# GAC and Rolex at Laguna Seca - SPOILERS



## scottn2retro (Mar 20, 2002)

Hi All -


HACK, doeboy and I just back from Laguna Seca last night. doeboy and I were 'helping' HACK cover GAC, Rolex and Formula BMW races for the Roundel. And HACK even got a some bonus e90 coverage.

We'll have some great stories about this weekend - especially when HACK gets some pics posted.

Quick summary - in the GAC race, Will Turner and Don Salama got 3rd in ST but still lost a little ground to the 70 Mazda team (who won on the last lap - dang), but congrats to Will and Don on the podium. The #97 TMS car of Pappas/Pfeffer got 6th and the TC Kline #71 Z4 got 7th I believe (I think that's their best finish so far), but unfortunately all the other Bimmerfest teams had mechanical trouble or were too busy taking each other out  The real shame was Billy A./Justin Marks in the #96 car, who, with perfect pit strategy, had the car in great position to win coming back on track after the last pit stop, but a stop-n-go penalty dropped them back to 8th without enough time left to make it up.

In the Rolex race, Team PTG had a 1-2-3 podium as they gained some good ground in the manufacturers points. Tom Milner had to do a little juggling with his driver lineups after the 21 was badly damaged in practice (Porkchop punted Joey Hand into a wall at the corkscrew), but Billy A. joined Tom Milner Jr. and Justin Marks in the #16 car and got the win. In DP, the Finlay team was oh so close as their strategy and the car's performance had them in perfect position to contend for the win late in the race, but GAC brought them in under green to inspect a little bit of smoke coming from the rear of the car and that put them back in 8th - they finished 6th, but the team is getting there and they even beat the Ganassi team out of the pits on the last pit stop, so we look for them to keep getting stronger as the season progresses. :thumbup:


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## scottn2retro (Mar 20, 2002)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Second Straight Podium Result For Turner and Salama

LAGUNA SECA RACEWAY, Monterey, CA - 05/02/2005 - Turner Motorsport BMWs scored pole positions in both classes of the Grand Am Cup series this past weekend at Laguna Seca. Justin Marks led the GS class in his Turner Motorsport/Baker Socks BMW M3 and Don Salama scored the first ST class pole of the year in a Turner Motorsport/H&R Springs BMW 330i. Tire wear and time spent in the pits dropped the BMWs from the lead during the race but both ST 330s finished in the top ten with Will Turner and Don Salama scoring their second podium finish in a row.

This was the third pole position of the year for the Turner Motorsport/Baker Socks BMW M3. Justin Marks started the race and swapped the lead with a Ford Mustang before handing the car off to Bill Auberlen on lap 44. However the car was assessed a penalty during the pit stop and the car fell back in the field but Auberlen was able to fight his way back to sixth overall. His charge was cut short when a battle with a fellow M3 driver turned ugly. Contact between the cars occurred which required a pit stop for both cars to change damaged wheels. While the TMS crew was faster the other M3 still got back out onto the track first. Auberlen did not give up and passed the other M3 only to be forced off the track on the last lap. The #96 M3 was classified in fifteenth overall.

Bill Auberlen, pilot, #96 Turner Motorsport/Baker Socks BMW M3: "I have to credit the Turner guys for putting together an awesome car. The H&R Springs and StopTech brakes let me chase down the leaders late in the race. The Baker Socks M3 was just awesome when the race went green and we used the caution periods to let the tires cool down. We were right there at the end but it was not to be. Things did not go our way even though the car was great. We have some time now before our next race and we're going to regroup and come back better than ever."

Don Salama qualified his Turner Motorsport/H&R Springs BMW 330i in first place. During the early parts of the race, Salama's strategy was to conserve his tires and prolong the performance of the car. Thanks to several caution periods, he was able to maximize his fuel usage. On lap 44 he brought the car in for tires and fuel and Will Turner got in. Turner was able to move up to third place by the checkered flag.

Will Turner, team owner and pilot, #95 Turner Motorsport/H&R Springs BMW 330i: "The problem that we run into late in the race is tire performance. Because our car is several hundred pounds heavier than the other cars it's tough on the tires that we must use. It's not that the Hoosier tires are poor; it's that everyone is on the same size tire and that plays a huge factor late in a race as we lose grip in the corners and under braking while everyone else is still fresh. We had a flawless pit stop and the caution periods helped us to extend our fuel window and we finished on the podium for the second race in a row."

