18 SPEED SPORT MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2013 SUBSCRIBE: 715.526.2341 • www.nationalspeedsportnews.com

BY JOHN JEPPESEN Carl Edwards’ pursuit of Jack ity, however, is merely skin JEvOery SEPEEYD SP OHRT MAagazNine DRoush’. FSailur e wDas noRt an oEptionA for Mdeep. T hRink ofI DTDM M3E as the reader has had at least one car they’d either driver. Hand’s bold approach difference between an Indy do absolutely anything to own. was the tipping point for the BMW car and its Formula One Sometimes those dream rides remain brass. cousin. For instance, there’s a just that — dreams. “Two weeks later I got the call,” full carbon-fiber monocoque The dream for Joey Hand began in Hand said. “Could I get to Mon - where the stock ALMS M3 2011, the first time he set eyes on a teblanco in Spain and I said ‘I’m unibody and roll cage once photo of BMW’s new German there.’” After jumping on a flight to resided. It’s essentially an F-1 Touring Car (DTM) M3. It was sched - Spain that week, he immediately car with doors. uled to hit the track in 2012, marking impressed the team and got invited Then there’s the race craft. BMW’s return to the DTM after an 11- back to test the latest spec car — so it “Everything is different,” “I’ve been driving so long (in the year hiatus. was done and done. Hand said about the adjustments to ALMS M3) the buttons are the same,” Hand’s 2011 racing season was the Hand and Patrick Long (Porsche) his racing routine. “When you spend Hand said. “The pit speed limiter, all prelude to the dream. His on-track are the only Americans currently a lot of time like I did in American Le the buttons are in the same place. I performance “blew the lid off the racing for European factory teams. Mans you start to get really comfort - didn’t have to look at them. It became dump” as David Letterman is fond of They join such past luminaries as able with everything and you forget second nature. It’s all different in the saying. He won the Rolex 24 At , Carroll Shelby, Masten how it is to be new. I knew the DTM M3 and it’s those fractions of a Daytona with Racing Gregory and . American Le Mans rules, you know, second lost that can make a big differ - and the Mobil 1 a Hand knew his rookie season would by heart. I know what’s coming…all ence on the track. month later at the wheel of the Rahal be steeply uphill. His first challenge the stuff that would be confusing to “When you add it all up, it was a big Letterman Lanigan Racing M3. The was an insane travel schedule from anybody in their first year.” first year,” Hand said. All the tracks winning continued with RLL and his home near Sacramento, Calif. He And forget about catching your are now stored memory, all the short - ended with the ALMS driver’s cham - and wife Natalie decided against breath during a . cuts in and out of the race facilities pionship for Hand and Dirk Müller. moving to Europe for their children’s “Pit stops in DTM are very differ - noted, all the good places to eat stored “Joey was our go-to guy in the sake. Thus, Hand has amassed ent,” Hand said. “The stops are so in the GPS and all the best flights ALMS,” said . “He drove enough frequent flyer miles to go quick, usually two seconds. A three- across the pond sent to the team the last three hours at Sebring for the anywhere in the world. But when second stop is a slow one. It’s F-1 logistics manager. win. Anybody that has ever raced he’s not racing, his longest trip is tak - style, 15 guys over the wall. You’re “All that can be confusing in the there knows how hard that is. We ing the kids to soccer practice. looking for every little tenth of a sec - first year I got sorted out,” Hand said. hated to lose him to DTM.” “I knew it was going to be new in ond. In DTM there’s so much intensi - “So now I can be thinking about the Hand approached BMW Motorsport DTM, but the biggest thing you get ty put into these little things, the pit strategy, how much fuel we’ve got. It boss Dr. Mario Theissen for the DTM reminded of is not only did I have to lane, the pit stops and what your allows you to just drive the race car ride during the 2011 season. “Dr. T” learn all new race tracks, but I was crew does can for sure win or lose a to its maximum potential.” was retiring but said: “You never going to Europe for the first time in race. And then there’s the race itself. This year, Hand races for Team know, Joey, you never know.” my life. I went to new countries, new It’s an hour-and-a-half qualifying ses - RBM. Compared to his rookie season Hand reiterated his pitch to Jens food, new street signs to read, differ - sion. It’s sprint as hard as you can, “…the second year has been much Marquardt, the new boss, during the ent languages, everything was new,” maximum attack. I’m fine with that, more enjoyable.” The Californian’s ALMS finale at Road Atlanta. Hand explained. “And then I had to but I had to get used to it.” performance has noticeably Marquardt thought a test was possi - go racing against guys that have been Then he had to learn a new steering improved in qualifying and he has ble but not until the middle of the racing DTM for 12 years.” wheel replete with a dizzying array steadily moved up the finishing order 2012 season. Undaunted, Hand Then there’s the car itself. On the of buttons and switches to adjust as the season progressed, ranking replied: “Why not sooner? You need surface, the DTM M3 looks an awful engine mapping, fuel management, 10th in the standings at the end of an American in DTM.” lot like the suspension, traction control and August. Hand’s persistence is reminiscent of M3 Hand raced for RLL. The similar - more. He has earned the respect and trust of his team members. “They’ve been really good for me,” Hand said. “It’s a great group of guys. I felt at home right away. Anybody that knows me says the more comfortable I am, the better I am, not only from the race car but the people around me. And that makes for a better Joey Hand, the race car driver.” Team principal Bart Mampaey is pleased with his American driver. “I would say it is going pretty well. He is a very talented driver with experience in many different cate - gories,” Mampaey said. “He is a very enjoyable person and can describe how the car behaves very well. He has 26 points and has scored points in four of the last six races. We have had some spectacular races where he has come from the back to score in the points and carve his way forward. We like working with him, that’s for sure.” Hand “debriefs” himself after every weekend during those long flights home. “It’s not a bad thing to look at things from a different perspective. “DTM has opened my eyes.” And if you were to ask him how is it going? He would most likely say he’s BMW PHOTOS just living the dream. n