After a break of four weeks, BMW M Team RLL is now ready to resume the 2023 season in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship (IMSA series). The seventh round of the year will be held at Road America near Elkhart Lake (USA) this upcoming weekend.
Munich. After a break of four weeks, BMW M Team RLL is now ready to resume the 2023 season in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship (IMSA series). The seventh round of the year will be held at Road America near Elkhart Lake (USA) this upcoming weekend. After celebrating victory at Watkins Glen (USA) and third place at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CAN), BMW M Team RLL is aiming for the third consecutive podium for the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the new GTP class. In total, the team has claimed one victory and three further podium finishes in the season so far with the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8.
In the four weeks following the round six race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, both of the BMW M Hybrid V8 racing cars have been very busy testing for this weekend’s event at Road America. All four season-long drivers, Connor De Phillippi (USA), Nick Yelloly (GBR), Augusto Farfus (BRA), and Philipp Eng (AUT), participated in a two-day test at Road America where both cars accumulated more than 1,491 total miles on the recently resurfaced track. Just last week the team spent two-days at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (USA) with drivers De Phillippi, Colton Herta (USA), and Jesse Krohn (FIN). The second day of the test ended with the #25 and #24 BMWs at the top of the timing sheets.
Road America was the scene of the team’s very first win for BMW in 2009. Since then, BMW M Team RLL has posted three wins (2009, 2010, 2019), three second places (2009, 2011, 2014) and two third places (2011, 2016) at the Wisconsin circuit with multiple versions of BMW’s GT racing cars.
In the GT Daytona class, three BMW M4 GT3s will compete. Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow (both USA) continue to lead the GTD class points with the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3. The pair has won at Sebring, Long Beach (both USA) and CTMP, as well as a well-earned second-place at Watkins Glen after battling from three laps down. Turner Motorsport brings two BMW M4 GT3s for Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher (both USA) and for Bill Auberlen and Chandler Hull (both USA).
The two-hour-and-forty-minute race at Road America gets underway on Sunday, 6th August at 10:10 local time (17:10 CEST).
Quotes ahead of the Road America race.
Connor De Phillippi (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8): “Road America is one of the greatest circuits the US has to offer. With a fresh layer of pavement, it has added an even greater fun factor in our BMW M Hybrid V8. Our two-day tests, several weeks ago, went very well and it was great for all of us to gain experience at such a dynamic track that requires the car to do everything well. We feel well prepared, and I know we expect to fight for the top spot-on Sunday.”
Nick Yelloly (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8): “I’m really looking forward to going to race at Road America. We had a positive test there a couple of weeks ago. It has been nice to be able to learn a track before actually raing there for the first time which is a rarity for my first season in IMSA so I’m feeling pretty well prepared. My team-mate Connor had a good test in Indy in the last couple of days while I had been at the Nürburgring for the GT World Challenge. It’s another iconic track in the United States to try to conquer and I’m ready for it.”
Philipp Eng (#24 BMW M Hybrid V8): “We´ve had a very productive Road America test. It is a fantastic track, just how I like it – no runoff and old school. Can´t wait to be back there for race week and fight for a victory!”
Augusto Farfus (#24 BMW M Hybrid V8): “We have high expectations for our performance for Road America – especially since we have tested there recently. The track is a North American mixture of Spa and the Nordschleife, so I am very much looking forward to it.”
