MOTORREADS: 20 March 2009

[mika]

Bikes in the Fast Lane: Husqvarna motorcycle at the BMW Shop

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BMW RAHAL LETTERMAN RACING TEAM EXPERIENCES MIXED RESULTS IN 12 HOURS OF SEBRING QUALIFYING
03/19/2009

Sebring, Fla. – March 19, 2009… Bill Auberlen, driving the No. 90 BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team M3, qualified seventh for the 57th annual 12 Hours of Sebring. Auberlen's lap of 2:04.566 minutes around the 3.7-mile Sebring International Raceway places him and co-driver Joey Hand in the top-half of the 15-car GT2 class field for the team's debut race.
Dirk M??ller, driving the No. 92 BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team M3, experienced mechanical problems immediately after leaving the pits and did not complete a qualifying lap. M??ller, who will co-drive with Tommy Milner, will have to start from the rear of the field.

Two more sessions are scheduled before Saturday’s 12 Hours of Sebring. A one-hour-and-forty-five minute practice is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m. this evening. A final one hour practice session is scheduled for 9:55 a.m. tomorrow morning. The 57th annual 12 Hours of Sebring starts at 10:30 a.m.

Bobby Rahal, team principal:

“We’ve approached this season very conservatively. Bill and Joey starting seventh is not unexpected. The failure of the prop shaft in the No. 92 car certainly puts Dirk and Tommy behind at the start, but at Sebring qualifying position has very little to do with finishing position. I believe in the team, the cars, and the drivers so a small problem in qualifying does not ruin our weekend. The prop shaft had more than the race distance on it and had been scheduled to be changed before the race.”

Bill Auberlen, No. 90 M3:
“We are at the beginning of the program and every time we run the car we learn and improve. Seventh starts us right in the middle of the action and that is not a bad place to begin. There is nothing like Sebring and I am confident we’ll be ready to race.”

Dirk M??ller, No. 92 M3:
“I feel very sorry for the team and share their disappointment. They have worked too hard to be let down by a problem in our very first qualifying attempt. Obviously, we were all expecting to have smiles on our faces, but just after leaving the pits I heard a noise underneath the car and, sadly for everyone, had to bring it slowly back in.”

About Rahal Letterman Racing:

Rahal Letterman Racing, based in Hilliard, Ohio and co-owned by three-time IndyCar Champion and 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal and CBS LATE SHOW host David Letterman, has been competing for more than a decade compiling 20 victories, 30 poles and one series championship (Bobby Rahal in 1992 in CART) and an Indianapolis 500 championship (Buddy Rice in 2004). In 2008 Rahal Letterman Racing again won Rookie-of-the-Year honors at the Indianapolis 500 and partnered with Andersen Racing to run two entries in the Indy Pro Series. In 2009 the team has joined BMW North America to campaign the new BMW M3 as BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team in the American Le Mans Series and will as serve as the organizers of the Formula BMW Americas championship.

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12 Hours of Sebring – 1969
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Comments:

 

[PAULBACH]

Husqvarna Motorcycle At The BMW Shop

Sounds a lot like the Buell - HD relationship. One brand helps the other.

From Mika's detective work.

Looks like BMW are fully integrating their recently purchased Husqvarna motorcycles brand. Until recently, both lived a separate life, with a common parent.

Now, BMW have included Husqvarna motorcycles in their flagship shop in Munich, Germany. You can go to the BMW shop and actually buy one.

It's only going to be a matter of time before you'll see other BMW outlets, including normal BMW dealers, offering Husqvarna motorcycles.

Source

 

[mika]

BMW / Husqvarna in one shop will be something to watch.

Husqvarna was acquired as a quick way to expand BMWÔÇÖs product base with a known product that fit their goals for entry level products that would attract live long customers. The two brand strategy has always seemed self defeating to the latter.

I doubt Husqvarna will be absorbed and rebranded. Cagiva owned and operated the Husqvarna Motorcycle name and BMW purchased it from them. Husqvarna sold the motorcycle company to them and licensed the name. Their approval was one of the last things needed for the sale to BMW to go through. I have no doubt that has limited timing of some of the things they have planned for the brand.

Dealers presented another obstacle and opportunity for BMWÔÇÖs plans. Untangling dealer contracts for dealers that could not because of other brand commitments or did not want to take on BMW were the first issue. How do you service the customers in the affected areas? Can and do all BMW dealers want to take on Husqvarna for all the same reasons were the second.

If this is the direction BMW is in fact going I think it will be a good thing in the long run for us as customers.