Tim Pappas and Steve Pfeffer in the #97 Turner Motorsport/H&R Springs BMW 330i qualified in the sixth position. During the race they took advantage of an early caution period to pit for a driver change, fuel, and tires on lap 31. Grand Am officials penalized the #97 car during their pit stop but Steve Pfeffer drove a smooth and intelligent rest of the race to finish where they started in sixth place.

Turner Motorsport is excited to have Baker Socks on board as the new title sponsor of the #96 BMW M3. The team also receives support from H&R Springs, StopTech Brakes, B&M Racing, Borla, Red Line Oil, Pagid, Sunoco, Crocs, and Piloti Driving Shoes.

The SPEED Channel will broadcast the Laguna Seca round of the Grand Am Cup series on Saturday, May 14 at 1:00pm.

The next round of the Grand Am Cup series will be at Watkins Glen, New York on June 12 with the next race at Mosport, Ontario, Canada the following weekend.

Click on http://www.grandamerican.com/Events/SessionResults.asp?SessionID=505 to see this session's results. See http://www.tmsracing.com for more Turner Motorsport Racing Action!


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## berford (Sep 10, 2002)

scottn2retro said:


> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
> 
> Second Straight Podium Result For Turner and Salama
> 
> ...


I was excited reading this account...and wasn't even there. Whew!!!


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

berford said:


> I was excited reading this account...and wasn't even there. Whew!!!


That's nothin'. Try hearing the words out of Bill Auberlen's mouth about how he gave the special "point-by" to a Mustang that he was chasing, and how he was approaching turn 2 a little too fast and used that same Mustang as extra "braking" to make the turn.

THOSE were some awesome racing stories Bill was telling us. It was cool for him to hang around and talk to us after what surely was a very disappointing race on Saturday, where a very small mistake, not of his own making, cost him the race. And he didn't even blame the mistake on anyone. The way he puts it, sh*t happens, and he's seen the same mistake a hundred times...It was just unfortunate that it happened to him.


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## SteveT (Dec 22, 2001)

Anybody got pictures?


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

SteveT said:


> Anybody got pictures?


I got pictures, but I need to sort through and figure out which ones I'm using for Roundel. I'll post some of the ones I decide not to send to Roundel.

If you want some good shots, Cliff3 took some nice shots that he posted in the Photography forum.


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## scottn2retro (Mar 20, 2002)

The HACK said:


> That's nothin'. Try hearing the words out of Bill Auberlen's mouth about how he gave the special "point-by" to a Mustang that he was chasing, and how he was approaching turn 2 a little too fast and used that same Mustang as extra "braking" to make the turn.


I think it was Gunnar Jeannette's Moostang in Turn 11 - said he got him in the same spot 2 laps in a row :rofl:

But HACK is being modest, gang - how many of us have had the chance to give Billy A. a point by? :yikes:


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

scottn2retro said:


> ...how many of us have had the chance to give Billy A. a point by? :yikes:


:eeps:

(we need a point by smiley.)


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## Cliff (Apr 19, 2002)

SteveT said:


> Anybody got pictures?


 Yup: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96437

Hack, Scott, Doeboy, I'm sorry I missed you guys.


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## SteveT (Dec 22, 2001)

Cliff3 said:


> Yup: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96437
> 
> Hack, Scott, Doeboy, I'm sorry I missed you guys.


I've been over there looking at them. Thanks! :thumbup:


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

Here are some of my shots in chronological order:


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

More to follow:





































Maybe it was an omen...This is the ONLY good shot of the Finlay car I have, taken about 2 laps prior to the incident:


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

And then some...

One for the beemer lovers among us:










I asked them if Doeboy can take this car out to the parade lap in exchange for pictures (their staff photographer was AWOL). Got shot down, reason? Preproduction vehicle. 



















I think Doeboy's line would've been tighter through here.


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

Last batch, I swear.


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

The HACK said:


> I asked them if Doeboy can take this car out to the parade lap in exchange for pictures (their staff photographer was AWOL). Got shot down, reason? Preproduction vehicle.


 It would've been sweet to get a chance to take that car out... oh well... I'll just have to get my jollies out there some other time...


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## SteveT (Dec 22, 2001)

Great pictures.

