The following is taken directly from the official Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca press release.
Ludwig Willisch, Brian Redman and David Murry to Race August 17-19 in Monterey
MONTEREY, Calif., July 6 — It’s not every day that the chairman of an automobile company swaps his suit and tie for a Nomex driving suit and straps himself into a race car, but that’s Ludwig Willisch’s style. As head of BMW North America, Willisch will pilot a 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion August 17-19 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
The BMW 3.0 CSL that Willisch will be driving is one of only five team cars campaigned by BMW North America in 1975 and 1976, winning IMSA races at Sebring, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Riverside, Daytona, Lime Rock and Talladega. Among the notable drivers involved in campaigning the 430-hosepower BMW were Hans Stuck, Sam Posey, Brian Redman and David Hobbs, among others.
“I can’t wait to drive the CSL at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca,” said Ludwig Willisch – President and CEO for BMW of North America, LLC. “The 3.0 CSL is a storied car in BMW of North America’s history as it won the 12 Hours of Sebring just days after the subsidiary was founded in 1975. Driving it on an equally legendary circuit will be quite a thrill.”
Complementing the BMW 3.0 CSL in the paddock is the 490-horsepower 1980 M1 Group 4 car with sports car racing champion Brian Redman behind the wheel. This car was campaigned in the 1981 IMSA GTO Series, seeing action at the 24 Hours of Daytona, Watkins Glen and Mosport.
The third entry in the BMW trio is the 800-horsepower 1986 BMW March GTP prototype that will be driven by American Le Mans Series driver David Murry. One of three produced, this car is capable of more than 200 miles per hour. Its lone win came at Watkins Glen in 1986 where Davy Jones and John Andretti set a new race record around the 3.7-mile circuit.
BMW will be celebrating 40 years of M Power at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion with these three BMW-owned race cars and a display of newly introduced production cars, including the new M6 Coupe, 6 Series Grand Coupe’, and M5. Lastly, Reunion visitors can join BMW in celebrating its 2011 ALMS GT Manufacture Championship by getting their picture taken in the company of the BMW M3 GT.
“BMW returns for its second year as an active partner at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, providing fan activities and demonstrating some of the company’s latest models,” said Gill Campbell, CEO/general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Now, they’re taking even more active participation with fielding three terrific factory cars to complement the 550-plus entries that will be present.”
The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will run 17 race groups, from pre-war to stock cars. With this year’s Shelby Cobra as the featured marque—celebrating its 50th anniversary—a full grid of 45 period- and mechanically-correct 1960s Shelby Cobras will line up, making for a thunderous start to their race. Add to that, more than 200 Shelby Cobras expected in the Cobra Corral, it will be the largest gathering and tribute to the late Carroll Shelby.
Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion advance general admission tickets start at $50. A three-day ticket is only $130 and includes a complimentary souvenir magazine. Children 12 and under are free with a paying adult. Hospitality options begin at $200 per person.
For more information on the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion or to purchase tickets, call 800-327-7322 or visit
www.MazdaRaceway.com.
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Join BMW CCA for the 2012 Monterey Weekend: August 17–19
BMW CCA Monterey Weekend, celebrates the mystique of BMW and our appreciation for the marque.
Legends of the Autobahn
Sponsored by BMW NA, the BMW Performance Center, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Sonax, Spaten and BMW CCA, Legends of the Autobahn plays host to beautiful BMWs of all ages, as well as entrants from the Porsche, Mercedes-Benz , (and for the first time) Audi clubs who will share this event. The concours will be held on Friday, August 17, at the Rancho Cañada Golf Course—located on Carmel Valley road just east of California Highway 1. With separate club concours judging sites and club corral parking areas, the concours will be a fantastic start to the BMW CCA Monterey weekend.
This event is limited to marque-club members only, and will include a parking corral area for those registered but not participating in the judging activity. It is also a perfect location for a picnic lunch, but food and beverages will also be available on-site. Additional attractions may include guest speakers and specialty vendors. Special thanks to our host chapter—Central Cal.
Online registration for this event is now open. You may register your car and pre-order lunches and event T-shirts.
The BMW CCA Corral at Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca
Also sponsored by BMW NA, the BMW Performance Center, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Sonax, Spaten, and the BMW CCA, the annual Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion celebrates the mystique of BMW and our appreciation for the marque. Set for August 18–19, the weekend features a two-day parking corral with hospitality tents overlooking Laguna Seca’s Turn Five. Packages include the opportunity to buy corral tickets, lunch tickets, a special BMW banquet ticket, and event tickets to the Reunion races themselves—all from one convenient source!
Please visit www.festorics.org for additional information.
