ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (August 4, 2025) – Paul Miller Racing returned to the top step of the podium at Road America as Madison Snow and Neil Verhagen claimed victory in the No. 1 BMW M4 GT3 in Sunday’s Motul SportsCar Grand Prix – marking the duo’s first GTD PRO win of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech Championship season.
Verhagen crossed the finish line after 62 laps of strategic execution, clean driving, and a perfectly timed fuel window that helped the team capitalize on the late-race cycle. The win marks Verhagen’s first-ever IMSA victory and the 17th for Paul Miller Racing.
“Wow! What can I say? We had perfect execution today which allowed us to capitalize on some tremendous luck,” Team Principal Mitchell Simmons said.
“After splitting the strategy early we all felt we would probably end up on the same strategy for the last stop but a couple of well-timed yellows allowed us to be up front and the faster cars to get stuck behind in traffic.
“I can’t say enough about the execution of the crew this weekend. We have been really looking at our procedures and adapting to the 2 car effort which has caught us out a couple of times this year but everyone nailed it this weekend, the crew, Neil and Madison, and the engineers just nailed it.”
Snow helped keep the car in contention during a chaotic first stint that saw three caution periods in the first hour, expertly managing traffic and avoiding incidents to hand over to Verhagen with a clean car and strong track position.
“It’s great to be back up on the podium – especially the top step,” Snow said.
“It’s been a long time, so it’s definitely well deserved. The team was flawless all weekend, and that’s what it takes to win in GTD PRO. It’s such a tough class. Small mistakes cost you wins, and this weekend, we definitely got our stuff together and executed perfectly.”
Verhagen’s final stint included a high-pressure chase of the No. 77 Porsche, which was running on a different fuel strategy.
The BMW driver showed patience and maturity, knowing his opponent likely couldn’t make it to the finish without another stop. With 14 minutes remaining, the Porsche pitted, handing Verhagen the lead – and ultimately the victory.
“It’s super special and a great testimony to what Paul Miller Racing has been doing all season,” Verhagen said.
“We’ve been building momentum. Watkins Glen was heartbreaking, and Mosport didn’t fall our way in the end. But I knew it would come. Today, everything was executed perfectly. It was a long stint for me, but I enjoyed every second – and to get my first IMSA win with Madison makes it even more meaningful.”
The No. 48 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 of Dan Harper and Max Hesse showed strong early pace and potential for a double top-five finish.
However, an incident on a race restart resulted in a drive-through penalty and forced the team to gamble on a bold fuel strategy. With no late caution to save fuel, the car was forced to pit on the final lap and finished seventh.
“Another unfortunate, unlucky weekend,” Hesse said.
“Qualifying was strong – we maximized what we had. In the race, we were in a decent position, but after the restart and the penalty, we had to take a big risk. No yellow in the last hour meant we had to pit late and dropped back. It’s been a tough year, but congrats to the No. 1 crew. They nailed it. Super happy for Neil on his first win.”
Following the weekend, the No. 48 BMW sits fifth in the GTD PRO driver standings with 2,024 points, while the race-winning No. 1 car moves up to sixth with 2,014 points. Both cars remain within striking distance, with three rounds remaining.
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship heads to VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) from August 23 – 25 for the final sprint round of the season.
The GT-only weekend will once again feature the GTD PRO class, with Paul Miller Racing looking to carry its momentum into the final phase of the championship.
