BMW Team RLL Finishes 7th and 8th at Road America

[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

BMW Team RLL Finishes 7th and 8th at Road America

26
COMMENTS

Tweet

Woodcliff Lake, N.J. - Aug. 11, 2013 . . . BMW Team RLL suffered its second consecutive uncompetitive race, finishing seventh and eighth in today’s 2.45-hour American Le Mans Series Orion Energy Systems 245 at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Bill Auberlen and Maxime Martin finished seventh in the No. 55 Z4 GTE after starting from the seventh grid position. John Edwards and Dirk Müller started from the ninth spot and finished eighth in the No. 56 machine. The result dropped Müller from the lead to a three-way tie for second place in the driver’s championship.

Today’s finish was disappointing for BMW Team RLL following fifth and sixth place finishes in the last round at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formally Mosport) and having won the GT class at Road America in three of the previous four ALMS seasons.

“We made a particularly good call to get the No. 56 on dry tires as soon as we could,” said Bobby Rahal, Team Principal. “It gained us the lead, but as the track dried and the speeds picked up, great strategy was no substitute for a 10 kph top speed disadvantage. As much as Road America is my favorite racetrack, I’m looking forward to tracks with shorter straights.”

“Yesterday we saw BMW teams in close battles with our competitors within the different GRAND-AM fields,” said Gordon McDonnell, BMWNA Motorsport Manager. “Unfortunately, today, just as we saw in Canada, BMW Team RLL struggled to keep up with the competition. It is particularly difficult to again face a result so short of our team’s potential, given our horsepower deficit to the rest of the GT field.”

Round Seven of the 2013 ALMS season, the 2.45-hour Baltimore Grand Prix will be held on Saturday, August 31th in the city streets of Baltimore, Maryland. The race will be broadcast on ABC television at 12:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 1.

[Greenkirby21]

They really got owned by the yellow flag in the end. Everyone else needed gas but they didnt so they could have gotten 1 2 but then the yellow flag came out and the race ended under yellow

[bimmerjph]

This was a really disappointing race. Disappointing in BMW's results and because of the end of race yellow. Congratulations to the Viper team for their well earned victory though!

[uwood]

Was an odd race for sure. That late caution really ruined it. OMG the sound of those Z4. Nom Nom. Spent the race at turn 5. Great day except for the rain.

[bimmerjph]

Originally Posted by Greenkirby21

They really got owned by the yellow flag in the end. Everyone else needed gas but they didnt so they could have gotten 1 2 but then the yellow flag came out and the race ended under yellow

Ehhhh. I'm thinking a 1-2 was unlikely. I was thinking at best it would have been more of a third and fourth if it wasn't for the yellow.



Anyway, Baltimore is a short track. If they can avoid getting into any shenanigans (which will probably be difficult), they should do well there

[turb0mik3]

I watched the entire race and they never even showed the 2 cars competing. Kind of a shame but I really enjoyed watching the SRT Viper get it's first win. Car was an ANIMAL on the track.

[positiveions]

Too bad. Oh well, there is next time.

[Eagle1oh7]

This is some bullshit. What the hell happened to the guys after Destroying the GT race in Long Beach?

[SoCali E36]

Damn it Ricky Bobby, if you ain't first you're last!

[z4z4z4]

Top speed deficit, yes, but Auberlen/Martin best lap time in the race still beat the best race lap times of the top 5 GT finishers and was 2nd fastest. Muller/Edwards best lap was 4th fastest.
Great car, strong talent, excellent team. You win some, you lose some. Thank you RLL.

[vladberca]

The season is not finished yet, so there are still races that can be won

[Ghetto2315]

Bring back the M3 racecars and they'll win

[mbetoni]

Man, compared to last year, well - there is not comparison. From the rain, to the cautions, to the mood, just wasn't their day.

However, the Z4s are bad ass. Hope they return to form in Baltimore.

