No. 36 BimmerWorld M4 GT4 – SRO

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Engine: 3.0L Turbo Inline-6, BMW Motorsport electronics, AiM data acquisition

Driveline:  ZF8 with Motorsport software, Motorsport differential with separate cooling

Suspension: Motorsport-specific control connections, 2-Way adjustable dampers, adjustable motorsport anti-roll bars front and rear

Wheels: 18-inch Motorsport race wheels

Brakes: 6-piston, fixed calipers front; 4-piston fixed calipers rear; adjustable brake bias via balance bar

Drivers: James Clay, Charlie Postins

BimmerWorld Racing returns to SRO with new M4 GT4s and M4 GT3 in 2023

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BimmerWorld Racing 2023 SRO Season Announcement: March 2, 2023

BimmerWorld Racing is proud to announce its return to SRO Motorsport America bringing two brand new BMW Motorsport G82 M4 GT4s to compete in the Pirelli GT4 America championship and a BMW M4 GT3 returning in Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS for the 2023 season.

Coming off a very successful 2022 season in the GT4 America AM series, winning seven of the 14 races, the driver pairing of James Clay and Charlie Postins will return as teammates looking to repeat their performance and clinch another championship. They will be piloting the brand new No. 36 OPTIMA Batteries / Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems USA BMW Motorsport G82 M4 GT4. “After the success of last year it just made sense to do it all over again with Charlie. New car with new challenges, but same teammates and the same goal of a championship in 2023,” Clay continued. “After five successful years racing the F82 M4 platform the team is eager to get the new G82 on track and get to work.”

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Bill Auberlen and Chandler Hull will be returning to SRO America with BimmerWorld Racing for their second season in the No. 94 TACenergy / OZIUM BMW M4 GT3. Bill and Chandler had a strong showing in 2022 with podiums at all six rounds of racing and capped it off with a win at the Intercontinental GT Challenge Indianapolis 8 hour making that three years in a row for the BimmerWorld team. “Bill and Chandler are fantastic in the GT3 platform, and we are excited to see the true potential of this car in 2023 after an inaugural season where BMW often struggled with the balance of performance,” Clay added.

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James Walker, Jr. returns for his fourth season with BimmerWorld Racing sharing the No. 82 Red Line Oil / Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems USA BMW M4 GT4 with a new driver to the BimmerWorld family, Tyler McQuarrie. Tyler has been racing for almost 25 years and has won in multiple different categories ranging from formula cars, stock cars, sprint cars, drifting, off-road, and sports cars. Sports car racing has been his main focus the majority of his career and has multiple poles, wins, and the 2019 IMSA GS Championship to show for it. “I’ve raced against Tyler for multiple years and worked with him extremely effectively in our Lifeline business for the last year and change,” Clay continued. “James Walker is back for his fourth year with BimmerWorld, and I think this should prove to be a strong pairing and a championship contender.”

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The BimmerWorld Racing team is supported by the following sponsors:

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No. 36:
OPTIMA Batteries
– The Ultimate Power Source. Unbeatable starting power, light weight, superior cycling capability, and extreme resistance to the most common causes of battery failure make the OPTIMA Battery our choice for our own BMW. OPTIMA also delivers the innovative OPTIMA Chargers Digital 400 and 1200 Battery Chargers for all automotive and marine batteries.

Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems – Leading manufacturer of fire safety equipment and fire safety systems to the motorsport industry.

 

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No. 82:
Red Line Synthetic Oil Corporation
– Manufacturers of more than 100 high-end lubricants that have the reputation of performing better than any other product on the market, regardless of price. Using cutting edge technology, Red Line responds to the technical challenges of today’s performance industry utilizing knowledge gained from racing to create high-performance products for track cars and street vehicles alike.

Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems  – Leading manufacturer of fire safety equipment and fire safety systems to the motorsport industry.

 

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No. 94:
TACenergy
– One of the largest independent wholesale fuel distributors of refined petroleum products in the United States. With an extensive supply network across the U.S., as well as regional sales offices across the country, TACenergy can service almost any customer’s fuel needs.
 
 

Core BimmerWorld technical partners include:
PFC Brakes – Leading brake friction and component manufacturer.
Diffsonline – Provider of differentials and driveline expertise to meet the demanding needs of customers, from street machines to professional race teams.

Additional team sponsors include:

Johnstone Supply – The top cooperative wholesale distributor in the country and a recognized national leader in the HVACR industry.
Exhall Automotive -Offers bespoke design realization services to OEM’s and Start ups alike. With over 20 years of experience in many of the top design studios of the world Exhall Automotive excels in offering efficient design services in a turn key fashion to meet the demands of today’s cost conscious manufacturers.
Ozium – Clinically proven air sanitizers that eliminate, not mask, odors.
Pretzilla – The pioneer in fresh, soft pretzel bread.

FOLLOW BIMMERWORLD AT: https://www.facebook.com/bimmerworld
STAY UP TO DATE WITH BIMMERWORLD NEWS AT: http://www.bimmerworldracing.com
ABOUT: BimmerWorld is renowned as a leader in BMW aftermarket and tuning expertise, with operations spanning from stock, aftermarket, performance and racing parts sales and development through racing from club to professional levels. BimmerWorld Racing competes with the BMW Motorsport M4 GT3 and M4 GT4 in North America in both SRO and IMSA Championships, where the Virginia-based outfit has become a frequent winner and championship contender.

James Clay

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From 2021 to 2023, James’s focus shifted to GT4 racing in the SRO, where he claimed both the SRO championship in 2022 and the top step in the BMW Sport Trophy, alongside co-driver Charlie Postins. Moving to the new G82 M4 GT4 platform, James and Charlie quickly found success, securing seven wins throughout the season and clinching a second SRO GT4 championship.

In 2020, with a full race schedule in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and the SRO TC America series, James pushed the team to secure the Driver’s Championship in his M240iR, bringing the team to second place in the overall standings of the TC series and aiding BMW in achieving fourth place in the Manufacturer Championship in IMSA.

In 2019, James, alongside teammate Devin Jones, secured third place in the GS standings with three podiums and eight top-ten finishes, also earning the top-finishing BMW team honors in the GS class. A single SRO TC America weekend at Road America in a BMW M240iR laid the groundwork for a future SRO program.

2018 saw James and Tyler Cooke team up for the final year of the IMSA Continental SportsCar Challenge, competing in their new No. 82 BMW M4 GT4. With three podium finishes in the Grand Sport (GS) class and a significant victory in the season finale, they paved the way for further development and success in the BMW M4 GT4’s inaugural year.

From 2013 to 2017, James collaborated with BimmerWorld drivers John Capestro-Dubets, Jason Breidis, and Tyler Cooke to enhance the F30 BMW 328i in the IMSA ST class. This project marked the first professional race of a BMW turbo engine in North America and the first 4-cylinder F30 raced worldwide. Their efforts culminated in a world-first pole position and multiple top finishes, showcasing the turbo 4-cylinder BMW’s potential. In 2017, James’s debut at the Nürburgring in Germany with co-drivers Tyler Cooke and future BimmerWorld co-driver Charlie Postins highlighted their performance with a steady second position in the BMW M235iR during the 24 Hour before an early morning component failure.

In 2012, James secured three podium finishes in the IMSA ST class with co-driver John Capestro-Dubets, finishing fourth in the Driver’s Championship and contributing to BMW’s Manufacturers’ Championship win. He also achieved second place at the historic inaugural Indy race.

