No. 36 BimmerWorld M4 GT4 – SRO

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Engine: 3.0L Turbo Inline-6, BMW Motorsport electronics, AiM data acquisition

Driveline:  ZF8 with Motorsport software, Motorsport differential with separate cooling

Suspension: Motorsport-specific control connections, 2-Way adjustable dampers, adjustable motorsport anti-roll bars front and rear

Wheels: 18-inch Motorsport race wheels

Brakes: 6-piston, fixed calipers front; 4-piston fixed calipers rear; adjustable brake bias via balance bar

Drivers: James Clay, Charlie Postins

BimmerWorld Racing returns to SRO with new M4 GT4s and M4 GT3 in 2023

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BimmerWorld Racing 2023 SRO Season Announcement: March 2, 2023

BimmerWorld Racing is proud to announce its return to SRO Motorsport America bringing two brand new BMW Motorsport G82 M4 GT4s to compete in the Pirelli GT4 America championship and a BMW M4 GT3 returning in Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS for the 2023 season.

Coming off a very successful 2022 season in the GT4 America AM series, winning seven of the 14 races, the driver pairing of James Clay and Charlie Postins will return as teammates looking to repeat their performance and clinch another championship. They will be piloting the brand new No. 36 OPTIMA Batteries / Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems USA BMW Motorsport G82 M4 GT4. “After the success of last year it just made sense to do it all over again with Charlie. New car with new challenges, but same teammates and the same goal of a championship in 2023,” Clay continued. “After five successful years racing the F82 M4 platform the team is eager to get the new G82 on track and get to work.”

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Bill Auberlen and Chandler Hull will be returning to SRO America with BimmerWorld Racing for their second season in the No. 94 TACenergy / OZIUM BMW M4 GT3. Bill and Chandler had a strong showing in 2022 with podiums at all six rounds of racing and capped it off with a win at the Intercontinental GT Challenge Indianapolis 8 hour making that three years in a row for the BimmerWorld team. “Bill and Chandler are fantastic in the GT3 platform, and we are excited to see the true potential of this car in 2023 after an inaugural season where BMW often struggled with the balance of performance,” Clay added.

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James Walker, Jr. returns for his fourth season with BimmerWorld Racing sharing the No. 82 Red Line Oil / Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems USA BMW M4 GT4 with a new driver to the BimmerWorld family, Tyler McQuarrie. Tyler has been racing for almost 25 years and has won in multiple different categories ranging from formula cars, stock cars, sprint cars, drifting, off-road, and sports cars. Sports car racing has been his main focus the majority of his career and has multiple poles, wins, and the 2019 IMSA GS Championship to show for it. “I’ve raced against Tyler for multiple years and worked with him extremely effectively in our Lifeline business for the last year and change,” Clay continued. “James Walker is back for his fourth year with BimmerWorld, and I think this should prove to be a strong pairing and a championship contender.”

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The BimmerWorld Racing team is supported by the following sponsors:

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No. 36:
OPTIMA Batteries
– The Ultimate Power Source. Unbeatable starting power, light weight, superior cycling capability, and extreme resistance to the most common causes of battery failure make the OPTIMA Battery our choice for our own BMW. OPTIMA also delivers the innovative OPTIMA Chargers Digital 400 and 1200 Battery Chargers for all automotive and marine batteries.

Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems – Leading manufacturer of fire safety equipment and fire safety systems to the motorsport industry.

 

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No. 82:
Red Line Synthetic Oil Corporation
– Manufacturers of more than 100 high-end lubricants that have the reputation of performing better than any other product on the market, regardless of price. Using cutting edge technology, Red Line responds to the technical challenges of today’s performance industry utilizing knowledge gained from racing to create high-performance products for track cars and street vehicles alike.

Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems  – Leading manufacturer of fire safety equipment and fire safety systems to the motorsport industry.

 

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No. 94:
TACenergy
– One of the largest independent wholesale fuel distributors of refined petroleum products in the United States. With an extensive supply network across the U.S., as well as regional sales offices across the country, TACenergy can service almost any customer’s fuel needs.
 
