BMW Team RLL Returns To Defend GTLM Victory With Local Driver Auberlen, Werner In BUBBA burger Sport

BMW Team RLL will be looking to score its second consecutive IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Le Mans (GTLM) class victory on the streets of Long Beach, California in Saturday’s BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach.

Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner will co-drive the No. 25 IHG Rewards Club BMW M6 GTLM in the 100-minute race on the 1.968-mile temporary street circuit, with live television coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET on FS2 and the FOX Sports GO app. The pair won last year’s race in the team’s BMW Z4, while Auberlen won with Maxime Martin as a highlight of the BMW Z4’s debut season in 2013 ALMS competition at the circuit.

“Getting the pole and setting the fast lap in our most recent race at Sebring showed the true potential of the new M6,” said Auberlen, who resides in nearby Redondo Beach. “Now we are heading to a race I've won twice in the last three years. I have high hopes for bringing BMW its first win with the all-new M6.”

BMW Team RLL also fields the No. 100 IHG Rewards Club BMW M6 GTLM for John Edwards and Lucas Luhr.

To repeat as winners, BMW will have to overcome strong challenges by Corvette, Ferrari, Ford and Porsche, each fielding two cars in the event.

Corvette Racing opened the 2016 season with Tommy Milner, Oliver Gavin and Marcel Fassler winning back-to-back races in the class in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida in the No. 4 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R – the same car that won the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen return in the team’s No. 3 Corvette C7.R, which they drove to victory at Long Beach during the 2014 season.

“Tommy and I have had a fantastic start to the season, and we’re full of confidence,” Gavin said. “Our Corvette has been running extremely well. Coming into this race with the points lead is great. But the race at Long Beach is a totally different beast. You have to switch hats a little but fundamentally the car setup and how we attack a race weekend is somewhat similar to the other races. We know this race is extremely short and sweet. We have to execute thoroughly.”

After giving the Ferrari 488 GT3 its first GT Daytona class victory at Sebring, Alessandro Balzan will be looking to do the same for Ferrari’s new 488 GTE in the GTLM class when he co-drives the No. 68 Scuderia Corsa entry with Daniel Serra. Further strengthening the Ferrari lineup are Le Mans-winning drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander in the No. 62 Risi Competizione 488 GTE.

Ford Chip Ganassi Racing is set for the Long Beach debut of the attention-grabbing Ford GT, the first sprint race for the program. Joey Hand and Dirk Muller – who won at Long Beach as co-drivers in American Le Mans Series competition in 2011 – share the No. 66 entry. Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook will co-drive the No. 67 Ford GT.

Porsche brings a two-car lineup that includes defending WeatherTech Championship GTLM champion Patrick Pilet and 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans overall winners Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber. Pilet and Tandy co-drive the No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR, with Bamber sharing the No. 912 entry with Frederic Makowiecki.

Practice for the BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach begins at 7:40 a.m. PT on Friday, April 15, with qualifying that afternoon beginning at 5:35 p.m. PT. The race takes the green flag at 4:05 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 16.

Contact:

nsiebens@imsa.com

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