PMR to Honor BMW Heritage With 3.0 CSL Livery at Laguna

Image: Paul Miller Racing

Paul Miller Racing will honor BMW’s North American motorsport legacy with a heritage livery for this weekend’s ‘IMSA Throwback’ weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

The WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD Pro class-leading squad’s BMW M4 GT3 EVO will carry the legendary red, light blue and dark blue stripes made famous on the 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL.

The tribute centers on the ‘100 Miles of Laguna Seca’ in 1975, a pivotal moment in the brand’s history.

It was there that Hans-Joachim Stuck famously put the field on notice, securing pole and the fastest lap of the weekend in the original CSL.

While Stuck was the class of the field, the weekend remained a story of “what could have been” as he dominated the sessions but missed out on the overall win.

“We’ve been very loyal to our current look and it’s become a real fan favorite, but for the official ‘IMSA Throwback’ weekend, we wanted to do something with real weight,” team principal Mitchell Simmons told Sportscar365.

“Stuck’s performance in ’75 – taking the pole and the fastest lap – set the tone for everything BMW North America has achieved since. As the current championship leaders, bringing this DNA back to the front of the grid is a statement of intent.”

Connor De Phillippi and Neil Verhagen, who were part of the team’s class-winning effort in January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, said they’re both honored to be driving the retro-liveried BMW this weekend as they look to complete the job that Stuck was unable to accomplish some 50 years ago.

“Seeing the side-by-side shots with the CSL shows where we came from,” said De Phillippi. “We’re in the middle of a dogfight for this championship and carrying the No. 1 with this specific look tells everyone we’re here to fight for every inch.”

Verhagen added: “It’s an incredible honor to carry these colors, but it also adds a level of responsibility. The pace was there in ’75, and our job is to bring it full circle.

“The M4 GT3 EVO looks lethal in this trim and the goal is to keep it at the top of the standings.”

The team has released a ‘Then and Now’ composite image of the cars (pictured below), placing Stuck’s 1975 3.0 CSL in the ‘Corkscrew’ as well.

Photo: Paul Miller Racing

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John