BMW Team PTG dominates 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place at Infineon Raceway!

[E36DJ]

Bill Auberlen led BMW Team PTG teammates Boris Said, Hans Stuck and Justin Marks to a dominating and historic first through fourth place finish at the Grand Prix of Sonoma SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT Round Six race at Infineon Raceway.

Auberlen started from the pole and led the entire race, finishing with a 6.75sec lead at an average speed 81.529mph for the 25-lap, 63-mile race.

“With a BMW, it is easy here compared to everyone else,” Auberlen said of BMW’s dominance over the competition. “I would use the jump on the start and I would get a little bit of a gap. I noticed if I could get a gap, then I could hold it. I couldn’t pull away, but I could just stay there.”

BMW Team PTG is the first team in SPEED World Challenge GT history to have its drivers finish first through fourth. Several teams previously finished first through third, most recently in 1999.

“Team PTG prepared a great car here,” Auberlen said. “They have so much experience coming here with this car. You come, the car is pretty good and we make a few modifications to it. When you got a team like Boris, Hans and Justin, you have the best drivers.”

Teammates Stuck and Said battled for second during the race’s later stages, including putting an impressive move on the lapped car of Mark Kibort following a full-course caution for oil on the track at lap 14. On the restart, Stuck and Said split Kibort, going three wide through turn one. Said took over the second with three laps to go, relegating Stuck to third.

“It’s much better to have Boris in my car as my teammate, at least I wouldn’t have to battle with him,” Stuck said of his battle with Said. “I know how strong he is and we both like the same car setup. So, I know where his car was good and my car was better. I couldn’t think of anyone else that I could go door-to-door with and still leave enough room for each other. You couldn’t do it without being as good of friends as we are. I really enjoyed this fight today. It is one of the best I’ve ever had.”

Said called the race with Stuck a “lot of fun.”

“I’m watching [Stuck and Said] in my mirror battling back-and-forth and I’m wondering what’s going on back there,” Auberlen said describing his battling teammates. “Every time I would come out of Turn 11, they would come in there side by side. It looked like a good race.”

Team PTG driver Marks finished fourth and the Aggregate Industries Corvette piloted by Phil McClure completed the top-five.

The Champion Racing Audis struggled from the start of the race as defending series champion Michael Galati and John Young’s Saleen bumped at the standing start. It was also a disappointing finish for point leader Randy Pobst, as he cut a tire late in the race and finished 15th. It was the first time in 14 races that Pobst did not finish on the podium.

With the win, Auberlen takes over the GT drivers championship lead with 162, followed by Pobst, with 153, McClure, with 151, Stuck, with 124, and Marks, with 106.

BMW maintains the manufacturers’ championship presented by RACER magazine lead with 40 points, followed by Audi, with 28, Chevrolet, with 26, and Porsche, with 19.

The SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT Championship heads to Road America Aug. 1-3 for the Mario Andretti Grand Prix at Road America in Elkart Lake , Wis.

Today’s race will air at 5:00 p.m. (ET) Saturday, Aug. 2 on SPEED Channel.

[xmdfmk7x]

That's the way it should be! Excellent work for PTG!

[Suneal]

Go PTG! That is the way it should be!
Edit: Damnit! I won't be home in time from Sebring/DTM Summer Blaze to watch it They'll replay it, whatever...

[SI///M3]

That is freaking awesome! Go PTG!!! Can't wait to watch that on TV!!

[Duckydos]

Way to go PTG... so, when do I get to drive?

[DevilM3]

Eh isso ae Audi lixo...

That´s great Audi sux...

[esp1976]

Does anyone know if that is getting replayed?

[E36DJ]

Aug. 2nd.

I heard the PTG people are wearing shirts that say "Follow this.." with a rear pic of the PTG M3s.
(You know.. Audi's slogan: Never Follow)

[esp1976]

Those shirts would be sweet, that's hilarious

[Agaru_Vala]

DAM GO GET THEM GUYS SHOW THEM BMW OWNS,
I think audi needs a new saying lol

[Trucker4186]

Go PTG!!!

Audi: "Where that damn PTG BMW go?...ah well who cares, im still ahead "

**sssshhhhhooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmm**

Audi: " ....Damn...."

.....PTG BMW flies past the Audi...hehehe

...Just goes to show that overall....AUDI'S EAT BMW DUST!!!

[inf0strada]

At the winners circle Bill Auberlen says to the mic:

"The only chance of winning Audi had is if they were racing a BMW."

My girlfriend and I laughed our asses off

[TomM]

Wasn't Bill's quote great? BMW said they couldn't have thought of a better catch line than that.

"If Audi wanted to win this weekend, they would have had to buy a BMW."

Next race is Road America and if we even finish in the top 5 there, it will be a miracle. We decided to go balls out from day one at Sears to do just what we did, get 1-2-3-4 and score as many points as possible. BMW is now ahead by 12 points over Audi and Bill is a 6 or 8 points ahead of Randy Pobst.

Randy also got "Power Move of the Race" for his start. And to quote Hans "Randy should get the Stupid Move of the Race instead." Randy and his Quattro decided to hit not one, but two cars even before the first turn right off the start. He ended up running his right front tire to the core with a few laps to go putting him even further back scoring even fewer points.

But the performance of the weekend UNDOUBTEDLY goes to Justin Marks. He battled through a few Audi's, a Porsche, and a Corvette to take the 4th spot and completing the 1-2-3-4. Justin is coming on strong and is ahead of Boris in points right now.

Tom

PS - Here is a shot of that T-Shirt Alex was talking about.

[esp1976]

That is a sweet shirt, thanks for attaching it.

[Agaru_Vala]

IS there going to be a vid or that race ?, and nice mini TomM