(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)
Mid-Ohio GTD Class Victory Goes to Turner Motorsport! First BMW M4 GT3 Win For Taco Warriors.
May 16, 2022 – Newton, NH
Turner Motorsport had to wait a few hours after the checkered flag flew ending the IMSA Mid-Ohio Grand Prix to be declared the GTD class winner, but as soon as post-race technical inspection found the provisional winner was underweight, the first place trophies were handed over and taco dinner reservations were made.
At the race’s end, with all GTD class front runners saving enough fuel to finish, it appeared that the No. 96 BMW came within less than one second of repeating the team’s 2021 win at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, but ultimately the race ended in tech earning Bill Auberlen and Robby Foley their very first IMSA win with the new BMW M4 GT3. Auberlen and Foley combined to lead a class-high 40 laps of the 110 raced in the two-hour-and-forty-minute contest. The win is the second consecutive podium for the team after a third place finish at Laguna Seca and the duo now stands firmly in third place in championship driver points and second in sprint cup points.
Tuner Motorsport now has five GT class win at Mid-Ohio; 2010, 2012, 2013, 2021, and 2022.
The win, in his 507th race in a BMW, increases Auberlen’s lead in IMSA all-time victories to a record 65. “It ain’t over until the tech guy sings - so to speak,” said a delighted Will Turner. “We’re still mystified about how the race ended as the provisional winner had a such a fast pace while we had Bill on full fuel save. Don (Salama) had our fuel calculated to the last liter. I am very proud we could give the new BMW M4 GT3 its second IMSA win in only the car’s fifth race.”
Bill Auberlen, Turner Motorsport (P1) – “I’ve lost a win like this too. I’ve had them come and take the trophies away and I’ve had them give the trophies to me. I’ve already had a call from Bryan Sellers. He’s like, ‘Where’s my second-place trophy?’ I’m like, ‘Wait a minute; I need the first-place trophy!”
Robby Foley, Turner Motorsport (P1) – “Today’s race was a weird one because everyone was saving fuel. I’m not sure how the McLaren went as long as it did. Our strategy was a good one. Two podium finishes in a row gives us some good momentum heading to the next race in Detroit.”
The next race for the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship GTD teams is the Detroit Grand Prix on June 3-4. The Michelin Pilot Challenge teams will be back in action during the Sahlen’s Six Hours Of The Glen weekend, at Watkins Glen International, on June 23 – 26.
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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.