Before 2012, James’s racing career began with a BMW Club Racing event at Pocono in 1998, followed by numerous SCCA Regional ITS wins, SPEED Touring Car races, and his first professional win at Road America in 2008. His shift to professional endurance racing in 2010 led to the development of three new platforms over five years.

Personally, James, a Virginia native, discovered his passion for cars and speed after his 16th birthday, a passion that grew during his EE and MBA studies at Virginia Tech. This passion led him to focus on building his BimmerWorld company, moving away from traditional employment. Besides racing, James enjoys jet skiing and grilling, embracing the summer season.

Charlie Postins

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Over the past two seasons, the driver lineup of Postins and Clay has proved to be the class of the field in the AM class. The pair head into the year with their sights firmly set on a hat-trick of championships. For 2023, Charlie partnered with James once again in the SRO Am class, this time campaigning the new G82 GT4 M4. Unlike in 2022, the racing year got off to a slow start, with a third-place finish in the first race and an unfortunate, race-ending incident in the second race. Thankfully, that marked the low point of the season, from which the pair rebounded well. Ultimately, James and Charlie once again claimed the SRO AM Championship, winning another 7 races along the way.

Charlie returned to full-time racing in 2022 alongside BimmerWorld’s James Clay. The program, racing the F82 M4 GT4, came together at the very last minute but got off to a fast start with a pole position, one second place, and a victory at the first race of the year in Sonoma. That laid the foundation to being crowned SRO GT4 America Am class Champions with 7 class victories. Furthermore, the level of success culminated in James and Charlie winning the prestigious BMW Sports Trophy.

Following a several-year hiatus from racing to focus on his career, Postins re-entered the sport with a series of race outings at the challenging Nurburgring in Germany, often with James Clay as a co-driver. Charlie has competed in the legendary Nurburging 24-Hour race four times; in a BMW M240 on three occasions and once in a BMW M4 GT4. 

His best result at the twice-around-the-clock race was in 2020 when he finished the Challenge of the Green Hell in fourth place in class. Charlie also secured a class win in the BMW M4 GT4 in 2022 at the qualification race for the 24-Hour race.

In 2017, Postins took class victory along with co-driver James Clay in the Thunderhill 25-hour race in the EO class. This flag-to-flag victory came in El Diablo Racing’s BMW E46.

In the early years of his motorsport career, Postins competed in his home country of England. Standout performances included finishing third in the 1996 Renault UK Clio Cup and fourth in the 1993 British Formula First Championship.

Charlie moved to San Diego from the UK in 1996 to take up a position as an automotive design sculptor with Nissan Design America. This move followed a successful career in clay modeling throughout Europe for manufacturers such as VW, Saab, and Porsche. In 2007, Postins shifted gears from the automotive design world to assist in developing a pet food startup. This company, The Honest Kitchen, is now recognized as the leading Human Grade pet food brand in America and is sold throughout North America. Charlie currently serves as a board member for the company.

Feeling drawn to automotive design once again, Charlie is now actively involved in sculpting automotive shapes of the future through his race and design company, Exhall Automotive.

BimmerWorld Racing 2022 SRO Season Announcement

2022 BimmerWorld Racing cars and sponsor logos

BimmerWorld Racing is proud to announce its return to the SRO Motorsports America series. The team will be bringing two new BMW M4 GT3s to compete in Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS and a BMW M4 GT4 to compete in Pirelli GT4 America for the 2022 season.

With the highly anticipated arrival of the BMW M4 GT3, team principal James Clay had his sights set on making the jump from the GT4 class to GT3 for 2022. In November of 2021 Clay was selected as one of five drivers to pilot the very first M4 GT3 on American soil which gave him a first look at the amazing machine that BMW Motorsport created and some very valuable seat time. “The M4 GT3 is a very well thought out and designed car,” Clay explained. “It was intuitive to drive and nicely composed. I can’t wait for our team to dig in and really start learning the new machine!”

Clay will be piloting the No. 36 OPTIMA Batteries BMW M4 GT3 alongside Ari Balogh, a familiar face to BimmerWorld Racing. Balogh previously raced with BimmerWorld in 2017 and is no stranger to sports car racing. “Ari was last with us in BimmerWorld-built ST cars, so the GT3 is obviously a different thing,” Clay continued. “Ari has been busy in GT4, GT3, LMP3, LMP2, and a range of other equipment and series, so I know he’s well-prepared for his first GT3 season, and I’m thrilled to have him back with us and as my co-driver for the first time.”

Bill Auberlen and Chandler Hull will be returning to SRO America with BimmerWorld Racing for their third and fourth seasons respectively in the No. 94 TACenergy / OZIUM BMW M4 GT3. “Bill obviously has a wealth of experience in BMW cars, including several previous GT3 generations, and was at the American rollout of the M4 last year, which will be super helpful as we develop the new car,” Clay added. “Chandler has also gained tremendous experience already this year in the M4 GT3 in the Creventic Dubai 24H and the four Asian LeMans series races, so I think everyone is really well-prepared to make this inaugural season a great one.” While Clay, Auberlen, and Hull finished off the 2021 season with a GT4 class win at the SRO Intercontinental GT Challenge Indianapolis 8-Hour Endurance Race for the second year in a row, this will be the first year that Auberlen and Hull share the same car throughout an entire season. 

Devin Jones and James Walker, Jr. will be behind the wheel of the No. 82 Red Line Oil / Veristor BMW M4 GT4 in GT4 America SprintX. The 2022 season will be Jones’ first in SRO but follows his long history with BimmerWorld Racing in IMSA including a ST class championship in 2018 and co-driving alongside Clay in the No. 82 M4 GT4 for two seasons with multiple wins and podiums.  This will be Walker, Jr.’s third season returning to the SRO GT4 America series where he has collected four wins with previous teammate Bill Auberlen. “I love both of these guys and am excited to have them together in a car for the season,” said Clay. “They have both been successful with BimmerWorld and the M4 GT4, and they are both important to the continuity and culture of our team.”

The BimmerWorld Racing team is supported by the following sponsors:

BimmerWorld Racing No. 36 M4 GT3No. 36: OPTIMA Batteries – The Ultimate Power Source. Unbeatable starting power, light weight, superior cycling capability, and extreme resistance to the most common causes of battery failure make the OPTIMA Battery our choice for our own BMW. OPTIMA also delivers the innovative OPTIMA Chargers Digital 400 and 1200 Battery Chargers for all automotive and marine batteries.

BimmerWorld Racing No. 94 M4 GT3

No. 94: TACenergy is one of the largest independent wholesale fuel distributors of refined petroleum products in the United States. With an extensive supply network across the U.S., as well as regional sales offices across the country, TACenergy can service almost any customer’s fuel needs.

BimmerWorld Racing No. 82 M4 GT4

No. 82: Red Line Synthetic Oil Corporation – Manufacturers of more than 100 high-end lubricants that have the reputation of performing better than any other product on the market, regardless of price. Using cutting edge technology, Red Line responds to the technical challenges of today’s performance industry utilizing knowledge gained from racing to create high-performance products for track cars and street vehicles alike.

Core BimmerWorld technical partners include:

PFC Brakes – Leading brake friction and component manufacturer.
Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems – Leading manufacturer of fire safety equipment and fire safety systems to the motorsport industry. 
Diffsonline – Provider of differentials to meet the demanding needs of customers, from street machines to professional race teams. 

