09.05.2010
As the 24 hour endurance classics at the Nürburgring (DE) and Le Mans (FR) come ever closer, this weekend BMW Team Schnitzer took part in the highly competitive 1000 kilometre race in Spa Francorchamps (BE). This was the second round of the 2010 Le Mans Series featuring BMW’s ever improving 480+ bhp M3 GT2.
Dirk Müller (DE), Andy Priaulx (GB) and Augusto Farfus (BR) finished fourth in the LM GT2 class in the second round of the 2010 Le Mans Series in Spa-Francorchamps (BE) for BMW Team Schnitzer. Their no. 79 BMW M3 GT2 crossed the line one lap behind the winning Porsche pairing of Marc Lieb (DE) and Richard Lietz (AT) after six hours of racing. For Jörg Müller (DE), Dirk Werner (DE) and Uwe Alzen (DE) a top-three finish was in reach, but the number 78 car then dropped back following two “Stop and Go” penalties and an accident, eventually taking the chequered flag in 12th.
Andy Priaulx who drove in car No. 79 said, “The overall result is okay, although we could have made it on the podium today. The rain towards the end of the race didn’t really play into our hands. I was involved in a thrilling fight with the two Ferraris on the last laps though. Following the rain shower they were able to pull away, but then I could close the gap again. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get past on the final lap.“
The 1000-kilometre race in Spa-Francorchamps was a turbulent affair with safety car periods, red flags due to an electrical blackout and rain at the start and in the final part of the race. However, BMW Team Schnitzer kept its cool and celebrated its best result to date in the 2010 Le Mans Series.
“This race was good fun today. I did a double stint and found a good rhythm. The whole team did a fantastic job. Following the re-start Jörg and I were coming in at the same time for our stops – and the crew managed to send us out again without making the slightest mistake. It’s a pity we didn’t make it on the podium” , said Priaulx’s co-driver Augusto Farfus.
Next round is less than a week away, the classic Nürburgring 24h, which runs from Thursday 13th to Sunday 16th May. Check out the ADAC website to pick up last minute tickets for the event.
About Steve Davies
Steve is a media, venture, and technology advisor and a former Partner at KPMG Consulting, PriceWaterhouse Coopers and Managing Partner at EIM - his clients range from global web and media companies to small start-ups. He formed Drivers Republic (DR) in 2007, the UK's first digital automotive magazine, with a team of EVO and Autocar writers before creating SkiddMark, and also writes as a guest contributor on Unruly Media’s Meme Machine blog and for Econsultancy’s digital marketing blog.
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