(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)
Turner Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 Robbed of GTD Win At VIR
GS Podium Finish Keeps Tuner BMW M4 GT4 In Front.
Oct. 11, 2021 – Newton, NH ---
It all looked so good – until it wasn’t. Saturday’s IMSA GTD race saw everything go Turner Motorsport’s way until 11 minutes before the checkered flag waved.
Robby Foley led the class from the pole in the No. 96 Liqui-Moly BMW M6 GT3 and handed the car over to Bill Auberlen who continued to lead the field. Auberlen was running in P1, clearly focused on his 65th IMSA victory - then it happened.
Antonio Garcia racing in the GTLM class, where everyone gets a trophy because there are only 3 cars competing, made a unnecessary dive bomb move on Auberlen where the 'Vette driver lost control and crashed into the side of the BMW causing Auberlen and himself to spin.
The Turner team’s hard fought win was gone, and the team is all but out of the title hunt. Auberlen ultimately finished 12th. The duo now stands fifth in GT Daytona points.
Move over Lexus. There’s a new sheriff in town.
Will Turner - "Super disappointed for the team, García's mistake ended our championship hopes. The guy didn't even come over to apologize. Classless is the word that comes to mind"
On Sunday, The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race saw the team gain a bit of redemption in post-race technical inspection to move up to third with the No. 95 BMW M4 GT4, of Auberlen and Dillon Machavern, after finishing fourth on track. Vin Barletta and Robby Foley finished 11th in the No. 96 BMW M4 GT4. Leading the championship coming into VIR, Auberlen and Machavern ran a strong race, starting with another Machavern pole position. The third-place finish gives the pair a 30-point lead heading to the final race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Will Turner – “It was awfully close to being our weekend – again – at VIR. It looks like the race winner at Road Atlanta will win the IMPC Grand Sport championship, so we still have a lot to play for.”
The final weekend of the season takes place at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, in Braselton, Ga., Nov. 10 – 13. The Michelin Pilot Challenge finale – the Fox Factory 120 – takes the green flag on Nov. 12. NBC’s live coverage of Motul Petit Le Mans will start at noon ET Nov. 13 and go until 3 p.m., when NBCSN takes over the coverage until the checkered flag.
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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.