Additional team sponsors include:

Airbnb — An American company that operates an online marketplace for lodging, primarily homestays for vacation rentals and tourism activities. 
Johnstone Supply – The top cooperative wholesale distributor in the country and a recognized national leader in the HVACR industry.
OZIUM – Clinically proven air sanitizers that eliminate, not mask, odors.
Pretzilla – The pioneer in fresh, soft pretzel bread.
Veristor – Leading provider of transformative business technology solutions, helping its customers accelerate the time-to-value for the software, infrastructure, and systems they deploy.

2022 BImmerWorld Racing Cars and sponsors

FOLLOW BIMMERWORLD AT: https://www.facebook.com/bimmerworld

STAY UP TO DATE WITH BIMMERWORLD NEWS AT: http://www.bimmerworldracing.com

ABOUT: BimmerWorld is renowned as a leader in BMW aftermarket and tuning expertise, with operations spanning from stock, aftermarket, performance and racing parts sales and development through racing from club to professional levels. BimmerWorld Racing competes with the BMW Motorsport M4 GT3 and M4 GT4 in North America in both SRO and IMSA Championships, where the Virginia-based outfit has become a frequent winner and championship contender.

SRO GT4 America Sprint X & Intercontinental GT Challenge Indianapolis 8-Hour

Indy front straight, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s hard to imagine a better, more iconic racing venue than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to finish off a long and arduous season of SRO GT4 America racing. Indy has proven to be very good to the BimmerWorld Racing team over the years, and thankfully that held to be true again this year.

BimmerWorld Redline Oil M4 GT4 ready to race at Indy

BimmerWorld cars in the pits before race start at Indy 2021

BimmerWorld Go Organic M4 in the rain at Indy 2021

At the beginning of the week, the practice sessions were in mixed weather which is typical for Indy this time of year. Rain would come and go and completely flood the track, washing away any chances of fast laps or finding any sort of pace. When it came time to qualify, that didn’t seem to matter much as all six of the BimmerWorld drivers did their part putting their M4s well up the starting grid for the Thursday and Friday races.

BimmerWorld GoOrganic M4 at speed at Indy 2021

BimmerWorld Racing to End Alzheimer's M4 at Indy 2021

Thursday’s race had a 5:00 p.m. start time with a cloudy but dry track. James Clay started in fifth position in the No. 36 OPTIMA Batteries / Racing to End Alzheimer’s M4, James Walker Jr. was in tenth in the No. 34 Red Line Oil car, and Chandler Hull rolled out in twelfth in the No.94 GO Organic machine. The second the green flag dropped, Clay was on the move and made his way up to second position within half a lap. Meanwhile, Walker Jr. and Hull were in non-stop battles in the top-10.  

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Walker Jr. was the first to dive into the pits to let Bill Auberlen take over with 34 minutes to go. Hull followed soon after with Jon Miller hopping in while Clay was in a fierce three-way battle to keep his second-place spot in front of two Mercedes AMGs for a few more laps.

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After the new drivers got settled in, they all ended up in heated battles all the way to the end of the race, coming across the line in fourth in Silver class and fifth and sixth in Pro-Am.

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It was the pro drivers’ turn to take the green flag on Friday with Bill Auberlen in the No. 34 Red Line Oil M4 starting sixth, Jon Miller in the No. 94 in 11th position, and Nick Galante bringing the OPTIMA Batteries / Racing to End Alzheimer’s No.36 to the green in 18th.

Bill Auberlen checking out driving data

Friday’s race was even more frantic at the beginning as it had rained just before the start, and the weather was still looking questionable. With everyone choosing to start on slicks, there was still some dampness on track once they all got off the line. Thankfully, no more rain fell, and the track continued to dry up to allow racing that was just as intense as Thursday, with constant battles throughout the field no matter where the BimmerWorld Racing M4 GT4s were placed.  Unfortunately, Auberlen had some slight contact with a competitor while dicing for position that led to retiring the No. 34 before James Walker Jr. could hop in, but not before Auberlen could put down the fastest lap of the race. The No. 94 of Miller/Hull stayed up front the entire race and managed to just barely miss the podium with a fourth-place finishing position in Silver class. Clay and Galante fought to the end and wound up in a fourth-place finish in Pro-Am, but were bumped to third after the second-place finishing Aston Martin failed its post-race inspection.  That wrapped up the 2021 GT4 America Sprint X season. What an absolutely wild year of GT4 racing!

That may have been the end of the GT4 America Sprint X series, but just like last year, there was still more racing to do on this weekend.  Eight more hours, in fact.

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After Friday’s race, the No. 34 Red Line Oil M4 got prepped and renumbered to wear No.36.  The BimmerWorld / Red Line Oil M4 GT4—No. 82 last season—took the win in the GT4 class last year in the Indy 8-Hour, and the same three drivers—Clay, Hull, and Auberlen—were back to defend their title. Accompanying the No. 36 this year was a second BimmerWorld Racing entry, the No. 82 Racing to End Alzheimer’s / OPTIMA Batteries M4 GT4 also being piloted by some familiar names—James Walker Jr. and Nick Galante along with Devin Jones for the first time back in competition since his accident last year. The team was so excited to have Devin back in the car and we knew we had two extremely strong cars and driver lineups for this 8-hour endurance race.

BimmerWorld cars and teams ready for Indy 8-hour 2021

BWR driver interviews at table

Qualifying for the Indy 8-Hour involves a combined lap time of all three drivers. Once everyone had their turn behind the wheel, it was the BimmerWorld No. 36 starting on second with the No. 82  close behind in fourth.

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As expected, the event was roughly seven hours and 59 minutes of intense racing, crunching numbers, picking strategies, reacting to situations on track, and keeping the cars in one piece.  Oh, and all that while also going as fast as possible. The mix of the much faster GT3 cars along with our GT4 race made it a continuous heads-up affair with plenty of bob-and-weave action throughout our racing battles, trying our best not to get mixed up in any unneeded contact or drama that could end up being a very costly or race-ending mistake.

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In the first half, there was some confusion from the wave-around that wasn’t done promptly by the pace car during a full-course yellow that resulted in our BWR cars going a lap down to the rest of the field. This had the team scrambling to make up time and adjust strategies on the fly to make sure we could get back into contention in the second half of the race. Thankfully, the timing-and-scoring issues were taken care of, minimal mistakes were made, and through clean driving and perfect pit stops, we clawed our way back to the lead lap with both cars running in the top-five for several hours.  

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With the time clicking away and the final pit stops having taken place, it was down to Bill Auberlen to stay in the No. 36 car and take it home. The strategy had worked flawlessly and gave Auberlen a solid lead going into the last 45 minutes, but with the second- and third-place GT4 cars on the same lap, just a couple of turns behind.

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After eight long hours, the checkers flew, and the BimmerWorld Racing team got to run out to the pit wall to cheer on their driver while taking first place in the GT4 class for the second year in a row. Just a few seconds later, the No. 82 came onto the straight away to capture fourth place after an equally clean race for all three drivers.

BimmerWorld winning the Indy 8-hour 2021

Hull, Clay, Auberlen on podium with first-place trophies at Indy 8-hour 2021

We can’t think of any better way to cap off the season than winning at this prestigious track with our absolutely amazing team, our incredible driver lineup, and a great series. It goes without saying that we’re already looking forward to the 2022 season.

BimmerWorld drivers kissing the bricks at Indy 2021

BimmerWorld team celebrating win behind M4 GT4 at Indy 2021

FOLLOW BIMMERWORLD AT: https://www.facebook.com/bimmerworld

STAY UP TO DATE WITH BIMMERWORLD NEWS AT: http://www.bimmerworldracing.com

ABOUT: BimmerWorld is renowned as a leader in BMW aftermarket and tuning expertise, with operations spanning from stock, aftermarket, performance, and racing parts sales and development through racing from club to professional levels. BimmerWorld Racing competes primarily with the BMW Motorsport M4 GT4 in North America in both SRO and IMSA Championships, where the Virginia-based outfit has become a frequent winner and championship contender.

