PTG BMW M3s Nid-Ohio Friday Practice

PROTOTYPE TECHNOLOGY GROUP - Press Notes for Friday, June 12, 1998 United States Road Racing Classic at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Lexington, Ohio) PTG BMW M3s OPEN PRACTICE AT MID-OHIO IN THE TOP THREE In their first-ever visit to the scenic ...

Edited: May 8, 2001, 12:19 PM

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PROTOTYPE TECHNOLOGY GROUP - Press Notes for Friday, June 12, 1998 United States Road Racing Classic at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Lexington, Ohio)

PTG BMW M3s OPEN PRACTICE AT MID-OHIO IN THE TOP THREE In their first-ever visit to the scenic Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the Nos. 10 and 1 PTG BMW M3s recorded the second- and third-fastest GT3-class practice times today for Sunday's 2½-hour United States Road Racing Classic combined Can-Am/GT race sanctioned by the USRRC. Bill Auberlen and Boris Said, in the No. 10 Yokohama/Fina BMW M3 four-door, toured the 2.25-mile Mid-Ohio layout in 1 minute, 29.866 seconds (an average of 90.134 mph), second in class only to the No. 23 Porsche 911 RSR of Cort Wagner and Darryl Havens. PTG's Ross Bentley and Mark Simo, in the No. 1 Yokohama/Fina BMW M3 four-door, recorded the third-fastest time in GT3 at 1:31.445 (88.577 mph). Practice and qualifying are set for Saturday.

BILL AUBERLEN, No. 10 Yokohama/Fina BMW M3 Four-Door: "I haven't been on this track in years (since driving his own IMSA GTU car in the early 1990s), but my second lap out there was my fastest today. This is the first time here for the M3s. We've definitely got our work cut out for us. We'll need to develop some front-end grip. There are concrete patches in the middle of every turn, which makes it rather tricky. We'll get there, but we'll have to do it in a very limited amount of time." (NOTE: Auberlen is fresh off a fourth-place finish at last weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans. The defending SPORTS CAR GT3 driver's champion spent 11 hours behind the wheel of a BMW V12-powered McLaren F1 GTR privateer entry in his Le Mans debut. Auberlen was named a BMW factory driver for the first time this season and also is competing in the International Sports Racing Series, driving a BMW-powered Riley & Scott World Sports Car for BMW Team Rafanelli.

BORIS SAID, No. 10 Yokohama/Fina BMW M3 Four-Door: "The ribs are a little sore today, but it only hurts when I get in and out of the car. Once I'm in the seat, it's fine. (NOTE: Said bruised two ribs on his right side last weekend, having been collected in a multi-truck accident during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Texas World Speedway. He drives in that series for a team co-owned by PTG BMW teammate Mark Simo and NASCAR veteran Ernie Irvan.) It was pretty good for the first session of the weekend. We'll need to work on a few little things that will make a big difference. We're doing great on the asphalt, but transitioning to and from the concrete patches makes it a challenge."

ROSS BENTLEY, No. 1 Yokohama/Fina BMW M3 Four-Door: "It sure looks a lot different out there than it does in an Indy car (NOTE: Bentley's only other career Mid-Ohio appearance was in a Dale Coyne Racing Indy car in 1993). One of the things about this track is the more laps you spend out there, the better you get. Some tracks you come out fast, right out of the box. But here, there's so much going on that it takes a bit of time to get the rhythm down." (NOTE: Bentley has won the last two GT3 events for the PTG BMW M3 team - at Homestead May 17, and at Lime Rock May 25.)

REVISED MID-OHIO TELEVISION SCHEDULE: The USRRC announced that Sunday's broadcast of the United States Road Racing Classic from Mid-Ohio has been moved to Fox Sports Net and will begin on a same-day, tape-delayed basis at 7:00 p.m. EDT. The race will be rebroadcast on Sunday, June 21, by Speedvision beginning at 1:00 p.m. EDT.

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