BMW M Hybrid V8 Finishes Third at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Canada Drive

The No. 25 BMW M Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8, of Connor De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly, scored a third-place finish by way of a clever strategy at Sunday’s Chevrolet Grand Prix, to record the team’s fourth podium of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar season and 100th podium in the team’s history. The duo completed 119 laps of the 2.459-mile, 10-turn Canadian Tire Motorsports Park circuit in the two-hour-and-forty-minute event, finishing some 19 seconds behind the No. 60 Acura ARX-06 under the races fourth caution period.

Pitting very early on lap 14 for fuel only, starting driver Yelloly jumped off sequence from the eight other GTP class competitors and as the field made their first pit stops cycled into the lead. Without the hoped-for caution period that could have kept the car in front, he handed off to De Phillippi on lap 55 under green. That first caution occurred on lap 66 and De Phillippi pitted for fuel only on lap 68. The race endured three more cautions in the last one-hour-and-forty minutes allowing De Phillippi to move into third and clinch the last podium position as the race ended under yellow with the race’s final caution.

So far this year, the No. 25 car has scored a win (Watkins Glen), two runner-up finishes (Sebring and Long Beach), and a third (CTMP). De Phillippi and Yelloly stand second in GTP driver point standings and BMW stands second in GTP class manufacturer points.

Augusto Farfus and Philipp Eng endured a difficult day to finish eighth. Mired in the rear of the field for the majority of the race, the duo had little luck moving up, both drivers incurring a drive-through penalty in their stints. Farfus and Eng stand eighth in driver points, with a season’s-best fourth-place finish (Long Beach) in the No. 24 car.

In the GT Daytona class, Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow increased their GTD driver points lead with their third win (Sebring, Long Beach, and CTMP) of the season for the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3. Bill Auberlen and Chandler Hull finished fifth in the Turner Motorsport No. 97 McIntosh BMW M4 GT3. The Turner Motorsport No. 96 LIQUI-MOLY BMW M4 GT3, of Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher, ended its race on lap 86 after a collision damaged the left front suspension. The car was credited with a 13th place finish.

Round seven for the GTD class BMWs will take place at Lime Rock Park on July 22nd. The two-hour-and-forty-minute race will be streamed live on Peacock. Round seven, and Round eight for the GTD class BMWs, of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the GTP class takes place at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wis., August 6th. The two-hour-and-forty-minute race will be televised live on USA beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET.