulating. This circuit has always been a big challenge, and that will be the case again in 2010."

Pedro Lamy (Car Number 78):
"You can ask any driver what their favourite circuit is: the answer will almost always be Spa-Francorchamps. And rightly so. As a driver, you simply cannot help but love the challenge posed by this circuit. Following our win at the Nurburgring, I am really looking forward to my second race in the BMW M3 GT2."

Uwe Alzen (Car Number 78):
"Spa is quite simply a fantastic race track. The circuit has everything, but is also great fun, as it can be driven with a very flowing style. The 24-hour race is one of the highlights of the season for me. The atmosphere is always wonderful there. I am really looking forward to it."

Dirk Werner (Car Number 79):
"It is great fun driving in Spa. From the cockpit you can really see how the layout of the circuit is incorporated into the countryside. The corner sections flow nicely and are very quick compared to other racetracks. The track is quite wide and the kerbs, which are very flat so as to suit Formula One cars, can be included in the racing line. You have to take particular care not to damage the car by pushing too hard."

Dirk Muller (Car Number 79):
"We have already performed well in Spa-Francorchamps with the BMW M3 GTR. Furthermore, the circuit formed part of the calendar for the FIA GT Championship when I won it in 2007. We were able to gain our first experience with the BMW M3 GT2 on this circuit at the 1000-kilometre race in the Le Mans Series. Now it gets serious. I hope we can also finish the 24-hour race at the front of the field."

Dirk Adorf (Car Number 79):
"In many regards the Spa-Francorchamps circuit is similar to the Nurburgring- Nordschleife. However, you can take a far more aggressive approach in Spa. Blanchimont and Eau Rouge are two points on the circuit where you have to summon up all your courage as a driver and rely on the perfect set-up of your car. It goes without saying that fitness also plays a major role in Spa. However, if you are at one with the car and feel comfortable behind the wheel then you will not only be quick, but also stay cool in the truest sense of the word." Note

-source: bmw