SRO GT4 America Sprint X – Watkins Glen 2021

Walker and Auberlen on the podium at Watkins Glen

Coming hot off the heels of Road America with a double-podium finish and strong showing for BimmerWorld Racing all weekend, the team was looking to carry their momentum into Watkins Glen for another weekend of GT4 racing. 

Things were looking promising throughout practice, but during the last session, James Walker Jr. in the No. 34 M4 GT4 had a slight mishap involving a tire barrier which resulted in the car not being able to put down a qualifying time. The other two cars, the OPTIMA Batteries / Racing To End Alzheimer’s No. 36 of James Clay and Nick Galante and the No. 94 TAC Energy / GO Organic driven by Chandler Hull and Jon Miller, made the best of their qualifying sessions. The drivers placed their cars well up into the field and knew they had the pace to get to the front.

No. 36 M4 GT4 charging hard at Watkins Glen 2021

When the green flag dropped on Saturday, the BimmerWorld cars were quick to move up in positions, with Clay taking his M4 GT4 from eleventh to fifth and James Walker Jr. moving up twelve spots in the first ten minutes of racing. When the pit window opened and driver changes began throughout the field, Clay pushed the No. 36 to the lead while Bill Auberlen jumped in to relieve Walker Jr. in the Red Line Oil No. 34. By the time the rest of the cars cycled through their driver changes, Galante managed his way to fourth place while Auberlen continued charging to the front in a hurry.

No. 94 M4 GT4 pitstop at Watkins Glen 2021

At the end of the race, the No. 94 of Auberlen/Walker Jr. made up a total of 20 positions for a ninth-place finish. Clay and Galante were directly behind in tenth, and Hull/Miller were in twenty-sixth after having lost several positions due to issues throughout the race.

Sunday’s race was a little better for the entire team. Auberlen started dead last with no qualifying time due to the crash, but in his typical fashion, that just meant he was determined to move up the field as quickly as possible. And that he did, passing over 20 cars before handing the car off to Walker Jr. who ended up taking it to a fourth-place finish overall and a second-place in class. 

No. 34 M4 GT4 at speed at Watkins Glen 2021

The No. 34 of Hull and Miller had a much better race than Saturday, battling non-stop in the top-10 and finally landing in eleventh place at the finish. Clay and Galante had a solid showing as well, with Clay charging hard through his stint, bringing the car from outside the top-20 at the start to a thirteenth-place finish.

Walker and Auberlen on the podium holding trophies at Watkins Glen 2021

The BimmerWorld Racing team heads to Sebring Raceway next October 1-3, 2021.

FOLLOW BIMMERWORLD AT: https://www.facebook.com/bimmerworld

STAY UP TO DATE WITH BIMMERWORLD NEWS AT: http://www.bimmerworldracing.com

ABOUT: BimmerWorld is renowned as a leader in BMW aftermarket and tuning expertise, with operations spanning from stock, aftermarket, performance, and racing parts sales and development through racing from club to professional levels. BimmerWorld Racing competes primarily with the BMW Motorsport M4 GT4 in North America in both SRO and IMSA Championships, where the Virginia-based outfit has become a frequent winner and championship contender.

SRO GT4 America Sprint X – Road America 2021

Auberlen and Walker Jr. winning at Road America 2021

After almost three months of a break in the action, the BimmerWorld Racing team was eager to get back in the swing of things at Road America for the fourth event of the 2021 SRO GT4 America season. The drivers and cars were ready to get to work, but the weather had different plans and caused some delays in getting on track for practice Friday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No. 34 Redline Oil BMW M4 GT4 at Road America

James Clay talking to team

Saturday’s weather was still damp but drying as the BimmerWorld trio of M4 GT4s rolled out of the pits for their qualifying sessions. Jon Miller in the GO Organic No. 94 qualified his M4 GT4 in sixth, James Clay in the OPTIMA Batteries / Racing To End Alzheimer’s No. 36 in eighth, and James Walker Jr. in the Red Line Oil No. 34 rounded out the team in eleventh. The second round of qualifying on a dry but green track surface had drivers a little more spread out looking for their fast laps. Bill Auberlen found speed right out of the gate and into a second-place qualifying position. Struggling to find clear track in the hectic qualifying session, the No. 36 of Nick Galante ended up in twentieth with Chandler Hull in the No. 94 coming in twenty-second.

No. 34 and No. 36 leaving the pits

BimmerWorld M4 GT4 on track at Road America

A few hours later, the three BimmerWorld M4 GT4s were lining up for the first race of the weekend, and from the second the green flag flew, it was non-stop excitement for all three drivers. Clay in the No. 36 managed to pick up several spots in the very first laps while Miller in the No. 94 ran up to second, battling it out in the top-three positions for several laps. For a while, it seemed the SRO broadcast was only covering BimmerWorld cars while all three were in intense battles for position and moving forward through the field.

BimmerWorld M4 GT4 ahead at Road America

BimmerWorld M4 GT4 leading the pack at Road America

The battles intensified while the pits opened up for driver changes, and once Bill Auberlen got behind the wheel of his Red Line Oil No. 34, he was a man on a mission driving straight to the front. Auberlen managed to get by and take the lead from Toby Grahovec in an awesome battle with 15 minutes to go, and never looked back. Galante, now behind the wheel of the No. 36, managed to keep up the same pace as Clay and was in a fierce battle for third place with the AMG of Christian Szymczak and the BMW of John Capestro-Dubets.

When the checkers waved on Saturday, it was a double podium for BimmerWorld with Auberlen and Walker Jr. taking first-place in the No. 34 Red Line Oil machine and Clay and Galante finishing in third in the No. 36 OPTIMA Batteries / Racing To End Alzheimer’s car.

Auberlen getting out of his BimmerWorld M4 GT4 after winning at Road America

BimmerWorld drivers on the podium at Road America in first and third

Sunday was another absolutely intense hour of non-stop battles among a very competitive field of GT4 cars. It was Auberlen’s turn to take the green in the No. 34 from P2. Galante and Hull started further back but made up several positions in just a few short minutes of racing, with Galante driving from twentieth to twelfth in the first two laps under green-flag conditions.  

SRO GT4 America cars on track at Road America

BimmerWorld M4 GT4 at speed at Road America

With 22 minutes to go, a full-course caution came out for an accident at the kink which was just inside the pit window, allowing the front part of the field enough time to come in for their driver changes. This allowed James Walker Jr. to jump into the No. 34 and remain in the top three while the other two BimmerWorld cars of Clay and Miller weren’t as fortunate and got caught on the wrong side of this caution for driver swaps. The clock kept ticking while SRO tried to get everyone back in the correct order for the restart, and with only seven minutes to go, they went back to green. 

BimmerWorld M4 GT4 going fast at Road America

BimmerWorld M4 GT4 chasing another BMW at Road America

Finishing positions for Sunday’s race was Auberlen/Walker Jr. in fourth, Clay/Galante in twenty-third, and Hull/Miller had to retire the car due to a mechanical issue nine laps from the end.

No. 36 BimmerWorld M4 GT4 hustling at Road America

The weekend was a positive one overall and just what the team needed to knock the rust off from being away from SRO for several weeks. The next race is in just a couple of weeks at Watkins Glen on September 17-19, 2021.

