The BimmerWorld GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series team is busy preparing for a new season of racing with its three-car BMW 328i Street Tuner program, and as confirmed on Friday, it will continue with full support from CRC Industries.

As Julie Williams, CRC Industries’ Marketing Manager says, BimmerWorld is a perfect partner to help promote CRC Brakleen® Brake Parts Cleaner through the rigors of production-based endurance racing.

“There are many reasons CRC Industries has been partnering with BimmerWorld for years,” she said. “What stands out the most is the approachable-nature of the entire BimmerWorld team; they interact with fans and customers with the same passion and enthusiasm with which they race. Fan-interaction is important for maximizing our CRC and Brakleen® brand exposure. Additionally, BimmerWorld mirrors the values, principles and integrity of CRC Industries and we consider them a valuable extension of our company. We are certainly pleased to announce an expanded partnership in 2012.”

Williams also says that BimmerWorld’s participation in the highly respected and hotly contested GRAND-AM Continental Tire Series has helped to drive awareness towards CRC Industries’ high-performance products.

“A sponsorship like what we have with BimmerWorld allows our CRC brand and quality message to come to life in the real world; something consumers can see, touch and get excited about brings a dimensionality to our brand that doesn’t otherwise exist,” she said. “Having CRC visibly involved in a sport where our products are so relevant reiterates the credibility of our brand, too. Motorsports sponsorship is also a vehicle for CRC to support the automotive industry and that’s important to us and our customers.”

BimmerWorld owner/driver James Clay was not only pleased to announce the news of his continued relationship with CRC Industries, but echoed many of the same sentiments that were shared by Williams.

“We have been working with CRC since early in our pro racing days,” he said. “It is important to our team to have sponsors like CRC that believe in what we are doing and support us for a Championship effort. And it is important to me to have top-tier sponsors with us that I really believe in and whose products we use on a regular basis. CRC Brakleen® is the industry leader as a brake parts cleaner and I think it is a natural fit for our fans and customers who are accustomed to expecting the best.”

Following an announcement in early December where Clay revealed his team of BMW experts would field three of the 328i models in the ST category, Williams says one car in particular will stand out to the legions of Brakleen® users.

“CRC is excited to announce the unveiling of the No. 82 CRC BRAKLEEN® car during the 50th Anniversary weekend of the Rolex 24 At Daytona,” she explained. “BimmerWorld’s No. 82 entry will have a full CRC Brakleen® wrap for the entire 2012 season. We tested a few different wrap liveries last season with undeniable benefits so we are enthusiastic about promoting CRC Brakleen®, the No. 1-selling brake parts cleaner, on a car that fans can follow all season. It will surely be an exciting year!”

As a manufacturer of premium automotive products, Williams says CRC Industries will also supply BimmerWorld with its full range of chemicals to keep its fleet of BMWs headed towards victory lane.

“CRC Brakleen® is the brake parts cleaner of choice for technicians and DIY’ers, and it’s no accident that we are BimmerWorld’s preferred line of specialty maintenance chemicals,” she said. “CRC products are quality-driven and for more than 50 years have been manufactured to maximize customer satisfaction. Our customers depend on us to never sacrifice quality for price,” Williams said. CRC is a global company and leader in production of cleaners, degreasers, lubricants, leak-solutions, greases and gear-oils for the automotive, heavy duty, marine, industrial, electrical and aviation markets. CRC trademarked brands include: CRC®, K&W®, Sta-Lube®, and Marykate®. “We offer a vast range of products to meet every chemical-maintenance need; and if we don’t have it, we’ll make it!”

With just over a month to go until the opening of the 2012 racing season, Clay says his technicians have been putting CRC’s products to use on a daily basis and in a variety of applications.

“We use CRC products extensively on the race team,” he said. “We go through cases of Brakleen® as it is critical to us to keep all the parts on the cars clean so we can easily inspect for and see potential damage and problems. But the CRC lineup of car and equipment care chemicals is incredibly deep and we also use a massive list of other items from them for needs we sometimes don’t even know we have – we just serviced the liftgate on the transporter with CRC Inner Slide Lube. They really do seem to have a product for every need we come up with.”

Drivers for the No. 82 CRC BRAKLEEN® entry will be announced shortly, along with the rest of the BimmerWorld Racing lineup, and be sure to follow the team throughout the year at www.BimmerWorldRacing.com.

Visit www.facebook.com/crcauto and “Like” CRC Industries to access updates and special offers.

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Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

With its third full season of GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge racing just around the corner, BimmerWorld has finalized plans to increase its presence in the Street Tuner class while undertaking a major new program to expand its line of BMW M3 V8 performance products.

After entering GRAND-AM in 2010 with two ST 328is, scoring two wins, two poles, finishing second in the championship and delivering Rookie of the Year honors for driver Bill Heumann, BimmerWorld continued with its 328is in 2011 and added a pair of Grand Sport-class BMW M3 V8s to the stable.

For 2012, and with customer demand at an all-time high, the Dublin, Va.-based BMW experts will return with a third 328i ST car, forming what should be the team’s most effective program to date.

“The move to three ST cars accomplishes a few things for our race team,” said BimmerWorld owner/driver James Clay. “As we continue to develop cars in a tightly competitive race field, we will be able to increase the development pace and attention that this BMW model receives. Additionally, with our years of success in several sedan racing formats, we have a demand for these cars from our drivers – no one in North America has more time with the E90 chassis platform than we do.”

With calls for an increased presence in the ST class, Clay says BimmerWorld will also meet the greater aftermarket needs of its M3 V8 customers through a number of new R&D initiatives. After turning its mostly stock GS-spec M3 V8s into top five contenders last season, BimmerWorld will commence a more unlimited program with the cars that will take place outside the GS category.

“As 2011 progressed, our GS cars came nicely up to pace with the field even though we spent a lot of time catching up on development. We went into the off-season highly motivated to be ahead of the curve in 2012 and have been hard at work on the V8 cars since the last checkered flag of 2011. I’ve been extremely impressed with the progress of our work so far. So much so, it’s opened our eyes and motivated us to pursue a more aggressive V8 program beyond GS.”

Lessons learned in GS competition have allowed modest additions to BimmerWorld’s line of performance upgrades for the M3 V8, but owners of BMW’s thundering E92 platform demanded more spirited street and race components. Clay says he jumped at the opportunity to bring new products and services to market.

“I think the new direction we’re taking gives us an opportunity to produce a more highly-developed car, while using more of our preferred technical partners and brands that we sell to our customers which don’t always fit in the GS rules. I feel the V8 cars will be much more interesting as they evolve, and the race program surrounding this new, unlimited effort will be more exciting for BimmerWorld and its fans as it moves forward.”

With the seal of approval from BimmerWorld’s sponsors and technical partners, Clay acted swiftly to set a consolidated three-car ST plan in motion.
“We have the full support of our sponsors and GRAND-AM partners for the 2012 plan,” he said. “After our 2010 championship points tie, we wanted to seal the deal in 2011. With a season of mixed results instead, I want there to be no doubt about our razor-sharp focus for the 2012 season. Our sponsors want to share in our success and I think we all recognize that this approach will give us a formidable team with the best chance to reach that goal.”

BimmerWorld’s renowned group of technicians and engineers will remain unchanged in 2012, giving Clay every reason to feel confident about the team’s pursuit of the ST championship.

“We will have both our 2010 ST engineer Wayne Yawn and our 2011 ST engineer David Wagener leading the charge,” he said. “They have very complimentary capabilities and the extra car will give us more opportunity to develop and blend ideas to produce a frontrunner. Additionally, our driver lineup is one that I am very proud of, with three cars that truly have the capability to win the championship. Race results definitely have a luck factor and having another ticket in the lottery is a good thing.”

With the start of the season still two months away, BimmerWorld already has its driver lineups in place and will soon reveal its sponsors.

“We are still finalizing some of our sponsorship details for the coming season and our driver lineup is complete,” said Clay. “We will announce our program once a few more items are pinned down, but to have almost everything solidified this early in the off-season is a benefit. Now we focus on the rest of the work that will help us achieve our goals.”

Visit www.BimmerWorldRacing.com to follow the team’s progress as it tests for the January 26-29 season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

###

Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

If earning pole positions, wins and scoring a mathematical tie in the 2010 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season served to whet the appetites of Dublin, Virginia’s BimmerWorld, its second season in GRAND-AM, complete with an expanded program of two Street tuner (ST) entries and two Grand Sport (GS) cars, has left the BMW experts starving for more success.

Changes to the ST regulations that favored cars smaller than the standard-sized BMW 328i sedans fielded by BimmerWorld made finding the podium a much greater challenge, but as the team’s drivers have come to expect, rather than accept a season of limited results, BimmerWorld owner James Clay and his team of technicians continued to search for speed and solutions.

“We’re in the business of winning races, and even after we tied for the 2010 ST championship, I still wasn’t satisfied with our performance,” he said. “That’s the approach we have and what we work from, so when I look at our 2011 season in ST, we came away with a laundry list of what we wanted to improve and that’s been our only focus since the season ended in September. Everything we’ve done since then has been about being faster, better and winning next year.

“I’m confident we’ll be back to where we were in 2010 and beyond with a strong driver lineup that we’ll announce at a later date.”

With minor improvements needed to put BimmerWorld’s proven ST program back on top, a greater volume of development work continues to take place on the team’s pair of GS BMW M3 V8s.

Entering the M3 V8s for the first time this year, BimmerWorld’s expansion from two cars in 2010 to a four car, two-class racing outfit in 2011 came with all of the lessons and learning curves to be expected.

Clay says that despite going up against GS teams with many years of experience to draw from, he didn’t lower the bar for success and is positive 2012 will yield the results the BimmerWorld-built M3 V8s are capable of.

“We knew going in that our debut development season in GS was going to be tough, but we didn’t expect any less from ourselves,” he confirmed. “The big gaps between races at the beginning of the season allowed us to make solid updates between the first few races. But once the season gets into its full swing and the races started passing at a steady clip, we needed to focus on the racing.

“The good thing to come from it was that we came away with pretty much all of the answers to what we needed to address with our off-season R&D projects for the M3 V8s. Our GS technicians have been flat-out for a month working through the high priority items on our list and we’ve also spent time on the K&C chassis rig to work on suspension and chassis. We showed a lot of potential with the BimmerWorld M3 V8s last year, and ran inside the top 5 at most races during the second-half of the season, but everything we have in the works for 2012 tells us our GS cars will be faster than they’ve ever been.”

As BimmerWorld continues to refine its GS cars, Clay says similar efforts are going on behind the scenes to form the strongest driver lineup possible for its ground-pounding M3 V8s next year.

“I was proud of the job our GS drivers did last year. We introduced a number of new drivers either to the series or the GS class, and our veteran drivers also had some very positive results. You’ll find our core lineup is unchanged for next year–our best pros and driver coaches are back–while we’re currently looking at the best fits to complete the GS roster. Things are taking shape rather quickly, but there are some opportunities that are still available.”