 

Core BimmerWorld technical partners include:
PFC Brakes – Leading brake friction and component manufacturer.
Diffsonline – Provider of differentials and driveline expertise to meet the demanding needs of customers, from street machines to professional race teams.

Additional team sponsors include:

Johnstone Supply – The top cooperative wholesale distributor in the country and a recognized national leader in the HVACR industry.
Exhall Automotive -Offers bespoke design realization services to OEM’s and Start ups alike. With over 20 years of experience in many of the top design studios of the world Exhall Automotive excels in offering efficient design services in a turn key fashion to meet the demands of today’s cost conscious manufacturers.
Ozium – Clinically proven air sanitizers that eliminate, not mask, odors.
Pretzilla – The pioneer in fresh, soft pretzel bread.

FOLLOW BIMMERWORLD AT: https://www.facebook.com/bimmerworld
STAY UP TO DATE WITH BIMMERWORLD NEWS AT: http://www.bimmerworldracing.com
ABOUT: BimmerWorld is renowned as a leader in BMW aftermarket and tuning expertise, with operations spanning from stock, aftermarket, performance and racing parts sales and development through racing from club to professional levels. BimmerWorld Racing competes with the BMW Motorsport M4 GT3 and M4 GT4 in North America in both SRO and IMSA Championships, where the Virginia-based outfit has become a frequent winner and championship contender.

Charlie Postins

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Over the past two seasons, the driver lineup of Postins and Clay has proved to be the class of the field in the AM class. The pair head into the year with their sights firmly set on a hat-trick of championships. For 2023, Charlie partnered with James once again in the SRO Am class, this time campaigning the new G82 GT4 M4. Unlike in 2022, the racing year got off to a slow start, with a third-place finish in the first race and an unfortunate, race-ending incident in the second race. Thankfully, that marked the low point of the season, from which the pair rebounded well. Ultimately, James and Charlie once again claimed the SRO AM Championship, winning another 7 races along the way.

Charlie returned to full-time racing in 2022 alongside BimmerWorld’s James Clay. The program, racing the F82 M4 GT4, came together at the very last minute but got off to a fast start with a pole position, one second place, and a victory at the first race of the year in Sonoma. That laid the foundation to being crowned SRO GT4 America Am class Champions with 7 class victories. Furthermore, the level of success culminated in James and Charlie winning the prestigious BMW Sports Trophy.

Following a several-year hiatus from racing to focus on his career, Postins re-entered the sport with a series of race outings at the challenging Nurburgring in Germany, often with James Clay as a co-driver. Charlie has competed in the legendary Nurburging 24-Hour race four times; in a BMW M240 on three occasions and once in a BMW M4 GT4. 

His best result at the twice-around-the-clock race was in 2020 when he finished the Challenge of the Green Hell in fourth place in class. Charlie also secured a class win in the BMW M4 GT4 in 2022 at the qualification race for the 24-Hour race.

In 2017, Postins took class victory along with co-driver James Clay in the Thunderhill 25-hour race in the EO class. This flag-to-flag victory came in El Diablo Racing’s BMW E46.

In the early years of his motorsport career, Postins competed in his home country of England. Standout performances included finishing third in the 1996 Renault UK Clio Cup and fourth in the 1993 British Formula First Championship.

Charlie moved to San Diego from the UK in 1996 to take up a position as an automotive design sculptor with Nissan Design America. This move followed a successful career in clay modeling throughout Europe for manufacturers such as VW, Saab, and Porsche. In 2007, Postins shifted gears from the automotive design world to assist in developing a pet food startup. This company, The Honest Kitchen, is now recognized as the leading Human Grade pet food brand in America and is sold throughout North America. Charlie currently serves as a board member for the company.

Feeling drawn to automotive design once again, Charlie is now actively involved in sculpting automotive shapes of the future through his race and design company, Exhall Automotive.

Strong Start for BimmerWorld at Sonoma

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After a long but hectic off season, the BimmerWorld haulers made their way into Sonoma last week to kick off the 2022 SRO Motorsports America season. Out rolled three beautiful BMWs ready for battle, including our first entry into the world of GT3 racing, the No. 94 TACenergy / OZIUM BMW Motorsport M4 GT3 piloted by Bill Auberlen and Chandler Hull this year in the GT World Challenge America Presented by AWS series. The M4 GT3, which BimmerWorld took delivery of only the week before this race weekend, and two M4 GT4s were prepped, stickered up, and rolled through tech Wednesday afternoon. Drivers made last-minute checks to their seating positions, and the cars were put to bed until the first test session the next day.

