VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, Alton, VA USA - October 4, 2006 - With a single race remaining on the 2006 Grand Am Cup schedule, Turner Motorsport is leading the Driver’s points in BOTH the Grand Sport and Street Tuner classes. Preparations are underway at the team’s Massachusetts facility for the upcoming 6-hour races at Virginia International Raceway this weekend.

In the Grand Sport Driver Championship, Turner Motorsport pilot Anders Hainer leads with a seven point edge over Pat Long and Brent Martini. Hainer and teammate Boris Said won the last round at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. Together with six other top-five finishes the #97 H&R Springs/Under Armour BMW M3 will be a serious contender come Saturday’s race.

Bill Auberlen and Chris Gleason are also in contention for the Championship and for another win on Saturday. Auberlen and Gleason have two other wins this season from behind the wheel of the #96 H&R Springs/StopTech Brakes BMW M3. They currently sit in fourth place in the overall driver’s standings.

In the Street Tuner category, Will Turner and Don Salama are also coming off a win at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. That win, plus a string of top five finishes stretching back to the third round of the season has propelled the duo to first place in the ST Driver Championship. The #95 H&R Springs/Borla Exhaust BMW 330i has done very well at Virginia in the past - finishing third in the season-ending race last year. Their lead in the Championship is 11 points over the Acura of Hugh and Matt Plumb.

This weekend’s races will be split into two 6-hour endurance events for the GS and ST classes. The 6-hour format is new for the Grand Am Cup series but should work well for the experienced Turner Motorsport team. To say that Bill Auberlen, Chris Gleason, Anders Hainer, and Boris Said have success in endurance races is a major understatement. Auberlen is a multi-time winner of the Daytona 24 Hours, Sebring 12 Hour, and the Petit Le Mans. Gleason, Auberlen and Said each have several years of experience apiece at the Le Mans 24 Hour race. Hainer has several wins in endurance races in California sports car events. Boris Said has won at Daytona, Sebring, Petit Le Mans, and the grueling Nurburgring 24 Hour race in Germany.

Turner Motorsport will have to change tactics a little bit for this weekend’s races. In preparation the team has applied its expertise to every area of the cars to make sure they remain reliable but competitive over the entire 6-hour race. The team’s sponsors were also involved to lend assistance – H&R Springs, StopTech Brakes, B&M Racing, Borla Exhaust, Pagid Brake Pads, Motul Lubricants, Piloti Driving Shoes, and F1 Boston.

The GS race on Saturday starts at 3:00pm ET. The ST race on Sunday begins at 1:00pm ET. Part of each race will be run in the Virginia twilight, adding another element of drama to an already nail-biting weekend. Unfortunately, the Speed Channel will not be broadcasting this race but Live Timing & Scoring will be shown on the Grand Am website - http://www.grandamerican.com/Events/Event.asp?ID=158.

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