Dunlop Tires and the BMW Rahal Letterman Lanigan (RLL) Racing Team continued its podium streak in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GT Class with a 2-3 finish at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Both BMWs led laps during the four-hour GT battle, but the Risi Competizione Ferrari took the final lead with 30 minutes remaining. BMW Team RLL would round out the rest of the podium, with the No. 55 BMW M3 GT of Dirk Werner and Bill Auberlen finishing second and the No. 56 BMW M3 GT of Dirk Müller and Joey Hand close behind in third.
In the Le Mans Prototype (LMP1) class, Dunlop tires also took a 2-3 finish, with the Dyson Racing Lola-Mazda coming in second and the Autocon Lola-AER finishing third. Dunlop currently leads the tire manufacturer standings in both the LMP1 and GT classes.
With only three races remaining in the 2011 ALMS season, BMW Team RLL leads the manufacturer, driver and team standings in the competitive GT class and is well positioned for the 2011 championship.
“We had a spirited battle with the Ferraris for most of the race at Road America and our Dunlop tires gave us the grip we needed to fight on every lap,” said Bobby Rahal, team principal. “To put both cars on the podium was a great accomplishment and it moves us another step closer to our goal of riding our Dunlop tires to the ALMS GT championship.”
Dunlop has been BMW Team RLL’s tire provider since the launch of the M3 GT program in 2009, and the racing tires have been credited for helping the team mature and develop into a consistent performer and winner.