The fruits of BimmerWorld’s short and busy off-season will be on display next month as the team heads to Daytona International Speedway to take part in the official test there prior to the 2012 season opener during the 50th anniversary weekend of the 24 Hours at Daytona in late January.

Work will continue on the ST and GS until the week of the first race, but Clay says he and the team can’t wait to get their on-track testing program under way.

“From November onwards, we’re in a fulltime cycle of track testing, rebuilding the cars and improving them based on those tests, and then getting back out to test some more. That process will continue until the very last minute possible, and we know that’s what is needed to go head-to-head with the veteran teams in GS. Now that we know what we need to reach that level, it’s just about putting in the work to make it happen, and everyone at BimmerWorld is committed to achieving everything we’re capable of in 2012.”

Follow the BimmerWorld team as they test and prepare for the 2012 season at www.BimmerWorldRacing.com

###

Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

After 10 grueling rounds of GRAND-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition, Dublin, Virginia’s BimmerWorld capped the 2011 season with strong runs in both the Street Tuner and Grand Sport divisions at the Mid-Ohio finale.

With contact in the race limiting the final results for BimmerWorld’s two-car GS program, the team might not have had the finishing positions they deserved, but after a year filled with furious development and improvements for its new BMW M3 V8 race cars, and continual updates to its year-old BMW 328is, team owner/driver James Clay walked away from Mid-Ohio feeling proud of BimmerWorld’s performance.

“I was happy with Mid-Ohio as a team owner. We put in some work testing before the event and we made progress with the ST cars. That is one of the tracks that likely doesn’t suit the heaviest car in the field and we had a very respectable showing. The GS cars again were able to race at the front although we still need to avoid the contact that has plagued the final results this year. I think our goal is to get it out of the way so we can have a clean 2012!”

Recording highly competitive lap times in the race, the Bizrate.com-sponsored No. 78 BimmerWorld BMW M3 V8 of Bob Michaelian and Seth Thomas put on a show until contact with a competitor dropped the car from contention.

The same was true for the Johnstone Supply/CRC Industries-sponsored No. 79 BimmerWorld BMW M3 V8 of James Clay and Gregory Liefooghe. With 70 cars racing for 2.5 hours on the tight, twisting 2.2-mile road course, contact became a reality for many teams, and despite making every effort to avoid the mistakes of others, BimmerWorld’s GS entries were not immune to its effects.

In ST, Bill Heumann and David White saved the best for last, delivering a season-best sixth-place finish. Heumann, the 2010 MESCO Rookie of the Year and a winner of two races, and White, a two-time pole winner in 2010, extracted the most from their ballast-laden BMW 328i.

BimmerWorld also introduced Jayson Cunie and David Levine to the ST series at Mid-Ohio in the No. 81 BMW 328i. A blend of deft driving and fast pit stops helped the pair to finish 13th on their maiden outing, and as Cunie shares, stepping into an established and professional program helped ease their transition to GRAND-AM.

“Driving the No. 81 BimmerWorld BMW was a fantastic experience. Having never been in an ST car before, I was unsure what to expect. With a car this good and a team this professional, it was very easy to get comfortable quickly, and honestly, being a part of a team of this caliber gave me the confidence to concentrate on just trying to get up to speed. The team made everything very easy to understand. The team meetings and driver debriefings gave me all the information and answers that were necessary, and the way the weekend was organized never left me wondering what the next step was or what was expected of me. It was a fantastic weekend.”

Taking on the daunting challenge of doubling the size of its team, the amount of cars it campaigned and entering the top class in the Continental Series, BimmerWorld went into 2011 with high, but realistic expectations. Using the championship-winning BMW brand as its foundation, BimmerWorld entered the series in 2010 with two cars in ST, but thanks to the car’s inherent capabilities–and the extra speed added by aftermarket specialists like BimmerWorld–the 328is faced an uphill climb in 2011 as the series added ‘success ballast’ to slow the BMWs.

With the ballast having its intended effect, the 2011 season became the playground for much smaller and lighter cars, but throughout the season, BimmerWorld’s drivers and engineers continued to make improvements to the chassis. After watching the performance advantage being tipped too far in favor of the smaller ST cars, all of BimmerWorld’s relentless work on its ST cars is staged to again provide results heading into 2012.

In GS, BimmerWorld recorded one of the most outstanding debut seasons in recent history. Loaded with veteran teams using cars that have years of setup information to draw from, BimmerWorld entered the class at Daytona with its self-built cars and zero data to draw from and finished sixth with the No. 78 M3 V8.

By mid-season, its thundering M3 V8s were running deep inside the top 5 and giving the establishment absolute fits. For a season that was supposed to be dedicated to simply learning about the class and car, BimmerWorld wasted little time in putting what it learned to good use. As the end of 2011 approached, BimmerWorld proved its GS cars could run with the best and, in another ‘first’ for the team, it successfully introduced multiple new drivers to the series and the GS class.

With an off-season that will be filled with even more R&D and improvements, in addition to plenty of track testing, Clay says his team of perfectionists won’t get much rest between now and the 2012 season opener at Daytona in January.

“2011 reminded us how demanding a development program is, but also reinforced my belief in the strength of our team and people,” Clay explained. “We have some months to regroup, to dig in to the long worklists that have been created to take the cars to the front, and to perfect all of our processes and operations as a team. Racing is never easy, especially at this level, but our team is full of people who won’t settle for anything less than outright success, and I look forward to 2012 when we will get another shot at delivering our best.”

Watch the Mid-Ohio race on Sunday, September 25th at 1 p.m. ET on SPEED, and be sure to follow BimmerWorld’s off-season efforts as they prepare for 2012 at www.BimmerworldRacing.com.

###

Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

With nine races down and one to go in the 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season, the BMW experts at BimmerWorld are ready to close one chapter and open a new one.

The 2011 season hasn’t been easy–especially after moving from a two-car team in 2010 to a four-car effort this season, but with a year of knowledge and information added to the books, the team has its sights set on this weekend’s finale at Mid-Ohio and its prospects for next season.

“We took our successful BMW 328i Street Tuner program and added two new Grand Sport BMW M3 V8s to the roster, almost doubled our staff and have adapted the rest of our organization to become a bigger, stronger and more cohesive program,” said BimmerWorld owner/driver James Clay.

“There’s no question that we’ve had our ups and downs this year, but at the end of the day, we’ve learned an incredible amount, our GS M3 V8s have become regular contenders inside the top 5 and we’ve earned podiums with our ST 328is. What’s critical to me is that our team has become a greater threat at every round. As we head into the off-season and quickly to 2012, we are still rapidly gaining momentum and that is important to me.”

With almost two months between the last round at New Jersey and the season-ending race at Mid-Ohio, BimmerWorld continued its familiar practice of tearing the four-car BMW fleet down to pieces to optimize every possible area.
After the ST and GS cars received their latest batch of improvements, the team went testing to extract more performance from its BMWs. As Clay shares, BimmerWorld’s testing efforts had short- and long-term implications.

“It is always our goal to win every race we enter; that’s why we are in this business. Making the best racing cars feeds back to our core BMW aftermarket business. With what we’ve found in our most recent test, our cars should be faster at Mid-Ohio and most importantly for next season. We’re at the stage now where Mid-Ohio isn’t so much about ending the season, but more about getting a head start on 2012.”

As GRAND-AM fans and Continental Series competitors have found since BimmerWorld joined the series in 2010, the Dublin, Virginia-based team excels at forming fast and capable partnerships behind the wheel. From team veterans to those who’ve driven for BimmerWorld for the first time, Clay takes pride in being able to offer competitive cars and a positive environment to his clients.

“We’ve had new drivers in our ST and GS cars this year, and we’ve also had some of our established drivers back which has made for some great driving combinations. Being able to pair proven veterans with rookie drivers or those who want to step into a more competitive situation is one of the unique aspects of our program, and that will continue next year. It’s too early to say how our exact lineup will look when the season kicks off at Daytona in January, but we’ll have the same winning drivers, coaches and engineers in place for those who come onboard.”

Clay’s work on filling the remaining seats available for 2012 will have to wait until this weekend’s race comes to a conclusion, as the entire organization is focused on mastering the tricky Mid-Ohio road course.

With BimmerWorld’s record of scoring multiple professional wins at Mid-Ohio, Clay says he can’t wait to get going on the 2.2-mile, 13-turn circuit located in Lexington, Ohio.

“Mid-Ohio is like many of the BMW-friendly tracks that we race on. It demands the most from a car’s handling, braking and acceleration, which is tailor-made for our 328is and M3 V8s. We’re pulling out all the stops for Mid-Ohio, but we’re also viewing the race as the first part of our preparation for next year.”

Like the tweaks made to its cars for Mid-Ohio, BimmerWorld has also made some adjustments to its driver lineup this weekend.

The No. 78 Bizrate.com BMW M3 V8 will be driven by Bob Michaelian and Seth Thomas, who moves over from the No. 79 CRC Industries M3 V8. James Clay will share the No. 79 with Gregory Liefooghe, who has already stepped out of the No. 81 328i twice this year to drive for BimmerWorld in the GS category.

In ST, Bill Heumann and David White will close out the year in the No. 80 328i, while newcomers Jayson Clunie and David Levine will take the controls of the No. 81.

“It should be a great way to close the chapter on the 2011 season,” Clay explained. “This isn’t a series where you can rest, and with some of the changes to the driver lineups, it’s reasonable to have high expectations. Everyone works together to get the most speed out of the cars and each other, and now it’s time to push each other for the best results possible at Mid-Ohio.”

Follow the team progress this weekend at www.BimmerRacingWorld.com, and tune-in to watch the race on SPEED at Noon ET, on September 25th.

###

Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

With the 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship winding down, Dublin, Virginia’s BimmerWorld Racing continues to make progress with its expanded four-car operation.

Driven by two additional goals this season–to develop brand-new Grand Sport-class BMW M3 V8s during the 10-round GRAND-AM championship and to shape those M3 V8s into contenders–BimmerWorld met its objectives once again at New Jersey Motorsports Park, site of Round 9.

BimmerWorld team owner/driver James Clay and co-driver Seth Thomas demonstrated the growth of the team’s GS program once again, climbing from a starting spot of 15th to run as high as second during the 2.5-hour race.

In the sister No. 78 BimmerWorld BMW M3 V8, Gregory Liefooghe stepped up from the team’s No. 81 Street Tuner-class BMW 328i for the second time in 2011 and put on drive with new teammate Chris Ronson that was nothing short of amazing.

Temperatures over 100 degrees during the race made conditions miserable for the drivers and crew, caused tires to overheat and created general mayhem, yet Clay and Thomas traded positions inside the top 10 before ending the day in seventh, their best finish of the season and the top result for BimmerWorld on the day.

Coming off of a 10th at the previous round in Monterey, Clay says he’s feeling positive about the direction the GS program is headed.

