BimmerWorld Takes Victory and a Podium in First Round of IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Series at Daytona

What a race for BMW at Daytona International Speedway! The BimmerWorld Racing team from Dublin, Va., had a near perfect weekend, collecting the pole and victory in the Street Tuner (ST) class of the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge (ICTSC) series on Friday, as well as second place in the Grand Sport (GS) class.

The BMW Endurance Challenge race, a part of the 56th annual Rolex 24 At Daytona race, was a four-hour enduro with its fair share of cautions.

Polesitter Devin Jones of Mooresville, N.C. and teammate Nick Galante of Greenfield, Mass. dominated the race in the ST class in their No. 81 BMW 328i (F30 chassis), never putting a wheel wrong, and it paid off in a proud victory for the duo. It was also the first victory for the F30 328i in the ST class, after multiple podiums. Devin, who collected his first IMSA Continental Tire victory today, drove the first 85 laps before changing to teammate Galante.

BimmerWorld team owner James Clay of Blacksburg, Va. and Tyler Cooke of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. started from the 18th position in the GS class in their international GT4-spec No. 82 OPTIMA Batteries BMW M4 GT4. Qualifying and starting driver Clay charged into the Top 10 and even led one lap (lap 17) in a convincing run to the podium in the inaugural Continental Tire race. Clay drove for the first 67 of 106 laps before Cooke came in fresh and continued the gallant charge for their first podium of the season.

Driver Quotes:

James Clay, Blacksburg, Va., team owner and driver, No. 82 BimmerWorld Racing OPTIMA Batteries BMW M4 GT4:
“My stint was awesome! I knew I had some traffic to work through and I’m just happy we got through Turn One together safely, and then it was just a matter of picking it off. I knew we had a car with pace. The key today was avoiding incidents and somehow we did. There were some really close calls. I worked my way up to lead at one point. A win in ST and the debut of the GT4 car with a P2 finish feels great. We knew we had an awesome car under us, despite a bad qualifying, and sure enough, we did. What a fantastic machine and teamwork from the guys, and what a fantastic weekend overall!”

Tyler Cooke, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., driver, No. 82 BimmerWorld Racing OPTIMA Batteries BMW M4 GT4:
“Gosh, it was quite a race. The BMW guys never gave up on us. They really put a lot of effort in and it showed today. We were running on a liter and it was a good battle at the end with the Mustang, and the Mercedes was there. Hat’s off to the BMW 2-4 finish (second and fourth place). It’s setting the tone for the year and I’m really proud to be in the BMW, and I’m proud to have them joining us. The BimmerWorld guys work their tails off and I’m just happy we can take home a piece of hardware for them and they can enjoy it. Now I’m looking forward to Sebring.”

Nick Galante, Greenfield, Mass., driver, No. 81 BimmerWorld Racing Veristor/Legistics BMW 328i (F30 chassis):
“Devin drove the first three hours and 58 minutes, I think. I’m kidding, of course, but I only felt like I was in the car for a minute. Devin did a great job of putting the BMW on pole and setting the car up. The BimmerWorld team did most of the hard work getting this car where it needed to be. Hats off to the team and the strategy. Unbelievable job on the strategy by Trent, our engineer. He nailed it perfectly, and Devin drove a great first stint and got the pole, which is awesome. My job was easy, he did all the hard work.”

Devin Jones, Mooresville, N.C., driver, No. 81 BimmerWorld Racing Veristor/Legistics BMW 328i (F30 chassis):
“It was definitely a great start to the year. It can’t get much better than a pole and a win at Daytona; it’s huge. It’s been a massive day for us and the whole BimmerWorld team with a second place for their GS car, too. I just have to thank Veristor and everyone that supports this car. It’s really a dream to win here, and I’m just going to absorb it all.

“I grew up watching races here and always being a fan. My dad and I came here in 2004 to race a go-kart, and to see where we’ve come since then is amazing. To win at Daytona is really a dream and it’s all because of these BimmerWorld guys. It’s going to be a great season and what a way to start it.”

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. It competes in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge series in both the Grand Sport (GS) class with a brand-new BMW Motorsport M4 GT4 and in the Street Tuner (ST) class with a turbocharged BMW 328i (F30 chassis), where the Virginia-based outfit has become a routine winner and championship contender.

BimmerWorld Racing Captures Podium Finish at the Lime Rock Park 120 Race

BimmerWorld Racing owner James Clay and co-driver Tyler Cooke recorded their best finish of the IMSA Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge series so far this year when they placed third in the Street Tuner (ST class) Saturday at Lime Rock Park with their BimmerWorld Racing No. 84 OPTIMA Batteries turbocharged BMW 328i (F30 chassis).

Ari Balogh and Greg Liefooghe also had an excellent result in the two-hour contest, as they placed sixth in a similar car fielded by the Dublin, Va.-based team, the No. 81 Powerflex BMW, to duplicate their best result of the season to date.

