BMW M TEAM RLL PLACED FIFTH IN GTD PRO AT VIR

The #25 BMW M Team RLL BMW M4 GT3 finished fifth in the GTD PRO class in today’s two hour and forty minute Michelin GT Challenge at VIR, a result that didn’t suggest the team had a much more competitive day than shown in final rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Connor De Filippi and John Edwards completed 86 laps of the beautiful 3.27-mile, 18-turn VIRginia International Raceway, finishing 54 seconds behind the class-winning Porsche 911 GT3R. Ultimately, a costly delay due to a bad wheel nut at the final pit stop cost precious seconds, denying any chance of a podium finish.

The #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 finished third in the GTD class and delivered a fine finish to the GTD Sprint Cup title in its class. The result gave Brian Sellers and Madison Snow their fifth podium finish of the season. To date, the duo has two wins (Long Beach and Lime Rock Park), one second (Mid Ohio) and two thirds (Detroit and VIR). Bill Aberlen and Robbie Foley finished seventh in the #96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3.

Conor De Filippi, driver of the #25 BMW M Team RLL (P5): “The start of the race was relatively clean and uneventful. I started to struggle with my balance, but it seemed to improve as the laps went by. John came in and had a great first try so things were looking good. We seem to have lost our balance again, so the day didn’t end as well as it started.”

John Edwards, driver of the #25 BMW M Team RLL (P5): “We ended up lacking the pace throughout the period. At certain stages, we performed competitively. Maybe we didn’t have enough to win, but it seemed that the podium was possible. A wheel nut problem on my last stop put an end to any hope of that.”

Three BMW M4 GT4 cars finished in the top 10 in the two-hour Michelin Pilot Challenge yesterday, finishing fifth, sixth and ninth. Vin Barletta and Robbie Foley finished fifth in the Turner Motorsport #96 BMW.Bill Oberlen and Dylan Machavern, who took the lead in the final minutes on fuel, finished sixth in the Turner Motorsport #95 BMW M4 GT4 Stephen Cameron Racing #43 Gregory Lifugo and Sean Quinlan finished ninth.

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship concludes with the MOTUL Petit Le Mans on October 1 at Michelin Road Atlanta.

The source. BMW