SCC: Daytona: Turner Motorsports race notes

Both BMWs in Top Five

Daytona, Florida, USA - 02/02/2004 - Turner Motorsport's pair of H&R Springs BMW 330i sedans brought home second and fourth place finishes in this past weekend's Grand Am Cup race at Daytona International Raceway in Florida. The first race of the season yielded impressive drives from Steve Pfeffer and Tim Pappas and Will Turner and Don Salama as well as top-notch work from the Turner Motorsport crew.

Steve Pfeffer and Tim Pappas in the #97 Turner Motorsport/H&R Springs BMW 330i used the advantage of a single pit stop to vault themselves onto the podium in the first race of the season. While most other teams used two stops to make it through the 250-mile event, Pfeffer and Pappas sneaked by on only one stop for fuel, tires, and a driver change on lap 35 and never looked back.

Steve Pfeffer, pilot of car #97: "A lot of things had to go right in this race for us to finish on the podium. And the entire Turner Motorsport team prepared an excellent racecar for me and Pappas to run. It was a real pleasure to race with these guys. The BMW E46 is not the fastest car in a straight line and it's not the quickest in the corners but it does a lot of things right and that's what makes it a great platform to compete with. I think this will be another fantastic year for Turner Motorsport and H&R Springs."

Will Turner and Don Salama's new Turner Motorsport/H&R Springs BMW 330i ran well through the race, swapping the lead several times and eventually finishing in fourth. Team owner, Will Turner: "Because this is a brand-new car we were a little unsure of the fuel mileage the car would have. We did a scheduled pit stop halfway through the race then made a brief stop for fuel near the end of the race. At the time we were leading but we still finished a strong fourth so I'm still pleased. The BMW was great, my crew was excellent, and my teammates finished on the podium. All around a successful weekend."

The Speed Channel will be broadcasting this race from Daytona on Saturday, February 14 at 4pm. There was a lot of exciting racing so you won't want to miss out.

The next Grand Am Cup event for the Turner Motorsport/H&R Springs BMW team is another 250-mile race near Miami, Florida at Homestead Speedway on March 27.

-tm-