Bill Auberlen Begins New Multi-Year BMW Contract Racing with ST Racing in SRO GT World Challenge America; Varun Choksey to Co-Drive ST Racing No. 28 BMW M4 GT3.
- Thomas Plucinsky
- Bill Cobb
Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – February 28, 2024…BMW racing driver and BMW of North America Brand Ambassador Bill Auberlen will race for ST Racing in the SRO GT World Challenge America Championship in 2024, campaigning a BMW M4 GT3 in the PRO class with Varun Choksey. 2024 marks the first year of a new multi-year contract that will see Auberlen help celebrate the 50th anniversary of BMW of North America in 2025 and race through the 2026 season, when he will observe his 30th anniversary with The Ultimate Driving Machine®.
During his decades of competition, 55-year-old Bill Auberlen has amassed more race starts behind the wheel of a BMW than any other driver in the world. His record of 65 victories in the IMSA series put him at the top of the all-time win list. He also leads the IMSA all-time pole list.
“I am excited to begin another chapter with BMW and BMW of North America,” said Bill Auberlen. “In addition to driving the Roundel to the top of as many podiums as I can, I have always enjoyed mentoring up and coming drivers. I’m happy to welcome Varun to the BMW brand. ST Racing has already enjoyed quite a bit of success in SRO competition, and I hope Varun and I can contribute to even more great results.”
Always ready for a new challenge, Auberlen will co-drive the No. 28 BMW M4 GT3 with 27-year old Varun Choksey, looking to enhance the career of yet another up-and-coming driver. In seasons past, Bill has shared a BMW and his vast talent with more than 90 co-drivers. Choksey, from Atlanta, Georgia, spent the previous two seasons racing in the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America single-make series, finishing 11th in the PRO class last year.
Varun Choksey said, “It is important for me to continue to race a GT3 car and learn the intricacies of the co-driver relationship in the next stages of my career. SRO is a great step because GT World Challenge America offers great competition with excellent manufacturer support. When I was looking at next steps, Bill’s name was put forward as someone I should speak with. After a few calls, our families got together at Petit Le Mans 2023, and we began to make a plan. Bill put together a test at Buttonwillow with ST Racing and it went very well. I believe Bill and ST Racing is the combination that is the perfect move for me.”
The 13-round SRO GT World Challenge America championship will begin at Sonoma Raceway on April 5 – 7 and travel throughout the US with double-round weekends at Sebring International Raceway, Circuit of the Americas, VIRginia International Raceway, Road America, and Barber Motorsports Park. Each race will be 90-minutes long except the season finale, round 13, eight-hour race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October.
BMW Group in the United States.
BMW of North America, LLC was established 50 years ago to support the sales, marketing and distribution of BMW automobiles in the U.S. BMW Motorrad was brought into the fold in 1980. In 1993 BMW Group Financial Services NA, LLC was founded, and one year later BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC began assembling vehicles in South Carolina. In 2002 and 2003, BMW Group established MINI USA, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC relaunching two iconic brands and rounding out its product portfolio.
Today, the BMW Group has a nationwide corporate footprint in the U.S. which consists of nearly 30 locations in 12 different states. Beyond the National Sales Company and Financial Services headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, its manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and numerous other operational facilities, BMW Group in the U.S. also includes Designworks, a strategic design consultancy in Santa Monica, CA, BMW Group Technology Office USA, a technology research and development center in Silicon Valley, and BMW i Ventures, a venture capital fund, also in Silicon Valley.
BMW Group Plant Spartanburg is the largest single BMW production facility in the world, and the global center of competence for BMW Sports Activity Vehicles including the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM. The plant assembles more than 1,500 vehicles each day, and up to 450,000 annually. Since 1994, Plant Spartanburg has assembled nearly 7 million BMW vehicles in the U.S.
The BMW Group sales organization in the U.S. is represented through a network of 350 BMW retailers, 144 BMW motorcycle retailers, 105 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. The company’s activities provide and support over 120,000 jobs across the U.S. and contribute more than 43.3 billion to the U.S. economy annually.
Journalist note: Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwusanews.com www.miniusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com
During his decades of competition, 55-year-old Bill Auberlen has amassed more race starts behind the wheel of a BMW than any other driver in the world. His record of 65 victories in the IMSA series put him at the top of the all-time win list. He also leads the IMSA all-time pole list.
“I am excited to begin another chapter with BMW and BMW of North America,” said Bill Auberlen. “In addition to driving the Roundel to the top of as many podiums as I can, I have always enjoyed mentoring up and coming drivers. I’m happy to welcome Varun to the BMW brand. ST Racing has already enjoyed quite a bit of success in SRO competition, and I hope Varun and I can contribute to even more great results.”
Always ready for a new challenge, Auberlen will co-drive the No. 28 BMW M4 GT3 with 27-year old Varun Choksey, looking to enhance the career of yet another up-and-coming driver. In seasons past, Bill has shared a BMW and his vast talent with more than 90 co-drivers. Choksey, from Atlanta, Georgia, spent the previous two seasons racing in the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America single-make series, finishing 11th in the PRO class last year.
Varun Choksey said, “It is important for me to continue to race a GT3 car and learn the intricacies of the co-driver relationship in the next stages of my career. SRO is a great step because GT World Challenge America offers great competition with excellent manufacturer support. When I was looking at next steps, Bill’s name was put forward as someone I should speak with. After a few calls, our families got together at Petit Le Mans 2023, and we began to make a plan. Bill put together a test at Buttonwillow with ST Racing and it went very well. I believe Bill and ST Racing is the combination that is the perfect move for me.”
The 13-round SRO GT World Challenge America championship will begin at Sonoma Raceway on April 5 – 7 and travel throughout the US with double-round weekends at Sebring International Raceway, Circuit of the Americas, VIRginia International Raceway, Road America, and Barber Motorsports Park. Each race will be 90-minutes long except the season finale, round 13, eight-hour race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October.
BMW Group in the United States.
BMW of North America, LLC was established 50 years ago to support the sales, marketing and distribution of BMW automobiles in the U.S. BMW Motorrad was brought into the fold in 1980. In 1993 BMW Group Financial Services NA, LLC was founded, and one year later BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC began assembling vehicles in South Carolina. In 2002 and 2003, BMW Group established MINI USA, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC relaunching two iconic brands and rounding out its product portfolio.
Today, the BMW Group has a nationwide corporate footprint in the U.S. which consists of nearly 30 locations in 12 different states. Beyond the National Sales Company and Financial Services headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, its manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and numerous other operational facilities, BMW Group in the U.S. also includes Designworks, a strategic design consultancy in Santa Monica, CA, BMW Group Technology Office USA, a technology research and development center in Silicon Valley, and BMW i Ventures, a venture capital fund, also in Silicon Valley.
BMW Group Plant Spartanburg is the largest single BMW production facility in the world, and the global center of competence for BMW Sports Activity Vehicles including the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM. The plant assembles more than 1,500 vehicles each day, and up to 450,000 annually. Since 1994, Plant Spartanburg has assembled nearly 7 million BMW vehicles in the U.S.
The BMW Group sales organization in the U.S. is represented through a network of 350 BMW retailers, 144 BMW motorcycle retailers, 105 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. The company’s activities provide and support over 120,000 jobs across the U.S. and contribute more than 43.3 billion to the U.S. economy annually.
Journalist note: Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwusanews.com www.miniusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com