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One PTG BMW M3 Still Running, One Retires

31 January 1999


One PTG BMW M3 Still Running, One Retires

PROTOTYPE TECHNOLOGY GROUP BMW M3 TEAM - SATURDAY, JANUARY
30, 1999
Rolex 24 at Daytona - Daytona International Speedway -
Daytona Beach, Fla. 

AFTER 12 HOURS 

ONE PTG BMW M3 STILL ALIVE, THE OTHER RETIRES WITH
MECHANICAL PROBLEMS
Halfway through the 37th annual Rolex 24 at Daytona, the No.
10 Yokohama/Flextronics Int'l/Level One BMW M3 four-door of
Bill Auberlen, Hans Stuck, Brian Cunningham and Johannes Van
Overbeek was battling back from 25th place in GT3, while the
No. 6 Yokohama/Flextronics Int'l/Level One BMW M3 four-door
of Boris Said, Ernie Irvan, Peter Cunningham, Mark Simo and
Dieter Quester retired with mechanical problems. 

The No. 10 PTG BMW M3, which spent almost five hours making
engine repairs earlier in the day, lost another hour making
transmission repairs during the 10th and 11th hours of the
race. It has completed 166 laps through the halfway mark of
this 24-hour endurance classic, in 66th place overall and
157 laps behind the GT3-class leading No. 23 Alex Job Racing
Porsche. 

Meanwhile, the No. 6 PTG BMW M3, with Auberlen aboard in the
12th hour, made an unscheduled pit stop to check mechanical
problems, and the car was retired. It completed 247 laps
around the 3.56-mile oval/road course at Daytona
International Speedway, and sat in 17th place in GT3, 45th
overall, at the 12-hour mark. 

The No. 17 T.C. Kline Racing BMW M3 was in sixth place in
GT3 at the halfway mark, having completed 310 laps. The Nos.
54 and 45 Bell Motorsports BMW M3s sat in 12th and 20th
place, respectively, in GT3, at the halfway mark. 

HANS STUCK, No. 10 Yokohama/Flextronics Int'l/Level One BMW
M3 Four-Door - "It's fun out there. At least it's good to
get to drive the car a bit. But you need some personal
strength to fight for 66th position. It's good to get into a
groove, now, to get to know the guages and the switches and
get a chance to work with the rollbars. So when I go to
Sebring next race, I'll be able to do it blindly."