MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK, Tooele, UT, USA - September 6, 2006 - Turner Motorsport set out this past weekend to score the maximum number of points possible and keep their championship hopes alive. With wins in both classes of Grand Am Cup competition, Turner Motorsport BMWs now sit atop the standings in the Grand Sport and Street Tuner classes.

The win for Will Turner and Don Salama extended their lead in the overall Street Tuner class championship to 11 points with one race remaining on the 2006 schedule. This is the second time in 3 years that the duo has led the championship going into the last race.

In this weekend’s race, Turner and Salama put together their first win of the season on the strength of a quick pit stop, well-planned strategy, and some excellent driving by Salama and Turner in the #95 H&R Springs/Borla Exhaust BMW 330i. The #95 330i made a green flag pit stop for fuel and a driver change but chose not to change tires. It was enough to get Salama back out onto the track right behind the leader whom he passed on lap 25 and never looked back.

Don Salama, #95 H&R Springs/Borla Exhaust BMW 330i:
“Will made the call not to change tires during our pit stop and it was that decision that ultimately won us the race. This track did not agree with new tires – we found that out in testing.... scuffed tires were the way to go. The #70 car changed all 4 tires in their pit stop and because of that I was able to pass them."

The overall win in the race went to Anders Hainer and Boris Said in the #97 H&R Springs/Turner Motorsport BMW M3. Hainer leapt from fourth in the overall Grand Sport standings to first place with a seven-point lead.

Hainer qualified the #97 M3 on the front row and kept the car at the front of the field until handing over to Boris Said on lap 24. For the remainder of the race Said swapped the lead with the #175 Porsche. When the Porsche slowed with mechanical problems two laps from the end, Said took the lead and brought home the first win in 2006 for the #97 M3.

Boris Said, #97 H&R Springs/Turner Motorsport BMW M3:
“It was a great battle that could have gone either way but luckily the win came to us. With the championship so close we’ll take wins any way they come to us. This was a thrilling race with the BMW and Porsche nose-to-tail for over ten laps. Our car was great from the moment we got on track and Anders drove an excellent race.”

In the #96 H&R Springs/StopTech Brakes/Turner Motorsport BMW M3, Bill Auberlen and Chris Gleason started twelfth and finished in ninth place. With their top ten finishing spot, they picked up 22 points and that preserved their fourth place standing in the GS championship.

Winning both classes in a single race is almost un-heard of. Turner Motorsport is one of the only teams that has come close in the past. To achieve this, the team owes a lot to their sponsors – H&R Springs, StopTech Brakes, B&M Racing, Borla Exhaust, Pagid Brake Pads, Motul Lubricants, and Piloti Driving Shoes. Turner Motorsport thanks these sponsors for their valuable support throughout the season

The SPEED Channel will begin broadcasts of this race on September 23 at 1:00pm ET.

The next, and final, round of the 2006 season is a 6-hour endurance race at Virginia International Raceway on October 8. All 3 TMS cars are in contention for the championship and it will all come down yet again to this last race.

Click here to see this session's official results

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