John Edwards (USA), Jesse Krohn (FIN), Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Chaz
Mostert (AUS) took victory in the GTLM class at the wheel of the #24
MOTUL BMW M8 GTE at ‘Daytona International Speedway’. The #25 car
finished fifth. At the head of the field, the BMW works drivers
thrilled GT fans with magnificent overtaking manoeuvres to finish
ahead of two Porsche cars in second and third place.
BMW Team RLL tasted victory at Daytona in 2019. Back then,
Farfus gave an impressive final stint to clinch first place at the
Florida endurance classic. This time, it was Krohn who took the wheel
for the last stint of the race. He overtook the leading #911 Porsche
with 46 minutes of the race remaining. Shortly thereafter, he came in
for his final pit stop, following which he successfully defended his
lead to the finish. Krohn also set the fastest lap of the race with a
time of 1:42.168 minutes.
This latest triumph sees BMW Motorsport add another chapter to
its success story at Daytona where BMW first won at the ‘World Center
of Racing’ back in 1976 with the BMW 3.0 CSL. The BMW M3 GTR then took
class wins in 1997 and 1998. Daytona prototypes with BMW engines
crossed the finish line in first place in 2011 and 2013. This was the
fourth GTLM victory in the IMSA series for the BMW M8 GTE.
Connor De Phillippi (USA), Bruno Spengler (CAN), Philipp Eng
(AUT) and Colton Herta (USA), who alternated at the wheel of the #25
MOTUL BMW M8 GTE, were unfortunate. Their car ran over debris which
damaged an oil line in the early stages of the race. That necessitated
a long stop for repairs which saw the quartet drop well down the
field. As a result, fifth place was the best the #25 car could achieve.
In the GTD class, the Turner Motorsport team was challenging for
a top result at the season-opener in the #96 BMW M6 GT3. BMW works
driver Jens Klingmann (GER), Bill Auberlen, Robby Foley and Dillon
Machavern (all USA) finished sixth after 763 laps.
For Dan Harper (GBR), Neil Verhagen (USA) and Max Hesse (GER) –
the members of the new BMW Junior Team – the victory for the BMW M8
GTE was the icing on the cake at the end of an eventful weekend. The
three Juniors were involved in the processes within BMW Team RLL and
gained valuable experience behind the scenes. This included a visit to
Radio Le Mans, as well as the honour of waving the start flag for the
BMW Endurance Challenge, Friday’s opening round of this season’s IMSA
Michelin Pilot Challenge.
The next round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
takes place on 21stMarch 2020 at Sebring (USA).
Reactions to the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Klaus Fröhlich (Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG,
Development): “That was an extremely exciting race. The final hours
were particularly tense, with the lead changing hands many times.
Today’s victory for BMW Team RLL at the Daytona 24-hour race ranks
very highly in many regards. It was the result of excellent teamwork
between the team, drivers and our engineers. The operative excellence
of BMW Team RLL was remarkable. 24 hours without a single mistake,
under great pressure throughout the entire race. Compliments to
everyone. The same goes for our quartet of drivers, who gave a perfect
performance. Last but not least, our BMW M8 GTE once again
demonstrated its winning genes at the scene of last year’s triumph. In
doing so, it underlined the fact that this car is one of the top GT
cars out there right now. The BMW M8 GTE showed no signs of weakness
in this 24-hour sprint. It was among the leaders all race and led for
more kilometres than anyone else. And all that against extremely
strong opposition. We certainly put on a display of great motor racing
for the fans and spectators. That was a strong start to the year for
BMW Motorsport, including in other categories. Congratulations to all
involved. Long may it continue.”
Jens Marquardt (BMW Group Motorsport Director):“Two Daytona wins
in a row for the BMW M8 GTE. That is a sensational effort from BMW
Team RLL, the drivers and our engineers at BMW Motorsport in Munich.
It is hard to compare the two triumphs. In 2019, we only led for one
lap and took advantage of our late opportunity to take victory in the
rain. This year, we were among the front-runners from the opening lap.
