BMW M4 GT3 EVO clinches its initial victory of the season during the Six Hours of the Glen, as announced by IMSA.
**BMW M4 GT3 EVO Claims First Victory of the Season at Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen**
The BMW M4 GT3 EVO secured its first win of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen held at Watkins Glen International on June 23, 2025. The victorious car was the No. 48 entry of Paul Miller Racing, driven by Max Hesse and Dan Harper, both in their debut IMSA season.
The No. 48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO qualified strongly, earning a front-row start with Max Hesse and Dan Harper sharing driving duties. Early in the second hour, both the No. 48 and No. 1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO cars received stop-plus-60-second penalties. The No. 48 penalty was for Dan Harper running a red light at pit exit, dropping the car to the back of the GTD PRO field.
Despite the setback, the team had a strong race pace, especially in dry conditions. The race involved many safety car periods and variable weather, including rain, which complicated the strategy. Despite this, the BMW M4 GT3 EVO showed competitive speed and stability on restarts and in dry spells.
Max Hesse embarked on a remarkable recovery drive, capitalizing on the car’s strong pace and efficient restarts. Smart pit strategy, flawless pit stops, and savvy handling of safety car restarts helped the No. 48 car fight back from last to first place during Hesse's triple driving stint. In the closing stages, Hesse handed the car back to Dan Harper, who skillfully brought it home to secure the win.
This victory marked not only Paul Miller Racing’s first IMSA win of the year but also the first IMSA competition win for BMW M4 GT3 EVO works drivers Dan Harper and Max Hesse. The team climbed to third place in the championship standings following this result.
The No. 1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, which had also been running strongly, was denied a potential second place due to a late penalty for low tire pressure, finishing eighth. Turner Motorsport's #96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO was on course for a podium finish in the GTD class but fell to eighth due to incidents in the final stage of the race.
Meanwhile, BMW M Team RLL and drivers faced challenges during the race with the BMW M Hybrid V8 at Watkins Glen. The #24 car, piloted by Philipp Eng and Dries Vanthoor, managed to stay with the leading group but could not finish higher than eighth. The #25 BMW M Hybrid V8, driven by Sheldon van der Linde and Marco Wittmann, retired after an accident involving Wittmann.
Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport, expressed mixed emotions about the race, stating that the team gave their all but could not return to their former strength at the GTP class race. He is determined to return to the former strength of BMW M Motorsport at the next GTP class race in Road America.
The win demonstrated the BMW M4 GT3 EVO’s resilience and performance capability through strategic adaptability and driver skill under challenging race conditions at Watkins Glen. Dan Harper and Max Hesse are now third in the championship with two podiums.
The BMW M4 GT3 EVO showed remarkable performance and adaptability in sports racing, as evidenced by its recovery drive and subsequent victory at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. This achievement not only secured the first IMSA win for BMW M4 GT3 EVO works drivers Dan Harper and Max Hesse, but also marked the first IMSA competition win for Paul Miller Racing in the 2025 season.
