IWSC season enters the crucial phase: BMW Team RLL competes at Virginia International Raceway.

Munich (DE), 24th August 2016. The ninth race of the IMSA WeatherTech
SportsCar Championship (IWSC) season will be held this weekend: At the
“Virginia International Raceway” (US) on the east coast of
the US, team principal Bobby Rahal’s (US) BMW Team RLL will do battle
for championship points once again. The race at VIR is a special event
as it is the only IWSC race of the season to feature only GT class cars.

With a third place finish by the number 100 BMW M6 GTLM of John
Edwards (US) and Lucas Luhr (DE) at the last round at Road America
(US) and a recent one-day test at the 3.27-mile, 18-turn permanent
road course, located in Alton (US), Virginia, the team feels it is in
a strong position for the weekend’s two-hour and forty-minute race.

With eight rounds completed and three remaining in the season, Bill
Auberlen (US) and Dirk Werner (DE), with two podium finishes to their
credit driving the number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, stand fifth in the GTLM
driver points. Luhr and Edwards stand eighth. BMW stands fourth in
Manufacturer the points.

The ninth race of this year’s IWSC season at VIR takes the green flag
at 13:35 p.m. ET Sunday, 28th August.

Bobby Rahal (Team Principal, BMW Team RLL):

“To be honest we haven’t had the kind of success we have wanted over
the years at VIR. Clearly we have been fast on occasion. We’ve
qualified reasonably well there, but, if I remember correctly, I feel
like we have been mugged there a few times in traffic by some of our
competitors. The circuit should fit the BMW M6 GTLM a bit better than
the BMW Z4 GTLM. Our car likes fast corners and there are plenty of
those at VIR. There is also a long straightaway and I think we should
be reasonably competitive on that as well.  We had a test there not
too long ago so I think we are prepared. It’s just a matter of having
a trouble free event.”

Bill Auberlen (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM):

“We recently completed a test at VIR and I’m glad we did, as we were
able to get time on the new pavement and learn quite a few things. The
circuit had lost a ton of grip and we had to make some wholesale
changes. We are on the way to having a very good package for the race.”

Dirk Werner (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM):

“VIR is a track that I enjoy driving. My first win in American road
racing happened there in 2007. I am looking forward to this event and,
of course, to seeing the BMW Team RLL boys again. And, after a couple
of difficult weekends, I am highly motivated and want to push from the
first practice to get a good start into the weekend.”

John Edwards (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM):

“VIR is a very cool circuit and the new pavement could make things
tricky, but the information gained at our test may give us a bit of an
edge. Our podium at Road America certainly has put a bit of wind back
in our sails, so hopefully Lucas and I can finish the season strongly.”

Lucas Luhr (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM):

“VIR is another superfast old school track that I really like a lot.
I still look for the Oak tree every now and then! We have a GT only
race, so for a change the battle for honours in the GTLM class is also
for an overall race position. The podium we scored at Road America
showed that when everything comes together we have the pace to fight
for victory, and you can be certain that our plan as usual is to fight
as hard as we can.”