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Reigning FIA GT
Champions, BMS Scuderia Italia, returning to Le Mans for the
first time since 1997, have confirmed an international
driver line up featuring youth, experience and the potential
for success.
Using the Care Racing-supported Ferrari 550 Maranellos with
which the team won two consecutive FIA GT titles, BMS will
be using all its GT experience against the extremely
competitive GT1 field in the world's most prestigious
sportscar race.
In car nr.51 will be Fabrizio Gollin, Christian Pescatori
and Miguel Ramos. Reigning FIA GT Drivers' Champion Gollin
will be making his Le Mans debut, but the previous
experience of his Italian/Portuguese team mates will be
vital in helping him to learn about the famous 13.65km
circuit. Pescatori is the only one of BMS' drivers to have
competed with the team at Le Mans in 1997. Of the four times
he has entered the 24 Hour classic, the most recent was in
an Audi R8 in 2002 when he finished 2nd overall.
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Experienced sportscar
driver Christian Pescatori drove a GPC Sport-entered
Ferrari 360 GTC in the 2004 FIA GT Championship
(top), finishing 5th in N-GT with two victories to
his name, while last year also saw Michele Bartyan
driving an Independent's category Team Oregon Alfa
Romeo 156 GTA in the FIA European Touring Car
Championship (above) |
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Crack Italian outfit
BMS Scuderia Italia will return to the Le Mans 24
Hours for the first time since 1997 as the bid for
one last major victory with the Care Ferrari 550
Maranello before they switch to running the Aston
Martin DBR9 in 2006 |
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Former Spanish GT Champion Ramos, who won the GT1 class of
the opening round of this year's LMES with Fabrizio Gollin,
will be making his second appearance at Le Mans. He
previously drove for Saleen in 2002.
Meanwhile BMS Scuderia Italia's car nr.52 will be driven by
Michele Bartyan, Matteo Malucelli and Toni Seiler. The two
young Italians are both making their debut at Le Mans, but
will benefit from the eight previous experiences of Swiss
driver, Toni Seiler. Of these, five have been in the GT1 (GTS)
class so he will be able to offer plenty of relevant advice
to his team mates.
Bartyan (24), a former ETCC driver, is competing with BMS in
the Le Mans Endurance Series. 2004 Italian Ferrari Challenge
Champion, Malucelli (20), is partnering Ramos in a Ferrari
550 in the very competitive Campionato Italiano GT, winning
most recently at Misano on 1st May.
BMS, which was formed in 1980, is one of the most
experienced sports car teams racing today. After six seasons
in Formula One (1988-1993), the Brescia-based company has
since had success in both Super Touring and GT sports car
racing, winning three Championships in the last four years -
all with Ferrari.
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