BOWMANVILLE, Ontario (July 15, 2025) – After a strong start to the weekend, Paul Miller Racing was left disappointed following a turbulent Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Despite securing pole position with the No. 1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO and showing competitive pace in both entries, the team ultimately left CTMP with a sixth-place finish for the No. 1 and ninth for the No. 48.
The No. 1 BMW of Neil Verhagen and Madison Snow led the GTD PRO field to green after Verhagen’s standout qualifying lap earned him his maiden IMSA pole.
The car pulled out a comfortable lead early, but a slow pit stop and multiple late-race cautions shuffled the order. The team finished sixth after losing track position during the pit cycle and being caught out by alternate strategies under yellow.
“In general, a pretty positive weekend for us,” Verhagen said. “The car felt great, and we were able to control the race early on.
“But unfortunately, a slow pit stop dropped us out of the lead, and others gained under safety car. I think we missed out on a deserved podium, but there’s a lot of positive momentum to carry forward.”
Team principal Mitchell Simmons added, “We gave it our all at Mosport. We knew we’d have our work cut out for us due to lack of top speed. We put a very aggressive setup on for qualifying, hoping we could stay out front.
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to race with. The team worked hard, but we didn’t have the tools to give the fans a better show.”
In the No. 48 BMW, Dan Harper and Max Hesse started from fifth and ran as high as fourth before a late-race restart saw Hesse pushed off track. The incident dropped the car to ninth in class just before the race ended under caution.
“Difficult weekend on our side,” said Hesse. “The race went very smooth until the last 25 minutes. We were in a position we really would have liked to finish in P4 – would have been great points.
“But I got pushed off track on the restart, lost several positions, and the race didn’t go green again. The team worked hard all weekend to get us competitive. It hurts not to bring home the result.”
Harper added, “Disappointing race in the end. We struggled with the car early in the weekend and couldn’t quite match the sister car’s pace. We made progress and gained a spot at the start, ran top five for most of the race. But the safety car at the end shuffled the order and hurt us. Tricky weekend, but we regroup and aim to come back stronger at Road America.”
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship now heads to Road America in three weeks for another 2-hour, 40-minute sprint race. Known for its high-speed corners and challenging layout, the Wisconsin circuit offers a fresh opportunity for Paul Miller Racing to build on their recent performance.
With an additional sprint round at VIR and two endurance events remaining in the season, the team is focused on refining their pace and strategy to fight for strong results as the championship unfolds.
Madison Snow
“The highlight of the weekend was certainly Neil’s excellent qualifying! He did a phenomenal job there and in the race where he delivered the car in P1. Unfortunately, we were unable to hold onto that till the end of the race. Rest assured, we will come back stronger for the next race!”