FOLLOW BIMMERWORLD AT: https://www.facebook.com/bimmerworld

STAY UP TO DATE WITH BIMMERWORLD NEWS AT: http://www.bimmerworldracing.com

ABOUT: BimmerWorld is renowned as a leader in BMW aftermarket and tuning expertise, with operations spanning from stock, aftermarket, performance, and racing parts sales and development through racing from club to professional levels. BimmerWorld Racing competes primarily with the BMW Motorsport M4 GT4 in North America in both SRO and IMSA Championships, where the Virginia-based outfit has become a frequent winner and championship contender.

SRO GT4 America Sprint X – Round 2 at Circuit of the Americas 2021

SRO GT4 America Sprint X - Round 2 at Circuit of the Americas 2021

BimmerWorld Racing rolled into Austin, TX for Round Two of the GT4X season looking for solid results at a track with past racing success. The cars and drivers were ready to get down to business on track, but the weather had other plans, and rain was on the forecast throughout practice and qualifying.

 

 

 

 

 

No. 36 BimmerWorld M4 GT4

No. 34 BimmerWorld Red Line Oils M4 GT4 at COTA

With a field of almost 40 GT4 cars scrambling to find speed on the damp track, it was hard to get a clean lap to show the pace of the BimmerWorld cars. By the time the track was starting to dry, it was too late to put down a fast lap, resulting in a starting position of P7 for the TAC Energy/GO Organic No. 94 of Chandler Hull and Jon Miller, P11 for the OPTIMA Batteries/Racing To End Alzheimer’s No. 36 of James Clay and Nick Galante, and P29 for the Red Line Oil No. 34 of Bill Auberlen and James Walker Jr. 

No. 94 BimmerWorld TAC Energy BMW M4 GT4

When the green flag dropped on Saturday, the track was dry and the sun was shining. The BimmerWorld Racing team was confident in the cars and ready to drive them to the front, knowing they all had far more speed than their qualifying positions implied. In the first two laps of the race, Clay managed to push his No. 36 M4 GT4 forward five positions to P6 while Miller pushed up three positions to P4, and Walker, Jr. went up several, placing that car well into the hunt from a mid-pack start.

No. 34 BimmerWorld Red Line Oils M4 GT4 mid-corner on three wheels

After a large impact into a wall by an Aston Martin, the race was under full-course caution for several minutes before the race was red-flagged with 37 minutes left on the clock. When racing restarted, the pit window opened with around 30 minutes to go. James Walker, Jr. was first to duck into pit lane, putting Bill Auberlen behind the wheel. Meanwhile, Miller and Clay continued pushing hard and made their way to second and third respectively before coming in for their driver changes.

No. 94 BimmerWorld TAC Energy M4 GT4 in the pits during a driver change

No. 36 BimmerWorld OPTIMA Batteries/Racing to End Alzheimer's M4 GT4

With Hull behind the wheel of the No. 94 GT4 and 20 minutes left on the clock, he rejoined the race in P2 overall, right in the thick of an all-BMW M4 GT4 train from first through fourth. While Hull and Galante were battling it out in the top-five, Auberlen was busy picking off multiple positions on every lap, running hard through the field and working the No. 34 up an amazing 24 positions by the end of the race. It was an absolutely amazing drive for the Red Line Oil No. 34. The duo of Chandler Hull and Jon Miller fought incredibly hard for their first win of the season in the GT4 Silver category.

BimmerWorld drivers Chandler Hull (left) and Jon Miller (right) after their win.

BimmerWorld drivers Chandler Hull and Jon Miller celebrating their win on the top step of the podium at COTA

The next race on the schedule is at BimmerWorld’s home track of VIRginia International Raceway on June 4-6. We always look forward to racing at VIR, but this time we’re especially excited because we’ll have fans back finally! We hope to see as many people as possible, as it’s been much too long without seeing all our friends, family, and fans at the track. Be sure to stop in and say hi if you’re around.  Information on purchasing tickets to the VIR race can be found below.

Purchase SRO GT World Challenge America VIR Tickets for June 4-6 here: https://virnow.com/events/

FOLLOW BIMMERWORLD AT: https://www.facebook.com/bimmerworld

STAY UP TO DATE WITH BIMMERWORLD NEWS AT: http://www.bimmerworldracing.com

ABOUT: BimmerWorld is renowned as a leader in BMW aftermarket and tuning expertise, with operations spanning from stock, aftermarket, performance, and racing parts sales and development through racing from club to professional levels. BimmerWorld Racing competes primarily with the BMW Motorsport M4 GT4 in North America in both SRO and IMSA Championships, where the Virginia-based outfit has become a frequent winner and championship contender.

SRO GT4 America Sprint X – Round 1 at Sonoma Raceway

SRO GT4 America Sprint X – Round 1 at Sonoma Raceway

The BimmerWorld Racing haulers pulled into Sonoma Raceway last week and rolled out a fresh-looking trio of BMW M4 GT4s ready to get to work. New liveries, new driver suits, and a couple of new drivers all looking to get this season started off right.

Walker, Jr. and Auberlen with new-livery M4 GT4

 

Galante and Clay with new-livery M4 GT4
 

Miller and Hull with new-livery M4 GT4 While Sonoma Raceway provides beautiful rolling hills, sunny skies, and perfect temperatures, it’s not without its own list of challenges. The infamously slippery track surface makes tire management throughout a 60-minute race just as important as overall speed. In the past, the BMW hasn’t produced the best results at Sonoma, so the team knew they had their work cut out for them. Team principal James Clay noted, “While it’s tough to start the season on the track you know is your worst, it allows us to really dig in and work on developing the car which will help us throughout the rest of the year.” With a qualifying position of P4 for the No.36 OPTIMA Batteries / Racing to End Alzheimer’s M4 GT4 driven by Clay and Nick Galante, it showed that the speed was there, they just had to make it last.

James Clay with helmet on, ready to race

BimmerWorld M4 GT4 during prep in paddock

During Saturday’s race, each of the three BimmerWorld cars managed to move up from their starting positions with the No.36 running P2 overall and into the TV spotlight while taking the lead just before pitting. As the race went on and the tires started to fall off, it was all about managing the car, and the ability to race hard up front slowly faded. When the checkers flew, Bill Auberlen and James Walker, Jr., had the best finishing position with P4 in the Red Line Oil No. 34. The No. 94 TAC Energy / GO Organic M4 GT4 of Chandler Hull and Jon Miller managed to carve their way through half of the field finishing up 15 positions, proving these new teammates worked well together and will be fun to watch in the upcoming races. Sunday’s race was a repeat of Saturday with drivers struggling to make the tires last and battling hard in the middle of the field.

Red Line Oil M4 GT4 at speed

 

 

TAC Energy M4 GT4 at turn-in
Racing to End Alzheimer's / OPTIMA Batteries M4 GT4 at speed

While the overall results of the weekend weren’t what they had hoped for, it allowed for gaining an immense amount of data on tire management. The team looks forward to taking the development work gained at Sonoma and having it pay off at some of their stronger tracks in the schedule where the BMW can stretch its legs.

FOLLOW BIMMERWORLD AT: https://www.facebook.com/bimmerworld

STAY UP TO DATE WITH BIMMERWORLD NEWS AT: http://www.bimmerworldracing.com

ABOUT: BimmerWorld is renowned as a leader in BMW aftermarket and tuning expertise, with operations spanning from stock, aftermarket, performance, and racing parts sales and development through racing from club to professional levels. BimmerWorld Racing competes primarily with the BMW Motorsport M4 GT4 in North America in both SRO and IMSA Championships, where the Virginia-based outfit has become a frequent winner and championship contender.

