The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship traveled to Detroit for a 100-minute sprint race on the streets, in a contest that featured GTP and GTD Pro classes only. BMW M Team WRT scored their second consecutive podium finish in IMSA competition with the #25 M Hybrid V8 and drivers Marco Wittmann and Philipp Eng.
In typical fashion, IMSA made some BoP (balance of performance) adjustments to several cars for the Detroit race, including the BMWs. The M Hybrid V8s were given an 11kg weight decrease, but along with that had power reduced by -0.4 percent in stage one but a 1.7 percent increase in stage two (stages are based on engine speed). In GTD Pro, the #1 Paul Miller Racing M4 GT3 EVO received 4kg of added weight as well as a -4.6 percent power reduction in stage two.
The #24 M Hybrid V8 of Dries Vanthoor and Sheldon van der Linde was quick in the practice sessions leading up to the race. They were second quickest in the first two sessions behind the #31 Cadillac, and van der Linde was quickest in the practice session on race day morning. The Paul Miller Racing M4 GT3 EVO had an accident in practice when Neil Verhagen hit the wall, but the crew got the car fixed and ready for qualifying in less than three hours.
In qualifying, Marco Wittmann ended up fourth in GTP in the #25 car, with Sheldon van der Linde right behind in fifth. The GTP session was stopped with around four minutes to go when Kevin Estre went into the wall in the #6 Porsche 963. In GTD Pro, Neil Verhagen put in some solid laps in the #1 M4 GT3 EVO but had to give up his fastest qualifying lap for causing a red flag in the practice session. He ended up in sixth. The pole positions went to the #31 Cadillac in GTP and the #3 Corvette in GTD Pro.
In the race, both of the BMW M Hybrid V8s proved to be competitive, thanks in large part to good strategy calls from Team WRT. The #25 stayed out longer than some competitors before pitting, which gave them some clean and fast laps and brought them up into second. The #24 was running in fourth toward the end of the race with Dries Vanthoor at the wheel but had to serve a penalty for running into the back of his brother Laurens in the #6 Porsche. Philipp Eng held onto second place in the action-packed final minutes of the race to finish second, with the #24 in ninth after serving the penalty. The victory in GTP went to the #31 Cadillac. “That was a strategic masterpiece!,” said Eng. “Marco drove a strong first stint and, after our pit stop brought us up to second place, I just had to bring the result home. That’s easier said than done on a tight circuit like Detroit, but in the end it worked out. I’m very happy for the whole crew.”
There was some crazy action in GTD Pro in the final 10 minutes, with contact between the #14 Lexus and #4 Corvette in a battle for third, which resulted in the Lexus dropping back and the #4 Corvette getting a penalty. Connor De Phillippi was also fighting for a podium spot with the #9 Lamborghini and the #65 Mustang, with those cars rubbing fenders in the closing laps and De Phillippi tagging the wall at one point when battling with the Mustang.
De Phillippi ended up fourth, which was a good comeback after starting in sixth and dropping to seventh earlier in the race. “Fourth place is pretty much the best we could achieve with the race pace our car had this weekend,” said De Phillippi. “These are important points for the championship. Still, we need to take a close look at why we couldn’t fight for the podium on our own here. Because at the next race in Watkins Glen we want to be right at the front again.”
The next IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race is the Six Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen International in New York on June 25th-28th. That race is also the third round of the Michelin Endurance Cup championship.
Philipp Eng (far left) and Marco Wittmann (next to Eng) celebrate their podium finish.
—David Haueter
[Photos courtesy LAT Images]
