---

Second PTG BMW M3 Retire

31 January 1999

PROTOTYPE TECHNOLOGY GROUP BMW M3 TEAM - SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 1999
Rolex 24 at Daytona - Daytona International Speedway - Daytona Beach,
Fla.

AFTER 16 HOURS

SECOND PTG BMW M3 RETIRES, THIS ONE WITH BROKEN SUSPENSION
With a little more than nine hours to go in the 37th annual Rolex 24 at
Daytona, the second of two PTG BMW M3s saw its race come to a premature
end when the No. 10 Yokohama/Flextronics Int'l/Level One BMW M3
four-doors suffered a broken left-front suspension and lost a wheel on
track.

With Mark Simo at the controls, the No. 10 PTG BWM M3 was in and out of
the pits to check the suspension during the 15th hour.  Just before 4
a.m. local time, the left-front gave way and the car was stranded on
track.  The team retired the car after it was towed into the garage.

The No. 10 PTG BMW M3 completed 238 laps of the 3.56-mile oval/road
course at Daytona International Speedway and was in 24th place in GT3,
in 59th place overall, and 163 laps behind the class-leading No. 23 Alex
Job Racing Porsche.  It spent some five hours in the garage after the
second hour making engine repairs before resuming, then lost another
hour making transmission repairs during the 10th and 11th hours.

Earlier, the No. 6 PTG BMW M3 retired with mechanical problems during
the 12th hour after completing 247 laps.  That car spent significant
time in the pits replacing a gearbox and transmission.

With the retirements, the PTG team's streak of two consecutive Rolex 24
victories and four consecutive Daytona/Sebring endurance classics was
ended.

Still alive in the GT3 class were a trio of BMW M3s.  The No. 17 T.C.
Kline Racing BMW M3 was fifth in class after 15 hours, having completed
389 laps, 12 out of the class lead.  The Nos. 54 and 45 Bell Motorsports
BMW M3s were in eighth and 19th positions in GT3, having completed 378
and 302 laps, respectively.


# # #