BimmerWorld Racing: 2021 SRO GT4 America Season Announcement

sro-2021-livery-trio-251w

BimmerWorld is proud to announce its return to the SRO Motorsport America series, bringing three BMW M4 GT4s to compete in GT4 America Sprint X for the 2021 season.

Despite the challenges endured by competitors throughout the 2020 season, team principal James Clay captured the drivers’ championship in TC America, Chandler Hull finished fourth overall in TC, and the duo of Bill Auberlen and James Walker, Jr. finished third in the overall season championship in Sprint X Pro-Am. BimmerWorld topped off the SRO season with Clay, Auberlen, and Hull taking home the win in the inaugural SRO Intercontinental GT Challenge Indianapolis 8-Hour Endurance Race. Building from the success in 2020, BimmerWorld returns with three cars and six drivers for the 2021 season.

Bill Auberlen and James Walker, Jr. return for their second season together behind the wheel of the Red Line Oil BMW M4 GT4 now wearing No. 34. Throughout their first season together, the duo managed to net three wins, two podiums, and several top-10 finishes placing them third overall in both team and driver standings. Auberlen and Walker were quick to show they could not only work well together and win races but also make their BMW blazingly fast. At the end of the year, Auberlen captured the most CrowdStrike Fastest Lap Awards for the 2020 season.

James Clay and Nick Galante will be driving the No. 36 OPTIMA Batteries / Racing To End Alzheimer’s BMW M4 GT4. Galante previously won the 2018 IMSA ST championship in a BimmerWorld F30 328i and drove the team’s M4 GT4 in the 2020 IMSA season, but this will be his first year in SRO, and 2021 will also be the first year the duo have shared a car as teammates. In addition to OPTIMA Batteries, a core BimmerWorld partner, Racing to End Alzheimer’s will continue their partnership with BimmerWorld Racing which started in 2018. Racing to End Alzheimer’s is focused on raising awareness of the disease and funding the cure. For the 2021 season, names of friends, family, and loved ones affected by this debilitating disease will be featured on the car based on donations to the cause. 

Chandler Hull returns to SRO racing action for 2021 and, like Clay, is making the jump from his TC M240iR to a full-time M4 GT4 Sprint X Silver class entry along with Jon Miller, who is a new addition to the BimmerWorld driver line up. Hull and Miller will be piloting the TAC Energy No. 94 M4 GT4 and, like the rest of the 2021 team, brings both talent and BMW racing experience. Hull had an exceptional 2020 season that netted him several podiums, 4th-place overall in the drivers’ championship for TC America, and a win in the Indy 8-Hour as part of the three-driver BimmerWorld team. He also captured several podiums and a win in another M4 GT4 Silver entry. Jon Miller has his own list of accomplishments over the past few years; last year he claimed second place in the drivers’ championship in the GT4 America Silver class division along with six podiums throughout the year and finished second in the Indy 8-Hour in a competing BMW car.

The BimmerWorld Racing team heads to Sonoma Raceway on March 5-7 for the first two races of the season.

The BimmerWorld Racing team is supported by the following sponsors:

No. 34: Red Line Synthetic Oil Corporation – Manufacturers of more than 100 high-end lubricants that have the reputation of performing better than any other product on the market, regardless of price. Using cutting-edge technology, Red Line responds to the technical challenges of today’s performance industry, utilizing knowledge gained from racing to create high-performance products for track cars and street vehicles alike.

No. 36: OPTIMA Batteries – The Ultimate Power Source. Unbeatable starting power, light weight, superior cycling capability, and extreme resistance to the most common causes of battery failure make OPTIMA Battery our choice for our own BMWs. OPTIMA also delivers the innovative OPTIMA Digital 400 and 1200 Battery Chargers for all automotive and marine batteries.

No. 36: Racing To End Alzheimer’s – Honoring loved ones who are or have been affected by Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia depends on the generosity and participation of our fans, our racing team, and our corporate sponsors. 100% of all donations go to our beneficiaries with additional corporate-matching funds. All costs and expenses are funded by sponsor Legistics.

No. 94: TAC Energy – One of the largest independent wholesale fuel distributors of refined petroleum products in the United States. With an extensive supply network across the U.S., as well as regional sales offices across the country, TAC can service almost any customer’s fuel needs.

2021 BimmerWorld M4 GT4 trio SRO livery

Core BimmerWorld technical partners include:

PFC Brakes – Leading brake friction and component manufacturer.
Lifeline Fire & Safety System – Leading manufacturer of fire safety equipment and fire safety systems to the motorsport industry.
Diffsonline – Provider of differentials to meet the demanding needs of customers, from street machines to professional race teams.
Johnstone Supply – The top cooperative wholesale distributor in the country and a recognized national leader in the HVACR industry.

Additional team sponsors include:

Go Organic – Leader in organic gummy vitamins and lozenges.
OZIUM – Clinically proven air sanitizers that eliminate, not mask, odors.
Pretzilla – The pioneer in fresh, soft pretzel bread.

2021 GT4 Sprint X schedule consists of 14 races at seven tracks:

March 5-7: Sonoma Raceway – Sonoma, CA
April 30-May 2: Circuit of the Americas  – Austin, TX 
May 21-23: Canadian Tire Motorsports Park – Ontario, Canada
June 11-13: Virginia International Raceway – Alton, VA
August 27-29: Road America – Elkhart Lake, WI
Sept 17-19: Watkins Glen International  – Watkins Glen, NY
October 15-17: Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Indianapolis, IN

FOLLOW BIMMERWORLD AT: https://www.facebook.com/bimmerworld

STAY UP TO DATE WITH BIMMERWORLD NEWS AT: http://www.bimmerworldracing.com

ABOUT: BimmerWorld is renowned as a leader in BMW aftermarket and tuning expertise, with operations spanning from stock, aftermarket, performance, and racing parts sales and development through racing from club to professional levels. BimmerWorld Racing competes primarily with the BMW Motorsport M4 GT4 in North America in both SRO and IMSA Championships, where the Virginia-based outfit has become a frequent winner and championship contender.

FINAL ROUND: SRO Championship – Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Flags at Indy

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the previously successful set of races at COTA, James Clay was still leading the TC America Driver’s Championship points while the team rolled into Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a long week full of racing. These final two races would seal the fate for the overall season championship, so the pressure was on for James to finish close to the podium to be awarded enough points to clinch the championship.  

James Clay with helmet on

Right off the bat, things were looking great as James qualified his PÖRQ/OPTIMA Batteries No. 36 BMW M240iR on the pole for the first race of the weekend. Chandler Hull qualified his TAC Energy No. 94 M240iR close behind in P4— there was less than a second between the top eight cars!

BimmerWorld M240iRs racing at Indy

M240iR action at Indy

The numbers were being crunched in the pits before the race started to figure out where James needed to finish to clinch the championship, and that magic number was P4. If he could finish in P4 or better, the championship would be his, but James isn’t one to sit back and let everyone else have the fun. Throughout the race, James diced it up with the top four cars nonstop, running in second for most of the race. While dealing with lapped traffic going into T2, a rookie TCR driver made a fairly unpredictable move which forced contact with James, sending him spinning and dropping to the back of the field.  With less than half the race left, James fought hard to get back up through the field, but when the checkers flew, it was P8 for him and P10 for Chandler.

