BMW M Team RLL finally took an on-track victory in the most spectacular way possible — a 1-2 finish in the inaugural six-hour race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 of Philipp Eng and Jesse Krohn led the sister No. 25 of Connor De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly home by 1.647s.
Yelloly and De Phillippi inherited a victory in last year’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen after the winning Porsche was moved to the back for too much skidplank wear, but this was the first time the team claimed a win at the checker. Not only was it the first win for the No. 24 in the new GTP era, it was the first time the No. 24 crew stood on the podium.
Eng took the lead with an impressive move inside Louis Deletraz in the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06 at Turn 13 – a tight left-hander where almost no one attempts a pass – with 47m to go. De Phillippi followed him past Deletraz less than a lap later…