Jun 21, 2007
TMS Scores 2nd Straight Pole; Extend ST Streak
Turner ST drivers hold the Championship lead for most of the first half of the season.
MOSPORT INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, Bowmanville, ON, Canada - June 21, 2007 - For the third-straight race, the #97 H&R Springs/Turner Motorsport BMW M3 led the Koni Challenge field from the pole position. And the drivers in the #95 H&R Springs/Borla Exhaust BMW 330i defended their Championship lead in the Street Tuner class.
Trevor Hopwood and Adam Burrows have emerged as the duo to beat in the Koni Street Tuner class (ST). From the wheel of the #95 H&R Springs/Borla Exhaust BMW 330i, the Hopwood-Burrows team has finished each race in the top ten. This past weekend they started from the front row and scored their third podium of the year but nearly pulled out their first win were it not for a last-lap pass for the lead by the #76 Acura. They retain first place in the ST Championship by one point.
Trevor Hopwood, pilot, #95 H&R Springs/Borla Exhaust BMW 330i:
“I was able to hold him off up until Turn 5 on the last lap and we came out of there side-by-side. We raced hard and came together and we both got sideways but he gathered it up better than I did and that closed the deal for him. We were right there and we definitely touched but it was just good, hard racing.”
In 2007 the #97 M3 has found its way to the pole spot at Iowa Speedway and Lime Rock Park. This time it was Don Salama who brilliantly put the Turner M3 on its third straight pole with a final lap around the 2.5 mile Mosport circuit. During the race, Salama put in a strong performance in the M3 and pitted the car from the lead to change drivers, tires, and to add fuel. The TMS crew blazed through the stop and Will Turner entered the race still in P1. But tragedy struck only a few laps later when debris punctured the oil cooler while Turner was still leading.
“This bad luck is really over-shadowing the great job our team has done this year. You just have to look at how well the #95 330i is doing in the ST class to see that. The #97 car has been on the pole for three-straight races and the #96 M3 has one win so far this year. The performance is there but our luck simply has not held.”
Similar luck spread to the #96 Motul Lubricants/StopTech Brakes BMW M3. After winning the race at Lime Rock Park three weeks ago, Bill Auberlen, Chris Gleason and the rest of the team were thinking big thoughts heading into Mosport. But after qualifying in the top half of the field and an excellent pit stop, engine problems stopped short a promising run to the checkered flag.
The Turner Motorsport BMW team enjoys the support of some fantastic automotive companies - H&R Springs, StopTech Brakes, Borla Exhaust, Motul Lubricants, Pagid Racing, and Piloti Driving Shoes. Each is a world-renowned champion in their respective fields and their contribution to the Turner Motorsport team is invaluable.
The Koni Challenge series is back on track again this weekend with a return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car course in Ohio for Round #7
H&R Special Springs is a German based suspension company that has been built on a foundation of superior quality, true performance and the best customer service. H&R has established a proven heritage of unsurpassed industry respect and customer confidence, all of which gives H&R the definitive edge in suspension tuning and design. All H&R products are crafted in Germany and exceed ISO 9001 quality assurance standards. H&R maintains a U.S. facility located in Bellingham, Washington, where additional testing and research are conducted. For more information, visit www.hrsprings.com or call (888) 827-8881.