PORQ M240iR at Indy

TAC Energy M240iR at Indy

Obviously very disappointed with this outcome, James knew that the final race of the season would be the deciding factor for the entire championship. Finishing in P8 didn’t net him enough points to clinch it, so now it would all come down to Race 2. Starting near the middle of the pack, James knew it would be important to not only get close to the front for those crucial points, but he’d also have to stay out of trouble and keep the car in one piece all the way to the finish.  

M240iRs down the front straight at Indy

Dicing through the field right from the start, the BimmerWorld Racing team was pulling their hair out behind the pit wall watching every second of the race and reacting with gasps or yells each time they saw Clay driving hard to gain positions. Teammate Chandler Hull stuck right with him, and both drivers managed to navigate through the field of M240iRs cleanly, with James finishing P4 and Chandler in P7.  

BMW M240iR racing at Indy

TAC Energy M240iR ahead at Indy

PORQ M240iR leading the pack at Indy

The final finishing position in the last race of the season gave James enough points to be locked in as the 2020 SRO TC America Driver’s Champion! It came right down to the wire, but when things mattered most, he got the job done.

James Clay in his M240iR crossing the finish line at Indy

James Clay holding Driver's Champion sign at Indy

James Clay holding Driver's Champion sign in front of Indy building

Switching over to our Red Line Oil BMW M4 GT4 America Sprint X car, Bill Auberlen and James Walker, Jr. also had their final pair of races to end the season. Race 1 had James Walker, Jr. behind the wheel first starting in P12. Walker, Jr. managed to move the car up through the field a bit before handing it over to Bill who finished out the race strong in P6. 

The second race was almost the same, with the BimmerWorld M4 GT4 rolling off in P13 and the dynamic duo working the car up to P8, which was also enough to lock them into a podium finish for the overall season points in their very first year of driving the car together. It was a huge accomplishment and a testament to the consistency of these two drivers behind the wheel of this BMW.

BimmerWorld Red Line Oil M4 GT4 in the pits at Indy

Red Line Oil M4 GT4 racing at Indy

Auberlen and Walker, Jr. on the podium at Indy

After the dust had settled and the awards were given out, everyone could breathe easy knowing they were done for the year, and the stress of bringing home a championship or a podium position was finally gone for the season…

But wait, there’s more!

That’s right, the boys at BimmerWorld thought the only way to cap off a brutal season with an insanely compressed schedule — sometimes with three back-to-back race weekends — would be to race even more. We aren’t talking about another Sprint race.  Oh, no… James, Chandler, and Bill were going to tackle the SRO Intercontinental GT Challenge Indianapolis 8-Hour Endurance Race. That’s right, as soon as the BimmerWorld Red Line Oil M4 GT4 was done with its regular season, the BWR crew went to work preparing it for its next mission of tackling an 8-hour-long endurance race with competitors from all over the globe.

Clay, Auberlen, Walker, Jr. in front of the Red Line Oil M4 GT4 at Indy

Prepping the car with fresh PFC brake pads, topping off the OPTIMA Battery, checking the Red Line Oil fluids, along with the normal level of inspection that’s usually done back at the shop post-race over a couple of days was done in a matter of hours at the track. The very next day, the RLO M4 GT4 rolled onto the Brickyard once again to qualify for the 8-hour race.

OPTIMA Battery getting charged in BMW M4 GT4 at Indy

New PFC race pads being installed on the Red Line Oil BMW M4 GT4 at Indy

While Bill Auberlen was busy putting down fast laps, a wheel stud failed. This caused him to come in early, and not being able to fix the car while on pit lane meant no other drivers could get in the car to complete their qualifying sessions. In this series, your starting position is based on an average of the 3 driver’s qualifying times; therefore, we were forced to start at the back of the field since we couldn’t post a qualifying time. This failure — which was a BMW Motorsport part — was quickly remedied back in the garage with a full set of wheel studs that BimmerWorld regularly sells to their customers and installs on their own builds.

BimmerWorld Red Line Oil BMW M4 GT4 ready for racing at Indy endurance race

On to Sunday morning and Bill Auberlen was suited up and ready to take the green.  The weather was on everyone’s mind while the cloud cover started to look threatening, and the radar showed a line of heavy rain quickly approaching. The big decision to stick with slicks or change to rains was something every team was struggling with down to the very last moment. Everyone was watching what their competition was doing to see what call would give them the biggest advantage. Everyone stuck to slicks, and as the green flag waved to start eight hours of racing, the rain started falling.

Racing at Indy in the rain

Red Line Oil M4 GT4 racing in the rain at Indy

Taking the green on the very first lap, Auberlen didn’t waste any time rushing to the front, picking up four positions in Turn 1. As the rain got heavier, everyone started getting nervous about their tire choices, and when it eventually got to be too much to handle, the Red Line Oil M4 GT4 came to pit lane for a fresh set of rains. With his confidence restored, Bill continued to push to the front, quickly landing himself in P2 while still battling in extremely rainy conditions.

RLO M4 GT4 racing in the rain at Indy

Red Line Oil M4 GT4 leading at Indy

The second driver to get behind the wheel was James Clay who managed to push the BimmerWorld car to the lead during his stint on a now-drying track. Handing the car off to Chandler mid-race resulted in even more flawless pit stops from the BWR crew, allowing the car to remain in P1 for several hours.

BimmerWorld Red Line Oil BMW M4 GT4 chasing a Ferrari at Indy

BimmerWorld Red Line Oil M4 GT4 charging hard at IndyWhile we approached the final hours of the race, the BimmerWorld Red Line Oil M4 GT4 remained out front due to the perfect strategy of Dave Wagener and Wayne Yawn.  Decisions made on the fly at the perfect time always landed the BimmerWorld M4 GT4 back in P1 after pit cycles and driver changes. In endurance racing, the strategy behind pit wall is just as important as the talent behind the wheel. If those two don’t work perfectly in concert, you stand no chance of winning.

BimmerWorld crew in the pits at Indy

BimmerWorld crew working in the pits at Indy

In BimmerWorld’s case, everything did work perfectly together, and eight hours after taking the green flag in last place, the team was taking the checkered flag in first.

Bill Auberlen, James Clay, and James Walker, Jr. on the podium after winning the 8-hour endurance race at Indy

James, Bill, and Chandler got some well-deserved champagne on the top step of the podium, putting the best possible cap on an already extremely successful 2020 SRO season.  

Clay, Walker, Jr., and Auberlen celebrating after winning at Indy

BimmerWorld drivers kissing the bricks at Indy after winning the 8-hour endurance race

HUGE thanks to our technical sponsors:

OPTIMA Batteries – Red Line Oil – PFC Brakes – Diffsonline – Lifeline Fire Systems –  BMW Motorsport

This season would not have been possible without the amazing work from the entire BimmerWorld racing team.

Bill Auberlen – Driver – No. 82 Red Line Oil M4 GT4 – Sprint X Pro/Am

James Walker Jr. – Driver – No. 82 Red Line Oil M4 GT4 – SprintX Pro/AM

James Clay – Driver – No. 36 PORQ / OPTIMA Batteries – TC America

Chandler Hull – Driver – No. 94 TAC Energy M240iR – TC America

David Wagener – Team Manager/Engineer

Wayne Yawn – Engineer

Dave Simpkins – Crew Chief

Jordan Allen – Car Chief No. 82

Bryce Allen – Lead Tech No. 82

Tommy Gallant – Tire Engineer

Zach Lovingood – Lead Tech No. 36

Matt Berg – Car Chief No. 94

Theo Bialk – Car Chief No. 36

Rod Owens – Hauler Driver

FOLLOW BIMMERWORLD AT: https://www.facebook.com/bimmerworld

STAY UP TO DATE WITH BIMMERWORLD NEWS AT: http://www.bimmerworldracing.com

Round 4: SRO Championship – Road America

BimmerWorld Racing at Road America

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The BimmerWorld Racing team already knew before even turning a wheel on track that this was going to be a challenging weekend. Taking on six total races total with three different cars across two different race series means a LOT of time on track against some of the best competition in the business. Before heading to Elkhart Lake for this round of races, James Clay and his OPTIMA Batteries M240iR had gained some valuable points towards the overall championship after Sonoma, but he was still just shy of first. Trailing by only seven points, every race becomes more important than the last as the season continues.

