- Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M acted as the Grand Marshall.
- Timo Resch, Director Sales and Marketing BMW M was the honorary starter.
- Safety Car duties performed by BMW M4 CSL
- World Premier of 2024 543 hp BMW M3 CS
Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – Jan. 28, 2023. . .BMW of North America customer race teams kicked off the Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona weekend with the 4-hour BMW M Endurance Challenge At Daytona, the first race of the 2023 IMSA Michelin Pilot Cup Challenge Series.
Four BMW Customer Racing teams represented The Ultimate Driving Machine® with five new, second-generation BMW M4 GT4 (G82) racing cars. The No. 43 Stephen Cameron Racing BMW M4 GT4, co-driven by Gregory Liefooghe and Sean Quinlan, being the top BMW finisher in 13th position. BMW drivers Robby Foley and Jens Klingmann finished 18th in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport machine. At the end of the four-hour contest the No. 41 Ford Mustang GT4 took the checkered flag by .688 seconds over the 46-car field.
Dan Lubin, BMW of North America Motorsport Manager said, “It was a challenging day for the North American debut of the new BMW M4 GT4, but it is clear that there are more positives than negatives. I'm sure a podium is not far away."
The honorary Grand Marshal for the race was Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M and the honorary starter waving the green flag to begin the race, was Timo Resch, Director Sales and Marketing BMW M while pace car duties were performed by the limited-production 2023 BMW M4 CSL.
Earlier in the day, before crowd of international media and enthusiasts, Franciscus van Meel pulled the covers off of the new limited-production BMW M3 CS. The Rolex 24 At Daytona was the perfect location for the global unveil of the 543 hp sedan.
The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge will return to action in March during the Twelve Hours of Sebring weekend.
BMW Group PressClub USA
