Racing News Article #539 | Turner Motorsport

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Racing News Article #539

Turner Motorsport Has a BIG Petit Le Mans Weekend.

Wins 2 Championships

Finishes 2nd in the 10 hour race

Newton, NH --- Oct. 16, 2023

The Petit Le Mans weekend was indeed a big one for Turner Motorsport. The team added the VP Racing Challenge GSX and Michelin Pilot Challenge GS titles to the seven it has previously won, making a total of nine championships won for BMW since 1998. Competing in 58 races with BMW this season, Turner now has amassed 535 races for The Ultimate Driving Machine® - second only to the legendary Schnitzer Motorsport.

Will Turner said, “We ended our first 25 years of professional racing with two championships. Congratulations to Francis on the VP Racing Challenge GSX title and to Vin and Robby on the Michelin Pilot Challenge GS championship. Thank you to BMW for the unwavering support over all of the years. The Petit Le Mans finish was a wild one and I think was a fitting end to a great Turner Motorsport weekend.”

VP Racing Challenge – BMW M4 GT4

With two more podium finishes (P2 and P3) at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta added to his 2023 VP Racing Challenge season total Francis Selldorff won the GSX class championship in the No. 95 BMW M4 GT4. All told this season – his very first racing season - he scored six podiums, three top-five, and three top-10 finishes.

“It was an awesome season,” said Selldorff. “This is my first full year racing and it was a ton of fun. I love the Turner team. We switched from the F82 to the new G82 M4 GT4 about half-way through the season and I don’t think I finished worse than fourth after the switch.”

A recap of this weekend’s races will air on CNBC on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 10:30 a.m.

Michelin Pilot Challenge – BMW M4 GT4

When the checkered flag waved to end the two-hour Fox Factory 120, at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, it looked as if the 13th place finish for the No. 96 BMW M4 GT4, of Vin Barletta and Robby Foley, was going to be a few points short of the 2023 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge GS class championship. As the stewards addressed a few penalties post race and cars were moved to the rear of the field things began to look better. A check with the team, still sitting on the pit box, showed a confident Don Salama. “I’m pretty sure we’ve got it,” he stated. He was right. The car was ultimately moved up to an 11th place finishing position and, by a scant 10 points, Vin and Robby, were GS driver champions and Turner Motorsport was the GS team champion. Taco ‘bout drama!

The Fox Factory 120 will be re-broadcast on CNBC at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 22.

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – BMW M4 GT3

Both the Turner BMW M4 GT3 cars ran strongly throughout the entire Petit Le Mans race, but it was the final restart in the closing minutes that really changed the outcome for the team. With the No. 96 LIQUI-MOLY car ready to restart in fifth and the No. 97 McIntosh car in ninth the green flag waved. The ensuing crashes brought out the yellow flag again, but not before Foley moved up three positions to score the third runner-up finish of the season and Auberlen grabbed two positions to finish seventh.

“It seemed like everyone in front of me was too busy hitting each other than driving forward,” said Foley. “Luckily I picked the right line through the crashing, but that was a crazy lap. We did not have the fastest car in the race today, but the team executed flawlessly and Patrick and Michael delivered great stints. It’s awesome to end the season with another P2 finish.”

Stay tuned for news on 2024 as Turner Motorsport enters its 26th season professionally racing BMWs.

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