BMW Team RLL returns to Virginia International Raceway this weekend for the ninth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. Last year, the classic 3.27 mile, 17-turn race track near Alton (USA) was the site of the team’s very first victory and double podium finish with the BMW M8 GTE.
Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Alexander Sims (GBR) took the VIR victory in the #25 BMW M8 GTE with teammates John Edwards (USA) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) just four seconds back in the #24 sister car in third. This year, De Phillippi shares the #25 cockpit with Tom Blomqvist (GBR).
The race at VIR is the second GT class only race of the 2019 IMSA season with 22 cars entered from the GTLM and GTD classes this year. The green flag for the two-hour-and-forty-minute race falls at 1:35 p.m. local time on Sunday, 25th August.
Quotes ahead of the race at Virginia International Raceway.
Bobby Rahal (Team Principal BMW Team RLL): “Obviously, we had a great race at VIR last season, scoring the first win for the BMW M8 GTE. I am optimistic about the event this year as we have been showing pace.”
Tom Blomqvist (#25 BMW M8 GTE): “Virginia is another race track well suited to our car. I think we will be strong there. I like the layout of the track; it looks fun, we just need to eliminate all the little errors that have been compounding over the previous events and have a clean weekend. We’ll be looking to put the disappointment of the last round behind us that’s for sure.”
Connor De Phillippi (#25 BMW M8 GTE): “VIR has a great combination of high speed and low speed sections, but also offers some great elevation change as well making it extra technical. Last year we proved to have a package capable of winning and I know we will have the same this year. Now we just need to execute.”
John Edwards (#24 BMW M8 GTE): “VIR is a fun and very challenging track, and it’s the spot of the M8’s first win a year ago. It’s also my closest race to home so I’m hoping we can pull off another victory for BMW this weekend.”
Jesse Krohn (#24 BMW M8 GTE): “I like the GT only races, especially at VIR. I prefer being the fastest class on track as you get to decide when and where to pass instead of trying to predict where a faster class car is going to dive bomb you. This combined with one of the best tracks on the calendar makes this the most enjoyable GT only race of the year.”
Source. BMW
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