BMW Roars Into Daytona With Hybrid Podium And GT Class Win

Daytona delivered a proper season-opener for BMW M Motorsport, with silverware in both headline categories of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. BMW M Team WRT logged its first GTP podium with the BMW M Hybrid V8, while Paul Miller Racing sealed a class win in GTD-PRO with the BMW M4 GT3 EVO — a statement drive that set the paddock talking.

The Hybrid V8 pair didn’t have an easy launch into the weekend, starting from the lower end of the top ten and having to build momentum the hard way. As the night brought thick fog and a prolonged safety-car period, the race reset into a flat-out run to the flag, demanding clean stints, sharp pit calls and tidy traffic management. Even with penalties and minor gremlins, the #24 crew kept its nose clean when it mattered and muscled into the top three by the finish.

The sister #25 machine took a different route, leaning on an alternate fuel strategy that required a late splash, shuffling it down the order in the closing minutes. Both cars, though, banked valuable mileage with a heavily revised aerodynamic package — the sort of real-world data that can’t be simulated — and showed they can race forward once the long-run balance comes alive.

In GTD-PRO, Paul Miller Racing’s win was built the hard way. Sent to the back after a qualifying infringement, the quartet carved through the field with measured aggression, leaning on consistent lap times, controlled tyre wear and decisive overtakes. The final stint added drama when radio contact dropped out, leaving the driver to manage pace and traffic largely on instinct — and still bring it home at the front.

There was more promise in GTD too, as Turner Motorsport looked set for a strong result before late drive-through penalties knocked the #96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO down the order. Even so, Daytona ended with BMW on the podium, a class win in the bag, and a clear message: the package has pace, and the season has started with real momentum.