Clay, of Blacksburg, Va., qualified fourth, just 0.360 of a second off the pole-winning time for the 1.53-mile, seven-turn road course about 100 miles from New York City. He set the car’s fastest lap of the race on lap four and remained in fourth place throughout his stint until he led four laps around the halfway mark when the top three cars pitted under green. He pitted shortly thereafter for fuel, fresh Continental tires, and to turn the car over to teammate Cooke, of Matthews, N.C.

Cooke was back in fourth place only seven laps later. He advanced to third on lap 102 with about 14:20 remaining when the drivers who had been second and third tangled in front of him. The one who had been third got the worse end of that tussle and ended up in a tire barrier, and a little later Cooke brought his BMW home for the final podium position.

Balogh, of Menlo Park, Calif., qualified 16th but he’d advanced to ninth before most of his rivals began their pit stops, and he was fourth when he pitted under green to turn his BMW over to Liefooghe, of San Francisco. The latter was ninth at the halfway point before rising to sixth at the finish despite a track that was getting more slippery by the minute.

The race will be shown on FOX Sports 1 on Sunday, July 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern. The next event is Aug. 3-6 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. More information is available at imsa.com.

James Clay, Blacksburg, Va., team owner and driver, No. 84 OPTIMA Batteries BMW 328i (F30 chassis):
“I think we probably got what we could have gotten today, and maybe a little bit more. We definitely didn’t have the pace of the MX-5s on the track, but we had a good pace. We had two consistent cars. We were more consistent than I thought we’d be. The car didn’t fall off, and that was one of our biggest concerns. We were able to gap everybody behind us and keep the car in a good position to turn it over to Tyler. Tyler had a heck of a drive, and we’re pretty happy.”

Tyler Cooke, Matthews, N.C., driver, No. 84 OPTIMA Batteries BMW 328i (F30 chassis):
“Not bad. Finishing third at Lime Rock is like a win for pretty much any car in the field. It was a great race. The track really fell off at the end, but we were running a consistent pace. We held it in fourth and then moved into third.

“The guys did an amazing job. We had a short time period to get this car ready, but they nailed it. Hats off to BimmerWorld, all the sponsors, and BMW North America.”

Greg Liefooghe, San Francisco, driver, No. 81 Powerflex BMW 328i (F30 chassis), which he shares with Ari Balogh of Menlo Park, Calif.:
“The car was good. We didn’t have the pace in qualifying but in the race, we were really good. I think we can be happy with the results. The car ran really well. We found some speed this weekend. I’m pretty happy. Ari drove the first stint very well, and the car was really good.

“I think Road America is going to be a good track for us. We’re a little bit more of a power car than a handling car, so we might have a little bit of an advantage there so we’re looking forward to that.”

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 and competes in the IMSA Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge series with a pair of BMW 328is (F30), where the Virginia-based outfit has become a routine winner and championship contender.

BimmerWorld Ready for Action at California’s Legendary Laguna Seca Road Course

Faced with a mid-March race at Sebring International Raceway that didn’t go according to plan, the BMW experts at BimmerWorld have taken the better part of six weeks to make sure this weekend’s Continental Tire Series race in Northern California follows their desired script.

Sebring’s bumpy, punishing circuit highlighted areas for the Dublin, Virginia-based team to improve with its damper package, among other items, which led to a thorough analysis of BimmerWorld’s performance data and track testing leading up to Saturday’s race at Laguna Seca.

“It has been a long time since we have run Sebring, and never in such production cars,” said BimmerWorld team owner/driver James Clay. “That track is brutal on equipment and we were fighting some new and surprising issues all week. Our BMWs are robust and extremely reliable, and with this year’s Sebring data we will be able to improve some weak areas to make the package even better.”

The lighter, smaller 2-door cars within the Street Tuner class have recently dominated the Monterey event, which creates an issue for normal-sized 4-door sedans, but based on what he’s seen from their gains, Clay expects to see a stronger challenge posed by BimmerWorld’s four-car BMW effort.

“We took the opportunity given by some time off to continue developing our MCS-based suspension package, both in the shop and at the track,” he added. “The new damper rules for 2014 give us the opportunity to excel due to our team’s technical capability and a strong partnership with the damper industry leaders at Motion Control Suspension, and we keep making big strides forward in our cars’ handling ability.”

In addition to BimmerWorld’s highly developed BMW E90 platform, the team has also undertaken the major task of turning BMW’s turbocharged F30 chassis into a serious competitor in the Continental Tire Series’ Street Tuner class.

With advances being made every day by BimmerWorld’s team of engineers and technicians, Clay expects the F30 to unleash more of its potential this weekend.

“The BimmerWorld staff has worked hard to develop the 4-cylinder turbo driveline and we are now producing the needed power to be on par with the field, and we continue to learn some of the nuances of this new powerplant,” he explained. “Our attention has been more focused on braking and suspension recently, which is very similar to the E90 cars, but also with some mild but important differences. The package continues to show gain and promise, and every race is an opportunity to take another step forward.”

