After heavy rain suspended racing, BMW Team RLL, who were in first place at the time, took victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona (USA) . The drivers of the #25 BMW M8 GTE team – Connor De Phillippi (USA), Augusto Farfus (BRA), Philipp Eng (AUT) and Colton Herta (USA) – dedicated their victory to long-term Schnitzer team principal Charly Lamm, whose recent sudden death cast a sombre shadow over the event.

“That was a really crazy race, with dry conditions, rain and cold. My team-mates did a fantastic job,” said Connor De Phillippi, #25 BMW M8 GTE.

De Phillippi, Farfus, Eng and IMSA debutant Herta enjoyed a largely trouble-free race. Herta set the fastest GTLM lap time of 1:42.908 minutes on lap 64. However, the onset of heavy rain during the night caused the track conditions to deteriorate from lap to lap.

One lap before the race was suspended for the second time, Farfus took the lead in the GTLM class. This ultimately proved to be the decisive moment in the race, as the race never resumed. This latest success was the third GTLM victory in the IMSA series for the BMW M8 GTE.

Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport Director, said, “What a race, and what an emotional win – and during such difficult days for the entire BMW Motorsport family.”

Making an inspirational appearance in the BMW M8 GTE was Alessandro Zanardi (ITA). Alex, who lost both his legs in a crash in 2001, joined the #24 car and was a crowd favourite.

After the race, Alex commented “...my appearance here at Daytona, with all the fantastic reactions from the fans, colleagues and opponents has been like a fairy tale. I would like to say a big thank you to BMW Motorsport and BMW Team RLL for one of the best experiences of my life.”

The #24 BMW M8 GTE team, which included drivers John Edwards (USA), Jesse Krohn (FIN) and Chaz Mostert (AUS), was hindered by several repair jobs throughout the classic race and, after falling behind, ended up in 9th place.