News
course: Home > News > MOTORSPORT

First sprint race of the IMSA season in Long Beach with two BMW M Hybrid V8 and three BMW M4 GT3.

14-04-2023 07:29 - MOTORSPORT
The third race of the season of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will take place on the street circuit in Long Beach (USA) next Saturday. After the two long-distance classics in Daytona and Sebring (both USA), it is the first and at the same time the shortest sprint race of the year. After the podium finish in Sebring, BMW M Team RLL travels to California with a tailwind and will again field two BMW M Hybrid V8s in the GTP class. In the GTD category, three BMW M4 GT3s are on the starting grid.

The 100-minute, and therefore shortest, race of the IMSA season is a special challenge for the BMW M Team RLL drivers. Only Connor De Phillippi (USA) already knows the unique street circuit, his driver colleague on the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8, Nick Yelloly (GBR), Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Philipp Eng (AUT) in the number 24 car are breaking new ground. All BMW M works drivers have prepared themselves all the more intensively in the simulator and will try everything to build on second place from Sebring. Special focus this time is on the performance in qualifying, which will play an important role on the tight circuit. Paul Miller Racing comes to Long Beach with the tailwind of back-to-back GTD class wins. Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow (both USA) most recently won in Sebring and last year in Long Beach. The duo later won the GTD Sprint title in 2022. Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher (both USA) in the #96 drive for Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 on. The vehicle with starting number 95 also switches from the GTD PRO to the GTD class for the sprint races and will be driven by Bill Auberlen and Chandler Hull (both USA).

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach gets underway on Saturday, April 15 at 2:05 p.m. local time (11:05 p.m. CEST).