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Sebring. On its first appearance at the 12 Hours of Sebring (USA), the brand-new BMW M4 GT3 challenged at the very top of both the GTD PRO and the GTD class until the final stages. But it was not meant to be and the podium was narrowly missed in both classes. In GTD PRO, BMW M Team RLL’s #24 MOTUL BMW M4 GT3, driven by Philipp Eng (AUT), Marco Wittmann (GER) and Nick Yelloly (GBR), crossed the line in fourth. The same result was scored by Turner Motorsport in the GTD class with the #96 BMW M4 GT3. The Florida endurance classic marked the second round of the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Starting from seventh on the grid, the #24 MOTUL BMW M4 GT3 moved up the field into the podium positions and briefly lead the GTD PRO class by the halfway mark. From then on it was involved in a thrilling battle for the lead and the second six hours turned into a proper sprint race. The car ran like a clockwork, the team acted cleverly on strategy and Eng, Yelloly and Wittmann faultlessly completed their laps. The #24 was lying in second position until one hour before the chequered flag when it suffered a gearbox issue and dropped off the podium positions.
The #25 MOTUL BMW M4 GT3 also raced into top three in the opening stage of the race but suffered a setback after two hours. A power steering issue resulted in a long repair. This dropped the trio of Augusto Farfus (BRA), John Edwards (USA) and Connor De Phillippi (USA) down the field but they continued the race. They brought the #25 home in tenth place.
The two BMW M Motorsport teams in the GTD class also both had an eventful 12 hours that did not end with the top results they would have deserved. At Turner Motorsport, Sebring marked the 500th BMW race for Bill Auberlen (USA) and until the eighth hour it looked that the Californian could have lots of reason to celebrate at that milestone. Auberlen, who shared the #96 BMW M4 GT3 with Robby Foley and Michael Dinan (both USA), had taken the GTD lead but then got hit at the rear by another competitor and spun into the grass. This dropped the #96 back to eighth in the class. But the Turner Motorsport drivers fought their way back and with three and a half hours to go, Auberlen brought the car back in the lead. The #96 stayed at the very top before losing ground in the final stages due to a team mistake and crossing the line in fourth.
The newest BMW M Motorsport family member, Paul Miller Racing, experienced cruel bad luck in the race after showing convincing performances in all sessions. In the first three hours of racing, the #1 BMW M 4 GT3 was fighting for the very top in GTD class. But then it became victim of an LMP incident. A car trying to avoid a spinning LMP2 car hit the #1 on the left rear damaging the suspension. This was a major setback on Paul Miller Racing’s way to a very strong result in their first race with the BMW M4 GT3. Madison Snow, Bryan Sellers (both USA) and Erik Johansson (SWE) finished 16th in the GTD class.
The BMW M Motorsport team’s BMW M4 GT4 cars have been in action already on Thursday in the two-hour IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race. The #43 Stephen Cameron Racing BMW M4 GT4 crossed the line in fifth position. Sean Quinlan and Gregory Liefooghe (both USA) shared duties in this car. Turner Motorsport finished ninth with the #95 BMW M4 GT4, driven by Auberlen and Dillon Machavern (USA). Their team-mates Foley and Vincent Barletta (USA) retired in the #96 car.