M4 GT4s in the paddock

No. 94 M4 GT3 on air jacks in the garage

With all the anticipation and anxiousness leading up to the beginning of this season, it was slightly anticlimactic to arrive at the track Thursday morning to rain. The forecast said it would rain on and off throughout the whole weekend. Rain tires were mounted up and the crew and drivers dug right in and got to work. 

No. 36 M4 GT4 in the rain

No. 82 M4 GT4 in the rain

M4 GT3 racing in the rain

Friday was sunny, clear, and dry and allowed the team to really start finding its groove with the new GT3 while Auberlen and Hull exchanged notes.

Bill Auberlen with headset in pits talking to Chandler Hull

M4 GT3 nailing the apex

Chandler Hull with helmet on

James Clay and Charlie Postins, drivers of the No. 36 OPTIMA Batteries / Lifeline USA M4 GT4, were busy getting comfortable with driver changes while James Walker, Jr. and Devin Jones, drivers of the No. 82 Red Line Oil / Veristor M4 GT4, poured over data to find a tenth here and there to make the most of Sonoma, which in the past has never been the best track for the BMW.

Clay and Postins during a driver change

Devin Jones with headset communicating with team

James Walker, Jr. talking to team in pits

With rain sprinkling on and off throughout all qualifying sessions, the goal was equally about surviving as it was about finding speed. With the largest GT4 field on record at 41 cars, there wasn’t a lot of open track and plenty of close calls while everyone scrambled to put down their best lap.

M4 GT4 pushing hard in group on track

M4 GT4 leading the pack

The forecast was finally dry and sunny for both race days.  Auberlen and Hull had a solid Saturday running in the top-three the entire race and finishing on the podium in third. Sunday they had a tougher time getting to the front and finished seventh. In a car that was delivered only a handful of days prior, the team was very pleased with the results.

M4 GT3 heading up the hill fast

M3 GT3 on air jacks during pit stop

Chandler Hull and Bill Auberlen on the podium in third place

The pair of M4 GT4s took to the track, and the No. 36 of Clay and Postins started on the pole and took the win for Saturday by less than two tenths of a second! Sunday they managed to stay up front once again and grab another podium with a second-place finish. The No. 82 of Walker, Jr. and Jones was in the thick of battles every lap and managed to dodge many offs, crashes, contact, etc. to keep the car clean and intact. After the dust settled, they came home with a top-10 finish in the incredibly competitive field of over 20 Pro/Am entries in GT4 America SprintX both Saturday and Sunday.

Both M4 GT4s mixing it up and racing through the pack

Devin Jones getting in car during driver change

Redline Oil/Veristor M4 GT4 at speed on track

No. 36 M4 GT4 heading down the carousel

Postins and Clay on the top step of the podium celebrating first place win

Starting off with three podiums out of four races is an excellent kick off to the season, and we’ll be rolling this momentum right into the next race at Ozarks International Raceway on the weekend of May 20-22.

Follow BimmerWorld at: https://www.facebook.com/bimmerworld

STAY UP TO DATE WITH BIMMERWORLD NEWS AT:  http://www.bimmerworldracing.com

ABOUT: BimmerWorld is renowned as a leader in BMW aftermarket and tuning expertise, with operations spanning from stock, aftermarket, performance, and racing parts sales and development through racing from club to professional levels.  BimmerWorld Racing competes primarily with the BMW Motorsport M4 GT3 and GT4 in North America in both SRO and IMSA Championships, where the Virginia-based outfit has become a frequent winner and championship contender. 

 

BimmerWorld, El Diablo Teams Conquer E0 Class at 25 Hours of Thunderhill

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BimmerWorld owner/driver James Clay and a familiar cast of friends and crew members came together last weekend in Northern California to tackle NASA’s renown 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race, and left with victory in the E0 class along with placing an amazing sixth-place overall in the field of 63 cars.

