BIMMERWORLD RACING LOOKS TOWARD SPEED TOURING CAR QUALIFYING AT ROAD ATLANTA
Bimmerworld Racing drivers James Clay, of Blacksburg, Va., Matt Richmond, of Mooresville, N.C., Seth Thomas, of Cumming, Ga., and the rest of the Bimmerworld Racing team had a solid day of practice Wednesday at Road Atlanta, in preparation for Friday’s Round Nine SCCA SPEED World Challenge Touring Car race at Road Atlanta.
In the teams’ return to Road Atlanta, after finishing 2-3-4 in the SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Sport Compact GP back in April, they took the first step toward replicating that effort when the hit the track for Wednesday’s practice sessions.
Piloting the No. 36 Bimmerworld/Ground Control/Wheel Chair Foundation BMW 325i, Clay was seventh fastest on the day following the combined practice sessions. Clay turned his fast lap of 1:36.042 (95.208 mph) during the morning session under cooler conditions.
“The first session out went really well,” Clay said. “We had some decent tires on the car and we’d been working to get it to handle [a little better]. In the second session, the tires starting going away a little bit. We made some changes and the car is starting to feel better and better. I am really excited about tomorrow.
“There have been huge changes on the car,” Clay said commenting on what the team has changed on the car since they were last at Road Atlanta. “Back in April, we were still scrambling to get the cars dialed in. That was the second event on the cars. We’ve made major changes every weekend [since]. Now we’re getting to the point where we’re making only minor changes.”
Richmond, driving the No. 37 Bimmerworld/Ground Control/Wheelchair Foundation BMW 325i, turned in the 14th quickest combined practice time of 1:36.546 (94.711 mph), which he set in the afternoon session. Richmond improved on his morning session time by nearly two hundredths of a second.
“I am happy to be where I am,” Richmond said of his practice times. “I’m getting everything I can out of the car. I’m hanging it out and doing what I can. I am not discouraged. I am driving it to the limit.
“The car is always under development and there are always little tricks we are trying [to get more speed],” Richmond added. “But, what is almost as important as being fast, is bringing the car home in one piece after each session. We’ve had success here in the past. And, to just not give the crew a heck of a workload, like they’ve had just about every weekend, is important. We want the crew to have a good time and to make this what it is supposed to be – which is fun for everybody. Moral boosting is almost as important as the result at the end of the weekend.”
Thomas improved on his morning practice time by nearly three full seconds in the afternoon session. He clicked off a lap of 1:37.224 (94.050 mph) in his No. 38 Bimmerworld/Ground Control/Wheel Chair Foundation BMW 325i.
“In the morning session, I didn’t have the best tires on the car, whereas in the afternoon session I had a good set of tires,” Thomas said describing the difference in his practice times. “That made a huge difference in the car. The car is setup really nice. Come tomorrow, I think the car will do well.”
The team takes the track for SPEED Touring Car Round Nine qualifying at 1:20 p.m. (EDT) Thursday, Sept. 23. For live timing and scoring visit www.world-challenge.com.
For more information on Bimmerworld Racing, visit www.bimmerworldracing.com.
SPEED Touring Car Qualifying
1. Justin Marks, BMW 325i
2. Pierre Kleinubing, Acura TSX
3. Nic Jonsson, BMW 325Ci
4. Bob Stretch, BMW 325Ci
5. Dino Crescentini, BMW 325i
7. James Clay, BMW 325i
14. Matt Richmond, BMW 325i
18. Seth Thomas, BMW 325i
BIMMERWORLD RACING QUALIFIES SIXTH, TENTH AND TWELFTH AT ROAD ATLANTA
BRASELTON, Ga. (Sept. 23, 2004) – Bimmerworld drivers James Clay, of Blacksburg, Va., Matt Richmond, of Mooresville, N.C., and Seth Thomas, of Cumming, Ga., qualified sixth, 10th and 12th, respectively, Thursday at Road Atlanta, in preparation for Friday’s Round Nine SCCA SPEED World Challenge Touring Car race.
In the teams’ return to Road Atlanta, after finishing 2-3-4 in the SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Sport Compact GP back in April, they look to replicate that effort when the hit the track for Friday’s race.
Driving the No. 36 Bimmerwold/Ground Control/Wheel Chair Foundation BMW 325i, Clay led the way for the Bimmerworld team turning a lap of 1:35.777 (95.471 mph) around the 12-turn, 2.54-mile circuit.
