Nib Auberlen is i of the near recognizable names in not merely racing today, only BMW racing. He has been part of two American Le Mans Series championships with BMW Motorsport, and doesn't to be set up to terminate anytime soon. Later prepping and getting the new Rahal-Letterman Racing BMW M3 ALMS racer set for battle this flavor, he shot off to Dubai for the 24 60 minutes race that was really in preparation to racing with Turner Motorsport in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.

Then a few hours before he took to the Daytona International Speedway for the 49th running of the Rolex 24, he took some fourth dimension to talk to us nigh his swell career and why he loves and continues to piece of work with BMW, even later racing for so many other great automakers.

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BMWBLOG: At present you've raced all over the world, in almost every type of race car. What cars stand out every bit ones you lot really enjoyed driving and racing?

Neb Auberlen: The first ones that come to mind start are the handmade ones that come from BMW. The V12 LM which was the predecessor to the V12 LMR was ground breaking. When I saw information technology first come out it fabricated my middle beat faster. Y'all just knew it was going to be awesome. I think the first fourth dimension I saw the LMR. Tom Kristensen was driving it in Austria through the mountains. They made this debut in front of all these people; I thought, 'human, if I could just drive that'. That same twelvemonth I was enlisted to drive that car in the American Le Mans Series. Every time I sat in it and heard that twelve cylinder going it was exhilarating! Unbelievable!

Autonomously from BMW, a Judd Dallara I drove made so much downforce, it tried to rip your head off every fourth dimension you got into a corner. That was at the tiptop of the LMP, where the rules permit you take giant down force with diffusers, under trays and wings. It was a really bang-up automobile, really like shooting fish in a barrel to drive and very fast. I accept been really fortunate to be in some of the best cars in the earth!

BMWBLOG: In 2000 at Road Atlanta your BMW V12 LMR did an astonishing back flip and was, miraculously, able to state on all four tires. What exactly went through your heed at this point? And what did you experience as you information technology the ground?

Bill Auberlen: This was the year Mercedes had the flips in Le Mans. The cars had this big under floor and if the cars started to get a little bit unstable they would become upwards in the air. Everybody knew this. BMW told united states not to follow anyone too closely. I thought, I got this one, I came out of motorcycle racing and someday a motorbike lifts, you just hitting the brakes and information technology would come right back down. With this in my head, if the car ever did it, I would just step on the brakes and bring the olfactory organ back down.

At Petit, I was following the Olive Garden car and was setting up a pass. I was trying to pass him when all of a sudden, he decided that wasn't going to happen. He came right in front of my nose – way also close! I felt a lot of turbulence as the front wheels went up, up and around. All I could recall of was 'man, don't put your caput in the clay- cause that would be bad.' The automobile went all the way effectually, landed on its wheels, making a horrendous racket. The kickoff thing I saw were the shift lights going across the acme of the steering wheel. Not simply did I not hit the brakes, but my pes was still flat downward on the gas. I never lifted!

It broke some wheels and suspension, just the car was so strong the tub and all of my parts were perfectly intact. That'due south i of those times that yous walk away and then call up a lot. It did make for some very good pictures.

BMWBLOG: Now you actually started out in Motocross, is that correct? How did you make that switch from bikes to cars?

Bill Auberlen: Motocross was an easy transition to cars for me. The normal way is to become from karting to cars. The weird affair is when I made the switch it turned out that I was really good in the rain. Why that's weird is in California there is no rain, or very niggling rain. I think information technology's because in motocross there is a lot of sliding and losing contact with the ground -I was comfortable with that. The moment I sat in a car it felt normal to slide or have a bounce. Then in the pelting at that place is lots of sliding around. xc% of it is mindset, when yous are competitive in motocross, skateboarding, biking, I don't care what sport y'all come from. If yous want to win desperately you will figure out a way to gain skills in every discipline of racing. If it's your dream, you merely make it happen.

BMWBLOG: Now that yous've won some other ALMS title, how does it feel to come back and do it once more, beating Porsche and Corvette, but similar you did in 2002?

Beak Auberlen: Any time you come up back to defend a title, at that place is an extra chip of pressure on your shoulders. BMW knew this. They weren't going to put the same car dorsum. They brought back a car with aero tweaks, paddle shifts, motor modifications; they've really done as much as they could to come back and defend that title. The team is meliorate, the drivers know more, the contest is brutal. If nosotros are racing against Corvettes, racing against Porsche's, racing against Ferrari and they all want to win besides, this racing is as good every bit it gets -we won it last twelvemonth. Of course we are proud of our hard work. The team, BMW, drivers, all. The big goal is to come back and do it over again. And do information technology even better!

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BMWBLOG: What makes the 2011 ALMS season special for y'all coming upward? Are you ready to defend your crown?