Clay has been making the annual trek from Virginia to the little town of Willows, CA, for almost a decade to compete in the 25 Hour, and in a partnership with veteran BimmerWorld crew member Lance Boicelli, an ex-BimmerWorld BMW 325i Touring Car has become El Diablo Racing’s weapon of choice. The chassis earned its 15 minutes of fame in 2004 when it was flipped at Sonoma Raceway by BimmerWorld driver Matt Richmond who then climbed from the car and stood on the overturned E46 and waved to the cameras.

Prepped by El Diablo owners Boicelli and Scott Smith, and their dedicated team of Bay Area volunteers, the BMW E46 used an uprated M3 motor to propel Clay, Boicelli, James Colborn, Cameron Evans, Charles Postins, and Dale Sievwright to a dominant class win ahead of factory-supported entries from Mazda and Nissan, as well as some fast and solid BMW machinery.

“Every step we took this weekend from the time we arrived was in a forward direction,” Clay said. “The car, the drivers, and the team as a whole progressed and improved every lap and every turned wrench. We solved problems permanently, got through a long worklist, and amazingly had zero issues for the duration of the race. This is a true testament to Lance Boicelli and Scott Smith’s tireless work, and to the fantastic crew they have assembled over the years. I drove with Lance in his first 25 Hour effort, and it was special to return to his team, get to drive one of our previous cars in classic livery, and score a meaningful win in this grueling race.

Along with the dedicated El Diablo team members, the No. 30 BMW also relied on support from numerous companies to win E0 by a margin of 10 laps.

“In the decade since we raced this car last, we have developed a number of products and technical partnerships for this chassis, and Lance was open to our input and vision on a modern version of an early 2000s Touring Car,” Clay continued. “Lance and team get all the credit for the work and car package that endured so perfectly, and our BimmerWorld team partners including Red Line Oil, Motion Control Suspension, Performance Friction Brakes, MagnaFlow, OPTIMA Batteries, and Diffsonline all provided components to make this a quick, competitive, and durable racecar.”

Simply making it to the race was a challenge, according to Boicelli.

“Fun has always been a fundamental goal of mine every time I run a car in the 25 Hour, and it is a goal that Scott Smith and I have shared for years which is why we have had so many years of partnered success,” he said. “When Scott told me he didn’t want to run the event this year with his car, the fun factor faded, and I began to second guess my own conviction for the event. But I’m not one to give up easily, so with less than three months to the event, I set my sights on the BimmerWorld E46 race car I had picked up over a year before that was sitting in my barn shop. Then, in steps long-time friend James Clay.

“Curious about his plans for the event I mentioned what I was considering doing and it sparked his interests in joining forces. James’ and BimmerWorld’s decades of experience and technical partnerships helped create a package to update the potent 15-year-old race car platform, and from there, it became a race to make the race. Time to build the car, plan the event logistics, and secure crew… That time came and went too quickly. I’ll admit there were times were I thought I wasn’t going to pull it off; in fact the Sunday before the race the new brake lines were giving me so much grief I was ready to throw in the towel. But as stated before I don’t give up easily!”

Thanks to Boicelli’s dogged persistence, the El Diablo team made it to Thunderhill and, to make things more interesting, mixed conditions threw rain and inhospitable weather at the field for significant stretches of the race. The 2015 edition of the 25 Hours of Thunderhill was far from idyllic.

“We were running Hoosier R7 tires which were great in the dry, but we made the decision to stay out on them in the early stages of light rain, damp, to drying track, which was a real nail biter for teammate James Colborn and me who called this piece of strategy from the pits,” Clay added. “I have always enjoyed driving at night, and in the rain, and when the combination of the two conditions presented themselves in the forecast, I jumped at the opportunity. As next in for the wet night fun, I started my stint on dry tires in mixed conditions and managed to make up some ground, but when the first few big drops fell while I was in Turn 13, we immediately came into the pits where the crew was waiting with a set of Hoosier Wets and prescribed changes to the MCS dampers.