“Certainly I am very happy with the momentum we have, and seeing the program progress so that we have the equipment to be consistently in the hunt is important. I knew going into our 2011 GS program that it would be a development year, and it would certainly be frustrating at times as we have become accustomed to being at the front in every series we race in, but the affirmation and results for the effort at this point of the game are rewarding. Greg and Chris did an awesome job in New Jersey in the No. 78 running up front, and Seth and I pulled out another top 10 finish for the team. We are getting geared up for a strong 2012.”

Amidst the many responsibilities Clay carries–from running his four-car team to developing BimmerWorld’s expanding base of corporate sponsors, serving as one-half of the No. 79′s driving team also falls on his shoulders. As he shares, being able to don his helmet and get down to business behind the wheel is also a rewarding part of the job.

“First and foremost, the BimmerWorld team did an exceptional job at New Jersey, so that made me proud,” he said. “The temperatures and conditions were brutal and as a driver, I had to leave my team owner hat at home to perform at the level required on-track. But the crew had a more demanding job than the drivers in the car this weekend – the workload was relentless. They distinguished themselves once again on pit lane with more incredible pit stops. The knowledge that they are 100 percent on it and driven to succeed gave me the ability to do my job behind the wheel and enjoy the results of our collective effort.”

Race strategy also played a crucial role during an event where managing heat exhaustion, caution periods and avoiding contact weighed into the team’s plans. The regular practice of changing drivers at the one-third mark of the race was replaced with splitting the time in the car equally to keep from wearing out the finishing driver. The team also made bold moves to pit toward the end of a yellow flag, which helped the GS cars to gain positions as the race played out.

Beyond the race itself, and as part of an expanded relationship with CRC Industries to promote its Brakleen brand, BimmerWorld hosted its partners from CRC during the weekend, providing first-rate hospitality and giving their ardent supporters plenty to root for during the race.

“CRC/Brakleen was there en masse from their Pennsylvania headquarters to support the team this weekend,” Clay continued. “The company brought out over 150 employees, family members and guests and it was very rewarding to race around the track seeing so may Brakleen banners and knowing we were carrying the flag for them.”

The guests from CRC also witnessed a stirring performance from BimmerWorld’s second GS entry. Showing his versatility in the GRAND-AM ranks, Liefooghe got up to speed immediately in the No. 78 BimmerWorld BMW M3 V8, motoring his way from 17th to third before handing off to Ronson. After jostling for positions and dealing with yellow flags, Ronson impressed on his way to finish 12th on his pro racing debut.

Running deep inside the top 10 and working closely with Ronson were highlights of the event, according to Liefooghe.

“BimmerWorld always gives me a great race car. In this case, with the extreme temperatures, we only had one lap to qualify after which the tires would drop off by at least a full second. I missed the opportunity on that lap, but the car stayed very consistent, so even though I started mid-pack, I knew I had a lot more performance available. During the race, our car was great in the long runs. After fighting my way up from 17th, it felt great to challenge for the top spots just like we usually do in the ST cars, and Chris should also be proud of the job he did in his first GRAND-AM race.”

While BimmerWorld’s GS cars enjoyed good runs at New Jersey, its ST cars found mixed fortunes in the race.

2010 Rookie of the Year Bill Heumann and his teammate, two-time ST pole winner David White who finished on the podium at the 2010 NJMP event, pushed themselves in the heat in the No. 80 BimmerWorld BMW 328i to finish 14th in class. “Given the extreme heat we made the decision to split the driving more evenly and didn’t take advantage of an early driver change” explained White. “That turned out to be the wrong call with all the caution laps and we could never make back the track position lost in the pits.”

In the No. 81 car, John Capestro-Dubets was thrust into a similar position as Liefooghe, leading the charge for the second time this season when his regular teammate stepped up to BimmerWorld’s GS team.

Partnered with Jason Briedis, who was making his return to the series, the two mounted a solid run but saw their race slowed by suspension damage after being hit by a competitor.

BimmerWorld’s crew leapt into action to repair the car, but with extensive damage to overcome, the No. 81 went down three laps and fell from contention. Despite losing the possibility of earning a strong finish, Capestro-Dubets returned to the track determined to reward his team’s efforts, recovering to finish 23rd in class.

Giving up, as he explains, was never an option.

“Unfortunately, our results were limited by a racing incident but I always give a 100 percent whenever I get in the car. I believe that even with the circumstances we were dealt, I was able to show that determination is part of what’s required as a professional. You can’t quit or relax, no matter how much of a challenge you have. New Jersey was tough on everyone, but it gave me another chance to show how I’ve grown as a driver, thanks to my coach, Gregory Liefooghe, and to BimmerWorld for giving me the tools to deliver in a great car.

“When I got in my BMW we were three laps down with a tweaked alignment and yet I was able to run a fast pace the entire time. If I take anything from the weekend it is the ability to know that things don’t always go the way you plan, and that you just have to keep pushing hard no matter what happens.”

Follow BimmerWorld’s progress at www.BimmerWorldRacing.com as they prepare for the season finale at Mid-Ohio the weekend of September 16-17, and be sure to tune-in to watch the New Jersey race broadcast on SPEED this Saturday, July 30th at 3 p.m. ET.

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Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

The BimmerWorld Racing transporter has been logging plenty of miles over the past two weeks as trips from its base in Dublin, Va., to the West Coast in Monterey, CA, back home to Dublin and now to the East Coast in Millville, NJ, will cap off a particularly busy period for the team.

Coming off a strong podium finish by Gregory Liefooghe and John Capestro-Dubets in BimmerWorld’s Street Tuner-class BMW 328i at Monterey, the four-car GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge outfit is ready for more action at Round 9 of the 10-round championship.

Held at the notoriously hot and humid New Jersey Motorsports Park facility, the calm, cool days in Monterey will be replaced with searing temperatures topping 100 degrees this weekend.

The team is hoping for history to repeat itself at NJMP, with BimmerWorld having earned finishes of second and fifth in the 2010 event with the team’s pair of BMW 328is.

With two Grand Sport-class BMW M3 V8s added to the stable for 2011, James Clay, BimmerWorld team owner and co-driver of the No. 79 Johnstone Supply M3 V8, says the expansion to four cars hasn’t been easy, but the momentum continues to build in the right direction as the season winds down.

“If this season has made one thing crystal clear, it is the fact that you can’t always get what you want in racing, or even what you work incredibly hard to earn,” he said. “We have a first-class group of people assembled here and they continue to plunge ahead to do the work to bring results – that is unchanging. In the last two rounds, I would love to see more of the rewards for the effort like we started to have at Monterey.”

The 2.25-mile, 14-turn track places a premium on many things–fitness, passing, and in particular, engine and brake cooling. A big part of the team’s success at NJMP last year was due to the choice of radiators and brake packages, and the same companies have been integral in getting the new M3 V8s ready for the escalating temperatures they will face.

“New Jersey was by far the hottest race for us last year and we expect the same this year,” Clay explained. “We are partnered with C&R Racing and their radiators and coolers keep the driveline as cool as possible and functioning properly in these demanding conditions. We maximize brake cooling for every event on the Performance Friction components on the cars, but regardless of temperature, they handle what we throw at them.”

With cockpit temperatures expected to be anywhere between 100 and 140 degrees for the GRAND-AM competitors this weekend, BimmerWorld’s drivers shift their training regimen into high gear to prepare for racing in sauna-like conditions for up to two hours at a time.

As Liefooghe explains, the time committed to ramping up one’s physical fitness ahead of the NJMP race is significant, but to succeed, it’s absolutely mandatory.

“It takes a lot of work away from the track,” he said. “I think everybody looks at the New Jersey race as the one race of the year where you have to be in your best shape of the season. Not only does the track have very few straightaways to rest but it’s also very hot and humid, so you are always working hard inside the car with little time to breathe and relax. My usual training consists of 250 miles of biking per week and karting year round. And it’s especially important for me to get acclimated to the heat because I live in San Francisco, where we rarely see anything above 60 degrees!”

In addition to its short straights, the relatively narrow NJMP circuit is known for its limited passing opportunities. Picking and choosing where to pass, as Clay’s teammate Seth Thomas shares, can make the difference between gaining and losing a lot of positions.

“Traffic management is going to be key to this event,” he said. “Since New Jersey is a short track with tight turns and very short sections between the corners, you’ll see a lot of similarity in speeds between the GS and ST cars. The ST cars are lighter and more nimble for the tight and twisty turns, while there is only one big straight where the GS cars can stretch their legs. It’s the kind of track where you pay for any mistakes you make. At some tracks you can stick your nose in and if you don’t get by, there’s no real harm. But at this track, moves like those make you a sitting target into the next corner, so you really have to select your passing zones ahead of time. You have to be patient and you can’t abuse your tires, so with the heat thrown in, New Jersey is a pretty tough puzzle to solve.”

Follow the team’s progress this weekend at www.BimmerWorldRacing.com as practice gets under way for the 2.5-hour B+ Foundation Heroes 200 race on Saturday.

###

Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

Timing is a crucial element to success in motor racing, and for Dublin, Virginia’s BimmerWorld Racing, the No. 81 BMW 328i driven by Gregory Liefooghe and John Capestro-Dubets delivered a brilliant performance for the team and sponsor Brakleen when it mattered most.

Sporting a new livery featuring Brakleen’s brake parts cleaner bottles on both sides of the car, touring car ace Liefooghe and star rookie Capestro-Dubets waged a spirited battle against smaller, lighter cars at Round 8 of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge event in Monterey, California.

Starting sixth, Capestro-Dubets opened the 2.5-hour race with speed and precision, rising to the second spot during his stint. With his own private cheering section providing inspiration, the young Californian put on an amazing show for his fans.

“This was a very important race for me due to the fact it was my home track and majority of my family was there to watch for the first time,” he said. “I grew up a few miles from the track and went to many races here, and it has always been a dream of mine to race in front of fans at this track. The whole weekend was very special to me, from beginning to end.”

After finishing on the podium in his series debut at Daytona, making the podium at his home track was the realization of a long-held dream.

“If I had to pick a highlight of my stint it would be when I found myself in second behind the Kia trying to get around for the lead before the caution came out,” Capestro-Dubets continued. “The overall highlight of the race, in my eyes, would be when Greg came around Turn 11 for the last time to give BimmerWorld and Brakleen a well deserved podium finish.

“This result means so much, and in addition to the team and my teammate, I have to credit Michael Duncalfe and Exclusive Management, Inc. He brought us together with BimmerWorld and has been instrumental in keeping me sharp and focused on achieving finishes like we got at Monterey.”

With Liefooghe taking over the reins of the No. 81 to steer the Brakleen car home to the finish, maintaining a steady, controlled aggression was necessary.

“My stint was all about saving the equipment,” he said. “We went with a very aggressive strategy and I got in the car with just under two hours to go. I knew I had to save tires and fuel if I wanted to make it to the end so I could be fast when it counted. The last 10 laps were very, very long with the Mazdas having tremendous pace. They were pushing incredibly hard at the end of the race. The track favored them as they were a lot easier on tires since they are 500 pounds lighter than us. It was a good hard fight and I encourage everybody to watch the broadcast on Sunday!”

