In 1995, the two M3's that rolled off the BMW Team PTG truck at the Daytona 24 Hours, looked very much like they had come directly from the showroom. They were, however, surprisingly fast as longtime BMW driver Dieter Quester took the GTS-2 Pole. That was the beginning of a long and successful run for the second generation M3.
In 1996, the M3's rolled of the truck at Daytona and had a second consecutive pole and a third place finish. Later in the season, in May, at Lime Rock Park, a 27 year-old Bill Auberlen joined the effort. Auberlen would go on to win more races in the M3 than anyone in North America and grow to personify the "Ultimate Driving Machine". If the addition of Auberlen was the programs "tipping point", it was a Sears Point, in July, that was the program's "turning point". Team PTG introduced the new, lighter "sprint" M3 and the new car a 1-2-3 BMW sweep. Three more wins garnered BMW the 2006 GTS-2 Maunufacturers Championship.
1997 & 1998 were arguably the most successful and the most rewarding, after serving notice the previous season, The BMW Team PTG M3's declared ownership of the GT class of sports car racing. Wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, in 1997, plus 6 more victories, gave BMW it's second Manufacturers Championship, as well as the Driver's crown to Auberlen and the Team title to PTG. The winning continued in 1998 with victories again at Daytona & Sebring. Racing in 2 series simultaneously (USRRC & SPORTS CAR) the BMW Team PTG M3's won seven more times, sweeping the Manufacturer, Driver & Team Championships.
New competition arrived in 1999, limiting the E36 M3's to wins and the ALMS Team Championship.
2000 brought the introduction of the all new E46 M3. The competition continued to be strong all season and at Laguna Seca, Team PTG reached the top of the podium.
BMW was back on top in 2001. BMW dominated the ALMS GT class and swept the Manufacturer, Team and Drivers CHampionships with the awesome, V8 powered M3 GTR. They proved a little too awesome however and the racing rules made the car ineligible to return with the V8 engine.
In 2002 BMW Team PTG took a hiatus, and moved into the SCCA's World Challenge Series in 2003. BMW Team PTG had 3 wins, and a 1-2-3-4 finish at Sears Point, going on to finishing 2nd in the Manufacturer & Drivers Championships.
2004 & 2005 brought Team PTG to the Grand-Am Series with the new 6-cylinder powered BMW M3's. Team PTG won 10 of 12 races to win the Manufacturer, Driver & Team Championship in 2004, and seven more wins in 2005, finishing second in the Manufacturers Championship by only 7 points.
2006 brought Team PTG back to the ALMS, in an unfamiliar role as underdog. BMW Team PTG reached the podium 3 times, showing that a six-year old design, could still compete with the more modern powerful machinery. When the checkered flag fell on the last race of th 2006 season, BMW of North America wrote the final page of the most successful chapter to date of its 31-year motorsport history. From 1995-2006, BMW of North America and Team PTG, drove to 53 wins in 118 races entered, adding 14 championships to BMW's history book.
In 1996, the M3's rolled of the truck at Daytona and had a second consecutive pole and a third place finish. Later in the season, in May, at Lime Rock Park, a 27 year-old Bill Auberlen joined the effort. Auberlen would go on to win more races in the M3 than anyone in North America and grow to personify the "Ultimate Driving Machine". If the addition of Auberlen was the programs "tipping point", it was a Sears Point, in July, that was the program's "turning point". Team PTG introduced the new, lighter "sprint" M3 and the new car a 1-2-3 BMW sweep. Three more wins garnered BMW the 2006 GTS-2 Maunufacturers Championship.
1997 & 1998 were arguably the most successful and the most rewarding, after serving notice the previous season, The BMW Team PTG M3's declared ownership of the GT class of sports car racing. Wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, in 1997, plus 6 more victories, gave BMW it's second Manufacturers Championship, as well as the Driver's crown to Auberlen and the Team title to PTG. The winning continued in 1998 with victories again at Daytona & Sebring. Racing in 2 series simultaneously (USRRC & SPORTS CAR) the BMW Team PTG M3's won seven more times, sweeping the Manufacturer, Driver & Team Championships.
New competition arrived in 1999, limiting the E36 M3's to wins and the ALMS Team Championship.
2000 brought the introduction of the all new E46 M3. The competition continued to be strong all season and at Laguna Seca, Team PTG reached the top of the podium.
BMW was back on top in 2001. BMW dominated the ALMS GT class and swept the Manufacturer, Team and Drivers CHampionships with the awesome, V8 powered M3 GTR. They proved a little too awesome however and the racing rules made the car ineligible to return with the V8 engine.
In 2002 BMW Team PTG took a hiatus, and moved into the SCCA's World Challenge Series in 2003. BMW Team PTG had 3 wins, and a 1-2-3-4 finish at Sears Point, going on to finishing 2nd in the Manufacturer & Drivers Championships.
2004 & 2005 brought Team PTG to the Grand-Am Series with the new 6-cylinder powered BMW M3's. Team PTG won 10 of 12 races to win the Manufacturer, Driver & Team Championship in 2004, and seven more wins in 2005, finishing second in the Manufacturers Championship by only 7 points.
2006 brought Team PTG back to the ALMS, in an unfamiliar role as underdog. BMW Team PTG reached the podium 3 times, showing that a six-year old design, could still compete with the more modern powerful machinery. When the checkered flag fell on the last race of th 2006 season, BMW of North America wrote the final page of the most successful chapter to date of its 31-year motorsport history. From 1995-2006, BMW of North America and Team PTG, drove to 53 wins in 118 races entered, adding 14 championships to BMW's history book.
