Road Atlanta. The BMW M4 GT3 teams managed to score top results in the season finale of the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Road Atlanta (USA). In the GTD-PRO class, BMW M Team RLL finished second with the MOTUL BMW M4 GT3, securing the team’s best finish of the season. In the GTD category, Turner Motorsport crossed the line in third. Paul Miller Racing had also fought for a GTD podium over long stretches of the race, before their BMW M4 GT3 was hit by another car, ultimately finishing fifth.
That was one of many incidents at the 2.54-mile track in Georgia that resulted in a total of nine full-course yellows during the ten-hour endurance race – and the same number of appearances of the BMW M4 Competition Safety Car. Petit Le Mans also ended under yellow status.
Following a season with highs and lows, BMW M Team RLL experienced a successful race in the GTD PRO class to finish the 2022 IMSA campaign. After 386 laps, Jesse Krohn (FIN), Connor De Phillippi and John Edwards (both USA) celebrated the second podium of the season with the MOTUL BMW M4 GT3. For Bobby Rahal’s (USA) squad this was the 14th season as BMW M Motorsport partner. Next year, BMW M Team RLL will face a new challenge in the IMSA series, competing with the newly developed GTP car, the BMW M Hybrid V8.
Turner Motorsport and the driver crew of Bill Auberlen, Robby Foley and Michael Dinan (all USA) secured their fourth podium of the season. At Mid-Ohio (USA) the Will Turner (USA) team had won the GTD class, with that win being the highlight of a successful debut season with the BMW M4 GT3. The same goes for Paul Miller Racing who were able to claim two GTD victories, three additional podiums and the title in IMSA’s Sprint Cup. At Road Atlanta, Bryan Sellers, Madison Snow (both USA) and Sweden’s Erik Johansson were on duty for the BMW M Motorsport customer team.
Thanks to the results achieved by Turner Motorsport and Paul Miller Racing, BMW emerged at the top of the GTD manufacturers’ standings.
Reactions after the race:
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “Our IMSA season came to a close with another really exciting race. At the beginning, we got penalised for a pit stop under yellow which we were not allowed to make. However, we managed to fight back afterwards over the course of the race. In the final stage of the race we were even fighting for the win right until the last full-course yellow. We can be very happy with this season finale; second in GTD PRO, third in GTD – and the GTD manufacturers’ title on top of it. This is a great achievement. The results on the track, in combination with the presentation of our new BMW M Hybrid V8 on the grid and in the paddock make this finale was a great success. A big Thank You to our partners and BMW M Motorsport teams as well as everyone involved in the successful debut season of the BMW M4 GT3 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.”
Connor De Phillippi (#25 MOTUL BMW M4 GT3, BMW M Team RLL): “Although I think we had enough to win today, I’m very happy for the team to end the season on a high note with this podium. We had a lot of bad luck, so this P2 was a nice end to this GTD PRO programme. My last double stint was like a qualifying session. Without the yellow flag five minutes before the end I think I could have caught the Lexus.”
John Edwards (#25 MOTUL BMW M4 GT3, BMW M Team RLL): “Wow, what a move from Connor on the Porsche at the end. Then he closed the gap to the leader, and we thought we might even have the chance for the win, but then it went yellow with five minutes to go. It’s still a great way to finish the season after having some ups and downs.”
Jesse Krohn (#25 MOTUL BMW M4 GT3, BMW M Team RLL): “When I got the call that I might be needed here I was super happy. I had raced here for four years, and every moment of it was a great pleasure so it was great to be back. Early on we saw the car would be competitive here. P2 is a great result, and I’m really happy about it.”
Robby Foley (#96 BMW M4 GT3, Turner Motorsport): “It’s awesome to finish the season with a podium, especially after our issue in qualifying which made us start last. Everyone in the team worked very hard to get us up the field, in the end it was P3. It was a very good first season with the new BMW M4 GT3. The Turner Motorsport guys learned the car really quickly.”