UPDATE: BMW M Hybrid V8 celebrates historic first victory at IMSA race in Watkins Glen.

Watkins Glen. The BMW M Team RLL has been awarded the victory in the 6-hour race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) at Watkins Glen (USA). Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Nick Yelloly (GBR) crossed the finish line in second place after a dramatic final phase, but a post-race penalty for the first-place Porsche due to a technical violation granted the historic first win for the BMW M Hybrid V8. The last time a BMW prototype won a race in North America was in 1999 at Sebring (USA) with the BMW V12 LMR.

Reactions to the post-race victory:

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “Wow! The first victory for the BMW M Hybrid V8 – a historic day for BMW M Motorsport and a significant milestone for our LMDh project! Congratulations and thank you to everyone at BMW M Motorsport in Munich, the BMW M Team RLL, and drivers Connor De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly! While we would have preferred to win on the track, this success is the result of long, hard work and the well-deserved reward for the fantastic performances of everyone involved in this programme. I am particularly delighted that our pace was consistently strong throughout the weekend, and we set the top times. We have been improving from race to race, and we have earned our first victory in the GTP class. I am incredibly proud of our entire crew!”

Nick Yelloly (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, 1st place): “I am incredibly happy for the entire team, who have more than earned this victory through their hard work. We have been steadily improving, and the first win was within reach. It wasn't the way we wanted to win, as we prefer to win on the track and celebrate on the podium. However, we gladly accept the victory nonetheless – after all, it is the first for the BMW M Hybrid V8 and also my first in the IMSA series. Therefore, it holds a special significance for all of us.”