Tag Archives: Indianapolis

BMW

BMW M Team WRT Wins Indianapolis 8 Hour Race, Maintains Lead in Manufacturer Standings

In the fourth race of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) season, BMW M Team WRT emerged victorious at the Indianapolis 8 Hour. The BMW M4 GT3, piloted by Philipp Eng, Sheldon van der Linde, and Dries Vanthoor, secured a win at the prestigious Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a 53-second lead. This win marked BMW’s third consecutive victory in the IGTC, allowing them to maintain their lead in the manufacturer standings ahead of Mercedes. Eng remains in second place in the driver’s championship but has closed the gap with the top spot. BMW M Motorsport will compete in the season finale in Abu Dhabi in December, aiming for titles in both categories.

The race saw the #30 BMW M4 GT3 start from fourth position, but Eng managed to take the lead in the first corner. The BMW M Team WRT encountered a setback when they received a drive-through penalty for exceeding the maximum stint duration, temporarily losing the lead. However, with excellent speed and the advantage of cooler temperatures on race day, Eng staged a comeback, propelling the team from fourth to second place. The #31 BMW M4 GT3, driven by Augusto Farfus, Maxime Martin, and Charles Weerts, led the race with a little over two hours remaining. Unfortunately, Farfus collided with another car while attempting to overtake, resulting in damage to the front suspension of his car. Despite the setback, BMW M Team WRT repaired the damage but lost significant time in the process. Nevertheless, the team celebrated their first victory in the USA.

In addition to the BMW M Team WRT, North American BMW M Motorsport teams BimmerWorld and ST Racing also competed in Indianapolis. Samantha Tan, Neil Verhagen, and Jake Walker finished in 12th place, while Bill Auberlen, Robby Foley, and Chandler Hull retired from the race near the end.

The IGTC season finale, the Gulf 12 Hours, will take place on December 9th/10th in Abu Dhabi.

After the race, Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport, congratulated BMW M Team WRT and their drivers on their victory and highlighted the global strength of the BMW M4 GT3. Vincent Vosse, Team Principal of BMW M Team WRT, expressed his joy at winning a race in the USA for the first time, despite the setback with their second car. Philipp Eng, Sheldon van der Linde, and Dries Vanthoor, who drove the winning #30 BMW M4 GT3, praised the performance of their team and their determination to fight back after a penalty. Augusto Farfus, who piloted the #31 BMW M4 GT3 before the collision, took responsibility for the incident and expressed his disappointment.

BMW

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.”

Motorsport

Massive Ferrari “Barn Find” Features 20 Cars Lost In Hurricane Charley

Not far from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway sits a collection of Ferraris hidden away for decades. The collection contains some of the most storied cars, including a 1956 250 GT, once owned by King Mohamed V of Morocco, and a “long-nose” 275 GTB that participated in the 1966 Targa Florio. While the location in Indiana may seem odd for this collection, how they arrived is even more unusual. 

Hurricane Charley laid waste to many parts of south-central Florida in 2004, causing flooding and widespread damage. In its path sat a barn containing approximately 20 rare and vintage Ferraris. The collection includes cars dating from 1954 to 1991, including the aforementioned 250 GT and 275 GTB as well as a rare Mondial 500 Spider that raced in the 1954 Mille Miglia and a NART 1978 Ferrari 512 BB Competizione developed by Luigi Chinetti Sr. for the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans.  

The 2004 hurricane season was unusually destructive, with four major storms, including Charley, that caused over $60 billion in damage and more than 3,000 deaths throughout the Caribbean and Gulf Coast of the US. For that reason, this collection of Ferraris was relocated to the warehouse in Indiana, where they remained untouched for almost 20 more years. 

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Several of these cars still bear scars from Hurricane Charley, when the barn they were located in partially collapsed. The damage includes everything from dents and scratches to smashed windshields and caved-in roofs. Other cars look unscathed but need a good detailing to revive their appearances. All of them are in original, unrestored condition, wearing their original paint and patina. 

While many people knew of the cars from their racing histories, few knew they still existed, and only a select group knew of the collection. It’s the holy grail of barn finds for Ferrari collectors and aficionados. And now the entire collection is for sale as part of this year’s RM Sotheby’s auction in Monterrey, California.       

If you’re shopping for a Ferrari, or are interested browsing a diverse collection of Ferraris, check out the ones for sale on the duPont Registry. The list includes modern cars like the Ferrari F8 Tributo and SF90 Stradale and vintage Ferraris like the Dino 246 GTS and 512 BBi.