Grand-Am
SCC: Laguna Seca: Turner Motorsports race notes
TURNER WINS AT LAGUNA SECA LAGUNA SECA RACEWAY, Monterey, CA, USA (May 18, 2009) -- It was only four years ago in 2005 that Turner Motorsport earned the distinction of being the first team to win a Grand Am Cup race with a BMW M3. And this ...
Edited: Dec 21, 2009, 5:24 AM
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TURNER WINS AT LAGUNA SECA
LAGUNA SECA RACEWAY, Monterey, CA, USA (May 18, 2009) -- It was only four years ago in 2005 that Turner Motorsport earned the distinction of being the first team to win a Grand Am Cup race with a BMW M3. And this past Saturday, the Turner Team achieved yet another such milestone. In only its fourth racing appearance ever, the Turner Motorsport ST class E90 328i made racing history as the first E90 chassis BMW to win in Grand Am racing, winning Round 4 of the Grand-Am KONI Challenge at Laguna Seca Raceway.
After several strong practice sessions, veteran TMS driver Don Salama bested all during qualifying, and put the H&R Springs/Stoptech Brakes 328i to the pole position. From his P1 start, Salama kept his E90 in the lead pack with a nearly perfect session before making his carefully planned pit-stop. Salama then handed the car off to team owner and co-driver Will Turner, who engaged in several exciting duels on his way back to the lead. Turner's final and most exciting pass came during the last lap of the race, passing the challenging Mazda for P1, and crossing the finish line for Turner Motorsport's first ST win of the season. Turner also turned the fastest lap of the day for the ST class. You'll want to see the TV coverage of this battle to the end, so make sure you either watch or set your DVR to SPEED this Saturday at 12 eastern.
It was a much tougher day for the GS class Turner Motorsport E46 M3s. With one win under his belt, TMS driver Matt Bell qualified the #96 Turner Motorsport / MOTUL Lubricants M3 to the pole position. He led the 38-car field for 23 laps before his co-driver, motorsport legend Boris Said, took the wheel. After a strong showing and phenomenal piloting by both drivers, unforeseen motor problems forced Boris to pit for repairs. They would finish 15th overall.
The #97 H&R Springs/StopTech Brakes M3 suffered similar dismal luck, with a broken steering rack early in the race. The damage forced TMS driver Chris Gleason out of the race for repairs. After promising practices and an 8th position start, he and co-driver Justin Marks would finish 19th overall. This comes after the #97's strong 2nd place podium finish at New Jersey earlier this month.
This weekend the TMS Team rolls into Lakeville, CT for a long Memorial Day Weekend of racing at Lime Rock Park -- Turner Motorsport's official "home track". The stage will be set for Round 5 of the KONI Challenge, as well as other fun and exciting events, including the Historic Grand Prix -- a collection of notable, authentic F1 racing cars from the 60s-80s.
-credit: tm
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