By alley - Sep 17, 2014, 11:55 AM ET

IMSA: Turner hunting GTD title, clarity on 2015 program

Veteran Grand-Am entrant Will Turner didn't expect to find his Turner Motorsport BMW Z4 team vying for the GT Daytona title after a disastrous start to the 2014 season. With double points on offer at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, leaving the famed endurance event with zero points left Turner's team with an almighty hole to dig out of.

Most reckoned they would dig themselves out of the GTD cellar, but no one could have imagined the Massachusetts-based BMW tuners would go onto win four races and captured the points lead with two rounds left to run. The improbable run, led by drivers Dane Cameron and Markus Palttala, has been one of the most compelling TUDOR Championship story lines this year and, as Turner shares, speed and luck have played a part in how the championship has unfolded.

Will Turner (at left) celebrates on the podium at VIR with Dane Cameron, Markus Palttala.

"I hate to say it, but rather than saying it has been pure speed and just winning on our part, some of it has been down to luck and some to mistakes made by our competitors," he told RACER. "It's tough because you take a win any way you can get it, and a win in the record books is a win, but it doesn't always tell the story. Our first win at Laguna came from a mistake by one of the competitors on the fueling. We shouldn't have won that one. They made a mistake.

"The last race at VIR, the team that had the fastest car made a couple of mistakes and we inherited the win and didn't look back. I say that humbly, meaning we've been in the right place at the right time for some of these wins. Not to say that my drivers aren't awesome and my team hasn't been doing a fantastic job, but just accounting for how our season's gone by the number of wins doesn't tell the whole story. Some we've won because of us, and some because of others."

Turner says he and the team are appreciative of the amazing season they've had so far, but with the championship still up for grabs, everyone's focus is on capturing the big prize.

"I keep telling my guys this doesn't normally happen, and just remember, we can go for the next five years without having a win," he noted. "We're happy to have won races and we're happy to fight for the championship with two to go, but we know that a crash in a race or a failure in a race can take you out of a championship.

"Leading Daytona without points was troubling, but it was also motivation to say to my team, 'Guys, that was our one race where we blew it. We can't do that again the rest of the season.' My guys knew that and the drivers know that and our goal has been to just do the best they can and to know that another DNF or another no points could potentially put us out for sure. If we're going to go get this championship, we know we have no margin to slip up."

Driver Paul Dalla Lana has been a major part of Turner's team for many years and, through his backing, the BMW Z4 GTD program are made possible. As he looks to next year, the ability to confirm Turner Motorsport's plans will likely hinge upon where Dalla Lana wants to race.

"My best answer for that is we're looking at every option for next year," said Turner. "There is no clear path for us or for Paul. Paul is asking me how fast we can build [BMW] M4s for the Continental Tire series, so he's excited about a new car in that series too. But he doesn't have his plans set for next year and we don't have our plans set for next year, so I guess we're just going to do like we do every year and just keep everything open and let things fall into place. Hopefully they will."