This past weekend BMW Team RLL scored a significant victory in the GTLM class at the Sports Car Showcase at Long Beach. This is all the excuse we need to take another look at the absolutely gorgeous BMW Z4 GTLM race car, including the one with the awesome CSL livery, in action.

RLL drivers Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner piloted their No.25 BMW Z4 GTLM flawlessly and completed 76 laps of the 1.968-mile, 100 minute race, 2.9 seconds in front of the runner-up which was the No. 62 Ferrari. That was in spite of the fact that Werner even suffered poorly venting fuel tank which slowed his pit stop.

Bill Auberlen: “This is a special win as it has been a long time for our team. On top of that it is my home race. Between Dirk and myself we pretty much checked off every box this weekend. We won, we had pole and the lap record in qualifying and Dirk brought it home with the win and a new lap record in the race. You can’t do much better than that. When it came to the race the extent of my lead was on the pace lap. I wanted to get a really strong jump off the hairpin but (Giancarlo) Fisichella in the Ferrari passed John Edwards in the sister car and then it went by me. I was thinking there was nothing I could do. I then just hunted him down and stayed with him and we were really close. He made no mistakes and I was waiting for one. So then we went off strategy as when he stayed out I came in and we had a little issue in the pits with a long fuelling. We saw our lead go away, but you never give up in racing and Dirk proved that with his stint.”

Dirk Werner: “For me it is a great feeling to not only win with BMW for the first time in this championship since 2013, but for me the last win was five years ago in a car race. I have been waiting for this win and today is just a great day. Everybody in the team deserves this. Last year was a tough year and this year, especially at this track now, the car is really good. Everyone can be proud.”