RLL BMW Breaks Through with 1-2 Finish at Indy for First Podium of IMSA Season

Just one week after the Rahal Letterman Lanigan was visited by members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, their two IMSA RLL BMW entries stood on the podium for the first time in a dominant 1-2 finish in the Battle of Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The BMW teams entered the weekend 7th and 9th in the championship battle with two races remaining; earlier this month, RLL announced they would return for a third season in 2025 with the hopes of chasing wins and podiums; they accomplished this early with Sunday's win.

Philip Eng, in the No. 24 BMW, held off his teammate Connor De Phillippi for the first BMW road course win in international competition.

"It’s unreal to win here; this is the World's Center of Motorsport," Jesse Krohn told NBC Sports, Georgia Henneberry. "It’s such a legendary place; there is so much history here. It’s a six hour race, we had so much going on at the beginning of the race the team did a flawless job. This guy [Eng] brought it home so well at the end. Driving on fumes, it's unbelievable what we just did today."

"I knew we were really close on energy, and we really needed a full course level to make it to the finish; the guys, they calculated it perfectly," Eng said. "One of my jobs used to be washing cars, so buying fuel was sometimes tough, but this paid off today."

The race went through a wild swing of weather as it started under heavy rain in fully wet conditions and ended hot and sunny.

The BMWs cycled to the front after a full course yellow that dismantled the nearly one-lap lead that Louis Deletraz built in the Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura No. 40. Deletraz and Jordan Taylor would've finished in third place but suffered a late drive-through penalty.

Instead, the No. 6 Porsche Penske piloted by Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy took the final spot on the podium, cutting into their teammate's championship lead.

The No. 7 Porsche Penske still leads the championship narrowly after trouble throughout the race. With around an hour and a half remaining in the six-hour endurance race, Felipe Nasr slowed on the backstretch after encountering a problem with his power steering. Nasr was told to stop, recycle the system, and see if that would fix the problem. In doing so, the No. 7 went multiple laps down, finishing in eighth.

This came just 10 minutes after the No. 1 CGR Cadillac Racing of Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande faded after a punctured tire. Cadillac's poor finish ensures one of the two Porsche Penskes will take home the championship.

You Might Also Like

• You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox

• Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners

• The Man Who Signs Every Car