BMW M Team RLL Qualify P4 and P5 for Long Beach Grand Prix
BMW Goes to the Beach
Prior to this afternoon’s qualifying session for tomorrow’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, BMW Team RLL drivers Nick Yelloly and Augusto Farfus had perhaps only one hour’s practice time on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit in preparation for their first Long Beach start. At the end of the 20-minute session, the timing charts showed the BMW drivers posting the season’s-best qualifying result with fourth and fifth place in the GTP class and overall starting positions for the 100-minute race. Yelloly posted the fourth fastest time (1:11.002 minutes) in the No. 25 BMW M Hybrid V8 he will share with Connor De Phillippi. Along with Sheldon van der Linde, the trio finished second at the recent 12 Hours of Sebring. Augusto Farfus qualified the No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 fifth (1:11.368 minutes). He will co-drive with Philipp Eng.
Nick Yelloly, driver No. 25 BMW M Hybrid V8 (P4): “Today’s qualifying effort was the team’s best of the year so far. We are making our way closer to the front of the field and today validates all the work put in by everyone.”
Augusto Farfus, driver No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 (P5): “I think the positive we can take from today is that we are really understanding this M Hybrid V8. We are closer – not to everyone – but we are definitely closing the gap to the front of the GTP field.”
This year’s Sebring 12 Hour and last season’s Long Beach winner, the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3, of Madison Snow, was the top BMW GTD qualifier, posting the third-best time (1:18.383 minutes) of the 15-car class. Snow will co-drive with Bryan Sellers. Chandler Hull (co-driver Bill Auberlen) qualified the No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 seventh (1:19.159). Patrick Gallagher (co-driver Robby Foley) posted the eighth quickest time in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 (1:19.171).
The Acura Long Beach Grand Prix is scheduled to take the green flag at 2:05 p.m. local time. The race will be streamed live on Peacock Plus and broadcast on USA at 5:00 p.m. ET.
BMW Group in America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Designworks, a strategic design consultancy based in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is the BMW Group global center of competence for BMW X models and manufactures the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles as well as the BMW XM. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 350BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 146 BMW motorcycle retailers, 104 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
BMW’s partner, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, based in Zionsville, Indiana and co-owned by three-time INDYCAR Champion and 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, former CBS Late Show host David Letterman and Mi-Jack co-owner Mike Lanigan, has been competing for over three decades. Prior to the start of their 32nd season of competition in 2023 and their 15th with BMW, the team had compiled 54 victories, 67 poles, 225 podium finishes, three series championships (1992, 2010, 2011), claimed two Indianapolis 500 victories (Buddy Rice in 2004, Takuma Sato in 2020) and two Rolex 24 at Daytona victories. In 2009 the team joined BMW of North America to campaign the new BMW M3 in the American Le Mans Series. The following year the team won both the Manufacturer and Team Championships in the GT category and swept all three GT titles – Manufacturer, Team, and Driver – in 2011. In 2012, the team finished second in the Team Championship and third in the Manufacturer Championship and in 2013, the team finished second in the Driver, Team, and Manufacturer Championship. From 2014 to 2021, BMW Team RLL competed in the GTLM class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with a two-car program. In 2022, BMW M Team RLL competed in the GTD PRO class in IMSA while simultaneously ramping up for a two-car program in the much-anticipated GTP class in IMSA for 2023. In total, the team has earned 22 wins – including the 2019 and 2020 Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance races, 30 poles and 96 podium finishes prior to the start of the 2023 season. BMW M Team RLL highlights also include second-place finishes in the Manufacturer, Team, and Driver championships in 2015 and 2017 and being named the 2020 Michelin North American Endurance Champions.
