The next and penultimate stop of the 2019 IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge series is at one of the most scenic race tracks in North America, world-famous Laguna Seca, outside of Monterey, Calif.

James Clay of Blacksburg, Va. and Devin Jones of Mooresville, N.C. will once again be using their No. 82 BimmerWorld Racing OPTIMA Batteries/Veristor BMW M4 GT4 as a national billboard to raise awareness for the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. They partnered again this year with Legistics and have been raising funds for Racing to End Alzheimer’s charity campaign via donations over the past few weeks. Along with matching contributions, they’ve also been giving fans the opportunity to add the names of loved ones affected by Alzheimer’s on the car for the two-hour WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120.

Seeing so many names on the BimmerWorld BMW in 2018 was inspiring, especially as Devin Jones and his former BimmerWorld co-driver, Nick Galante, put their ST car on pole and then won the race. They went on to capture the ST class Team and Driver’s Championship at the season finale.

This year, Jones and Clay hope for the same positive energy and outcome as they bring their GS class BMW M4 GT4 to the 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course in Salinas, Calif. A victory would certainly be welcome to get them back to the top of the points charts as the end of the season draws near. They currently sit third in GS points heading into this weekend, just 29 points from the lead.

The Laguna Seca race weekend starts on Friday, September 12, at 9:35 a.m. with a one-hour practice, followed by Practice 2 from 2:10-2:55 p.m. Practice 3 will take place Saturday morning from 10:05-10:20 a.m. Qualifying for the GS class follows TCR qualifying immediately after the third practice from 10:50-11:05 a.m.

The open-grid fan walk begins at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. The field will warm up its Michelin tires at 2:55 p.m. for formation laps, and the race will start at 3:05 p.m. for two hours of wheel-to-wheel action and excitement.

The event will be streamed live on imsa.tv, and there will be live timing and scoring on imsa.com. The race will be broadcast on NBCSN on Wednesday, September 18 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. All times are Eastern.

Pre-race quotes follow:

James Clay, Blacksburg, Va., team owner and driver, No. 82 OPTIMA Batteries/Veristor BMW M4 GT4:
You and Devin are still very much in the hunt going into the penultimate race of the season. What’s your game plan for the final two races?
“As always, our goal is to do our best. Win races. Get points. Nothing changes—we’re focused on winning.”

Do you think you will finally have a rain-free race this weekend after so many rain races in a row this season?

“I’ve turned into quite the weather enthusiast this year and have been watching it like a hawk. It seems like we may avoid the rain in California, and also the brutally hot temperatures of last year’s race. I’m personally fine with whatever we get at this point, but as we look back at this year, the weather has certainly been a major disruptor at multiple events.”



What do you find as the most challenging aspect of the Laguna Seca circuit?
“The biggest challenge at Laguna is the constantly changing grip. We always start the weekend with no rubber on the track and chase the grip, and then the sand and fine dirt just off the track make the surface continuously variable and the setup work a little difficult.”

Your No. 82 BimmerWorld Racing OPTIMA Batteries/Veristor BMW M4 GT4 will have a lot of signatures from donations for the Racing to End Alzheimer’s cause again this weekend. Has this been another successful charitable campaign to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s this year?
“Every time we can have a positive effect like this with both awareness and donations to a charity that we believe in is a win, and this year is no exception. We’re proud to partner with Phil Frengs and his Racing to End Alzheimer’s group again, and our contribution to the fund thanks to our customers is once again noteworthy—I’d really like to thank all those who supported us in the cause.”



This area is known for the beautiful Monterey Bay, among other things. Have you taken part over the years in any activities in the area like kayaking, whale watching, or just touring the Aquarium?

“I love the Bay, and the whales are cool if you can catch them. But it will come as no surprise that on a trip to California, I turn my focus to the outstanding Mexican eateries. And while it’s rare but not unheard of to bring a pup home, the SPCA for Monterey County is right across the road from the main track entrance, and hanging out with shelter dogs is fun and rewarding—and they love it!”

Devin Jones, Mooresville, N.C., driver, No. 82 OPTIMA Batteries/Veristor BMW M4 GT4:

Your No. 82 BimmerWorld Racing OPTIMA Batteries/Veristor BMW M4 GT4 will have a lot of signatures from donations for the Racing to End Alzheimer’s cause again this weekend. Has this been another successful charitable campaign to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s this year?
“It’s amazing to have Racing to End Alzheimer’s on our BMW again this year at Laguna Seca. Hopefully, we can pull off the same result as last season and make all the names of loved ones on the car who’ve been affected by Alzheimer’s proud.”



You and James are still very much in the hunt going into the penultimate race of the season. What’s your game plan for the final two races?
“VIR was a big hit to our championship hopes. The only thing we can do now is really push hard for a good result this weekend. We need a strong finish to have a chance going into the final weekend at Road Atlanta.”

Last year, you and your teammate won the ST race at this circuit and departed with an excellent points lead and ultimately won the ST championship. How pivotal will this race be for you and James this year in your GS point hunt?
“This race is huge for the championship. However it shakes out here is where we’ll sit going into the final race of the year. We need a super-strong run here, and I know our guys are the ones to make it happen.”

This area is known for the beautiful Monterey Bay, among other things. Have you taken part over the years in any activities in the area like kayaking, whale watching, or just touring the Aquarium?
“I love Monterey and the whole surrounding area. I spent my childhood in San Luis Obispo, Calif., which is down the coast a bit. I always loved going on bike rides on the coast when I had a chance.”

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ABOUT: BimmerWorld is renowned as a leader in BMW aftermarket and tuning expertise. It competes in the IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge series in the Grand Sport (GS) class with a BMW Motorsport M4 GT4, where the Virginia-based outfit has become a winner and championship contender. It was also the Street Tuner champion of that series in 2018. 2019 also marks BimmerWorld Racing’s return to the SRO TC America Championship in the Touring Car (TC) class with two BMW Motorsport M240i Racing cars.