#24 BMW M8 GTE will start the IMSA finale from second row on the grid – Eng comes third in qualifying.

Road Atlanta. The stage is set for a gripping finale of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Road Atlanta (USA). In GTLM qualifying, Philipp Eng (AUT) recorded the third-fastest lap time at the wheel of the #24 BMW M8 GTE of 1:15.784 minutes. The gap to the Ferrari on pole position was 0.145 seconds. Colton Herta (USA) had to make do with a time of 1:16.327 minutes and ninth on the grid.

Eng will share driving duties with John Edwards (USA) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) over the course of the 10-hour Petit Le Mans on Saturday. In the second car, Herta will alternate in the cockpit with Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Tom Blomqvist (GBR). 

Philipp Eng (#24 BMW M8 GTE, third place): “First of all a big thank you goes to the team. I’m the supporting driver here, and still they allowed me to qualify the car. I really appreciate that. It felt great to be out there without any traffic. The balance of the car was just great. We have done a good job in improving the car from first free practice to now. I just want to win this race. The same goes for my team-mates. We are really fired up for the race.”

Colton Herta (#25 BMW M8 GTE, ninth place): “I was elected to do my first qualifying session in IMSA competition but I just didn’t get the most out of the car. On my first push lap I made a mistake. Then it was very difficult to get the right temperature into the tyres. I think for the race we have a really good car though.”