BMW M Group RLL is shifting its focus to the dash race portion of the IMSA season and can solely race one BMW M4 GT3 transferring ahead. It’s additionally the third race for the fully new M4 GT3 which has proven promise regardless of not but making it to a podium.
official launch: BMW M Group RLL Preps For Lengthy Seaside and Dash Portion of IMSA Season
Connor De Phillippi and John Edwards will co-drive the GT Professional class No. 25 BMW M Group RLL BMW M4 GT3 within the 100-minute Lengthy Seaside Grand Prix race on April ninth, the shortest IMSA race of the season. BMW M Group RLL may also concentrate on a single entry for the rest of 2022.
BMW M Group RLL has tallied eight podium finishes, together with three victories (2011, 2013, and 2015) at Lengthy Seaside. The occasion was canceled in 2020 and the crew didn’t enter the race final season because it centered solely on the Michelin Endurance Cup races.
“We will probably be a one-car crew at Lengthy Seaside, which is new for us as we’ve at all times been a two-car crew with BMW M Motorsport,” mentioned Bobby Rahal, Group Principal. “However, we really feel fairly good about our potential efficiency at Lengthy Seaside. At Sebring we had been extra aggressive than we had been at Daytona, and I believe a number of the points that we suffered from at Daytona had been solved and the tempo was good. Going into Lengthy Seaside now we have to really feel optimistic. The Corvettes definitely had the reply to anyone’s problem within the race, however I believe the M4 definitely is suited higher possibly than the M8 or M6 there, which had been fairly large vehicles. I believe the M4 goes to be much more appropriate for the Lengthy Seaside observe. I’ve to say I’m optimistic however in fact this race is at all times about grid and observe place, primary, however it’s additionally about staying out of bother and never hitting partitions. There’s not a lot margin for error at Lengthy Seaside so rather a lot goes into a powerful run, however we’ve had good performances, each in qualifying and the race, over time and I don’t see any motive we will’t have the identical once more.”
Connor De Phillippi (BMW M Group RLL, No. 25 MOTUL BMW M4 GT3): – “After two years of not racing at my house race, I’m excited to be again on a road course with our new M4 GT3. With the enhancements over our earlier era automobile, I’m optimistic that we will have a really aggressive weekend and at last get our season off to the beginning we‘ve needed!”
John Edwards (BMW M Group RLL, No. 25 MOTUL BMW M4 GT3): – “We’re developing on the dash races that take up the majority of our season, beginning with the shortest race of the season in Lengthy Seaside! The race was canceled in 2020 and we didn’t take part in 2021 so I’m thrilled to lastly be heading again to the one road course we get to race. Racing between the partitions places additional stress on us and it at all times makes for a very intense race, so I’m trying ahead to it.”
Two BMW Buyer Racing groups will line up within the GTD class. The New Jersey-based Paul Miller Racing joined Turner Motorsport at Sebring and each groups wasted no time in displaying what the all-new BMW M4 GT3 is able to. Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers will co-drive the No. 1 Paul Miller machine. Invoice Auberlen, who will probably be inducted into the Lengthy Seaside Motorsport Stroll of Fame previous to the weekend, will co-drive the No. 96 Turner Motorsport M4 GT3 with Robby Foley.
Apply and qualifying will probably be held on Friday, April eighth. The one-hour-and-forty-minute road race will take the inexperienced flag at 2:05 p.m. PT and protection on USA Community will start at 5:00 p.m. ET. IMSA Radio additionally supplies a flag-to-flag broadcast.