BimmerWorld team owner/driver James Clay and Seth Thomas earned a top 10 for their efforts in the team’s No. 79 Johnstone Supply BMW M3 V8, but after the race, the sensational drive by the No. 81 was the major talking point.

“After much too long of a drought, I was very happy to have a car on the podium again this weekend,” Clay said. “It is fitting that with the debut of the CRC/Brakleen wrap on the 81 car that CRC shared our success with their car. The boys drove a great race and the crew has been investing an abundance of effort in the program all year. It is great to see a result for the effort!”

The Monterey race offered yet another example of the rapid growth of the Liefooghe/Capestro-Dubets driving team, and the integrated working style BimmerWorld’s technicians and engineers have developed with the No. 81′s drivers.

“The working relationship with John has always been good,” Liefooghe explained. “It’s become easier and easier to work together as we became good friends over the year and everything seems automatic now. There is a lot of trust between us and it makes for a lot of fun during the weekend. I have to give a big thank you to our crew and especially our crew chief Ryan Kuhn. They have been living and breathing our No. 81 and our racing luck has kept them very busy so far. It’s great to bring back some results for him to thank the guys for all of their hard work. Obviously, our engineer Dave Wagener always has a big role in our speed. We have a great communication and he’s able to translate our feedback into great setups. Overall, this is a very cohesive program.”

The sister No. 80 BimmerWorld BMW 328i driven by Bill Heumann and David White had a race weekend that didn’t go according to plan, but that didn’t diminish the effort or resolve shown by the BimmerWorld crew, as White shares.

“The No. 80 sustained damage in a practice session and our amazing crew had already begun repairing the car before that session had even ended. The extent of the damage kept us from making qualifying, but our team went above and beyond what would cause most teams to throw in the towel. They kept fighting and when they were done, the car looked brand new again for the final practice session and we were able to start the race. With the pace that the car had in the final practice, we were confident that we could make a run from the back to give the team the finish that they deserved. Unfortunately a mechanical issue during the race forced us to retire the car early, but that doesn’t take away from how proud I am of our crew.”

In Grand Sport, Clay and Thomas earned their first top 10 of the season–the fourth top 10 amongst the two BimmerWorld GS entries in 2011–placing 10th, while the No. 78 Bizrate.com M3 V8 driven by Bob Michaelian and Ken Wilden had an uncharacteristic weekend, finishing 16th.

As the team adds more positive results during its first year of competition with the BMW M3 V8, Clay is pleased with how much BimmerWorld’s M3 engineering database continues to grow.

“We are still learning about the M3s and while it was nice to be in the top 10 again, it was also nice to learn more about the car,” he said. “I felt like we had the pace to really do well at Road America and we didn’t quite have the same car at Laguna, but as we build our playbook for a strong 2012, I feel like we’re gaining a lot of invaluable information that will reward us in due time.”

Watch the excitement from Monterey this Sunday, July 17th, at 1 p.m. ET on SPEED, and follow BimmerWorld’s progress at www.BimmerWorldRacing.com as they prepare for the penultimate round at New Jersey Motorsports Park on July 22-23.

###

Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

No. 78 BimmerWorld BMW M3 V8: Bob Michaelian, Ken Wilden
No. 79 BimmerWorld BMW M3 V8: James Clay, Seth Thomas
No. 80 BimmerWorld BMW 328i: Bill Heumann, David White
No. 81 BimmerWorld BMW 328i: Gregory Liefooghe, John Capestro-Dubets

Patience is indeed a virtue, but amongst the spirited four-car BimmerWorld Racing GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series team, that patience is wearing thin.

Great potential has been shown this year as BimmerWorld’s brand-new two-car BMW M3 V8 Grand Sport-class effort has run solidly in the top 5, and its two-car BMW 328i Street Tuner-class program has come close to repeating the wins and pole positions it earned last season.

But words like ‘potential’ and ‘promise’ don’t carry much weight for BimmerWorld owner/driver James Clay, or his hard-working crew. Heading home from California to Virginia with a bit of hardware–a trophy from making the podium in both classes–would be a welcome boost for the team, according to Clay.

“This season has been a character builder but I am seeing results of our work in the GS cars – now we just need to back up the speed with the finishes and these last three rounds give us the opportunity to do that,” he said. “In ST, I have faith in our drivers and team and every round is an opportunity. The series is so competitive that you can’t predict results, but we’ve put in the work and we’re as hungry as ever to show what we’re capable of.”

The famed Laguna Seca circuit seems tailor-made for BMWs, with a heavy demand placed on cornering, braking and acceleration at the 2.2-mile, 11-turn track. While BimmerWorld’s BMW M3 V8 GS cars have been on the cusp of a podium result, a strong emphasis has been placed on returning the team’s 328is to Victory Lane. The key to getting there, as Clay shares, is continued suspension R&D.

“Under the direction of our ST engineer David Wagener, our 328i development for the year has been mostly focused on suspension. We have been working with the new AST damper package and we are closer to being happy with what we have come up with. I think long-term, this effort will pay off.”

After a slight change in the driving lineup at round 7, Bob Michaelian and Ken Wilden are back in the No. 78 Bizrate-sponsored BimmerWorld BMW M3 V8 this weekend after missing Road America due to previous commitments.

For Michaelian, a California native, the chance to race on home soil is a perfect return to GS competition.

“We are super excited about racing at Laguna Seca,” he said. “Ken has won at Laguna in a variety of different series, including the GS class in 2009. I started club racing at Laguna about five years ago, so I consider this my home track. It’s a great facility and has such a rich racing tradition.”

Michaelian and Wilden own BimmerWorld’s best result in GS to date, but improving upon their sixth at Daytona is something Michaelian feels is well within their grasp in Monterey.

“BimmerWorld has shown great progress over the last three races and we feel like we are in a position to be really competitive this weekend,” he continued. “We feel like we have taken great strides in our race package, race strategy and car preparation over the course of the season, and we’re excited to see how we perform.”

On the ST front, John Capestro-Dubets, also from California and one of the rising stars of the 2011 season, brings newfound experience to his role as co-driver of the No. 81 BMW 328i, which will carry special branding from Brakleen, the leading brake parts cleaner.

After taking over a leadership role in the No. 81 at the last round while his regular partner, Gregory Liefooghe, took the helm of the No. 78 M3 V8, Capestro-Dubets got a glimpse of what will be expected from him as his road racing career continues to flourish.

“The last race at Road America was a great experience for me to learn the responsibilities of being the lead driver. It was an eye opener for me not to have Gregory to fall back on in times of uncertainty. He has taught me so much throughout the year that I was able to hit the ground running at Road America. Any time you are out running with the other lead drivers you pick up little things, whether its racecraft or all-out speed. If there’s anything new I’ll carry into to Laguna, it’s the mindset of being a more mature and patient driver. I look forward to working with my good friend and mentor again and have high expectations in the No. 81 Brakleen BMW 328i.”

Follow the progress of the BimmerWorld team this weekend at www.BimmerWorldRacing.com.

###

Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

If the expression “you make your own luck” is true, Dublin, Virginia’s BimmerWorld Racing is on the hunt for the recipe.

After another promising weekend in the Street Tuner division of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series, held at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama, the BMW experts came away with a slight pit in their stomachs after contact with other cars left the team with little to show for their efforts.

BimmerWorld stormed the 2010 Street Tuner division, taking second in both the teams’ and drivers’ Championships, but after three rounds of ST racing in 2011, team owner James Clay says he’s still waiting for fortunes to smile on his GRAND-AM ST effort.

“Certainly this season we have seen new players in the Championship hunt, both in the form of new teams and teams with new equipment or a lot of development work and help with rules in the off-season. But we have strong cars and excellent driver combinations, which just needs to be supplemented by a little luck at this point.”

The breakout stars of the ST class this year have been the Exclusive Management pairing of ace driver Gregory Liefooghe and rookie sensation John Capestro-Dubets behind the wheel of the No. 81 BimmerWorld BMW 328i. Starting the season off with a podium at Daytona, the duo appeared to be on pace for another podium at Barber, but a hit from behind while challenging for second place was all it took to send their blue BMW into the gravel trap.

They would lose more than a dozen laps and finish 23rd in class.

“I think we have all the ingredients to win a championship except for one so far: luck,” said Liefooghe. “We have one of the best driver combos in the paddock and also one of the best teams in the paddock, with my teammate John doing a great job to start the race before handing over to me. At the last race, even though we didn’t have the pace to win, we still had enough for a top 5.

“In Barber, we had a winning car, we were able to work on the setup and found one that was easy on the tires. We also had the best car in our class at the end of long stints. Unfortunately, it seems every time I’m about to get in the car, something happens and takes us out of contention. When I got back out in Barber after they pulled John out of the gravel, I got a lap back which proves just how competitive the car was and that we had the potential to win once again. I think our next move will be to weld a horseshoe or something of that nature to bring luck to our BimmerWorld BMW!”

For Capestro-Dubets, Barber marked his third professional race of any kind, yet the San Diego native found himself fighting for the top two spots in the ST class. Even with an unrepresentative finish to the weekend, he says he’s happy with the promise that was shown in the No. 81 328i.

“I am very happy with the highs of Barber. It was my first time at that track and I can’t thank my team enough for helping get ready for the race. My manager Michael Duncalfe helped to get me up to speed quickly, and my crew gave me an extremely well prepared car. We had a great race up until being hit. I couldn’t be happier with the team, though, and hope to deliver better results very soon.”

Bill Heumann and David White also had a better finish awaiting them, but had to settle for 15th in ST after their BimmerWorld BMW 328i incurred damage from contact.

“Barber was a very disappointing race for me as I was not able to bring home the finish that the team deserved,” said White, who claimed pole position at Barber for the ST race in 2010. “The BimmerWorld crew put in a lot of hard work in the Alabama heat to give us the best cars possible and it was showing late in the race when the No. 80 BimmerWorld BMW 328i had great pace.

“Unfortunately, contact is sometimes a part of racing and I took a hit that damaged my suspension, forcing me to give up several spots as I limped the car home to the finish. We have the cars working very well and when we shake some of this bad luck we’ve been experiencing, Bill and I will be fighting for wins.”

Heumann, the 2010 MESCO Rookie of the Year, says there is no reason to hit the panic button or to change anything about how the team goes racing. With a bit of patience, the bad luck streak will pass.

“I am disappointed in the results but not demoralized. I think we have a great team and we had a great car. We will keep our focus and effort on doing the best job we can and the change in luck will come our way.”

BimmerWorld has five weeks to prepare for the next race, held at the team’s home track at Virginia International Raceway, with updates on their progress and preparation available on www.BimmerWorldRacing.com.

The broadcast for the Barber race can be seen April 16th at 2 p.m. ET on SPEED, and On Demand at www.SPEED2.com.

