Behind the scenes with TomM (and Joey Hand)

[dhabes]

Sahar Hasani does a cool little behind the scenes deal on theracesite and her latest installment is Tom Milner Jr and Joey Hand. In the past she has done B Auberlen among others.

Behind the Scenes with PTG Drivers: Joey Hand and Tom Milner
5/8/2005 - In 2004, BMW Team PTG dominated the GT class in the Rolex Grand American Series by sweeping the Manufacturer, Driver and Team championships. Since their debut in 1995, they have won five sports car manufacturer championships for BMW, five team titles, and four driver championships. During the 2005 season, BMW Team PTG experienced many changes, starting with the departure of Boris Said who is pursuing a career in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. The team has also constructed four new M3s to comply with the new GT rules with top drivers: Bill Auberlen, Joey Hand, Chris Gleason, Ian James, Justin Marks, Tom Milner, Kelly Collins, and R.J. Valentine. This past week, BMW Team PTG dominated the GT class at Laguna Seca, where their BMW M3s secured first, second, and third. Prior to their victory in California, I had the opportunity to talk to young drivers Joey Hand and Tom Milner.
Joey Hand: By all accounts, Joey Hand was destined to race. At the age of two, Joey's father introduced him to racing, where he raced stock cars on local dirt tracks. Ten years later, Joey was racing karts with his two brothers and father. "I was always racing, I didn't think of anything but racing," reported Hand. At the age of twenty-six, Joey is one of two BMW factory drivers in North America. Hand is thrilled and honored to share the title with his teammate, Bill Auberlen. The humble driver gets a kick out of meeting his fans at the track and signing autographs. Family is important to the driver where he and his young bride, Natalie, reside in Sacramento, California with their dog, Indy. The couple lives within a ten-mile radius of his parents, cousins, and grandparents where they frequently fish together. Hand also spends time racing go-karts during non-race weekends with his friends and family.

Family has been a key factor in Joey's success. His parents spent a great deal of money and time helping their son race. "My parents were great. They allowed me to miss school to pursue racing with the condition that my grades stayed up," reported Hand. In 1999, he raced with Kent Stacy's Stacy Suspension Systems (S3) team, the number-one team in Formula Mazda at the time. Joey went on to win eight races, with eight poles and two different championships. His success in Formula Mazda won him a test with PTG owner, Tom Milner, at Summit Point. "As soon as I met him (Tom Milner), he told me right away that he hated all drivers," laughed Joey. "Tom Milner took a liking to me and offered me a second test." Although Joey did not immediately sign on with PTG, he continued to stay in touch with Milner. In 2001, Hand raced for DSTP in the Formula Atlantic team where they had two wins, six podium finishes, and a pole position that year. "I raced in the Toyota Atlantic for three years until they ran out of money," he said. In 2004, Milner was looking for a driver to campaign one of his BMW M3s in the Rolex Series. Joey ran with fellow teammates Boris Said and Bill Auberlen. "When I was fifteen or sixteen years old, I watched Boris race. He is great driver. I never thought that I would be his teammate," he reported. Hand went on to win one race and six podiums during his first season with PTG. In 2005, Joey was offered an opportunity of a life time-to become a factory BMW driver for North America. "I have a great team with the best cars. I'm having a great time racing, doing the PR events for BMW, and instructing in the M schools." As for his teammates, he couldn't ask for a better group of drivers. "I've learned a lot from Bill. The man wins races, even in cars that shouldn't win. He is always the fastest and he has helped me step up my driving." Hand now helps the newest and youngest PTG driver, nineteen-year old Tom Milner. "The kid can wheel a car. He never gives you lip. You give him words of advice and he is thankful and takes it in," he explained.

Hand hopes to race with BMW for a long time. But, he wouldn't mind following the footsteps of his fellow teammate, Boris Said. "I like Boris' style of running everything. In the meantime, I would love to race in the NASCAR Nextel and Busch Races on the road racing tracks," he admitted. Recently, Hand stepped in for Boris at Laguna Seca, who was competing in the NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Talladega. Hand enjoyed racing a stock M3 in the Grand Am cup with Anders Hainer in the No. 99 Anchor Racing BMW M3, where they finished fifth in class.

Tom Milner: This season, nineteen-year old college student, Tom Milner, begins his first full season in professional road racing with BMW Team PTG. The young, talented driver has plenty to prove as he is the son of Team PTG boss, Tom Milner. Tom is already getting recognized for his achievements as he and his teammate Justin Marks have already taken their first win of the season in the No. 16 F1 Air BMW M3. Similar to Hand, Tom's pursuit of racing stemmed from his father's passion for the sport. "My parents took me to the race track as an infant," reported Tom. "My first memory was in 1996 at Sear's Point. The team took first, second and third with Bill and Boris on the podium. I could see my father waving at us as we sat in the stands across from the podium."

Tom began racing 125cc shifter karts at the age of fourteen, where he competed for three seasons. In 2003, he completed the Panoz beginners course. "It was definitely a good experience. You get tons of track time, great car, and no pressure," he said. He soon went on to compete in the Panoz GT Pro Series at Road Atlanta, where he finished fifth. In 2004, Tom was a Formula BMW USA Junior Driver where he finished eighth overall and fourth in Rookie Points. "The series is aimed at kids coming out of go-karts and putting them into cars. The cars are safe and competitive. Adjustments can only be made to the suspension." That same year, Tom ran a partial season in the Rolex Series with BMW Team PTG. He scored a GT pole in his first race at Virginia International Raceway and a GT win in the season finale at California Speedway.

Tom is aware of the positive and negative aspects of being the team owner's son "It takes a lot of money to race. I have met many people who have great talent, but don't have the opportunities. I imagine that people think that I was given a ride because of who my dad is, which is true. But I'm willing to work hard and prove myself as a great race car driver," he stated. "At times, my father is harder on me than the other drivers on the team and then there are times when he is easier on me," he explained. "I've been able to learn from Bill, Boris, Hans (Stuck), Justin, and Joey. From my experience, Bill is one of the best drivers in the world. He is a fantastic driver. I have learned a lot from Bill and Joey has been especially helpful. Joey and I look at data together and he will make suggestions on car setup, etc," remarked Tom. "I love cars and hope to race for a long time."

Following my interview with the two young drivers, I was impressed with their level of commitment to the sport. They are both appreciative of the opportunities bestowed upon them and they are willing to work hard to succeed. Their ability to work together and learn from each other is crucial for winning another championship title. Expect to see many more podium visits by these two talented drivers. BMW Team PTG's next racing stint is at Mont Tremblant, Quebec on May 19-21.

[vjlax18]

Tom gave me pointers at AllSports one time on how to drive my the kart faster.

[jimmyz2]

Thanks David.Excellent write-up.