Turner Motorsport will have a very busy weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park as the team looks to consolidate it’s lead in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS championship and debut a second GT M3 in the Rolex Sports Car Series. Four drivers will be making their first starts as TMS drivers. Billy Johnson will co-drive with Paul Dalla Lana in the No. 94 M3 and Peter Bassett and Memo Gidley will debut the new No. 93 machine. Sam Schultz will co-drive with Michael Marsal in the No. 97 GS M3.
“Turner Motorsport is having a record year in every facet of our business led by our GRAND AM racing program,” said Will Turner. “Success breeds success and I’m excited that we have a good chance to win our sixth professional racing championship this season. A second GT car and three new drivers will make for a very busy race on Sunday, but our focus remains moving Paul to the front. He is only 15 points back in the GT championship. I believe Billy’s experience at NJMP will serve Paul well.”
Continental Tire Sports Car Championship – With two CTSCC races remaining Turner Motorsport driver Paul Dalla Lana has a 25 point lead in GS driver standings and with a good result at New Jersey Motorsports Park could secure his first professional racing championship, as well as the Team and Manufacturer titles for Turner Motorsport and BMW respectively.
Boris Said will substitute for Bill Auberlen and co-drive with Dalla Lana in the No. 96 M3. Auberlen will test with Dalla Lana and Said this Thursday at the NJMP before heading to Mosport for his ALMS race.
Sam Schultz will join Michael Marsal in the No. 97 M3 at NJMP. The 29-year old New York state resident is Director of Track Operations at Monticello Motor Club. With more than 30 CTSCC starts since 2006, the majority of his professional racing experience has been in BMWs.
Rolex Sports Car Series – Following two days of testing at Monticello Motor Club, in Monticello, N.Y. the team will race two M3s in Sunday’s Rolex race.
Peter Bassett, Billy Johnson and Memo Gidley all had their first laps in the GT M3s at Monticello after the new No. 93 car got its first shakedown run by Joey Hand.
Billy Johnson is no stranger to BMW having been one of the original six Formula BMW America Junior drivers in 2004. The 24-year old Californian has gone on to have an excellent sports car career, in fact, he is a competitor in the CTSCC, standing sixth in GS driver points.
Memo Gidley ran both DP and GT cars in Grand-Am competition last season. Gidley brings a wealth of experience to the team that will be very helpful to Bassett who will be making only his second Rolex GT start at NJMP.
“Our GT program is bigger and better,” continued Turner. “I have been very surprised at the level of driver interest shown in the new car. We welcome any fully funded driver to contact us about any of the remaining races this season as well as 2012.”