###

Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

No matter how much the BMW experts from BimmerWorld Racing want to conquer the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Grand Sport division in their first season of racing M3 V8s in the class, the team will continue to chant the mantra of “it’s a development year” throughout the 10-race calendar.

That’s far from being an excuse, as the Dublin, Virginia-based team holds itself to the highest standards and expectations possible, but with just a matter of months of development behind their BimmerWorld-built BMW M3s, overcoming the years of experience their fellow M3 runners have will simply take time.

BimmerWorld’s latest race, held last weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama, served as the latest reminder of how far the team has come since the season opener in January, but also offered a benchmark for where they stand in the 28-car field.

With the No. 78 Shopzilla.com-sponsored BimmerWorld BMW M3 of Bob Michaelian and Kenny Wilden running inside the top 10 before ultimately crossing the finish line in 11th place, and with the No. 79 Johnstone Supply-sponsored BimmerWorld BMW M3 of Seth Thomas and team owner/driver James Clay placing 15th, more hard work is planned in the weeks ahead of the team’s home race at Virginia International Raceway in May.

“The GS class is certainly difficult, but we knew it would be,” said Clay. “The other M3 teams have a year or two on us in developing the car and the levels of GS programs are generally higher than the ST programs in the paddock. We knew success wouldn’t happen overnight, but at this point, I think we have a very good idea of what we need to do. And once we have the time to fully implement our plans and developments for the BimmerWorld M3 platform, we will start to see the results of all the hard work everyone has been putting in.”

While Clay and his talented team continue to hone their M3s into future race winners, he says he’s been extremely pleased with how well BimmerWorld’s GS drivers and crew members have been performing.

“The team is just fantastic this year. The crew guys are working like a well-oiled machine and the engineering and driving tasks are leading us down a path of continuous improvement. Certainly these are trying times as the work is going in much faster than the results are coming out, but I am confident that part will follow shortly – we have a tremendous group to work with and the results will be there.”

For Michaelian, the defending Barber GS race winner, knowing the BimmerWorld team continues to work tirelessly to improve their M3s continues to fuel his optimism.

“I feel like we had really solid weekend,” he said. “We made good progress with the balance of the Shopzilla.com car and feel like we have a solid game plan for future improvements. The team has been super supportive. I can’t say enough about the BimmerWorld engineering staff and pit crew. James Clay has been great to work with. He fully understands how competitive the GS class is and is dead set on getting us where we need to be. That is super motivating. We definitely learned a lot this weekend and can use those lessons to continue to make improvements in the next round at VIR.”

Michaelian’s co-driver shares the same opinion about the direction the team is headed.

“I think we have made good progress,” said Wilden. “I would like to see us compete for top 5s over the next few races, and if we can do that, by the end of the year we should be able to go for podiums.”

Seth Thomas, who nearly won the 2010 GRAND-AM Street Tuner championship with BimmerWorld on his first try, has been an integral part of the team since its early days in pro racing. As he’s seen before, it’s only a matter of time before BimmerWorld moves to the front of the pack.

“The season is still very young but I have seen the strengths of the BimmerWorld team to dig deep and give us what it takes to put our Johnstone Supply sponsored BMW M3 up front,” he said. “Being with the team for as long as I have, I know we have been down this path of development in the past and we always come out on top. Every race this season the car gets better and better, and our M3s get faster and faster.

“Our PFC brake package has been amazing on the M3, our RAYS wheels have stood up to the test every time and Redline Oil has kept the M3′s big V8 engine working flawlessly so far. The cars are very good, but it takes a lot of other little ingredients to win. My job is to keep driving like I have been and give the team the best performance possible so we can add in those extra few ingredients. Our teammates in the No. 78 M3 have been a big help to speed up our pace of development, as has my co-driver, James. We’ll get there, and when we do, look out!”

As BimmerWorld continues to build its knowledgebase on the BMW M3 in racing trim, Clay says they will do everything possible to make the upcoming race at VIR a success.

“We tested a bit at VIR before this event and will put more time in there before the coming race. The Barber setup didn’t seem to follow the testing work we had done as closely as we wanted, but we learned more and I think VIR should be a very positive weekend as our program develops.”

Follow BimmerWorld as they prepare to tackle their home track at VIR next month at www.BimmerWorldRacing.com.

The broadcast for the Barber race can be seen April 16th at 2 p.m. ET on SPEED, and On Demand at www.SPEED2.com.

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Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

GRAND-AM’s premier production-based road racing series will visit a variety of venues during the 10-round championship this season, but with this weekend’s Barber 200 at the picturesque Barber Motorsports Park circuit in Leeds, Alabama, BimmerWorld’s pair of BMW 328is and M3s will get to race in a more traditional setting.

Carved within Alabama’s hilly southern countryside, Barber’s 2.3-mile, 17-turn natural terrain road course kicks off eight consecutive races on purpose-built road courses after the series spend the first two rounds competing on unique ‘Roval’ tracks that use a combination of oval and road course circuits.

The appeal of a facility like Barber–especially for the group of BMW experts at BimmerWorld–comes from the demanding road course itself.

Handling–a specialty of BimmerWorld’s Street Tuner-class 328i and Grand Sport-class M3 platforms–is at a premium at Barber, as well as braking, which should give BimmerWorld’s fleet of race cars a strong chance to demonstrate the innate characteristics the German machines are known for.

Round 2, held at the Homestead-Miami Roval one month ago, failed to deliver the type of results BimmerWorld has become accustomed to, so with the extended time between Round 2 and Round 3, team owner/driver James Clay says his skilled team of technicians has been hard at work to make sure their BMWs maximize their potential at Barber.

“We left Homestead wanting a lot more, which is a major drive for improvement. We have spent a lot of time on the ST cars in our new chassis dyno and doing some general driveline analysis and tweaking. The GS program has been doing more refining of the chassis and a bit of testing on track as we continue to climb a steep development slope. The guys have been working hard and I think we will see the results show in Alabama.”

BimmerWorld’s GS line-up features Bob Michaelian and Kenny Wilden driving the No. 79 Bizrate.com BMW M3, and James Clay and Seth Thomas in the No. 79 Johnstone Supply M3. With Michaelian serving as the defending GS race winner at Barber and Clay leading the development of BimmerWorld’s brand-new M3 V8 race cars, confidence is high with the race just days away.

“BMWs are typically, by definition, a sleek, nimble, agile performer but in GS trim they are more like a brawny, brawling muscle car,” said Clay. “Certainly they take a different style of driving and more importantly for the work I usually do with setup and chassis refinement, they take a different thought process to tuning. Thanks to the work at the track between races I am starting to have a good understanding of how to make the car work. We are still early in our development with the BimmerWorld M3 V8 platform, but it is coming along at a fairly rapid pace. Getting in and racing, by comparison, is the easy part.”

BimmerWorld’s pair of ST 328is are poised for another run at Barber after David White claimed pole position for the 2010 Barber 200 race. Partnered with Bill Heumann , two-time 2010 race winner and the 2010 MESCO Rookie of the Year, White says a return to Barber in the No. 80 BimmerWorld BMW has been highly anticipated all year.

“I’ve really been looking forward to getting back to racing on natural road courses and Barber is a great one to start with,” he said. “Barber Motorsports Park is a beautiful facility and the track is a challenging one that rewards smooth driving and well balanced cars. Having the heaviest car in the field hurts at technical tracks like Barber but I know that the BimmerWorld crew has been working hard to provide us with the best possible cars for the job. Last year I came to really love technical tracks and Barber certainly ranks near the top of the list of tracks we will race on this year.”

With the one-month gap between races, White has found plenty of non-race activities to keep himself busy during the layoff.

“The 2011 CTSCC season will be hitting high gear in the coming months but we, as drivers, have had plenty of down time between races up to this point. Between CTSCC events, when I’m not at the race track, I try to race karts as much as possible to satisfy my competitive urges. I have also been focusing on personal fitness and endurance by cycling and running which I have already found to be very beneficial during long stints in the No. 80 BimmerWorld BMW.”

ST rookie John Capestro-Du Bets, who shares the No. 81 BimmerWorld BMW with touring car ace and fellow Exclusive Management teammate Gregory Liefooghe, says he’s treated the extended period between Homestead-Miami and Barber as a time to push his physical training regimen to new levels.

“When I’m not at the race track working on my race craft, I am back in San Diego training a minimum of five days a week at the gym. I have a specific fitness plan put together by both Exclusive Management Inc. and Carmel Sports medicine and Fitness. My trainer works with me weekly and keeps me fit and makes sure I have the right muscles built up to succeed in this sport. My training consists of biking, swimming, running and time in the gym. I know with this program, I will be ready for any and all challenges that Barber and the rest of the tracks have to offer.”

As the Championship enters Round Three, all the car and personal preparation will be critical and thoroughly tested.

Follow BimmerWorld’s progress this weekend at www.BimmerWorldRacing.com, and tune in to watch the race on April 17th at 3 p.m. ET on SPEED.

###

Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

For a team that doubled in size, made its debut with a two-car effort in the Grand Sport (GS) category and fielded two new drivers in the Street tuner (ST) class at Daytona, the BMW experts at BimmerWorld Racing came away pleased from the first race of the 2011 championship. But they are also hungry for better results.

ST veteran Greg Liefooghe, partnered with series rookie and rising star John Capestro-DuBets (JCD), stormed to a podium finish on their debut for the team in the No. 81 BimmerWorld BMW E90 328i. Ken Wilden and Bob Michaelian took sixth in GS, serving notice that BimmerWorld’s new BMW E92 M3 cars would soon be challenging for podiums. And the newly expanded BimmerWorld team performed flawless pit stops throughout the 2.5-hour Daytona 200 race.

While Daytona left the team with many positives to embrace, it was the list of improvements that meant the most to BimmerWorld owner/driver James Clay and the spirited workforce at the team’s Dublin, Va.-based shop.

With a month between Daytona and the second race of the season held at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida, BimmerWorld’s engineers and technicians have been working at a furious pace to find the small refinements that will translate into improved results for all four cars when they race on March 5th.

“For fans that have followed our team over the years it should be no surprise that this month is incredibly busy here as we go through a long list of items on both the ST and GS-class cars to implement the improvements we uncovered at Daytona,” said Clay. “The ST cars were as expected – good out of the box — and we started right where we left off last year with that program, but building the GS cars has given us some new insights into how to improve the ST package. On the GS front, I was certainly happy with our showing on the first race weekend with the new cars, but our goal is to be winning races regularly, and we will be hard at work until we get there.”

In addition to the list of refinements for its BMW 328i and M3 race cars, BimmerWorld has also been busy making operational adjustments to get the most from the four-car team.

“Four cars and all the logistics was certainly a big chunk to bite off,” Clay continued, “but the BimmerWorld crew dug in and carried the team with their determined work ethic. You can’t create the stresses involved in a race weekend during testing and we’ve uncovered some areas for improvement and we will keep looking for areas to solidify until we are executing to perfection.”

