Fresh from competing in the FIA World Touring Car Championship’s rounds at Imola (IT), BMW works drivers Andy Priaulx (GB) and Jörg Müller (DE) will this weekend boost the line-up of the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team in the American Le Mans Series.

Priaulx will be hoping for victory in the GT2 class with the BMW M3 GT2 in the classic Petit Le Mans event at Road Atlanta (US) as team-mate to Bill Auberlen (US) and Joey Hand (US). Jörg Müller joins forces with Tommy Milner (US) and Dirk Müller (DE). After this the BMW M3 GT2 will make its European debut in the VLN Endurance Championship on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife before the GT sports car heads for its debut in the Asian Le Mans Series.

“I am looking forward to seeing the BMW M3 GT2 in both the American Le Mans Series and other championships over the coming weeks,” says BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. He added: “Pole-position and our one-two in Road America proved that the BMW M3 has caught up with the front-runners in the highly competitive GT2 category. At this weekend’s Petit Le Mans our works drivers Jörg Müller and Andy Priaulx will join the usual quartet of drivers. We hope for a strong result at this classic event.

“Our starts in the VLN Endurance Championship are part of the BMW M3 GT2’s development programme, taking place on the toughest circuit in the world. At Okayama our Japanese fans can expect a strong BMW appearance: They can look forward not only to our touring car drivers at the wheel of the BMW 320si WTCC, but also to Formula BMW Pacific and the BMW M3 GT2.”

After the Petit Le Mans event, the BMW M3 GT2 will contest two races in the VLN Endurance Championship, both held on the Nürburgring’s classic Nordschleife. The Schnitzer Motorsport Team will manage the entries of the BMW M3 GT2 on 3rd and 17th October 2009. The first VLN event will see the 485 horsepower race car shared by Jörg Müller and Augusto Farfus (BR), with Dirk Müller and Priaulx doing driver duties a fortnight later.

With 123 class victories BMW is comfortably the most successful manufacturer in the history of the Nürburgring’s 24-hour race. To date the marque has scored 18 outright wins, eight of which were one-two results – with the last being in 2004 and 2005, when the BMW M3 GTR scored back-to-back top two placings. In 2004 Jörg Müller and Dirk Müller co-drove in the winning team, with Priaulx taking top honours a year later.

Following its debut in Europe, the BMW M3 GT2 will be on the grid in Asia. On 31st October / 1st November 2009 the Asian Le Mans Series features on the World Touring Car Championship programme at Okayama (JP). The BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team has entered one of its ALMS cars, to be driven by Dirk Müller and Milner.