Bill Auberlen: It's special because nosotros are coming back to defend a hard won title. We are set to defend. We did a test and they put a lot of new things in this car. We are starting with some unknowns. So immediately BMW schedules a 12 hour exam, a 12 60 minutes race then off we become to Sebring we first running it and they volition find every trivial quirk and rectify it immediately. That's how you lot get ready for 2011. Y'all know Tommy's gone. Tommy Milner was a great teammate last twelvemonth I was happy to co-drive with him. Now I accept Dirk Werner, a little scrap of an unknown. I raced with him during the endurance races, he was actually good. Hopefully he and I will gel equally well as Tommy and I did, and Joey the year before. I await so and that ways we volition be even amend prepared to defend the Championship.

BMWBLOG: You are currently racing at Daytona, and you are there with Turner Motorsport. How'due south the car?

Bill Auberlen: We are in Daytona, we are with Turner Motorsports, we have a BMW M3 all new trunk work, all new aerodynamics- How is the motorcar? If ever y'all are going to win at Daytona, this is the year because the team is really ready, the car is proven, the driver line up is solid. A calendar week ago in Dubai we ran a 24 hour race to get gear up. We are going to exactly replicate what we did there, not a single change. With a niggling luck at the end of this 24 60 minutes race we will exist wearing a Rolex lookout man. That's what we are hoping for.

(Editor's note: Turner Motorsport were running beginning overall in GT for quite some time, but had unfortunate crankshaft problems that took them out of the race. But they didn't surrender, and kept working on the car even later on information technology was cleaved, and were able to cease the race in a respectable 17th place in form. They as well churned out lap times faster than most of the Porsche GT3 teams)

BMWBLOG: I saw you lot race last flavor against your good buddy Joey Hand, and you guys seem to be condom, merely competitive. Does it feel good to race against someone you had raced with?

Nib Auberlen: When Joey came on with BMW, he was immature, he was green. I saw something in him that I really liked. He was defended, he was honest, and he has a lot of talent. I taught him everything I knew. Then all of the sudden. This guy that I raced with is racing confronting me. So this guy knows a lot of your tricks. Well I know him as well equally he knows me, so when we are racing against each other it is very, very difficult to get a leg up on somebody that knows what yous are doing and vise versa. When he is behind me he always says I deceit laissez passer you- you know every movement I make. And vise versa. We know the older guy always keeps a fob in his pocket. This year we will exist racing against each other again. Information technology should be great sport, very competitive! We always, always want to be the fastest car, we are ultra competitive. We merely raced a race yesterday here in Daytona, in the 1000 Am GS course and he and I were side-by-side a number of times and it gets tricky. He's not going to touch me, if he can avoid it, and I'm never going to touch him, if I tin can avoid information technology. Only we both desire to get to Victory Lane first! I was continuing on the podium. Let'southward meet how the year shakes out, information technology will be nifty to watch.

BMWBLOG: What is your personal automobile?

Bill Auberlen: Luckily, BMW says information technology just makes sense that nosotros should bulldoze what nosotros race. My personal auto is a new 2011 BMW M3. And wow! What a motorcar information technology is, love it, drive information technology and trying not to get tickets in information technology, a goal for 2011.

BMWBLOG: What makes BMW such a special automaker that you continue to bulldoze for them?

Bill Auberlen: I drove for Ferrari, I drove for Chevrolet, I collection for Mazda, I was lucky to get the chance to drive for BMW. So my new life goal became to never get out of a BMW. BMW and that roundel historically means the aforementioned affair as victory; it ways champion; information technology ways development; it means engineering science… it means everything that wins. So as a driver it is amazing to work with the best engineers, on the all-time teams. And then the better question is non why do I continue to drive for them but to acknowledge that I am blest that they keep to let me bulldoze for them.

BMWBLOG: Have yous had any personal involvement in the evolution of BMW M's N American route cars? If non, would you lot like to?

Neb Auberlen: I personally don't have interest in the One thousand road cars. I have interest in the Yard race cars. The M3 GTR's that we race in the American Le Mans Serial. Nosotros are continually developing every twenty-four hours. That latest applied science does transition into the road cars. And now what I would like, no, I would love is to have a more hands on role in the route cars. I would love to be role of the applied science and the development of road cars.

BMWBLOG: And lastly, what other accomplishments would you like to reach?

Pecker Auberlen: Luckily I have won Daytona 3 times; won Sebring iii times. Aye I would beloved to win Le Mans. I would like to start winning these races more than than any other driver, to win Daytona a few more times, to win Sebring 12 hour a few more times. And actually put the jewels in the BMW crown.

I'd like to thank Bill Auberlen and BMW NA for making this interview happen. But more then to Mr. Auberlen for taking the fourth dimension earlier climbing into his race car to answer our questions. BMWBLOG wishes him and the whole BMW ALMS team the best of luck this year.

Also, tune in to RoundelTable Radio this evening, February 1 at 8 PM ET, where our live guest will exist Pecker Auberlen!