The BMW M Team RLL came close to securing their first victory with the BMW M Hybrid V8 at the 6-hour race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in Watkins Glen, USA. However, in a thrilling final phase, Connor De Phillippi, who was leading the race, lost time while lapping and had to settle for second place, behind the Porsche #6. Nonetheless, it was still a fantastic result for the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8, driven by De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly. The LMDh prototype demonstrated its potential to win the race on its own merits. In the GTD class, Paul Miller Racing secured a podium finish with the BMW M4 GT3 after a remarkable comeback.
In the GTP class, the two BMW M Hybrid V8 cars started the race from fifth and seventh positions due to the cancellation of qualifying caused by heavy rain. Unfortunately, in the very first turn, Augusto Farfus lost control of the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8 and crashed into the barriers, resulting in significant damage that prevented the car from being repaired during the race. Farfus and his teammate Philipp Eng were forced to retire early.
During the first hour of the race, De Phillippi collided with a spinning Cadillac, damaging the front of the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8, which had to be replaced. However, De Phillippi and Yelloly managed to fight their way back from the back of the GTP field with a strong pace and took the lead in the final hour of the race. Only in the last few minutes, as they encountered heavy traffic with lapped cars, did De Phillippi’s lead diminish. With just five minutes to go, he conceded to the charging Porsche. Despite missing out on victory, the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 crew achieved their third podium finish of the season.
In the GTD class, Paul Miller Racing made an impressive comeback. After facing early technical issues with the #1 BMW M4 GT3, drivers Madison Snow, Bryan Sellers, and Corey Lewis fell three laps behind. However, they strategically utilized the yellow flag periods to make up the deficit and eventually finished in second place on the podium. In the GTD-PRO class, Bill Auberlen, Chandler Hull, and John Edwards were involved in a rollover incident five minutes before the end of the race. Luckily, Auberlen emerged uninjured. The incident led to a final yellow flag period that determined the outcome of the race. In the GTD class, the #96 BMW M4 GT3 driven by Robby Foley, Patrick Gallagher, and Michael Dinan finished in 13th place.
Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport, expressed his excitement about the battle for the lead and congratulated the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 team on their fantastic podium finish. Brandon Fry, Vice President of IMSA Operations and Technical Director BMW M Team RLL, noted that the team showed great potential to fight for wins and podium finishes this season with the BMW M Hybrid V8. Connor De Phillippi, who finished in second place, expressed his frustration at losing the victory so close to the finish but remained optimistic about the team’s progress and future success. Nick Yelloly, also finishing in second place, was pleased with the podium result and believed it boded well for the rest of the season. Augusto Farfus took responsibility for the accident and apologized to his teammate and the team.
