Rolex Series GT team Turner Motorsport have announced the eight drivers who will drive their pair of BMW M3 in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the announcement adding more international names to the entry list for the race (January 26-27).
Headlining the drivers for the team at Daytona are BMW Motorsport men Maxime Martin and Andy Priaulx.
Both men will be making their Rolex 24 debuts, the race the first in North America for Martin before he embarks on a first season with BMW Team RLL in the American Le Mans Series. Priaulx – as well as being a triple world touring car champion for the Bavarian marque – has also won the GT class of the 12 Hours of Sebring for BMW, for whom he now drives in the DTM.
The star pairing will join the team, with Bill Auberlen and Paul Dalla Lana beginning a full season assault on the GT class with Turner Motorsport. Billy Johnson, Michael Marsal and US road-racing veteran Boris Said rejoin the team having all been part of the crew for last year’s Rolex 24. The eight man team is completed by Gunter Schaldach, a new name to the Turner fold, but an experienced man in both the Rolex Series GT class and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge sister series.
“Last year we assembled a very strong BMW driver lineup for the Rolex 24,” said team founder Will Turner. “Unfortunately mechanical problems with both cars made for poor results, but the team rallied during the remainder of the season. Two wins during a nine-race streak of top-five finishes immediately after Daytona carried Paul and the team to third in GT points. I want to thank BMW Motorsport again this year for their support and assistance with Maxime and Andy.”