“Sixth wasn’t as really as good as I had hoped to do,” Clay said. “I didn’t want to roll the car like I did at the beginning of qualifying at Road America. So, I approached it [qualifying] with a little more room left in the car. On my second lap, which was my fastest lap, I did find some extra speed. I think we are definitely ready for race day.”
Thomas turned a fast lap of 1:36.070 (95.80 mph) in his No. 38 Bimmerwold/Ground Control/Wheel Chair Foundation BMW 325i, which helped him earn a career-best starting position of 10th. Thomas recorded his fast lap early on in the 20-minute qualifying session.
“I am definitely happy with it,” Thomas said about his qualifying run. “But, I was hoping for a little bit faster time. I got held up in a few spots by some of the same cars that Matt [Richmond] did at the beginning of the session, which is when I set my fastest lap. The car is definitely faster than what the results show.”
Richmond, who is coming off of back-to-back sixth-place finishes at Mosport and Road America, will have to skillfully work his way through the field from his 12th starting spot to find his way to the podium.
“Circumstances didn’t permit me to run the fastest qualifying lap I could have turned,” Richmond said about his qualifying effort in the No. 37 Bimmerwold/Ground Control/Wheel Chair Foundation BMW 325i. “But, I am pretty happy with 12th. I’m proud of my teammates for having a clean weekend so far. I am real proud of Seth because he is up in the top-10 and James is sixth. Hopefully we can bring it home in one piece tomorrow.”
The team takes the track for Round Nine of the SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championships at 11:10 a.m. (EDT) Friday, Sept. 24. For live timing, visit www.world-challenge.com.
For more information on Bimmerworld Racing, visit www.bimmerworldracing.com.
SCCA SPEED Touring Car Qualifying
1. Peter Cunningham, Nissan Sentra SE-R, 1:35.272 (95.977mph)
2. Pierre Kleinubing, Acura TSX, 1:35.417 (95.832 mph)
3. Bill Auberlen, BMW 325i, 1:35.551 (95.697 mph)
4. Bob Stretch, BMW 325Ci, 1:35.619, (95.629 mph)
5. Shauna Marinus, Mazda 6, 1:35.715 (95.533 mph)
6. James Clay, BMW 325i, 1:35.777 (95.471 mph)
7. Nic Jonsson, BMW 325Ci, 1:35.787 (95.461 mph)
8. Charles Espenlaub, Mazda ProtegeES, 1:35.788 (95.460 mph)
9. Justin Marks, BMW 325i, 1:35.998 (95.252 mph)
10. Seth Thomas(R), BMW 325i, 1:36.070 (95.180 mph)
12. Matt Richmond, BMW 325i, 1:36.413 (94.842 mph)
BIMMERWORLD RACING PUTS ALL THREE DRIVERS IN TOP FIVE AT ROAD ATLANTA
CLAY, THOMAS, RICHMOND GET CAREER-BEST FINISHES
BRASELTON, Ga. (Sept. 25, 2004) – Bimmerworld Racing drivers James Clay, of Blacksburg, Va., rookie Seth Thomas, of Cumming, Ga., and Matt Richmond, of Mooresville, N.C., finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Round Nine race at Road Atlanta Friday, as part of the Chevy Presents Petit Le Mans weekend.
Heading into the penultimate round of the SPEED Touring Car season at Road Atlanta, the Bimmerworld Racing team had high expectations of putting all three drivers in the top five and that’s exactly what happened.
On the team’s home track, Clay led the way from his sixth starting position in his No. 36 Bimmerworld/Ground Control BMW 325i. By lap seven, Clay had moved to third, but spent most of the race battling to keep that position. In fact, Clay and SPEED Touring Car point leader Bill Auberlen battled each other for 11 laps before Auberlen came into the pits with overheating problems. After Auberlen came into the pits, Clay then had to battle Jeff Altenburg and Justin Marks over the next couple of laps for third place. On lap 19, Clay dropped to fourth, as his car appeared to have handling issues. But, on lap 22, Altenburg, who was second at the time, was having gearbox problems and dropped to fourth, which moved Clay up to third.
“It was about half way through the race, the rear end starting coming out from me,” Clay said of his car’s performance. “We thought that might have been a problem. But, when I saw other drivers dropping out, I figured we needed a podium finish this year and this was the one track we could do it. I just put it on autopilot and got it done.
“To pick up a podium is pretty exciting. That’s what we’ve been working toward all season. We’re not on the top yet, but next year we will be.”