We led for longer than any other GTLM car. The race was defined by the
fantastic battle between our #24 car and the two Porsches. We
witnessed hard but fair racing. That is how it should be.
Congratulations to John Edwards, Jesse Krohn, Chaz Mostert and Augusto
Farfus on their victory, as well as the entire team in the background.
Had the #25 car not needed to come in early for repairs after debris
from another car damaged an oil line, then Connor De Phillippi, Bruno
Spengler, Colton Herta and Philipp Eng would definitely have been good
for a top result too. We certainly head into the rest of the IMSA
season with plenty of momentum now.”
Bobby Rahal (Team Principal BMW Team RLL): “Whoever thought we
were just lucky to win last year were shown otherwise today. That was
a battle for 24 hours. The drivers did a fantastic job, and the same
goes for the crew. We did not make any mistakes. I feel sorry for the
guys in the #25 car, as they would also have finished further up the
field without the incident. On the whole, I am delighted for my team
and BMW Motorsport. Congratulations to Porsche and Corvette, who were
good from the word go with their new cars. We are simply very happy today.”
John Edwards (#24 MOTUL BMW M8 GTE, 1stplace): “I am very rarely
speechless – but that is the case today. I had every faith in Jesse
bringing it home at the end. And he did it. It was a really hard
fight, as always in the GTLM class. The many battles were extremely
tiring, particularly during my triple stint. This is definitely the
biggest success of my career. I’m overjoyed.”
Jesse Krohn (#24 MOTUL BMW M8 GTE, 1stplace):“What a race! It
feels absolutely incredible. This is my third year in the GTLM class –
and my first victory. We have come so close so often, and now we have
actually done it here at Daytona. The team was awesome. Thank you very
much to BMW Motorsport and RLL for trusting me to take the final stint
of the race. Every single person did a mega job. I cannot believe that
we are on the very top step of the podium.”
Augusto Farfus (#24 MOTUL BMW M8 GTE, 1stplace): “I am
speechless. That was the best 24-hour race I have driven in my whole
life. It was extremely fast, extremely close, and you could not afford
to make any mistakes. We drove a perfect race: team, strategy,
drivers, mechanics. The car worked well throughout the entire race.
You don’t get through the full 24 hours like that very often. To win
this race twice in a row is exceptional.”
Chaz Mostert (#24 MOTUL BMW M8 GTE, 1stplace): “Incredible! This
is my biggest win since Bathurst 2014. My world-class team-mates
carried me through this race. Thank you very much to BMW Motorsport
and RLL for allowing me to be involved. In 2019, the other car won.
Back then, I could not imagine how it must feel for those guys. Now it
was me stood on the top step of the podium. That is something very special.”
Connor De Phillippi (#25 MOTUL BMW M8 GTE, 5thplace):“Two wins
in a row, that is fantastic for the team. I may not have won the race,
but I am still delighted for the guys. John and Jesse were often
unlucky in recent years, which makes it all the nicer that they won
today. It is obviously also great for Chaz and Augusto. Personally, I
would have liked a better result. However, we win and lose as a team.
Today, we won together. Now it is time to win at Sebring.”
Bruno Spengler (#25 MOTUL BMW M8 GTE, 5thplace):“We were really
unlucky in this race. Even early on in the race we were 13 laps off
the pace and with no chance of making much progress through the field.
However, the car was superb and the whole team did a fantastic job. I
am very happy for the crew and my team-mates that we won with the #24
car. The guys deserve that. Congratulations on a great performance.”
Philipp Eng (#25 MOTUL BMW M8 GTE):“I am overjoyed for the guys
in the #24 car. The win is absolutely deserved. I am pleased for all
the drivers, who are all great guys. We are good friends. One team,
one goal – that’s not just an empty phrase. I am really pleased for
them. What happened to our car is a shame. However, these things
happen. We’ll go again next time.
Colton Herta (#25 MOTUL BMW M8 GTE):“I am obviously disappointed
for our car, but I am pleased for the team. Everyone was flawless all
weekend. We dropped well back early on in the race, but had good pace
after that. I am delighted for my team-mates, who really deserved this victory.”