Rahal savors breakthrough BMW GTLM win
A breakthrough victory for the BMW M6 GTLM last weekend at Watkins Glen came at the perfect time for the German brand and its long-term partners at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
The factory-backed BMW Team RLL outfit introduced the plus-size sedan to IMSA's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2016, and as the only non-supercar in the GT Le Mans class, it struggled to find its competitive stride.
Pitted against size-zero Ford GTs and Ferrari 488s, low-slung Corvette C7.Rs and shapely Porsche 911 RSRs, the tall, wide M6s posed a serious challenge for IMSA's technical department and its ongoing efforts to help the BMW through Balance of Performance changes.
With the IMSA-specific M6 GTLMs set to be replaced by new, ACO/FIA-approved M8s next season, the clock was winding down on the M6's time in the WeatherTech Championship, which made Sunday's win by Bill Auberlen and Alexander Sims in the No. 25 BMW Team RLL entry especially rewarding.
"I felt bad for John Edwards and Martin Tomczyk [in the No. 24 M6] because they should have been right there with Bill Auberlen and Alexander Sims, but overall, it was great to get the first win for BMW with the M6 GTLM," team co-owner Bobby Rahal told RACER. "Really, the thing we were happiest with, is we're at a place where the BoP has us in the game."
Rahal says recent BoP updates have finally given the M6 a shot at winning at many of the remaining stops left on IMSA's GTLM calendar. Adding a second or third win before the M6s are retired would give the twin-turbo V8-powered cars a proper sendoff into BMW's expansive fleet of historic race cars.
"Earlier this year, Sebring was probably the longest day of my life because we were so far out of the window [due to BoP] that we weren't competitive," Rahal added. "That can be depressing for everybody. Then at COTA, we saw the car was faster with some BoP adjustments; it likes long, flowing tracks, so Watkins Glen suited our cars. This weekend at Mosport should be the same scenario, and then we hope for more of the same at Elkhart Lake and Petit Le Mans.
"If the BoP doesn't change, I think we can be competitive just about everywhere we go for the rest of the season. I think that's the biggest takeaway from last weekend. If things stay the same, we could be in for more good results."
With RLL's BMW contract up for annual bidding, and questions over whether
"I think we've done a good job for BMW over the 10 years we've been together, won a lot of races, championships, and no matter what the future holds, we have to be proud of what we've achieved together," he said. "There will always be opportunities in the future, but we love our relationship with BMW and hope that continues for many, many years."
The factory-backed BMW Team RLL outfit introduced the plus-size sedan to IMSA's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2016, and as the only non-supercar in the GT Le Mans class, it struggled to find its competitive stride.
Pitted against size-zero Ford GTs and Ferrari 488s, low-slung Corvette C7.Rs and shapely Porsche 911 RSRs, the tall, wide M6s posed a serious challenge for IMSA's technical department and its ongoing efforts to help the BMW through Balance of Performance changes.
With the IMSA-specific M6 GTLMs set to be replaced by new, ACO/FIA-approved M8s next season, the clock was winding down on the M6's time in the WeatherTech Championship, which made Sunday's win by Bill Auberlen and Alexander Sims in the No. 25 BMW Team RLL entry especially rewarding.
"I felt bad for John Edwards and Martin Tomczyk [in the No. 24 M6] because they should have been right there with Bill Auberlen and Alexander Sims, but overall, it was great to get the first win for BMW with the M6 GTLM," team co-owner Bobby Rahal told RACER. "Really, the thing we were happiest with, is we're at a place where the BoP has us in the game."
Rahal says recent BoP updates have finally given the M6 a shot at winning at many of the remaining stops left on IMSA's GTLM calendar. Adding a second or third win before the M6s are retired would give the twin-turbo V8-powered cars a proper sendoff into BMW's expansive fleet of historic race cars.
"Earlier this year, Sebring was probably the longest day of my life because we were so far out of the window [due to BoP] that we weren't competitive," Rahal added. "That can be depressing for everybody. Then at COTA, we saw the car was faster with some BoP adjustments; it likes long, flowing tracks, so Watkins Glen suited our cars. This weekend at Mosport should be the same scenario, and then we hope for more of the same at Elkhart Lake and Petit Le Mans.
"If the BoP doesn't change, I think we can be competitive just about everywhere we go for the rest of the season. I think that's the biggest takeaway from last weekend. If things stay the same, we could be in for more good results."
With RLL's BMW contract up for annual bidding, and questions over whether
Andretti Autosport
or other teams could be in the frame to displace RLL in 2018, Rahal hopes the Watkins Glen win – and their history together – has maintained the brand's interest in staying with the Ohio-based team."I think we've done a good job for BMW over the 10 years we've been together, won a lot of races, championships, and no matter what the future holds, we have to be proud of what we've achieved together," he said. "There will always be opportunities in the future, but we love our relationship with BMW and hope that continues for many, many years."
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