Clay’s third place performance was his career-best SPEED Touring Car finish, beating his previous career-best of ninth, which he established earlier this year in Round Two at Lime Rock Park.
Starting from 10th on the grid, driving the No. 38 Bimmerworld/Ground Control BMW 325i, Thomas clearly showed his familiarity with his home track, as he set a new fast race lap record with a 1:35.712 (95.536 mph) en route to winning the urbanracer.com Hot Lap Award.
“I tell you what, the Bimmerworld No. 38 car was awesome today,” Thomas said. “We had an engineer work with us this weekend and he did a sweet job on the car. He got it hooked up for us. We turned the fastest race lap and we had another consecutive finish here [Bimmerworld cars finishing third through fifth] and it’s great. You can’t beat it.
“I’m pretty pumped,” Thomas added about his career-best finish. “It’s one of those things that we’ve been striving for all season. It’s been a goal that I set at Sebring. And, we finally got it here in the next to last race of the season and it’s an awesome feeling. I look forward to being up there more.”
Thomas’ fourth place finish was a new career-best. His previous career-best finish was an 11th place performance at Road America in August.
Richmond, who is coming off two consecutive sixth-place performances in as many races, proved once again how consistent he can be in his No. 37 Bimmerworld/Ground Control BMW 325i by turning in a season-best fifth place finish. Richmond, who started 12th, benefited from the combination of having a fast car (Richmond turned the third fastest race lap with a 1:35.981, 95.268 mph) and some driver attrition to finish fifth.
“I’m so proud of this team,” Richmond said of his teams’ performance. “It all came together this weekend. Everything went smoothly, everyone was comfortable and everyone did their job. I’m just glad we could bring it home all in the top five. We’re really looking forward to Laguna [Round Ten at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca] and next season. We really have a great package and it’s coming together.
“Who knows what it is?,” Richmond added about how consistent he has been in the last three races. “You just have to get into the mindset to be smooth, be consistent and stay out of trouble. Attrition is part of the game. It happens to me. It happens to everybody, so I’ll take whatever I can get. That’s how it is in racing.”
Richmond tied his career-best finish of fifth, which he also set in Puerto Rico in 2003.
Friday’s Round Nine SPEED Touring Car race will air at 12 p.m. (EDT) Sunday, Sept. 26 on SPEED Channel.
The Bimmerworld Racing team next heads to the beautiful Monterey Peninsula and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the SPEED Touring Car season finale Oct. 15-17.
For more information on Bimmerworld Racing, visit www.bimmerworldracing.com.
SCCA SPEED Touring Car Round Nine Results
1. Pierre Kleinubing, Acura TSX, 1:36.201, 95.051 mph
2. Justin Marks, BMW 325i, 1:35.918, 95.331 mph
3. James Clay, BMW 325i, 1:36.265, 94.987 mph
4. Seth Thomas(R), BMW 325i, 1:35.712*, 95.536 mph
5. Matt Richmond, BMW 325i, 1:35.981, 95.268 mph
6. Bob Stretch, BMW 325Ci, 1:36.371, 94.883 mph
7. Matt Plumb, Acura TSX, 1:36.941, 94.325 mph
8. Jeff Altenburg, Mazda 6, 1:36.058, 95.192 mph
9. Dino Crescentini, BMW 325i, 1:36.940, 94.326 mph
10. Nic Jonsson, BMW 325Ci, 1:36.232, 95.020 mph
* – Denotes fast race lap record
On Saturday Oct 30th, The Wheelchair Foundation, in conjunction with VN Help, hosted a fundraiser to help the disabled people of Viet Nam attain much needed wheelchairs. The fundraiser, which was called Wheel & Grace, was a smashing success. With a runway model fashion show, silent and live auction as well as live stand up comedy, the night was filled with entertainment. Winner of the NBC hit show last comic standing, Dat Phan had the crowd laughing as they enjoyed his insightful and hilarious comedy routine. The runway fashion show showcased Vietnamese designers and several celebrity models including Ms. Vietnam 2004.
BimmerWorld Racing drivers Seth Thomas, James Clay and Matt Richmond donated $7,500 of the team’s winnings to the Wheelchair Foundation in a check presentation ceremony following the SCCA SPEED World Challenge Touring Car race Sunday, Oct. 17 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Bimmerworld Racing has teamed up with the Wheelchair Foundation to grant mobility to those in need. Team Bimmerworld has finished a pulse pounding season of adventures on the race track. Driving with passion and skill, the team from Bimmerwold has had a successful race season this year.