:thumbup:


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## scottn2retro (Mar 20, 2002)

Cliff3 said:


> Yup: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96437
> 
> Hack, Scott, Doeboy, I'm sorry I missed you guys.


I don't know how we couldn't have run into each other. Sure, it's a big place, but Sunday we were all over the place: corkscrew, corral, Formula BMW, Media center, podium area, paddock for PTG and Finlay, bratwurst stand, etc.


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## Cliff (Apr 19, 2002)

scottn2retro said:


> I don't know how we couldn't have run into each other. Sure, it's a big place, but Sunday we were all over the place: corkscrew, corral, Formula BMW, Media center, podium area, paddock for PTG and Finlay, bratwurst stand, etc.


 Sunday I was home doing the laundry. We were only there on Saturday.


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## Cliff (Apr 19, 2002)

Looking good Hack


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## berford (Sep 10, 2002)

Cliff3 said:


> Yup: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96437
> 
> Hack, Scott, Doeboy, I'm sorry I missed you guys.


Nice pics. My favorite is 172 (even without BMW representation.) Also 334--different perspective is always nice.:thumbup:


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## scottn2retro (Mar 20, 2002)

One thing of note that won't make much impact on the race notes: The #20 mini with Tony Nuzzo was running very well. It had actually just made a pass in turn 10 for the lead when the steering failed sending him across the track and putting them out. 

More incidents coming . . . .


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## scottn2retro (Mar 20, 2002)

*Report from Nuzzo Minis*

Tony has written a great report:

May 3, 2005

Nuzzo Motorsports sets another track record

Dear Corporate Partners, Friends, Family and Fans,

Mazda Raceway kicked off the 2005 season with the US Sports Car Invitational. This marked the first time that the Grand-Am Cup series has raced at this Historic racetrack. In addition to GAC, the Rolex Series, Formula BMW, and the Pro Miata series were also in attendance. This marked the largest number of entries ever to race at Laguna Seca.

Coming into this weekend, we were confident and thought we'd have a pretty good shot at a top finish. 
The competition just keeps getting stronger and stronger. We lack the horsepower our competitors such as the Mazda Rx8, Acura RXS-S, BMW 330, and Chevy Cobalt have. But we are lighter and have good braking and handling.

After the first practice our #20 MINI was third fastest with just 3/10 of a second separation us from two of the factory supported Mazda Rx8's. Our #02 MINI was eighth only one second behind the leader. In between was a BMW Z4, BMW 330, Acura RSX-S and a BMW 330CI.

Qualifying is a 15-minute session, which translates to about seven hot laps. We were running very strong in qualifying with Shane running 3rd fastest until the last lap when the #70 Mazda jumped ahead by nearly half a second putting us into forth. Geoff qualified the #02 MINI in tenth position just one second behind the Pole setter. To get a feel for just how close these times are take a look at the second hand on you're watch.

So, the field is set for the US Sports car Invitational. This is the most competitive field we've seen this season. The lap times for the top ten cars are so close that you could throw a hat over them. After one pace lap, the field takes the green flag for the start of the race.

Both Shane and Geoff get good starts. By the second lap, Geoff has moved to ninth and Shane has move to third, setting what would be the fastest lap of the race for ST Class with a lap time of 1:43.918. This is the third year in a row the Nuzzo Motorsports MINI's have set a track record.

By lap five Shane has moved into second place and Geoff continues to charge through the field. By lap 8, Shane is pushing the Acura through the corners just looking for a place to pass. He is clearly faster and will take the lead in the next lap or two. But on lap nine disaster strikes. While coming down the hill from the corkscrew and into the high-speed turn-10 something breaks on the steering of the #20 car. Shane can't turn the car and goes straight off but avoids any contact. He gets back on track and tries to keep racing only to go straight off in turn eleven the left-hander that leads to the front straight. We know he has a serious problem and he tries to get around to turn four where we can get back to the paddock and try to repair the problem. But no good he is stuck at turn two and that is where the car will remain until the race is over.

Geoff keeps working hard, passes the Turner BMW is now running in fifth position. The car is working well and Geoff is confident that he can continue to advance. What happens next is the unthinkable. On lap 19 while entering turn 11 a GS class firebird moves over on Geoff putting him into the GS BMW. This takes out the MINI and the BMW. The MINI's entire left side is severely crashed in. The BMW spun into the tire wall and flipped over coming to rest on its roof. The MINI while heavily damaged is still drivable and Geoff continues on, but has falling back to fourteenth. The car was driving okay so we decided to leave Geoff out rather than make a driver change ahead of schedule. With other cars pitting we felt we could make up some of the lost positions.

