The breakthrough has been achieved. BMW M Team RLL has secured the first victory of the season for the BMW M Hybrid V8 – and what a victory it was! In the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) race at Road America, Philipp Eng and Dries Vanthoor triumphed in the #24 car. Their teammates in the #25 car, Sheldon van der Linde and Marco Wittmann, completed the one-two finish by securing second place. After four pole positions and two podium finishes earlier in the season, the joy over the first win was immense. There was also great celebration at Paul Miller Racing as Neil Verhagen and Madison Snow claimed victory in the #1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO in the GTD PRO class.
The two BMW M Hybrid V8s of BMW M Team RLL started the race from second and third on the grid after strong lap times in qualifying. Over the course of the 2:40-hour race, both crews experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. Initially, both cars dropped to the back of the GTP field due to an incident during a pit stop. An RLL mechanic was lightly injured after being struck by another prototype which extended the pit stop times. However, with an hour remaining, the team decided to bring both cars in early for their final refuelling stop, aiming to gain a strategic advantage during one of the race's many yellow flag periods. This strategy paid off, and after the final race neutralisation, closing drivers Eng and Wittmann led the race. They maintained this one-two lead even amidst heavy traffic with lapped cars. Following four pole positions at the start of the season and podium finishes at Long Beach and Laguna Seca, the first victory of the season for the BMW M Hybrid V8 marked a significant breakthrough.
Paul Miller Racing added another reason to celebrate on this highly successful day for BMW M Motorsport. Neil Verhagen and Madison Snow claimed victory in the #1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO in the GTD PRO category. It was the first win of the season for the driver duo and the second for the team, following the triumph of Dan Harper and Max Hesse at Watkins Glen. This time, Harper and Hesse finished seventh in the #48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO after some intense battles in a chaotic race. Turner Motorsport narrowly missed the podium in the GTD class, with Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher (both USA) finishing fourth in the #96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
What a fantastic IMSA race at Road America! Congratulations to BMW M Team RLL, Philipp Eng, and Dries Vanthoor on their first victory of the season with our BMW M Hybrid V8. We are clearly moving in the right direction with our Hypercar project, and it’s great to see this reflected in the results. Another heartfelt congratulations to Paul Miller Racing for their second win of the season with the BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
Driver statements.
Philipp Eng (#24 BMW M Hybrid V8, BMW M Team RLL, 1st place): "A fantastic day for the entire team. A flawless job. Thankfully, nothing more serious happened during the pit lane incident, and I’m very glad our mechanic is okay. Beyond that, it was simply a strategic masterpiece by the entire team, and the car’s balance was extremely strong. We were strong in clean air, strong in traffic, and positioned ourselves very well. In the end, it was all about making no mistakes and controlling the race. Thankfully, we managed to do that. It was an incredibly strong team effort. Every single person on the team can be extremely proud of themselves."
Dries Vanthoor (#24 BMW M Hybrid V8, BMW M Team RLL, 1st place): "This is a fantastic result for BMW M Motorsport with the one-two finish in the GTP class and the victory in the GTD PRO class. Our weekend started well, and this time we finally managed to turn it into a win after struggling earlier in the season to fully capitalise on our speed. The team was amazing, and the strategy call was perfect. In the end, we had enough speed to bring home first place. Philipp did an excellent job. Now we’ll keep pushing and hopefully finish the season with more strong results."
Marco Wittmann (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, BMW M Team RLL, 2nd place): "A great result for us as BMW M Motorsport and BMW M Team RLL. It’s a bit of a relief after the last few races, where we were strong in qualifying but couldn’t deliver in the race. This time, everything worked out well. Ultimately, a good strategy brought us forward, but we also showed strong pace during the race. The team success with the one-two finish is, of course, fantastic. We’re super happy. I think it’s a relief for everyone on the team. Now we can head into the final two races with momentum and hope to finish the season on a high note."
Neil Verhagen (#1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Paul Miller Racing, 1st place GTD PRO): "My first IMSA win feels fantastic. We had great momentum with Paul Miller Racing, starting with the win for our sister car at Watkins Glen and my pole position in Canada, even though we couldn’t make it to the podium there. To finally achieve it now is incredible. I can’t thank everyone at Paul Miller Racing and BMW M Motorsport enough for their support. We had a very strong package here and executed it perfectly. Hopefully, we can carry this momentum into the remaining races."
Madison Snow (#1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Paul Miller Racing, 1st place GTD PRO): "Finally, we have our first win of the season. It’s such a relief. This was a great race for us. I’ve been part of this fantastic team for so long. Seeing how it has grown and now standing here celebrating this GTD PRO victory is big."