Edwards/Luhr P4, Auberlen/Werner P5
Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – Aug. 23, 2015...BMW Team RLL finished fourth and fifth in front of the large crowd that watched today’s 240-minute TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIRginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia. John Edwards and Lucas Luhr, driving the No. 24 BMW Z4, finished fourth. Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner finished fifth in the No. 25 machine. Both BMWs ended the race in the same positions from which they started. The race was won by the No. 911 Porsche.
BMW Team RLL raced two different strategies today as both BMW Z4 machines looked to get the most out of the new “single-stint” Michelin tire that has enlivened the GTLM field. The No. 24 Z4 of Edwards and Luhr planned on a four- stop race - making one more stop than rest of the field - in order to shorten the length of each stint and not push beyond the distance of the tire’s optimal performance. The No. 25 Z4 of Auberlen and Werner raced with a different combination of Michelins, so they set up for a “traditional” three-stop race.
The No. 24 team had a flawless day, executing each stint systematically to finish fourth. Qualifying driver Luhr started the race, handing off to Edwards at the midpoint, 44 laps into the contest. The No. 25 team had two small issues during the race. Starting driver Auberlen had a spin in turn 1 on lap 20, but raced back to sixth before handing off to Werner on lap 29. The BMW Motorsport driver went off track on lap 68, losing the rear fascia of the car and picking up grass in the grille as he came back on track, but continued on to finish fifth.
Download the entire newsletter.


More...