MONTEREY LINEUP

No. 80 BimmerWorld BMW 328i (E90): Corey Fergus, Kevin Gleason

No. 81 BimmerWorld BMW 328i (E90): Tyler Cooke, Greg Liefooghe

No. 82 BimmerWorld BMW 328i (E90): Dan Rogers, Seth Thomas

No. 84 BimmerWorld BMW 328i (F30): Jason Briedis, James Clay

Follow the team as it competes at the third round of the Continental Tire Series held in Monterey by visiting www.BimmerWorldRacing.com

BimmerWorld Unveils Technical, Commercial Partnerships For Continental Tire Series Campaign

With an expanded four-car roster ready to vie for the 2014 Continental Tire Series Street Tuner Championship, the Virginia-based BMW experts at BimmerWorld have secured an impressive array of commercial backing and technical support to bring their goals closer to reality.

Team owner/driver James Clay discussed many of the companies whose branding will be carried next season, including some that have become synonymous with BimmerWorld’s striking fleet of BMWs.

“This will be the third year CRC has joined us as a primary sponsor,” said Clay. “Beyond general branding and promotional work, BimmerWorld will also be the racing industry partner program supplier for CRC Brakleen®,as well as for their full product range this year through our CRCMotorsportSupply.com venture. We have been partnered with CRC for ten years now, and we are proud to take the next step forward with supplying the premium CRC product line to teams in our paddock as well as those in a variety of other racing series.”

“Our partnership with Johnstone Supply is important to us because they are like family,” Clay continued. “Johnstone’s support of BimmerWorld Racing, through their stores in Texas and Louisiana, adds a strong B2B partner to our network, as well as good friends and mentoring as our operation continues to grow and succeed.”

BimmerWorld’s reputation as an elite BMW aftermarket and tuning specialist has been amplified through relationships with numerous technical partners. Each company Clay has assembled within the BimmerWorld fold has brought unparalleled cornering, braking, and acceleration performance to the professional team and BimmerWorld performance customers alike.

“With the change in suspension regulations this year, we are once again able to align ourselves with the staff of Motion Control Suspension (MCS) with whom we have worked since 2003,” Clay explained. “Their new MCS brand and product line is the next evolution of their premium race-winning damper designs and we are excited to be able to use the same products we have been selling to our customers and using on our other program cars in our professional program. This renewed technical partnership is a tremendous asset as we prepare to fight for the 2014 Championship.

“Our BMWs have always been standouts under braking. We have used Performance Friction brakes exclusively since 2005 when we first tested with them, and we credit PFC with this major team strength. We test new products every year but we always come back with the same result and proudly wear the PFC logos on our car and sell their products as our premium line in our BimmerWorld store. With new pad compounds released this year, we continue to have the best options for friction on our cars.”

Packed race tracks with grids of 60 or more cars can present significant engine cooling problems, which BimmerWorld continues to address and overcome with help from Red Line Oil and C&R Racing.

“Red Line Oil has been in our cars since day one at BimmerWorld Racing,” Clay noted. “We have always been happy with the results in a variety of applications, and with the challenging temperatures in our new turbo-engined BMW F30, Red Line gives us critical durability and protection in a very challenging environment.

“And C&R Racing, armed with new exchanger core technology, has developed a new cooling system for both our E90 and F30 racecars to keep them operating at optimal temperatures, even with the tight drafting and prolonged stressed operation in our series.”

Producing horsepower, torque and transmitting that energy to the ground has been entrusted to two BimmerWorld staples.

“Diffsonline continues to be a strong technical partner,” Clay remarked. “Focused on our non-engine driveline, they have provided our engineers with the tools to continue to improve our cars’ performance, and helped reduce critical driveline failures. With the release of the F30 last season and continuing work this year, Diffsonline continues to develop new solutions as needed for this new platform.

“Also, Eric at Electronspeed, along with CRD engines, has done a tremendous amount of work on our new F30 engine and management system over the last several months, and without their support we would still be fighting to get this car on track. We have a long development road ahead of us, but we have the best team on the job to make rapid progress.”

Known for sharing close quarters and trading paint throughout each race, Bassen Autobody will once again keep BimmerWorld’s Continental Tire Series cars smooth and sparkling.

“The Bassen Autobody team will have more work than ever with four BimmerWorld cars to keep on track, but we can sleep knowing that when the unexpected pops up, we have capable partners like Bassen to handle it,” said Clay.

In addition to the partners listed above, BimmerWorld will also represent BimmerForums, Chin Motorsports, LaminX, Miller Welders, Racetech, Rays, Rogue Engineering and Sparco in 2014.

Next up or BimmerWorld is this weekend’s Roar Before The 24 test at Daytona International Speedway, a precursor to the season-opening Continental Tire Series race on January 24 at Daytona.

Follow the team as it prepares for the new season by visiting www.BimmerWorldRacing.com