Liefooghe, known for his circuit knowledge and chassis setup feedback, was instrumental in helping JCD to achieve the best result for a rookie in the ST class at Daytona. With the team headed for Round 2 of the 10-race championship, Liefooghe has the same expectations for a quality result, and cites the close-knit nature of the team as an influence on the early success of the No. 81.

“The first race was the first test of how well we function as a team and I think it was very successful. John and I are working together really well, and the communication we have with our ST race engineer, Dave Wagener, is really good too. He seems to understand what we want out the car, and he is always pushing hard to improve the setup. Back in Daytona, the car felt great throughout the whole race, and it already feels natural to drive it. As far as the rest of the team, they surround you with their motivation, and they take racing very personally. It would be hard not to feel integrated with that kind of atmosphere. It’s great to be around passionate people like that, and when you’re out on the track you feel like you’re fighting for them too.”

Liefooghe and JCD will compete at Homestead with their teammates Bill Heumann and David White, who pilot the sister No. 80 CRC Industries BimmerWorld BMW E90. The No. 80 was on course to finish alongside the No. 81 at Daytona until a driving infraction slowed their efforts. Round 2 will see BimmerWorld’s ST cars with two very different goals, as the No. 81 seeks to strengthen its place in the championship while the No. 80 looks to overcome the points deficit suffered at Daytona.

The same scenario can be found with BimmerWorld’s GS entries, as the No. 78 BizRate.com BMW E92 M3 of Wilden and Michaelian look to improve upon their 6th-place finish at Daytona, and the No. 79 Johnstone Supply BMW E92 M3 of Clay and Seth Thomas will battle to recover the points lost from a penalty incurred during the Daytona 200.

Wilden, the 2009 GS class champion, says Homestead-Miami’s unique ‘roval’ layout–one that features a blend of the circuit’s oval track and the road course built within the infield–will demand a lot from his BimmerWorld M3.

“You have to be a little more precise with the car’s chassis setup so you don’t scrub too much speed on the oval, which isn’t much of an issue at a track like Daytona. You also need the car to be fast and reactive on the Homestead-Miami infield, and in the tight corners as well. Being able to put the power down out of those corners, and then being able to brake late and deep–something our Performance Friction brakes did to perfection at Daytona–is also crucial. The track might not look like it’s too technical, but you have to get everything right with the car to produce a fast lap.”

From a driving standpoint, Liefooghe says navigating Homestead-Miami’s 2.3-mile, 11-turn circuit takes experience and skill every step of the way.

“Homestead is the hardest ‘easy’ track in the US. There are no real technical corners, but the low grip level of the track and the fact that every corner leads onto a long straightaway means that you have to be inch-perfect everywhere. Other than that, the key to a good lap time will be to make sure you come out fast and clean out of Turn 8, the last corner before getting on the banking. As far as racing goes, aside from Turn 4, all the other corners are suitable for passing, but it just depends where you are in the pack and where you want to come out before the banking. The traffic will also play a big role in the outcome of the race, as it is a very short track for almost 70 cars. It will be intense for all of us at BimmerWorld, but that’s why we do this. It should be a good race for our team.”

Practice gets under way on March 4th, and be sure to follow BimmerWorld’s progress at Homestead-Miami by visiting www.BimmerWorldRacing.com. Tune in to watch the race on SPEED on March 19th at 2 p.m. ET.

###

Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

Positive growth and momentum continues to build for BimmerWorld Racing as the four-car GRAND-AM team announced the signing of Roswell, Georgia-based United BMW as the team’s official supplier of BMW OEM parts.

With BimmerWorld’s expansion to four cars in the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge racing series this year, the need to keep its two production-based BimmerWorld M3s and both BMW 328is prepared with the highest quality factory BMW parts is greater than ever.

Together with United BMW’s support for the 2011 racing season, BimmerWorld owner/driver James Clay says the collaboration between the two companies will compliment BimmerWorld’s racing efforts and their thriving street car business.

“We are excited to have United BMW as a part of the BimmerWorld team this year. Ultimately, we are racing street-platform BMWs and having a strong relationship with a BMW dealer like United–one that is so passionate about these amazing machines–will pay great dividends. Their support and knowledge about the BMW parts we need to run our cars is a perfect resource for our team, and for our BMW parts customers as well.”

With performance at the heart of everything BimmerWorld does on and off the race track, United BMW’s extensive stock of BMW Performance parts will find their way into cars that pass through BimmerWorld’s facility in Dublin, Virginia as well. In kind, United BMW will also benefit from BimmerWorld’s impressive line of race-proven aftermarket products.

“United BMW is a very complimentary pairing for our BimmerWorld parts business,” Clay continued. “Through unitedBMWonline.com, their team provides Genuine BMW Parts and Accessories, as well as BMW Performance Parts, and in the future, it will also include offerings from our BimmerWorld catalog. Similarly, we will be expanding our parts offerings to include more of the BMW Performance line and Genuine BMW Accessories. This expanded and combined effort will reach more BMW owners and enthusiasts to provide the level of product and service we are collectively known for.”

United BMW’s Steve Maguire says that joining forces with BimmerWorld’s aftermarket and road racing businesses will help to showcase their extensive BMW catalog.

“We felt this was a perfect match for our business and the right opportunity to raise the profile of www.unitedBMWonline.com expand and increase awareness of our offerings to BMW enthusiasts across the country. We have watched BimmerWorld grow to be a leading race team competing in the GRAND-AM series, and they are always running at the front in very professionally turned out BMWs, which is important. Their business philosophy and core values are very similar to ours; deliver quality products together with a team dedicated to delivering the highest level of customer service. With our focus on promoting Genuine BMW Parts & Accessories through our website, and BimmerWorld’s focus on performance parts, it makes for a perfect partnership.”

The growth in popularity of the Continental Tire Series, coupled with the increase in online and linear coverage of the series, played into United BMW’s decision to align itself with BimmerWorld. With all four of BimmerWorld’s GRAND-AM cars carrying United BMW branding, and a heavy emphasis on the online parts solutions that they make available for BMW racers and enthusiasts everywhere, both parties expect their partnership to help serve the performance-minded BMW owner better than ever.

“United BMW Roswell, through our BMW Parts & Accessories website www.unitedBMWonline.com, has grown to be the leading BMW Dealer in the e-commerce marketplace,” explained Maguire. “We wanted to expand awareness of our business to a wider audience through an exciting environment and could think of no better place than the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series. It offers close racing in cars that are purchased right off the showroom floor, and with sensible modifications for safety and performance, uses mostly stock components that can be purchased online directly from a company like ours. It’s a very appealing marketing platform.”

BimmerWorld’s next race–which features the debut of United BMW’s branding on the fleet of BimmerWorld 328is and M3s–is March 5th in Homestead, Florida. Follow the team’s progress on www.BimmerWorldRacing.com, and tune-in to watch the race on March 19th at 2 p.m. ET on SPEED.

###

Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

The bar was set exceedingly high for the BimmerWorld Racing Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge team after nearly winning the Street Tuner teams’ and drivers’ championship at its first attempt. Adding two new cars to the team for 2011–to run in the bigger, faster Grand Sport class–required unparalleled amounts of work and dedication in the off-season, as two new BMW M3 V8s were transformed into GS race cars in just a matter of months.

And with a highly competitive showing at the opening round of the 2011 GRAND-AM championship last weekend at Daytona International Speedway, BimmerWorld’s efforts in the Grand Sport (GS) category made for a seamless transition from one season to the next.

2009 GS driver champion Ken Wilden and his teammate Bob Michaelian drove their Bizrate.com-sponsored No. 78 BimmerWorld BMW E92 chassis to a remarkable sixth-place finish in their maiden race with the team. With the majority of the BMW E92 runners in GS armed with years of experience racing their GRAND-AM M3s, BimmerWorld’s quick progress with their new GS cars impressed Wilden.

“We have a lot to do and a lot to learn with the E92, but we aren’t miles off. What I like about this team is that right after the race, [team owner] James Clay called us right into the trailer and had us detail every little thing we as drivers thought could be improved. He didn’t want to celebrate; he wanted to create a plan to make us faster for the next race.”

Despite the team’s business-like approach, Wilden rejoiced in their race result.

“Taking sixth was a great way to start the year for Bob and me. Our goal is to be in the top-6 at every round, and if we can do that, we’ll have a shot at a championship.”

Michaelian, a driver who is accustomed to being at the sharp end of the field, came away from their sixth-place at the GRAND-AM 200 with similar impressions.

“Kenny and I both feel like there is a huge amount of potential with the car. The fact that this was the first race for BimmerWorld in the GS class, and both cars were already very competitive gives us a lot of confidence. We know that with more work, both cars will be vying for podium finishes. The BMW E92 platform has proven that it can win races and championships. We are definitely looking forward to the opportunity to work with James and Seth to further develop the program at BimmerWorld.”

Having raced and won for a well established GS team in 2010, Michaelian was quick to offer praise for the BimmerWorld team after his first race with the Dublin, Va.-based outfit.

“The overall takeaway was that we were super impressed with the operation that BimmerWorld has put together. We were able to work very closely with the crew to improve the Bizrate.com car over the weekend. The progress we were able to make over the test days and throughout the race weekend was really encouraging. The crew, strategy, and pit stops were all first rate. I don’t think we could have asked for anything more in our first weekend.”

The potential was also there for James Clay and Seth Thomas in the No. 79 Johnstone Supply sponsored BimmerWorld BMW E92. After posting impressive times throughout practice and again in qualifying, a penalty for body contact forced Clay to pit lane, and around a big track like the 3.56-mile Daytona circuit, losing the slightest amount of time will can ruin a race.

“We should have been right there with Ken and Bob, but we were penalized and had to accept it and move on,” said Clay. “It wasn’t the outcome we wanted, but we did learn a lot with both cars and seeing the No. 78 do well will only make us work harder. The GS class is just as intense as ST has proven to be, and the top cars are well-sorted and highly developed. Getting our E92s to that state is our mission in 2011, and we’ll be pushing to get there as fast as possible. It will be an intense month of work until we go to the next race at Homestead.”

As a veteran member of the BimmerWorld team, Thomas says he was delighted to see the hard work that went into building two new E92s pay off at the season opener.

“I won’t lie and say we’re where we want to be. Winning is about the only thing we’ll consider as a good result, but with that being said, we have a good foundation to build from here. Ken and Bob drove their hearts out, and the BimmerWorld mechanics should be proud to get a top-6. It isn’t easy in GRAND-AM. But I’m really proud of the team and our teammates. Having two great drivers like Bob and Ken makes all the difference, and these new E92s are just awesome.

“The build quality is like nothing I’ve seen, and they still have that BimmerWorld DNA. They brake better than anyone out there, and we’re going to get the handling to that level too. Just give us some time. I’d say we exceeded expectations for our first GS race, and the cars were 100 percent reliable. Everyone huddled up after the race to brainstorm on our next steps to move up the finishing order, and all of our partners and sponsors are right behind us pushing like crazy to get us into Victory Circle. We’ll get there. I’m as confident of that as I’ve ever been.”

