BMW Returns to American Lemans Series

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BMW announces return with Team PTG in 2006

Racing series ALMS Date 2005-11-29 [font=verdana,arial,helvetica]BMW ANNOUNCES RETURN TO AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES WITH TEAM PTG

BMW is returning to the American Le Mans Series in 2006 and is the latest high-end manufacturer to enter the series.

Braselton, Ga. - Returning to the stage where it successfully battled for GT glory in the early days of the American Le Mans Series, BMW has confirmed its full factory re-entry into North America's premier sports car series for 2006. It is the latest manufacturer to enter the American Le Mans Series, which opens its season March 18 at the 54th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

"Today we welcome The Ultimate Driving Machine back to the ultimate professional sports car racing series - and we could not be more pleased," said Scott Atherton, president and CEO of the American Le Mans Series. "This announcement fulfills one of the 'predictions' that was referenced during my State of the Series address in September. This continues the string of positive announcements and builds upon the momentum that has been growing within the American Le Mans Series over the past year."

BMW represents a piece of the foundation on which the American Le Mans Series was built in 1999. An active member of the series both on and off the track, the marque has a rich history of GT racing with its M3 and M3 GTR, and also in prototype racing.


[font=verdana,arial,helvetica]By returning to GT, BMW will renew its battle with fellow German manufacturer, Porsche, along with competing against the factory-supported Panoz Esperante effort of Multimatic Motorsports Team Panoz and other teams to come. For the first three years of the American Le Mans Series, Porsche and BMW went head-to-head for class honors. BMW won the 2001 GT manufacturers' championship, and BMW teams captured two of the first three team championships in class.

Team PTG will field two factory-backed BMW M3s in the 2006 American Le Mans Series' new GT2S class for sedan-style cars.

For its return, Team PTG (Prototype Technology Group) will carry the BMW banner. Team PTG has a place in American Le Mans Series lore, having won the series' first GT team championship behind a stable of drivers including Stuck, Said, Johannes van Overbeek, Brian and Peter Cunningham, and Brian Simo.

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