During this long caution period, we were able to get the #20 towed back to the paddock. On first look, I thought I could repair it and get back out on track. But a closer inspection found the steering rack had broken and it was not repairable.

This track has taken its toll on a lot of cars. On lap 39 Geoff comes into the pits for fuel and a driver change. The damage to the driver's side makes it impossible to open the door, so we had to complete our driver change through the passenger door. Jason heads out and begins to work the traffic. Just three laps later, another lengthy full course caution comes out. Then there will be one more long caution before the checker comes out on lap 76. At the end, Jason had managed to get back to 12 position.

All in all it was a good race for the MINI's. We were fast and got a lot of exposure. We'll assess the damage and make the necessary repairs before heading to Watkins Glen June 10-11.

I have to thank our crew for doing such an outstanding job in preparing the cars and for their flawless work during the pit stops. The entire team put forth a great effort this weekend.

I want to thank Hip Hop Beverage Company for supplying us with their Pit Bull Energy Drink during the event. This is a great tasting drink that I encourage you all to try.

Thanks also go out to all the MINI fans that stopped by and gave us their support.

Nuzzo Motorsports 2005 campaign would not be possible without the support of Grafik Dezine, North American Motoring, Moton Suspension Technology, MINI Financial Services, MINI USA, Marren Fuel Injection, Autosportimage.com, and The Driveshaft Shop.

Our next race is June 10-11at Watkins Glen.

The Laguna Seca race will be broadcast on Speedtv Sat, May 14 1:00PM (Eastern Time), Sat, May 14 3:00AM 
Please check your local listings for changes to the schedule.

For further details, please contact Tony Nuzzo at 516-972-3454
In addition, visit www.nuzzomotorsports.com for race news, photos, and video.


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## scottn2retro (Mar 20, 2002)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 6, 2005

CONTACT: Beth Dolgner, 678.485.1947, [email protected]

Automatic Racing hangs onto 6th in GS points at Laguna

MONTEREY, Calif. - After a wild final two laps, the No. 09 Automatic Racing BMW finished 14th in last Saturday's Grand-Am Cup 200 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The team of Jep Thornton and David Russell ran as high as second, and came away from the weekend with their sixth-place championship standing still intact.

Thornton qualified the No. 09 BMW, posting the eighth-quickest time out of the huge 46-car Grand Sports class field. He started the race, but had some shifting troubles that gave him a challenge.

"I had a problem on the start because I couldn't get into third gear on the first lap and I got passed by a couple of guys. I picked up some positions later on," explained Thornton.

Thornton brought the car in for a routine pit stop at the one-hour mark while running in ninth overall, handing the car over to Russell. Thanks to the combination of solid pit strategy by crew chief John Terry and a few cautions, Russell was able to make it to the checkered flag without pitting again.

Russell worked his way up to second overall, which he held for a while before being passed by the eventual podium finishers. He held down a solid fourth place until two laps to go, when he was bumped by another M3. Russell got a punctured tire and was forced to pit, re-entering the track on the white-flag lap. He was able to hold on to a 14th-place finish.

"On all of the restarts we would hold our own and then start to pull away. I was getting held up a bit in some corners; otherwise I think we could have gotten on the podium," said Russell, who was racing at Laguna Seca for the first time in his career. "I think we missed our setup a bit since the track was new for us and the car, but it ran well and Jep did a great job qualifying."

The No. 90 Automatic Racing BMW M3 of Dave Riddle and Kris Wilson had an impressive run before a broken differential bolt brought them into the pits late in the race. Riddle started the race after qualifying 17th, and he worked his way up to 11th overall before pitting.

The Automatic BMWs will return to the team's shop in Winter Park, Florida after being in California for the past month. The next round for Automatic Racing will be round five of the Grand-Am Cup season, a 200-mile event at Watkins Glen on Saturday, June 10.

Automatic Racing is sponsored by Automatic LLC, LandAir, Engine Studios, Rogue Engineering, Lynch Imports, Moton Shocks and Fikse Wheels.

Fans can keep up with Automatic Racing at www.AutomaticRacing.com.


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