BimmerWorld races with unrivaled support from key business partners. Learn about them by visiting Bizrate.com, CRC Industries, Escort Inc., GearWrench and Johnstone Supply.

Tune into SPEED on February 5th at 3 p.m. ET to watch the race broadcast, and follow BimmerWorld’s progress as they ready themselves for Homestead-Miami by visiting www.BimmerWorldRacing.com.

###

Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

Breaking into the professional ranks of any sport is a pressure-packed endeavor, and for a young driver like BimmerWorld Racing’s John Capestro-DuBets, the need to deliver a strong performance in his first pro race was critical.

Thankfully, the 21-year-old Californian not only performed well in his professional debut at the GRAND-AM 200, he completed a dream weekend by standing on the famed podium at the historic Daytona International Raceway. After earning a third-place finish in the grueling 2.5-hour Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season opener with his teammate, veteran driver Gregory Liefooghe, the pilots of the No. 81 BimmerWorld BMW E90 celebrated a top-3 result to open their account on the 2011 season.

Starting seventh, Capestro-DuBets, known as ‘JCD’ to his teammates, looked poised within the 77-car field during his turn at the wheel. Handing off the car to Liefooghe, the duo raced their way to third to start the year in spectacular fashion.

“This is a dream come true,” said JCD. “Just driving through the tunnel and seeing Daytona from the inside for the first time was surreal. Sitting here now–I just raced on this legendary track and finished third…I just can’t put it into words. The BimmerWorld team did an incredible job; the car was so fast and our pit stops–they were my first in competition–were so smooth. Greg drove an amazing stint when he took over and I was just thrilled to share in this with him and the team.”

Liefooghe, like JCD, made his debut with the BimmerWorld team at Daytona. Based on the first race, the 29-year-old says he’s highly encouraged with what the No. 81 BimmerWorld BMW program can achieve.

“I’m very pleased with how our Daytona 200 race went,” he said, “and it gives us a very good starting point in the championship. John should be very proud of the job he did, and everyone on the BimmerWorld team worked so hard to make this possible. This podium just makes us more eager to get to the next round and go racing immediately.”

James Clay, owner of the BimmerWorld team, says he’s glad to see the ST drivers working together so closely.

“I think we have four amazing drivers, and on most weekends, I’d expect them to be running together in the lead pack. They contribute a lot to our team and we have every confidence both cars will be in the championship hunt all year long. You have to be happy with what Greg and JCD achieved–it’s our second podium at Daytona in two years–and Bill and David could have been right there with them. All of the potential to succeed is within our grasp.”

2010 GRAND-AM MESCO Rookie of the Year winner Bill Heumann, and two-time 2010 Street Tuner pole winner David White had a more challenging start to the new season in their No. 80 BimmerWorld BMW E90.

An impressive run from their 22nd starting spot to 12th aside, the duo expected more from the first race of the season but a penalty dropped the No. 80 to the back of the field, ending their chance of running in tandem with the sister No. 80 BMW.

“I made a mistake and sped on pit lane,” Heumann said with a tone that revealed his frustration. “You never want to make mistakes, but I did and I’ll come away knowing that I have to be perfect behind the wheel if David and I want to win together in the series. We won’t dwell on it; we know what our car and team can do, so we’ll come back for the next race even stronger.”

White, who took over for Heumann to complete the race in the BimmerWorld E90, says they will treat the next round, held at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, FL, like it’s the first race of the year.

“We took 12th, which helps in the championship, but our mindset is to go the next race and show everybody what we’re capable of. The good thing is the E90 is really fast, its Performance Friction brakes give us an advantage under braking and Bill and I are fired up to go after wins and the title. Sometimes you have races that don’t go your way, and this was one of them. Like Bill said, you learn from it and move on. We’ll be ready to go at Homestead and we know the BimmerWorld crew will prepare the best cars in the paddock for us.”

Tune into SPEED on February 5th at 3 p.m. ET to watch the race broadcast, and follow BimmerWorld’s progress as they ready themselves for Homestead-Miami by visiting www.BimmerWorldRacing.com.

###

Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

For some teams, finishing second in a major auto racing championship would be received in a positive light–as an indicator of how much progress had been made. For BimmerWorld Racing, the 2010 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Street Tuner (ST) class runner-up, finishing second has only served to fuel a relentless off-season of work to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Speed, reliability and consistency were hallmarks during BimmerWorld’s 2010 ST campaign, but despite the team’s collection of wins, pole positions and fastest laps, improvements in every area of BimmerWorld’s program were targeted for 2011.

Led by long-time crew chief Jason Marks, the Dublin, VA-based BMW experts tore through their two BMW E90 chassis to freshen and improve each component and system in preparation for the season opening race this Friday at Daytona International Speedway.

While the technicians at BimmerWorld have paid special attention to improving their cars, the same focus has been placed on the drivers who will pilot the No. 80 and 81 BimmerWorld BMW E90s. The progress shown on and off the track by everyone involved with the ST cars has given BimmerWorld team owner James Clay a lot of confidence about their chances.

“BimmerWorld had an outstanding debut in the ST class in 2010, but a mechanical issue in the last race left us short on the Championship we all but had locked down. The BimmerWorld ST teams for 2011 were chosen to jump right in to where 2010 left off. With a well-developed car and top-shelf drivers, I am certainly expecting a lot of great racing with all the teams, but I feel good about our championship potential as well.”

Returning to the cockpit is Bill Heumann, a two-time race winner and the MESCO Rookie of the Year in 2010 with BimmerWorld, and David White, his ‘new’ teammate in the No. 80 BimmerWorld BMW E90.

White spent the 2010 season partnered with Clay, earning two poles as a rookie, but for 2011, and with Clay and BimmerWorld driver Seth Thomas joining forces to drive one of the team’s new BMW M3 V8s in the Grand Sport class, Heumann and White have come together to form an incredibly strong combination in the No. 80.

Although they drove in different cars last season, Heumann says that the rapport and feedback he and White built in 2010 will allow the duo to hit the ground running at Daytona.

“David and I were teammates last year and friends for years prior so the change to being co-drivers is a very small adjustment for us,” he said. “I think we communicate well and will have no problems in this regard. David has proven to be a good coach and has already given me some tools that have helped make me faster. We have the right chemistry and the right team supporting us.”

White says that he and Heumann have a common goal for the new season, and starting it off with a fast and clean race at Daytona will be critical.

“The 2011 ST field is shaping up to be very competitive with plenty of fast cars and top notch drivers,” he said. “A podium finish at Daytona would be awesome but more importantly we need good, consistent finishes all year to have a shot at the ST team and drivers’ championships. My focus at Daytona will be to start the season off with a finish that will put us on the right path to winning those championships.”

Heumann and White will have new teammates this year, as GRAND-AM standout Gregory Liefooghe and series rookie John Capestro-Du Bets, affectionately known as ‘JCD’ within the team, will drive the No. 81 BimmerWorld BMW E90. Liefooghe, who has quickly adapted to the rear-wheel drive E90, and JCD, who trained in smaller, lighter touring cars, impressed everyone with the pace they showed at the final pre-season test at Daytona earlier this month.

“The test went very well,” said Liefooghe. “After finding our marks, we were able to work on the setup and ended up with a car that was very competitive and consistent. We left Daytona very optimistic for the upcoming race.”

Being surrounded by three experienced ST drivers will help JCD to learn the ropes in GRAND-AM, and with a veteran team and proven car beneath him, the 21-year-old says he’s looking forward to what his first ST campaign will offer.

“Since day one–when I first tested with BimmerWorld at VIR–they have made me feel like family,” he said. “The team is extremely efficient and very motivated. The E90 is amazing! Being an avid BMW fan, I can’t say enough good things about the chassis. The car is great to work with. It’s very responsive to the setup changes we made throughout the test days at Daytona. I feel that competing with BimmerWorld in my rookie season will enable me to demonstrate my talent behind the wheel and desire to continue competing in the GRAND-AM series.”

Like Heumann and White, JCD says he and Liefooghe are heading into Friday’s race seeking the same outcome.

“The goals for Greg and me at the Daytona 200 are to keep the No. 81 BimmerWorld BMW in the top-10 while running consistent lap times. I want to hand off a near-perfect car to Gregory so he’ll have the opportunity for a strong finish for our team, and to our championship run. As this is my rookie season in the GRAND-AM, I know I have many things to learn, however, I am confident that with the support of my team, Gregory and Exclusive Management Inc., I will adapt quickly.”

Opening practice for Round 1 of the 2011 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship starts on Thursday, January 27th, with the 2.5-hour GRAND-AM 200 race beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET on Friday the 28th. Tune into SPEED on February 5th at 3 p.m. ET to watch the race broadcast, and follow BimmerWorld’s progress at Daytona by visiting www.BimmerWorldRacing.com.

###

Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

After an intense off-season dominated by building two new cars for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Grand Sport (GS) category, the BimmerWorld Racing team is ready to unload their BMW M3 V8s at Daytona International Speedway to go racing this week at the season opener.

Drawing from a year of success in the Street Tuner (ST) division, BimmerWorld made the bold move to expand their Dublin, Va.-based GRAND-AM operation from two cars to four in 2011 with the addition of the No. 78 and 79 GS entries.

Built on the heavily refined E92 chassis platform, the BMW experts at BimmerWorld have crafted their finest racing cars yet after drawing from more than a decade of knowledge gained from racing the German cars.

Team owner/driver James Clay, who will pilot the No. 79 BimmerWorld BMW E92 M3 with Seth Thomas, says fans can expect one thing from BimmerWorld’s new GS cars and drivers: “Excellence! We entered GRAND-AM in 2010 with the ST cars with a winning effort and nearly won the championship. The GS cars certainly put us in a field of stiff competition, but just like 2010, we are doing everything at 110 percent and I expect some great results from our team.”

To compliment BimmerWorld’s growth into the GS class, 2009 GS champion Ken Wilden and 2010 GS race winner Bob Michaelian have signed to drive the No. 78 BimmerWorld BMW E92 M3. The formidable pairing in the No. 78 further adds to Clay’s confidence in their GS program.

“I am thrilled to have teammates of Ken and Bob’s caliber. Having two contributing cars to work with speeds up the learning curve on any given weekend and from our Daytona test a few weeks ago, I feel like we will all work together well and will be able to bring different perspectives to the table.”

With a recent GS championship to his credit, Wilden says an aggressive but controlled approach to the Daytona race–the first of nine rounds this year–is the right frame of mind to help earn another GS title.

“The goal is to get points,” he said. “Fireworks are good at the right time if they are needed, but you have to know the right time to push and when to bide your time. Everyone will be going all out in the last part of the race and I expect to be in the battle and competing for a podium.”

It can take quite some time for a driver to settle into a new team, but Michaelian says the environment and resources offered by BimmerWorld have allowed he and Wilden to get down to business immediately.

