Latest news with #BMWM4GT3Evo
Belfast Telegraph
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
Dan Harper reveals what he must do to get back in SportsCar Championship fight
Hopes of solid points-scoring finishes at the previous two rounds at Laguna Seca and Detroit were scuppered when the BMW M4 GT3 Evo Harper co-drives with Max Hesse incurred drive-through time penalties. Those setbacks have left the Paul Miller Racing team-mates on the backfoot in the GTD Pro class and find themselves having to play catch-up in the title fight. After four rounds, they are sixth in the standings (1,128 points) — 170 shy of AO Racing Porsche's Klaus Bachler and Laurin Heinrich. A recent test at Saturday's 3.41-mile, 11-turn venue, has given Harper cause to be optimistic. 'It is a really cool track and one I immediately enjoyed as I got to grips with it,' reflected Harper. 'The way the BMW felt at the test, I really think the track should suit the car this weekend — we seemed to be quite competitive compared to all the other teams that were out there. 'Fingers crossed it will be a good weekend for us because after Laguna Seca and Detroit, we need to get back on the right path in the Championship by finishing on the podium again. 'We need to go out and score some big points,' continued the 24-year-old. 'We have fallen behind a bit, so we really need a good run of results in the next few races.' A total of 56 cars are entered – and in the case of GTD Pro, Harper and Hesse make up a 10-strong field. 'I have been enjoying the challenge of IMSA,' said Harper. 'We have been a competitive force from the start, but have had some bad luck and made a couple of small mistakes so far. We need to move on from those and have a clean second half of the year.'
Belfast Telegraph
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
Strong qualifying puts us in hunt to savour 24 Hours of Le Mans delight, insists Charlie Eastwood
Eastwood and team-mates Rui Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy picked up the pace when it really mattered ahead of the marathon event in France and will start from the third row of the grid. Although they still have some work to do, particularly in respect of extracting extra speed from their TF Sport-run machine around the 8.467-mile Circuit de la Sarthe, the trio are in the ballpark in the build-up to the biggest motorsport meeting on the calendar. In Thursday's two-stage Hyperpole session, Eastwood successfully advanced out of the 12-car field with the second-fastest time, recording a 3:54.646 lap, which was followed by Andrade's career-best GT time at Le Mans – a 3:55.740 effort – on his final circuit to stay in sixth spot. From there, the yellow and black car has a decent chance of climbing up through the field during the opening exchanges of the race, which is due to get under way at 3pm BST. Starting ahead of them is the pole-sitting Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage, the No.21 factory AF Corse Ferrari 296 and the No.46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo thanks to a superb lap by the former MotoGP race winner and title holder Valentino Rossi. A strong result would also help reignite Eastwood's FIA World Endurance Championship campaign as Le Mans offers two sets of points scoring opportunities across the 24 hours. 'Clearly, the top couple of cars are super-fast, but we have not been the sixth-fastest car since we've been here all week. I think all three of us did a really good job,' reflected Eastwood, who triumphed in his class in 2020 when he was part of the Aston Martin Racing family. 'We are not the fastest, but we are definitely not the slowest – we are in the mix for sure and I feel that we can definitely fight from sixth on the grid come race day. 'The Corvette and the team have been super-faultless. 'We have been tuning the car more and more to a good place. 'As we have in the last couple of races, we have executed really well up to now. We just need to make sure we continue to execute this weekend as well.'
Belfast Telegraph
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
Dan Harper thrilled to see gamble pay off after clinching second Silverstone success
A one-off appearance at round two of the 2025 British GT Championship was rewarded with a hard-fought win for the Paradine Competition duo at the Northamptonshire venue. Starting fifth, they placed their faith in an unconventional driver changeover strategy that relied on safety car periods and Full Course Yellows coming to their rescue, and not being held up by back markers, or those competitors taking part in slower GT4 machinery. The approach left them out of sequence with the rest of the GT3 field and meant Harper had to play catch-up for most of his stint. However, the 24-year-old produced yet another trademark driving masterclass, and with 26 minutes remaining, he moved into the lead as Kiern Jewiss served a drive-through penalty in his 2 Seas Motorsport Mercedes-AMG. A nail-biting game of cat and mouse ensued, with Harper having to go on the defensive in his BMW M4 GT3 Evo in an effort to thwart Jewiss and his barrage of overtake manoeuvres. Despite being nose to tail as they started the final 3.661-mile lap, Harper did just enough to take the chequered flag first – by six-tenths of a second – and spark wild celebrations. 'The strategy was a gamble at the beginning – but we had seen in qualifying and Darren's opening stint that we weren't going to win this race on pace alone, so had to try something different,' reflected Harper, who returns to action at Laguna Seca in under a fortnight's time. 'The guys made that decision and it didn't always look like it was going to pay off, but we got some luck in our favour, which is something you will always need in a race like this. 'I knew it was Kiern behind me, and having raced with him during our Ginetta days, I was fully aware of what he is capable of. 'I know how good he is, so I was really under pressure. 'The guys in the garage were updating me every lap on the gap – I could see him coming. 'I was just praying that the GT4 cars would be kind to me – and on this occasion they were. 'I knew I just had to make the car as wide as possible whenever he got close to me,' he added. 'I think the BMW's strength is its ability to defend against other cars and first was not something I was going to give up easily.' Meanwhile, Chris Smiley opened his Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship account at Donington Park in strong fashion by scoring Independent wins in races two and three having brought his Restart Racing Hyundai home 10th overall earlier in the day.
Observer
27-03-2025
- Automotive
- Observer
Al Faisal showcases his BMW M4 GT3 Evo to the public
Oman's Al Faisal al Zubair and Al Manar Racing Team unveiled their new car, the BMW M4 GT3 Evo, to the public ahead of their participation in the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance and Sprint Cups this season, where Al Faisal remains the only Arab competitor in the Gold Class. The car is currently on display at City Centre Seeb until April 3, giving the public a chance to get an up-close look before it returns to the global racetracks, where Al Faisal and his team are set for an extraordinary season spanning ten races. The season's official launch was announced recently at a major press conference attended by both local and international media representatives. Fans will have a rare opportunity to explore the BMW M4 GT3 Evo, the latest car Al Faisal will drive in the upcoming season. Having previously raced with Mercedes and, before that, Porsche, and being the only racer to win back-to-back Porsche BWT GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East titles in 2018 and 2019, this marks an exciting new challenge as he joins the world-renowned WRT team for the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe, competing in both endurance and sprint races. Fans will have a rare opportunity to explore the BMW M4 GT3 Evo, the latest car Al Faisal will drive in the upcoming season Al Faisal's debut with WRT was already historic, as he became the first Omani driver to claim victory in the prestigious Dubai 24 Hours race. 'I am very excited to introduce the new car to the public before the season begins. It is a great chance for fans to see it up close and learn more about its technical features and modifications. This is also an opportunity to showcase the GT World Challenge, one of the most thrilling and competitive motorsport disciplines, featuring a diverse lineup of manufacturers,' Al Faisal al Zubair said. The action kicks off with the opening round of the Endurance Cup at the Paul Ricard circuit in France on April 11-13. The 2025 season will include ten high-profile races on some of the world's most renowned circuits. Al Faisal is determined to make his mark in the upcoming season with his new team and car. After an impressive run last year, where he consistently reached the podium, his biggest achievement was winning the Gold Class at the CrowdStrike Spa 24 Hours, making him the only Arab driver to secure this title. He also ended the season as vice-champion of the GTWC Gold Cup 2024, securing four podiums in five races.