Still worse ways to spend my Sunday than in the Kettle Moraine. Thanks RLL .

[Bowser330]

ALMS Z4 2745lbs 475hp from 4.4l V8

ALMS Viper 2740lbs 500hp from 8.0l V10

imagine the torque difference.....

[///M_Power]

I think Maxime Martin, has a little something on his shirt...

[Kayani_1]

Imagine the fuel efficiency difference.

The BOP is set to make these cars very competitive with one another. The lap times are very close. The fastest car on straight was the Ferrari 458 with Viper close second.

Maybe they RLL teams needs to work on tweaking their aero package a bit for longer straights.

As for yellow at the end it would have worked in BMW's favor to gain couple of positions. They also lost the race when they all came into pits together and both BMW got beat by Viper and Vettes out of pits. I think the race was lost in pits.

Originally Posted by Bowser330

ALMS Z4 2745lbs 475hp from 4.4l V8

ALMS Viper 2740lbs 500hp from 8.0l V10

imagine the torque difference.....

[M3Carbon]

Can someone school me as to how the Z4 is even aloud to compete in this series? ALMS indicates that: "Production-based, moderately modified two-wheel drive race cars comprise the GT class". Seems like stuffing a 4.4L V8 into a Z4 is anything but production based and far from moderately modified. Anyone savvy with the ALMS/ACO rule book?

[germancarsdc]

I, like many others, DVR most of the races. I haven't watched it yet. Please STOP PUTTING THE RESULTS IN THE TITLE!!!!!

[pseto]

Originally Posted by Kayani_1

Maybe they RLL teams needs to work on tweaking their aero package a bit for longer straights.

I seriously doubt a re-worked aero package will totally offset the lack of HP and torque when compared to the other cars. Rahal himself said that they lacked the power in the straights, so their only chances of winning are on more technical courses. Having Joey Hand behind the wheel also helps a lot

[midlifecrisis]

Saturday was a better day for BMW at Road America. Starworks won the DP race with a Dinan S62 motor, Turner (with Bill Auberlen and Paul Dalla Lana) won in GT, and BimmerWorld won the ST Continental Challenge race.

[Kayani_1]

I think ALMS twisted the rules a bit to allow Z4 in and keeping BMW as a manufacturer rather then losing them.

I think the Z4 was allowed on basis that BMW does sell 4.4 liter V8's both in NA and turbo form. They also sell Z4. So combined two separate rules together and you have a Z4 GT race car.

I think BMW should take advantage of the Z4 GT race cars success not just in ALMS but all over in other racing series in Europe etc.. by creating a Z4 M coupe. This will put some life in the stale sales of Z4's. Lot of people would love to buy a 4.0 liter V8 or tuned N54 Z4 M coupe to the tune of 414hp or 375hp.

The Z4 is already a good looking car in a coupe M form it will look even more stunning. I also think it would be cost effective as they will not have to redesign the whole new car and engines. As 4.0 liter V8 can be easily put to use as well as N54 has a lot more left in the tank then 330hp. It can be easily and moderately tuned to the likes of 375hp/375 lb-ft of torque.

I know I would love to buy one and finally it will be a car that redeems BMW after not so great 3 and 4 series.


Listen up BMW make Z4 M coupe it will sell like hot cakes. All these enthusiast bored to death by boring cars one after another will have something to rejoice as they did with 1M.

Originally Posted by M3Carbon

Can someone school me as to how the Z4 is even aloud to compete in this series? ALMS indicates that: "Production-based, moderately modified two-wheel drive race cars comprise the GT class". Seems like stuffing a 4.4L V8 into a Z4 is anything but production based and far from moderately modified. Anyone savvy with the ALMS/ACO rule book?

[Bowser330]

No hope of putting the NA m3 v8 into the z4m, which is a great idea to resurrect btw, BMW is going FI all the way. New m3/m4 engine will do just fine...400hp 400tq