After an encouraging sixth place at Daytona in the inaugural race followed by a second place in Sebring, the BMW M Hybrid V8 made it to the podium once again. Driving the #25 car, Connor De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly grabbed their second consecutive runner-up finish of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car season. The electrified race car completed 78 laps during the 100-minute event, with the race ending under a yellow flag.
In the BMW M Hybrid V8 #24, Philipp Eng and Augusto Farfus crossed the finish line in fourth position. Before pitting, both cars managed to briefly take the lead in the race. On lap 33, Yelloly handed off the car to De Phillippi, who resumed the race in fourth place. He climbed onto third place on lap 52 but an error sent the BMW M Hybrid V8 into a runoff area on lap 58 when he was demoted to fourth. De Phillippi eventually reached third, and with only a few minutes to go, he grabbed second.
On lap 35, Farfus pitted, and Eng returned to the track in seventh position. A couple of competitors made a late stop, allowing Eng to climb two positions to fifth. He went on to finish fourth on his Long Beach debut, much like teammate Augusto Farfus. In fact, it was also Nick Yelloly’s first start at this venue as well.
Connor De Phillippi, driver No. 25 BMW M Hybrid V8 (P2): “I put myself in a less than ideal situation when I ran long trying to pass the Porsche. Luckily, I found the TC-off button and spun the car around. There was still 30 minutes remaining, so I put my head down. The car was fantastic at the end and to see how competitive we were was great.”
Nick Yelloly, driver No. 25 BMW M Hybrid V8 (P2): “A second second-in-a-row finish is probably more than I could have hoped for, but we had high expectations. Yes, it was my first time at Long Beach and my first podium here, so I am delighted.”
Philipp Eng, driver No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 (P4): “The team made another good step forward following Sebring. Congrats to the No. 25 guys. Long Beach was a great experience. Hopefully, next time, will be time for the No. 24 car.”
Augusto Farfus, driver No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 (P4): “We can leave Long Beach with a smile. I really enjoyed my first visit to this circuit, and I am sure Philipp did as well. We had a seamless day and, as a team, BMW M Team RLL is really making progress.”
Source: BMW