ALTON, Virginia (August 26, 2025) – Paul Miller Racing endured a challenging Michelin GT Challenge at VIR, with the No. 1 BMW M4 GT3 of Madison Snow and Neil Verhagen finishing sixth after 81 laps, while the No. 48 BMW of Dan Harper and Max Hesse was forced to retire after 53 laps due to a technical issue.
Both cars started the final IMSA Sprint Cup race of the season at the front of the GTD PRO grid – Verhagen lining up second in the No. 1 and Harper third in the No. 48.
The pair immediately showed strength at the drop of the green, with Verhagen moving into the lead and Harper running close behind in second.
Team manager Mitchell Simmons noted: “VIR was a bit of a letdown this weekend. We executed perfectly and had great pit stops, but ultimately didn’t have the pace to fight for the win.”
“At the beginning of the race the entire field went into fuel-save mode, which allowed us to stay in front, but once the Corvette and Ferrari decided to go, we were sitting ducks. Still, I’m super proud of the crew and drivers, and I’m looking forward to the remaining endurance rounds.”
The promising early one-two for Paul Miller Racing was disrupted just after the halfway mark when Hesse, at the wheel of the No. 48, lost power. Despite the team’s efforts to keep the car running, the issue worsened and eventually forced him to retire the car with a small fire.
“Obviously, it was a very disappointing and difficult weekend,” Hesse said.
“We started strong with P2 and P3 in qualifying and then running one and two for the first 40 – 45 minutes gave us high hopes. Even though we weren’t the outright fastest car, we executed really well and kept ourselves in the fight.
“Then unfortunately we ran into engine issues, and eventually the car had to be retired. It’s a big shame for the whole team, but now all the focus shifts to the endurance races in Indy and Petit.”
The full-course caution caused by the No. 48’s retirement also compromised the strategy for the No. 1 machine. Despite fighting hard, Snow and Verhagen slipped back into the pack and eventually crossed the line sixth.
“Overall, it turned out to be a bit of an unlucky day for the team,” Verhagen said.
“At the start things looked strong – Dan and I both moved forward, with me going from P2 to P1 and Dan from P3 to P2. Unfortunately, the failure on the No. 48 and the caution that followed indirectly hurt the No. 1 as well.
“It’s not the day you want to have, but now all focus is on the final two rounds at Indy and Petit Le Mans where we’ll be pushing hard for some more hardware.”
Harper, who had delivered a strong qualifying and early race performance in the No. 48, echoed the frustration:
“This weekend was a big disappointment,” he said.
“We were very strong throughout practice and qualifying, and then running one and two at the start of the race put us in a great position to fight for the podium. Unfortunately, the mechanical issue forced us to retire, which is not the way we wanted things to go.
“The positive is that we were competitive again, and now we’ll focus on finishing the season on a high at Indianapolis and Petit Le Mans.”
After VIR, Snow and Verhagen hold fifth in the GTD PRO standings with 2,296 points, 336 behind the class leaders. Harper and Hesse sit seventh with 2,264 points, 368 back.
Both Paul Miller Racing entries remain in strong contention for the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, which resumes with the next round at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship continues with the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, September 19 – 21, before the season finale at Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, October 8 – 11.
