BMW Takes Second Straight GTLM Win with 1-2 at CTMP

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

BMW Team RLL has scored its second GT Le Mans class win is as many IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races, with a 1-2 finish at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park led by Alexander Sims and Bill Auberlen.

Sims survived a late-race restart to take his second win in succession, following an impressive performance by the Brit and co-driver Auberlen at Watkins Glen last weekend to take the BMW M6 GTLM’s long-awaited first victory. 

Auberlen started from second on the grid but passed Dirk Werner’s pole-sitting Porsche 911 RSR at the start.

The No. 25 BMW then went on to lead its class for over two hours of the two-hour, 40-minute race, with its main competition coming from the sister car and Werner and Patrick Pilet’s Porsche.

The Frenchman ran second and behind Sims as the race got back underway in the final ten minutes but an engine issue took his car out of the racing, promoting John Edwards into second and giving BMW a 1-2 finish.

Richard Westbrook completed the GTLM podium for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing, sharing the No. 67 Ford GT with Ryan Briscoe. 

While Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen came home fourth, the other Corvette C7.R suffered a heavy impact after collision with the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R, sending Tommy Milner into the tire wall.

This was the cause of the final full course caution which set the field up for a ten-minute shoot-out to the line.

Stevenson Motorsports took its Audi R8 LMS to the win for the first time this year in GT Daytona, with Lawson Aschenbach and Andrew Davis leading the majority of the race.

This comes after the team gave Chevrolet its first win with the Camaro GT4.R in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race on Saturday.

Andy Lally and Katherine Legge were unable to win their third race in succession but did manage to finish second in their Michael Shank Racing-run Acura NSX GT3 ahead of the championship-leading Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3. 

Sage Karam had led the race in the opening stint but his Lexus RCF GT3 dropped down the order as it was awarded two drive-through penalties for pit stop infringements.

He finished fifth alongside co-driver Scott Pruett.

RESULTS: Mobil 1 Sportscar Grand Prix

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.