One PTG BMW M3 Still Running, One Retires At Rolex 24 at Daytona

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."