(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)
All Turner Motorsport Drivers in Top-Five of IMSA And IMPC Points Standings.
Newton, NH. – June 21, 2021
With the Covid-19 pandemic still affecting Canada, IMSA will not head North of the Border this season, and will hold the next two rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series at Watkins Glen International, in Watkins Glen, N.Y. Depending on the outcomes of four races held within five days of each other, Turner Motorsport will enjoy two weeks in New York’s Finger Lakes region or, to paraphrase W.C. Fields, second prize is two weeks at Watkins Glen.
Always looking on the bright side the Turner team arrives at the classic 3.4 mile, 11-turn circuit in a particularly good frame of mind. And, why not? Turner Motorsport is off to a great start in 2021. Bill Auberlen and Robby Foley (ably assisted by Australian Aidan Read in the endurance rounds, along with the “Boy Wonder”, Colton Herta at Daytona) have a win at Mid-Ohio and stand at the top of the GT Daytona class endurance race driver points and third in sprint race points.
In Michelin Pilot Challenge standings, No. 96 BMW M4 GT4 drivers Vin Barletta and Robby Foley stand second in Grand Sports (GS) driver points with three top-10 finishes in the first three rounds of the season, including one podium (P3, Daytona). Bill Auberlen and Dillon Machavern stand fourth in GS points. A DNF at Mid-Ohio has them down a bit after podium finishes (P2 -Daytona, P3 – Sebring) in the first two rounds of the season.
Turner Motorsport is twice a GT class winner at the Sahlen’s Six Hour, so they know their way to victory lane. They won in 2014 and 2018, but surprisingly never with Bill Auberlen behind the wheel. Auberlen has won the GT class at the Six Hours three times (2002, 2004 and 2017) so, as always, the Turner-Auberlen combination is a strong one at Watkins Glen.
“Back-to-back races at the Glen are kind of perfect for us,” said Will Turner, Team Principal. “I love the track and we have had lots of success there over the years. The circuit seems to suit the strengths of a BMW, but the competition is fierce, so I am certainly not counting any chickens. All-together, the team will face 10 hours of competition this weekend and almost five hours the next. Will we love NY? Stay tuned.”
Bill Auberlen – “Watkins Glen is a track that every driver loves to challenge. Having the added pressure of four races in some five days will keep the entire Turner team on their toes. Watkins Glen just might be where the titles are ultimately decided.”
Robby Foley – “Unfortunately, last year with the pandemic we were unable to race at the Glen so it’s great to be back! Besides being a great track for our BMWs, it is always one of my favorites. Six hours is long enough to be considered an endurance round, but this race is always intense and flat out like a sprint. To win you have to be fast and with high average speeds closing rates between prototypes and GT cars is high, so staying out of trouble in traffic is key.”
Aidan Read – “I have high hopes for Six Hours of The Glen. The Turner Motorsport team and BMW M6 GT3 have been performing very well so far this season. I am excited to go to The Glen with this package and aim for the win. I’m looking forward to joining Bill, Robby and the team again and working hard to put together a strong weekend.”
In Michelin Pilot competition, Bill Auberlen and Dillon Machavern raced the No. 95 BMW M4 GT4 to consecutive podium finishes (P2 – Daytona, P3 – Sebring) in the first two rounds this season before an off-weekend at Mid-Ohio resulted in the duo’s first dnf of the year. They stand fourth in driver points. Vin Barletta and Robby Foley stand second in driver points with two top-five and one seventh place result in the No. 96 BMW M4 GT4. This weekend’s four-hour and the next Friday’s two-hour race will close the first half of the 2021 IMPC season.
HOW TO WATCH
Weekend No. 1 - The IMPC Tioga Downs Casino Resort 240 will stream live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold Saturday, June 26 beginning at 2:00 p.m. A two-hour rebroadcast of the race can be seen on NBCSN beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 30th. The IMSA Sahlen’s Six Hours Of The Glen will stream live at 10:35 a.m. ET Sunday, June 27 on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold, with the NBCSN telecast airing at 7 p.m. ET.
Only Five Days Later – The IMPC Sahlen’s 120 At The Glen will stream live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold at 2:35 p.m. Saturday, July 2. The NBCSN broadcast will air on Tuesday, July 6 at 5:00 p.m. ET. The IMSA WeatherTech 240 will stream live on Track Pass on NBC Sports Gold beginning at 6:10 p.m. ET Saturday, July 2.
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About Turner Motorsport
Turner Motorsport is the leading BMW tuner in North America, bringing technology and expertise from the racetrack to the street for over two decades. Since 1993 the Turner Motorsport Team has competed in over 380 professional races, winning seven professional racing championships in four different series since 2003. The most recent being the 2014 Team Championship in the GTD-class of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Their success is passed into every component that Turner Motorsport designs and sells through their comprehensive website and performance showroom. Our Race Team, R&D Engineers and Sales Team work together, ensuring practical knowledge and state-of-the-art engineering flow in both directions. Few companies in North America can claim such a close relationship to what they sell and what they race.