James Clay in his No. 36 M240iR at Road America

Thankfully for James, the weekend went extremely well, winning on Friday, winning on Saturday, and finishing in second on Sunday after a non-stop back-and-forth battle with Toby Grahovec. His Pörq Snacks No. 36 M240iR was blazingly fast and dominant all weekend long, giving him the ability to pick and choose where to pass while using up every inch of track thanks to his PFC Brakes package. James collected some serious hardware this weekend and heads to the next round in first place overall with a little points cushion from his back-to-back wins.

James Clay leading the pack at Road America in his No. 36 M240iR

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Chandler Hull and his TAC Energy M240iR were full of surprises all weekend. He worked hard all through Friday’s race to claw his way to the front from his starting position of P9. Towards the end, he made a late charge which brought him just shy of a podium spot to P4, making it an amazing drive to watch! Chandler took Friday’s momentum and turned it up a notch for Saturday. Sitting back in P3 for the last bit of the race, a very calculated move in the final turn towards the white flag allowed him to jump up to P2 right behind fellow teammate James Clay’s bumper. It was a BimmerWorld 1-2 podium for Saturday!

Chandler Hull in his No. 94 M240iR

James Clay and Chandler Hull on the podium with first and second at Road America

Helmeted Chandler Hull celebrating his hard work

 

No. 82 SRO M4 GT4 at Road America

The Red Line Oil M4 GT4 of Bill Auberlen and James Walker, Jr. came out of the gate strong, setting fastest time in practice, but a slight brush with the wall at the kink set the BWR team scrambling to fix it before Friday’s race — and fix it, they did! The duo came from a starting position of P18 to take the overall win. In the post-race interviews, Bill Auberlen mentioned that the car was fantastic before the brush with the wall, but it was even better after! They made up just as much ground on throughout Saturday’s race, but they took the checkered in second place. Sunday was a little more of a struggle, but they still ended up with a solid top-10 finish.

BIll Auberlen and James Walker, Jr. on the podium at Road America

Bill Auberlen celebrating his win with BimmerWorld at Road America

The six-race weekend format was brutal, but BimmerWorld Racing heads home after grabbing some important championship points and will carry this momentum to the next event at Circuit of The Americas on September 17-20.

FOLLOW BIMMERWORLD AT: https://www.facebook.com/bimmerworld

STAY UP TO DATE WITH BIMMERWORLD NEWS AT: http://www.bimmerworldracing.com

BimmerWorld Names Strong Driver Lineup for 2020 SRO Racing Season; Team Will Represent BMW in Two Classes

BimmerWorld-Names-Strong-Driver-Lineup-for-2020-SRO-Racing-Season--Team-Will-Represent-BMW-in-Two-Classes

BimmerWorld has announced its return to the 2020 SRO America season in both GT4 America and TC America. The team will include some of the top sports car drivers in an assault to claim two class championships for BMW.

The 2020 four-person driving squad consists of Bill Auberlen, James Clay, Chandler Hull, and James Walker, Jr., all from the United States. Auberlen and Walker will share the No. 82 BMW M4 in the GT4 series, while Clay (No. 36) and Hull (No. 94) will compete in the TC America series in a pair of BMW M240i Racing cars.

Auberlen comes to the BimmerWorld team with a long history with the BMW brand. He has driven BMW cars in more races than any other driver in the world to become the all-time winningest American driver in a leading series. Having claimed six professional championships (four with BMW power) and competed in over 500 professional races to date, Auberlen is the most decorated and prolific BMW driver in the world. His results include over 90 race victories, 190 podium finishes, 55 pole positions, 80 fastest race laps, and 110 lap records.

Clay returns full-time to the TC America series for the first time since 2009. In 2019, he competed in GT4 America as well as the TC America weekend at Road America, taking home a victory and podium. In 2019 alone, he competed in over 20 races on American soil with three wins, 10 podium finishes, one pole position, and three fastest race laps, all in BMWs. He also races in Germany at the ADAC 6-hour and 24-hour Nürburgring races and competes at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Hull, in his inaugural professional season, surprised the touring car class by finishing third in the driver’s championship and was named Rookie of the Year for his season’s success. His rookie season in TC captured four podiums, seven top-5 finishes, and one pole position. In 2020, he will also be teaming up with Tyler Cooke in the SRO GT4 European series and with Cameron Evans in the VLN series at the Nürburgring in Germany, as well as running the ADAC 6-hour and 24-hour Nürburgring races.

Walker ran the TCR series in TC America in 2019, finishing with three podiums and two fastest laps. Over the past three years, he has entered 32 professional races, finishing with three victories, thirteen podiums, two pole positions, and ten fastest race laps. His day-job expertise in vehicle dynamics will bring further expertise to the veteran team.

Clay, President of BimmerWorld and team manager commented, “We’re very excited about this season of racing! We have a mix of very seasoned and accomplished drivers partnered with the most up-and-coming drivers in North America. Our stable of BMW racing machines will be a perfect complement for the aggregated driving talent.”

TC Team Owner, Jeff Hull, added, “With driver talent like this backed by BMW power, along with our outstanding line-up of sponsors, we expect great results in 2020.”

The BimmerWorld Racing team is supported by the following sponsors:

  • No. 82 primary sponsor – Red Line Synthetic Oil Corporation manufacturers more than 100 high-end lubricants that have the reputation of performing better than any other product on the market, regardless of price. Using cutting edge technology, Red Line responds to the technical challenges of today’s performance industry, utilizing knowledge from racing to create high-performance products for track cars and street vehicles.
  • No. 36 primary sponsor – PöRQ Snacks is a new line of artisanal pork rind snacks by Benestar Brands, the world’s largest pork rind manufacturer. These snacks are made with the highest quality ingredients and come in Herb & Vinaigrette, Black Pepper & Sea Salt, and BBQ & Chipotle flavors.
  • No. 94 primary sponsor – TAC Energy is one of the largest independent wholesale fuel distributors of refined petroleum products in the United States. With an extensive supply network across the U.S. as well as regional sales offices across the country, TAC can service almost any customer’s fuel needs.

Other team sponsors include:

  • Kernel Seasons – America’s #1 Popcorn Seasoning.
  • Go Organic – Leader in organic hard candy and soft chews.
  • Ozium Air Sanitizers – Clinically proven to eliminate, not mask, odors.

Core BimmerWorld technical partners include:

  • OPTIMA Batteries – Delivering long-lasting, unsurpassed performance.
  • PFC Brakes – Leading brake friction and component manufacturer.
  • Lifeline Fire & Safety System – Leading manufacturer of fire safety equipment and fire safety systems to the motorsport industry.

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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 pair of BMW Motorsport M4 GT4s, where the Virginia-based outfit has become a winner and championship contender. BimmerWorld Racing also continues to race in the SRO TC America Championship in the Touring Car (TC) class with two BMW Motorsport M240i Racing cars, as well as competing in the GT4 series in a BMW Motorsport M4 GT4.