By: Chadd Randall
A Caution‑Filled Drama ends in BMW’s Breakthrough 1‑2 Victory
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – August 3, 2025
Under perfect summer weather—clear skies, mild temperatures, and a dry, fast track—Road America delivered an unforgettable 2‑hour, 40‑minute sprint of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship action. What unfolded was a race shaped by strategy, cautions, and multi-class intensity, with BMW M Team RLL’s BMW M Hybrid V8s ultimately delivering their first victory of the season in a stunning 1‑2 result.
Opening Lap: Early Chaos Sets the Tone
The race began in turmoil: before cars had completed the opening lap, an LMP2 car spun exiting Turn 6. On the very next approach through Turn 1, another vehicle was involved in contact, skidding into the barriers and forcing the first full-course caution before the field even settled.
That early safety car reset the grid and foreshadowed a race defined by interruptions. Within minutes of the restart, another prototype slid off at Turn 7, triggering a second yellow flag and sending teams into an early strategy mode to get that important advantage.
Mid‑Race: Class Battles and Strategic Chess
With five total full-course caution periods, the Motul Grand Prix became a strategic landscape—teams balancing fuel, tire wear, and pit timing amid constant compression of the field. Early on, Porsche’s factory 963s seized advantage during a mid-race yellow, pitting under caution and resurfacing in position—but ultimately Porsche could not capitalize for a win despite championship-leading pace in qualifying .
Meanwhile, GTP class battles churned throughout the middle stanzas. Cadillac circulated consistently but avoided risks; Porsche Penske and BMW traded laps at the front; and traffic from GTD PRO and GTD cars provided constant obstacles, with GT battle leaders changing multiple times as faster prototypes overtook slower machinery.
In LMP2, the top Oreca entries remained intensely bunched, separated by only a few seconds lap after lap. GTD and GTD PRO categories featured tight, back-and-forth positioning, with contact and overtakes scattered across the long backstraight and Carousel complex.
Decision Time: Bold BMW Pit Strategy Pays Off
At just under the one-hour-to-go mark, BMW made their defining move. Both the #24 and #25 cars pitted under green—diverging from the cautious pack. Minutes later, a fifth full-course caution emerged following a Cadillac incident. While most GTP competitors pitted under caution, BMWs stayed out, cycling into first and second positions as others refueled under caution conditions.
This pivot proved decisive: BMW emerged at the front, and with around 21 uninterrupted green-flag laps remaining, the team maintained composure across traffic and track limits to close out the win.
The Finish: 1‑2 for BMW, Multi‑Class Conclusions
Across all classes, No. 24 BMW M Team RLL of Phillip Eng and Dries Vanthoor car crossed first, with the No. 25 teammate car of Marco Wittmann and Sheldon van der Linde in second. The Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX‑06 #93 claimed third in GTP, firmly securing a podium behind BMW’s hybrid prototypes.
LMP2: No. 99 AO Racing ORECA LMP2 07 with co-drivers Dane Cameron and PJ Hyett. It’s the second consecutive victory for the team, which moved into the championship lead by 107 points.
GTD Pro: No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO with co-drivers Madison Snow and Neil Verhagen.
GTD: No. 021 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 with co-drivers Kenton Koch and Onofrio Triarsi. It’s the first IMSA class win for the team.
with strategy and pit stops influencing class winners, and traffic from prototypes and multi-class dynamics playing pivotal roles in the final classification.
Fans Left Spellbound
As cars thundered through the Carousel, dove into Turn 5, and emerged from the Kettle Bottoms amid cheers from hillsides packed with fans, the Motul SportsCar Grand Prix showcased the best of IMSA: high-powered prototypes weaving through multi-class traffic, shifting strategy, and finish-line drama. The perfect summer weather framed it all—making this one of the most memorable Road America races in recent memory.
BMW’s long-awaited first win of the season—and a 1‑2 sweep no less—became the headline. But the broader spectacle belonged to every class and every storyline: strategy won the day, tragedy was narrowly averted in pit-lane early on, and a community of teams—from GTP to GTD—delivered thrilling racing under an unrelenting Wisconsin sun. On to 2026 when Road America gets a coveted endurance round in the IMSA schedule. A 6 Hour race at this historic track is something fans have been wanted for a while, and IMSA gave the fans what they wanted. A 6 hour race at the longest track on the schedule is sure to not disappoint.
