BMW TEAM RLL ends the challenging ROLEX 24 at Daytona with both M4 GT3s
The 24 Hours of Daytona (USA) has proven to be a tough test for the BMW M Motorsports team and the new BMW M4 GT3. After a challenging race, the two MOTUL BMW M4 GT3s from the BMW M Team RLL crossed the finish line in 7th and 9th place in the GTD-PRO class. Both cars had problems with the underbody early in the race. The work on the rear diffuser had to be done many times, it took a lot of time and both cars were seen to fall well off the field. Turner Motorsport made an impressive counterattack in the GTD class, running in the top five until it was forced to retire after the night incident.
“It was a tough race,” said Mike Krack, head of BMW M Motorsport. “We wanted to minimize the number of mistakes and, if possible, get all the BMW M4 GT3s to race without problems. Unfortunately, we didn’t have complete control over it. The GTD car on which Turner Motorsport runs could not finish the race after contact, and both cars of the BMW M Team RLL encountered problems and finished the race in 7th and 9th place. Many tests during the development phase. We ran a kilometer, which shows that going out in a competitive situation poses additional challenges. We couldn’t keep pace with the leader at any point in the race, so reliability, operations and performance. We need to work together to improve. Here we analyze all the findings to make sure we are back on the front line again in the Sebling 12-hour race. Team Fuff in the first race of the new GTD-PRO class. I would like to congratulate Motorsport on winning. Today was the last race at BMW Motorsport. I wanted to say goodbye with the best results. All about the credible cooperation of the last few years. I would like to thank my colleagues, team and drivers. “
The # 25 MOTUL BMW M4 GT3 was shared by John Edwards, Connor de Filippi (both in the US), Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Jesse Clone (FIN). They finished 7th in the class after 698 laps. The second car with the steering wheel of Philipp Eng (AUT), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Marco Wittmann (GER) and Nick Yelloly (GBR) is 9th in the GTD-PRO class. became.
In the GTD class, the # 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 started from behind the field, but continued to attack in the first few hours and was able to return to the top five. Bill Auberlen, Robby Foley, Michael Dinant (all in the US) and BMW M Works driver Jens Klingmann (GER) were replaced in the cockpit. However, the car was damaged in a night collision and had to be parked in the garage.
BMW M Team RLL and Turner Motorsport have about six weeks to the second highlight of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in Cebring (USA) this season. There, Paul Mirror Racing will participate with the GTD class BMW M4 GT3.
Focus on the BMW M Anniversary and the BMW M Endurance Challenge.
In the Rolex 24 Daytona support program, BMW M Motorsport and BMW in North America have marked the 50 years of BMW M with numerous highlights. Just before the start of the race, there was a parade of vintage and current BMW M cars, including the 1980 BMW M1. Three race cars that won the IMSA race and built history were exhibited at the Rolex 24 Heritage Exhibition of Daytona fans. Zone: BMW 3.0 CSL in 1975, BMW Z4 GTLM in 2015, BMW M8 GTE winning in Daytona in 2019.
The BMW M Endurance Challenge took place on Friday. The first round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge this season, the four-hour race, was launched as a grand marshal by BMW M GmbH brand and sales vice president Timo Resch. The victory went to Team RS1. Turner Motorsport was also impressed by the two BMW M4 GT4s and was on the podium. Bill Auberlen and Dillon Machaburn (both from the US) finished in 3rd place. Teammates Robbie Foray, Michael Dinant and Vincent Barletta (US) were fifth.
Quote after the 24 Hours of Daytona:
Bobby Rahal (Team Principal BMW M Team RLL): “It was a long day for us. It was the first race for our team in a new car. Prior to this, we had only one short test at Daytona in December 2021. The speed slowed down here at the Rolex 24 because there were no problems at the time. Thanks to my team. Drivers, BMW M Motorsports, and never gave up in the last 36 hours, as much as possible from the car Everyone who has tried to bring out the best. Currently, the list that needs to be addressed to challenge at the forefront of Sebring is very long. “
Jon Edwards (# 25 MOTUL BMW M4 GT3, 7th GTD-PRO class is placed): “It was a difficult race for us from the beginning. We had a problem with the diffuser because we didn’t have the pace we needed. The result was clearly not what we wanted, but I never gave up. We are very proud of them. 7th place still gave us some decent points in the overall standings. We hope we can liven up the match in Sebring and take a step forward in the championship. “
Marco Wittmann (# 24 MOTUL BMW M4 GT3, 9th GTD-PRO class is placed): “It wasn’t the race we wanted. Nevertheless, we didn’t lose the great team spirit. After the initial problems, we considered the race as a test and experienced it. Stacked and tried to finish the car. It’s obviously a shame that we lost so much time first due to the damage to the diffuser and then due to the puncture and the consequences. Still, the upcoming race There’s a lot to build with an eye on it. Hopefully things will go smoothly in the future! “
Jens Klingmann (# 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3, DNF GTD Class): “For the IMSA season, the 24 Hours of Daytona is about the same as the Super Bowl. It’s a highlight of the season and at the same time a very tough test. Fighted back strongly and made it into the top five. My teammates were basically very pleased with the drivability, ease of use and ergonomics of the BMW M4 GT3. It’s positive to me. I’ll give you a reason. It’s obviously a shame that I had to park the car after the contact, but I’ve shown that I could compete at the forefront of the class. “
Source. BMW
https://sportscarracingnews.com/2022/01/30/bmw-team-rll-finishes-the-challenging-rolex-24-at-daytona-with-both-m4-gt3s/ BMW TEAM RLL ends the challenging ROLEX 24 at Daytona with both M4 GT3s
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