American LeMans
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ALMS: BMW Team RLL Adds Summerton To Endurance Roster
23-year-old Jonathan Summerton will join RLL as the third driver in Sebring, and will also line up at a further three races over the course of the season.
Media Release  |  Posted March 12, 2012  
Jonathan Summerton has joined BMW Team RLL as its third driver for the 12 Hours of Sebring and fill-in for Joey Hand while he's on DTM duty. (Photo: John Dagys)
BMW Team RLL launches the defence of its titles in the GT class of the American Le Mans Series at the 12 Hours of Sebring this Saturday.

Joey Hand and Dirk Müller return to the ALMS as reigning GT champions. This year they will once again alternate behind the wheel of the no. 56 BMW M3 GT. Twenty three-year-old Jonathan Summerton will join them as the third driver in Sebring, and will also line up at a further three races over the course of the season.

The No. 55 BMW M3 GT, which finished runner-up in Sebring last season, will be driven by Bill Auberlen and Jörg Müller. Auberlen has finished third in the Drivers' Championship for the last two seasons. Jörg Müller is contesting his first ALMS season since 2001, when he won the GT title in the BMW M3 GTR.

BMW Team RLL has called on the services of another old hand as this car's third driver, in the form of Uwe Alzen. The German is also due to start at the Petit Le Mans,

Team Principal Bobby Rahal shared his thoughts on some of the changes throughout RLL's BMW M3 GT program for the new season.

"We've made a number of changes this season," he said. Although not as outwardly obvious as in previous years, we have continued to develop the BMW M3 GT for this season. For 2012, most of the improvements are under the skin to take advantage of some of the new tires that Dunlop has developed.

"As we've done in every season, the driver line-up has been modified with Jörg Müller replacing Dirk Werner for the season. We've also added Uwe Alzen as a third driver at both Sebring and Petit.

"I'm also excited to add Jonathan Summerton for four races to substitute for Joey. Along with my son Graham, Jonathan was one of the first six Formula BMW USA scholarship winners in 2004. I believe Jonathan will do a good job for us. Anchoring the line-up will, of course, be Bill Auberlen and Dirk Müller."

PHOTOS: Sebring Monday Testing Gallery
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