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BMW Racing News

Turner Motorsport Racing News & Press Feed

6/26/2006

Auberlen and Gleason Claim Second Victory In A Row; Hainer Takes Championship Lead

MID OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE, Lexington, OH - June 26, 2006 - Turner Motorsport pilots Chris Gleason and Bill Auberlen scored their second-straight Grand Sport win in the Grand Am Cup series with a victory Sunday at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course. Gleason and Auberlen won the last round of the series at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut in May. Their teammate Anders Hainer moved into the overall Championship lead with his fifth-place finish.

The #96 H&R Springs/StopTech Brakes/Gleason Financial BMW M3 topped the time sheets in Friday practice, giving an early indication of the performance of the BMWs at the twisty Mid Ohio course. Gleason qualified the car in tenth place and handed off to Auberlen during one of the race’s caution periods. Auberlen kept the car in the top ten and pushed the M3 up through the field, eventually taking the lead on lap 62. This is Auberlen’s seventh Grand Am Cup victory (all in Turner motorsport BMW's) and Gleason’s second. The win launched them into a six-way tie for second place overall in the Championship.

Bill Auberlen, #96 H&R Springs/StopTech Brakes/Gleason Financial BMW M3:
“The BMWs did very well here. I think our biggest advantage came from the StopTech Brakes on our cars. This track has a lot of corners and a lot of passing opportunities in braking zones and our cars were perfectly setup for it. StopTech is the class of the field in terms of braking. I also have to give thanks to H&R and the Turner Motorsport crew – our car was excellent today.”

The other Turner Motorsport Grand Sport (GS) entry was driven by Anders Hainer and Nic Jonsson. Hainer was only three points shy of the Championship lead coming into the race but now leads the GS class Championship thanks to his fifth place finish. Hainer qualifed the #97 H&R Springs/Under Armour BMW M3 on the second-row.

Hainer’s usual co-driver is Boris Said but he had a NASCAR Nextel Cup commitment at Infineon Raceway in California this weekend. BMW factory driver Joey Hand was scheduled to substitute for Said but he was involved in a spectacular crash on Saturday in a BMW while leading the Rolex GT race. He was not seriously injured but could not compete in Sunday’s Grand Am Cup event. At the last minute, Nic Jonsson joined his fellow Swede in the #97 H&R Springs/Under Armour BMW M3.