With this third consecutive IGTC win following the Kyalami 9 Hour (RSA) in February and the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) in July, BMW defended its lead in the manufacturer’s standings ahead of Mercedes. Eng remains second in the driver’s championship but closed the gap on the top spot. BMW M Motorsport will compete in the season finale in Abu Dhabi (UAE) in December, contending for titles in both categories.
The #30 BMW M4 GT3 started from fourth position, but Eng managed to take the lead in the first corner. The BMW M Team WRT trio temporarily lost the lead when they received a drive-through penalty for exceeding the maximum stint duration. However, with excellent speed – the BMW M4 GT3s tyre wear was reduced significantly by cooler temperatures on race day – Eng staged a comeback from fourth to second place. Leading the race with a little over two hours remaining was the #31 BMW M4 GT3 with the WRT trio of Augusto Farfus (BRA), Maxime Martin and Charles Weerts (both BEL). However, Farfus collided with another car while attempting to overtake a lapped opponent, damaging the front suspension of his car. BMW M Team WRT managed to repair the damage but lost more than ten laps in the process. Nevertheless, the joy of the team’s first victory in the USA clearly overshadowed the setback.
North American BMW M Motorsport teams BimmerWorld and ST Racing also competed in Indianapolis but faced their fair share of issues. Samantha Tan (CAN), BMW works driver Neil Verhagen and Jake Walker (both USA) finished in 12th place, while Bill Auberlen, Robby Foley and Chandler Hull (all USA) retired from the race shortly before the end.
The ‘Gulf 12 Hours’, the IGTC season finale, will take place on 9th/10th December in Abu Dhabi.
