BMW confirm Muller and Ekblom for ALMS

The Schnitzer team has switched to the GT M3 cars for 2001 as BMW has withdrawn the V12 LMR prototype cars of last year in order to transfer funds to the marque's Formula 1 campaign with the Williams team. Schnitzer will run a two-car team under team manager Charly Lamm.

"This team and these drivers are top notch," said BMW motorsport director Gehard Berger. "In terms of manpower, we have the best prerequisite for making our M3 a class-leader in America."

Dirk Muller is a rising star in the world of sportscars and took GT class honours in 2000 in a Dick Barbour Racing Porsche 911 GT3-R. The 25-year-old German also won the 1998 Porsche Carrera Cup title.

Ekblom is new to the ALMS, but no stranger to racing in America, having begun his career in single-seater racing in the US in 1992. The 30-year-old also won his home touring car championship in Sweden in 1998.

Two of the four E46 model M3s being produced at the BMW factory in Munich will be run by the US-based PTG team, which fielded a car for Hans-Joachim Stuck and Boris Said with much success last year.

"The M3 is a new evolution and we're working flat out on it," said BMW motorsport director Dr Mario Theissen. "However, due to our somewhat late decision, we won't be able to engage this car in the first race on March 4."

All four cars will compete in the full ALMS championship, but neither team will run at the centrepiece of the sportscar calendar, the Le Mans 24 hours on June 16-17.