“Kenny and I have been super impressed with the BimmerWorld team,” he said. “They have a successful track record of winning in every form of motorsports they have competed in. They’ve built very competitive GS cars for us this year, but have also coupled that with a very professional operation. We definitely learned a ton by gong to the test in early January, and the BimmerWorld BWM E92 is an awesome car to drive. We are certainly looking forward to building on those lessons to ensure a successful GS campaign in 2011.”

While Wilden and Michaelian have raced together in GRAND-AM, Clay and Thomas will are embarking on their first season as co-drivers in the No. 79 BMW E92 M3. Just as the drivers in the No. 78 BMW E92 M3 used the early January test at Daytona to familiarize themselves with the team, Clay and Thomas used the test to refine their working process as teammates piloting the same car.

“The test days were just that for us,” said Thomas. “They were days for us to work together, to get the kinks out of our system and get the cars up to speed. When the cars unload at Daytona and we set foot on the track, it is time to attack. The pre-season is over, and now it’s time to get in that championship mindset. We are going to be giving it everything we have to put our BimmerWorld BMWs on the top step of the podium and start this season where we left of last season.”

With the Jason Marks-led BimmerWorld crew is ready to race and the four BimmerWorld GS drivers are eagerly anticipating the start of practice, the technical partners and sponsors supporting the new BimmerWorld BMW E92 M3s are also ready to get the season under way. As a leader in the BMW aftermarket business, BimmerWorld relies on their racing activities to improve their line of parts and services, and with their new GS cars, the R&D process will continue.

“With the higher level of tune of the GS cars, we are fortunate to have Performance Friction involved with a full brake caliper brake kit,” said Clay. “With the GS cars tipping the scales at a hefty 3300 pounds dry, having Performance Friction in our corner will be a huge asset. We have also partnered with AST both on the race and sales side. With all the technology we pour into our race team, it is always good to have a brand like AST involved who offers a wide range of product so that we can apply our hard-earned knowledge for the benefit of our performance tuning and race customers. Rogue Engineering has supplied a couple of technical parts for the new cars and Rays Engineering has sent us some custom TE37 wheels what will take the beating that typically bends other wheels.”

Care and feeding of the BimmerWorld BMW’s powerful V8 engine has also been addressed.

“With the higher power output of the GS cars, driveline stress and heat will be more of a factor for us,” Clay continued. “Red Line Oils is back with us for full engine/driveline lubrication and cooling which gives me confidence when we are pounding away for a few hours straight in 100-degree heat. And C&R Racing Radiators provided radiators and oil coolers for the new cars as well which will undoubtedly provide the same flawless performance their other products have throughout our years together. A lot of knowledge went into our E92s, and I expect that to show throughout the upcoming season.”

Opening practice for Round 1 of the 2011 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship starts on Thursday, January 27th, with the 2.5-hour GRAND-AM 200 race beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET on Friday the 28th. Tune into SPEED on February 5th at 3 p.m. ET to watch the race broadcast, and follow BimmerWorld’s progress at Daytona by visiting www.BimmerWorldRacing.com.

###

Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

BimmerWorld Racing revealed today an energized roster of sponsors and partners for the 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season.

BimmerWorld’s familiar blue, white and yellow colors will continue to dress the team’s two BMW E90 Street Tuner (ST) entries and its two new BMW E92 M3 Grand Sport (GS) cars, but fans will find a revised livery and new sponsors in CRC and Johnstone Supply featured prominently in both classes. GearWrench and Chin Motorsports will also return to support BimmerWorld’s four-car team.

CRC Industries, known for its range of popular specialty automotive chemicals, has sponsored BimmerWorld for some time, but as CRC Industries marketing manager Julie Williams explains, CRC’s expanded support of BimmerWorld matches the increased promotional value the team offers with its GRAND-AM racing activities.

“CRC Industries has sponsored BimmerWorld on a smaller level over the past few years and we are so impressed with the growth and hunger we’ve seen from this team,” she said, “that it was an easy decision to increase our partnership with them for 2011. The timing is perfect, too. As we celebrate the 40th birthday of CRC Brakleen(R), the #1 selling brake parts cleaner in the industry, BimmerWorld will play a pivotal role in conveying our brand message and awareness to the next generation of specialty-chemical users.

“It’s a perfect fit for CRC, as we’ll be reaching both professional technicians and heavy DIY’ers with BimmerWorld through the GRAND-AM series. Race fans will recognize that since a winning team like BimmerWorld depends on CRC chemicals for fast results done right the first time, they can rely on CRC for top-tier quality, too.”

The familiar CRC logos will be found on all of BimmerWorld’s GRAND-AM cars, with CRC most prominently displayed on the hoods of the No. 80 and 81 BimmerWorld BMW E90 ST entries.

Johnstone Supply, through Harold Petit, owner of a chain of Johnstone Supply stores, will be found on the hood of the No. 79 BimmerWorld BMW E92 M3 driven by team owner James Clay and his co-driver, Seth Thomas. With more than 350 stores nationwide supporting the HVACR industry, Petit has partnered with Clay’s team with a specific goal in mind.

While CRC Industries is looking to create brand awareness in the sports car community with BimmerWorld, Johnstone Supply is targeting the B2B opportunities that an alliance with BimmerWorld can bring.

“I’ve partnered with BimmerWorld for several reasons. First, as a company, they are friendly, helpful and honest, which matters in a customer service business like mine. Next, I see a great chance to develop new relationships through our partnership with the team to entertain customer and new potential clients through this wonderfully exciting sport. It’s hard not to get excited and motivated to bring your business and your passion together, and even for those who’ve never seen a race in person, I think what we’ll have to offer at the track will open a lot of new doors for our company.”

GearWrench, the maker of precision hand tools and one of BimmerWorld’s most enduring supporters, returns for 2011. The BimmerWorld team found itself in need of lightning-fast fixes throughout the highly competitive 2010 GRAND-AM season, and as Crew Chief Jason Marks explains, having the best tools in the shop, in the paddock and on pit lane is a major advantage when speed and accuracy is required.

“GearWrench products are very innovative and somehow thousands and thousands of years since man began using hand tools, GearWrench still seems to engineer truly impressive tool designs that allow us to do our job faster. Having their products behind us with our expanded 2011 car count is very important to our success.

Chin Motorsports returns to the BimmerWorld fold for 2011 as well as the two companies continue to expand their relationship. Known for their premier high-performance driving experience (HPDE) events, Chin Motorsports will serve as the primary host to BimmerWorld’s large customer base of HPDE enthusiasts, and as a platform for the high-caliber driver coaching services offered by Clay, Thomas, and David White through their NextLevelDriving.com operation.

Fans will get their first live look at BimmerWorld’s new sponsors and livery later this week. Opening practice for Round 1 of the 2011 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship starts on Thursday, January 27th, with the 2.5-hour GRAND-AM 200 race beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET on Friday the 28th. Tune into SPEED on February 5th at 3 p.m. ET to watch the race broadcast, and follow BimmerWorld’s progress at Daytona by visiting www.BimmerWorldRacing.com.

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Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com

Expanding a racing team from two cars to four requires immense planning and labor, but to make all of that extra effort worthwhile, the best drivers are required. With today’s announcement of Ken Wilden, 2009 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Grand Sport champion, and 2010 GS race winner Bob Michaelian as the drivers of the No. 78 BimmerWorld Racing BMW M3 V8 GS entry, the team has everything it needs to succeed.

Wilden, who draws from a massive amount of racing experience in open-wheel and touring cars, and Michaelian, who has worked his way up the tin-top ladder with impressive performances at every level, arrive at BimmerWorld after driving together for six races during the 2010 GRAND-AM GS season.

Wilden and Michaelian compliment BimmerWorld’s new-for-2011 GS program that will see team owner/driver James Clay and Seth Thomas partner in the No. 79 BMW M3. BimmerWorld’s two-car GS effort, coupled with their two-car Street Tuner program, gives the Dublin, VA-based outfit the strongest possible program to earn a championship.

Having two proven stars in the No. 78 BimmerWorld entry is a major boost to the team, according to Clay.

“As we were working on our driver lineup for 2011, I had a very short list of GS drivers I wanted as we expanded our program. Having Seth with me in a car was important and filling the other car with a driver pairing equally capable of winning the championship was critical to our program goal. Bob and Kenny are battle-proven and complete our lineup of four championship contenders perfectly.”

For Michaelian, getting a taste of success in GS last year spurred him and Wilden to find the most competitive team to pursue a title.

“I have followed the success of the BimmerWorld team over the last few years and have been super impressed by the competitiveness and professionalism of their operation. Kenny and I both are excited about the opportunity to partner with BimmerWorld. Given the competitiveness of the team as well as the strength of the BMW M3 platform, we are looking forward to putting together a strong effort for the championship in 2011.”

As Wilden shares, the decision to move to BimmerWorld and the renowned M3 V8 package was done only after careful consideration.

“It was a long vetting process for sure, and I feel it was very thorough. We looked at multiple teams and manufacturers. The history and past performance of each team and car was reviewed, and we had multiple conversations over the last few months before coming to a conclusion. Bob and I really felt that BimmerWorld ranked higher in our assessment.”

With so much promise shown in 2010, Wilden believes he and Michaelian have the right tools and team beneath them to succeed.

“We are going into this year with the expectation of being able to compete for wins with the BimmerWorld package, and to have a very high average overall finishing record. We expect the reliability of the BimmerWorld BMW will get us to the finish of every race consistently, which is crucial in this series. That might seem like high expectations, but that is what you need to win a championship. That’s the formula that helped me to win the 2009 GS championship, and that’s the same focus we’ll have in 2011.”

Commercial support is a vital element of fielding a competitive effort, and as Michaelian explains, his sponsorship roster is the driving force behind his championship aspirations.

“Bizrate.com is coming on board to support our 2011 GS efforts. I have had the great fortune of working at Shopzilla, Inc. for almost 11 years. Shopzilla, Inc. owns and operates multiple web properties including Bizrate.com, Shopzilla.com, Beso.com, and TaDa.com. The company is a special group of people and I feel privileged to showcase our product on the BWR car in 2011. I have helped run both the Shopzilla and Bizrate websites for the last 5 years and am excited about the opportunity to showcase the Bizrate brand in the GRAND-AM series. The GRAND-AM brand is synonymous with putting out a quality product so we feel like it’s a great place to highlight the quality service that Bizrate provides its consumers.”

Follow BimmerWorld’s progress at www.BimmerWorldRacing.com as they prepare for the 2011 GS season opener during this weekend’s test at Daytona International Speedway.

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Courtesy: BimmerWorld Media Services
mediaservices@bimmerworld.com

More information about the team, cars, and drivers can be found at www.bimmerworldracing.com
Information on BimmerWorld’s Customer Car Services can be found at www.bimmerworld.com
Details on PowerFlex Suspension Bushings can be found at www.powerflexusa.com