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BMW M4 GT3 EVO Celebrates First IMSA Victory At Six Hours Of The Glen With Dan Harper And Max Hesse
Dan Harper and Max Hesse achieved a significant milestone by winning in the #48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO for Paul Miller Racing in the GTD PRO class. This victory marked their first win in North America and the debut triumph of the BMW M4 GT3 EVO in the IMSA series. Meanwhile, BMW M Team RLL faced challenges as their #24 BMW M Hybrid V8 finished eighth.
On the same day, the BMW M4 GT3 EVO also secured a win at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Harper and Hesse's success at the Six Hours of the Glen was a highlight, despite BMW M Team RLL's struggles with their BMW M Hybrid V8 at Watkins Glen. The team faced difficulties from the start, with pace conditions not favouring them.
The race weekend proved tough for BMW M Team RLL, as both cars started from sixth and seventh positions. The #25 car, driven by Sheldon van der Linde and Marco Wittmann, retired after an accident involving Wittmann. The #24 car, piloted by Philipp Eng and Dries Vanthoor, managed to stay competitive but ultimately finished eighth due to strategic decisions during numerous yellow flags.
In contrast, Harper and Hesse celebrated with Paul Miller Racing after starting second in their class. Despite an early setback when Harper received a 60-second stop-and-go penalty for crossing a red pit-exit light, they made an impressive comeback. Strategic decisions and multiple yellow flags helped them regain their position at the front.
Turner Motorsport's #96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO was also on track for a podium finish in the GTD class. However, incidents during the final stage caused them to drop to eighth place. Despite this setback, Turner Motorsport showed strong performance throughout most of the race.
Paul Miller Racing was close to achieving a one-two finish until a late-race technical penalty affected their #1 car. Driven by Madison Snow, Neil Verhagen, and Connor De Phillippi, it fell from second to eighth due to low tyre pressure issues.
Reactions from Drivers
Philipp Eng expressed frustration over their race performance: "Unfortunately, it was a frustrating race. From the start of the weekend, we knew we were going into the race with difficult conditions compared to some competitors." He noted that despite potential opportunities through strategy in the final stint, optimal decisions were not made.
Dan Harper reflected on overcoming his early mistake: "We kept a cool head in a hot race. Unfortunately, I made a mistake at the pit exit early on." He praised Max Hesse's efforts during mid-race and credited perfect strategy and pit stops for their eventual victory.
Looking Forward
Max Hesse shared his excitement about their achievement: "It was an incredibly good weekend for us at Watkins Glen." Despite initial setbacks like rain and penalties dropping them to last place temporarily, he highlighted how they gradually worked back up through strong restarts.
The team is now third in championship standings after five races with two podiums under their belt. They aim for continued success as they move forward into future races across North America.
The mixed emotions within BMW M Motorsport were evident as Andreas Roos commented: "This was a race with mixed emotions for us at BMW M Motorsport." While celebrating Paul Miller Racing's victory as well-deserved recognition of consistent performances throughout this season so far; disappointment lingered regarding other teams' results despite strong efforts put forth overall.
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