IMSA: BMW M Team RLL takes podium finish at Indianapolis – Paul Miller Racing wins GTD title.
BMW

IMSA: BMW M Team RLL takes podium finish at Indianapolis – Paul Miller Racing wins GTD title.

IMSA: BMW M Team RLL takes podium finish at Indianapolis – Paul Miller Racing wins GTD title.

On the penultimate race weekend of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Indianapolis, BMW M Motorsport teams had reason to celebrate. Connor De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly finished third in the 2-hour and 40-minute race in the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8, securing a podium spot. This marks their fifth podium finish in the GTP class debut season. In the GTD category, Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers clinched the GTD title with a third-place finish in the #1 BMW M4 GT3, defending their Sprint Cup championship from 2022.

While De Phillippi and Yelloly made their way to the podium starting from seventh position, their teammates in the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8 faced technical issues. Philipp Eng had to pit after just nine laps due to problems with the car. The electric problems persisted, and Eng and Augusto Farfus were ultimately classified as tenth in the GTP class. De Phillippi and Yelloly are currently in fourth place in the IMSA series standings, 38 points behind the leaders, ahead of the season finale in Road Atlanta on October 14th.

In the GTD category, Snow and Sellers secured the championship win before the season’s end. Their third-place finish at Indianapolis was enough to become champions in both the GTD overall standings and the Sprint Cup. They had a total of five class victories in the #1 BMW M4 GT3, the most of any team in the GTD class. At Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans in October, they will have the chance to win the Endurance Cup title as well. At Indianapolis, the two BMW M4 GT3s from Turner Motorsport finished fifth and seventh in the GTD category.

Here are some reactions from the drivers after the race:

Connor De Phillippi (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, 3rd place): “We really gave it everything we had today. Our strategy and car preparation were on point, and I’m proud of everyone on the team. Nick’s first stint set us up well, and the team had great strategy. I just had to finish strong.”

Nick Yelloly (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, 3rd place): “We knew it would be important to stay clean throughout the race, and we managed to do that. Turn one was tricky, but we made it through and then focused on navigating through traffic. The team did a fantastic job with the strategy. Connor drove excellently, and I’m thrilled to continue our podium streak.”

Madison Snow (#1 BMW M4 GT3, Paul Miller Racing, 3rd place GTD class): “It feels great to wrap up the championship here at Indy. Petit Le Mans is a long race, and knowing that we can just enjoy racing is a relief. Paul Miller Racing put in a lot of hard work, and we knew that if we gave our absolute best this weekend, we could relax the next. Indy has been amazing.”

Bryan Sellers (#1 BMW M4 GT3, Paul Miller Racing, 3rd place GTD class): “We led a significant portion of the race, but couldn’t match the #57 or the #78. Our goal was to beat the #27, keep an eye on the points situation, and let go of the pursuit for the race win. It’s difficult, but we accomplished our goal in the end.”