IMSA Road Atlanta: Paul Miller Racing triumphs at Petit Le Mans – BMW M Team RLL unlucky in farewell.

Road Atlanta. BMW M Motorsport concludes the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series) season with mixed emotions. There was great celebration over the victory of the #48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO from Paul Miller Racing in the GTD PRO class. Dan Harper (GBR), Max Hesse (GER), and Connor De Phillippi (USA) triumphed at Petit Le Mans in Road Atlanta (USA). The victory secured the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup title for Harper and Hesse. BMW M Team RLL delivered a strong farewell race with the BMW M Hybrid V8 but was denied the deserved result due to a puncture on the #24 car shortly before the finish .

Philipp Eng (AUT), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), and Kevin Magnussen (DEN) were on course for fourth place after a consistently strong race, but around ten minutes before the finish, Eng reported a right-rear tyre puncture. The subsequent pit stop dropped the crew back to ninth place. In the #25 car, Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Marco Wittmann (GER), and Robin Frijns (NED) finished eleventh. The trio lost touch with the leaders due to two drive-through penalties. The Petit Le Mans marked the final race for BMW M Team RLL with the BMW M Hybrid V8. After 17 years, 25 victories, and more than 100 podium finishes, the collaboration with BMW M Motorsport comes to an end. Starting in 2026, BMW M Team WRT will take over the racing operations in the GTP class.

In the GTD PRO class, the #48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO crew from Paul Miller Racing delivered a dominant weekend. Harper secured pole position in qualifying for the second consecutive time. During the race, the car led for nearly the entire ten hours and crossed the finish line as a well-deserved winner with a comfortable margin. The victory secured the Endurance Cup title for Harper and Hesse in their debut IMSA season. The #1 sister car fell far behind early in the race due to a technical issue and finished in ninth place. Turner Motorsport, competing in the GTD class, achieved eighth place with Robby Foley, Patrick Gallagher, and Jake Walker (all USA).

Comments after the race:

Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport: "Congratulations to Paul Miller Racing, Dan Harper, Max Hesse, and Connor De Phillippi on their fantastic victory, which also secured the Endurance Cup title for Dan and Max. It was truly a perfect race. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as we had hoped in the GTP class. For nine hours and 50 minutes, we were on course for second place in the drivers' standings, which would have been a great result. Then, the #24 car suffered the misfortune of a puncture. The #25 car was set back by two drive-through penalties. Unfortunately, the results don’t reflect our performance. The BMW M Hybrid V8 was strong in the race and had the potential for much better results. This was the final race for BMW M Team RLL with us in the GTP class. I want to sincerely thank the team for their dedication and loyalty over so many years and wish them all the best for the future. A big thank you also to everyone at BMW M Motorsport and to our customer teams, Paul Miller Racing and Turner Motorsport, for a great season."

Philipp Eng (#24 BMW M Hybrid V8, BMW M Team RLL, 9th place): "It’s unbelievable that we suffered a puncture just ten minutes before the finish. We were in a good position, had a strong package, and were on course for fourth place in the race. That would have meant second place in the drivers' standings for Dries and me. It’s really disappointing, but life goes on. A big thank you to Dries for being such an incredible teammate this season. I especially want to thank BMW M Team RLL for eight great years together. Our first race at Daytona in 2018 was my debut in a works programme. Since then, we’ve experienced so much, and I’ve made many friends in the team. That makes this farewell emotional for me. Thanks also to BMW M Motorsport for all the hard work throughout the season."

Sheldon van der Linde (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, BMW M Team RLL, 11th place): "A tough end to a tough season – that probably sums up our year best. We often had the potential but didn’t manage to put everything together. We’ll take many lessons from this season. We didn’t get everything right, so maybe we didn’t deserve to be at the very top. But 2026 is a new year, and hopefully, we’ll come back stronger."

Dan Harper (#48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Paul Miller Racing, 1st place GTD PRO): "What a fantastic weekend! It started great with pole position – my second in a row. The race was a first for Max and me, and it was great to have Connor with his Petit Le Mans experience on board. All three of us did a flawless job. The car doesn’t have a scratch, which is incredibly important in a long-distance race on such a narrow track with much faster prototypes. The race was a lot of fun, and ending the season with this victory and the Endurance Cup title is amazing. Unfortunately, we had some issues in other races this season, which cost us the chance to win the overall championship."

Max Hesse (#48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Paul Miller Racing, 1st place GTD PRO): "I’m pretty speechless and exhausted after this tough race. Everyone said beforehand that Petit Le Mans is one of the hardest races to win. The fact that we managed to do it on our first attempt is incredible. Winning the Endurance Cup title on top of that crowns this day. Huge thanks to Paul Miller Racing for the perfect job and to BMW M Motorsport for the great car."

Connor De Phillippi (#48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Paul Miller Racing, 1st place GTD PRO): "For me, it was something new and special to race across two cars. Unfortunately, we had technical issues with the #1 car relatively early, so my focus shifted to the #48. The car felt fantastic and was very fast throughout the race. The team also did a flawless job. That’s how you win endurance races."