“After several laps I managed to get some heat in them and the car was amazing. The guys came over the radio and told me that aside from the eventual overall-winning R8 GT3 car, I was the fastest car on the track–that is a moment I will remember. We made up about 8 laps with tire strategy and a fast rain car–those Hoosiers made a big impact in our race.”

After the race, Clay was glad they chose the faster E0 class for the No. 30 E46, which also gave the growing BMW Spec E46 cars a chance to fight for victory in E1.

“We initially targeted the slightly slower E1 class for our effort, but both BimmerWorld and Red Line Oil are big supporters of the Spec E46 cars and class that fit into E1 for endurance racing, and I wanted to see a true Spec car take the win after a near-miss this year,” he said. “A big congrats goes out to our friends and customers at Grip Racing captured 1-2 for Spec E46 in a field full of cars from multiple manufacturers in this new class.”

Coming off an incredible result with the debut of a new car, Boicelli’s already planning for next year’s 25 Hour.

“Now I have my sights on making it two-in-a-row…” he said with a big smile.

DRIVER QUOTEBOARD:

Lance Boicelli: “My drive it was bitter sweet. The start and opening lap was magical as I was able clear several faster cars within the first couple corners. However the difficulty of getting to terms with driving the car had me falling behind our competitors rather than putting distance on them like I have done before. My later stint was intended to avoid the start of the rain that was anticipated. Again that didn’t play out as expected. Halfway through my stint I encountered some light rain, adding to my past rain experience that has left me lacking confidence under such conditions. I managed to gingerly navigate the car on slick tires with a damp track. It was pleasing to find out from James Colborn that I was able to recover some laps on our competitors by staying out and that my consistent pace was nearly matching those on rain tires. Then Clay proceeded to move us up the order as the heavier rain fell. From there everyone did an awesome job keeping the car on the track, clear of incidents and penalties, allowing us to finish 10 laps up on second-place car. In a word, spectacular.”

James Colborn: “This weekend for me can be summed up in just one word: amazing! It was a fantastic team effort, on and off track, from such a great bunch of characters. The car was super fun to drive in tricky and changeable conditions. I really have to commend the preparation of the car. Zero mechanical issues over the length of the race is testament to the quality of build and quality of components. I am hugely grateful and honored to race with this team and winning E0 is, as said, just amazing! We’re already thinking about defending the win next year.”

Cameron Evans: “Red Line has worked very closely with BimmerWorld over the past 10 years, so stepping as a supplier and sponsor for this truly-grassroots team was an honor. Lance once again trusted our recommendations and the products worked flawlessly. As a driver, the level of support and coaching amongst the guys was unprecedented. The car was physical to drive, yet very responsive, quick and not too thirsty. James Clay and I have been trying to win a big one for a while and this was it! Can’t thank the team enough for allowing me to be a part. It was a very special week.”

Charlie Postins: “What made this win so special? An error free run under very challenging conditions. The car did not have one single mechanical issue or concern. Given what had to be accomplished on Thursday and Friday alone made this an extraordinary feat. The same can also be said for the pit crew and the driving team. Obviously James put us in a position to win but all six drivers had to put in solid stints to beat the very stiff competition and that is exactly what was done. In fact I do not think we had as much as a spin or the slightest contact. If you know the event you know will how hard that is to do! This was the definition of a team effort and I am proud to call myself part of that team.”

Dale Sievwright: “When I talked to Lance earlier in the year I let him know that I was possibly going to accept a ride with one of the teams with a Porsche Cup Car. I told him I would be a busy guy because I love driving with him so much that I would do double duty. I ended up declining the other ride in the end and it couldn’t have worked out any better. Once he told me James, Cameron, Charlie, and James were coming on board, I knew it was going to be special. The moment we all arrived it was magic. No bickering or arguing just set our goals and went to work. I have never seen drivers do this much work on a car. Usually we sit around and the crew guys do the work. Whether it was cleaning bodywork, applying stickers, bleeding brakes, or wiring cameras and radios, it was all done right. My favorite moment in the pits was seeing Clay upside down working on the pedal assembly for about an hour each day! The best memories were the encouragement and the confidence we all had in each other. All I can say is James Clay is bad fast in the wet and Lance builds a great car.”