--- title: "Porsche Stripped of IMSA Win, Giving BMW First Prototype Victory in 23 Years" date: "2023-06-26" modified: "2023-06-26" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/bmw-scores-first-prototype-win-in-23-years-after-porsche-penalty-in-watkins-glen" categories: - "IMSA" - "News" - "Racing" --- # Porsche Stripped of IMSA Win, Giving BMW First Prototype Victory in 23 Years ![]() *\BMW\* If you didn't watch Sunday's [IMSA]() Six Hours of [The Glen]() you missed one hell of an endurance race. Exciting battles in every category ran up until the very end when a huge rollover crash involving Bill Auberlen triggered a yellow flag with just a couple of minutes left on the clock. The No. 6 [Porsche Penske Motorsport 963]() driven by Mathieu Jaminet finished first in the headlining GTP class, closely followed by the No. 25 BMW M Team RLL [BMW M Hybrid V8]() of Connor De Phillippi. However, this result was later reversed by IMSA officials after the Porsche failed its post-race inspection. De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly drove nearly perfect for most of the endurance race, holding onto a steady lead for the last couple of hours in the BMW. With just a handful of laps left, however, the chasing Porsche managed to work its way through traffic better than the BMW and ultimately passed De Phillippi in what resembled a mid-corner traffic jam involving LMP and GTD cars. De Phillippi attempted to fight back but the yellow flag sealed his fate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPHv-5I19Ow According to IMSA, the No. 6 Porsche was found to have a skid block measuring less than the rules allow. Porsche Penske released the following statement Sunday night: “Following post-race inspection at Watkins Glen International, IMSA has penalized the No. 6 entry in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen citing that the front skid wear of the No. 6 Porsche 963 was less than one millimeter outside the legal tolerance. The rear skid wear was noted to be well within the legal tolerance. Porsche Penske Motorsport plans to collect all of the data and follow the protest procedures.” A skid block is an aero measure found underneath the car that alters the vehicle's handling dynamics. These must comply with IMSA's regulation, and any variation is seen as a sort of performance enhancer. In this case, the skid block was "less than one millimeter" outside of the regulations, but IMSA still found its penalty applicable. As a result of Porsche's penalty, BMW was able to score its first prototype win in 23 years. The last time a BMW prototype won an endurance race in North America was in 1999 at Sebring, when the German automaker contested the BMW V12 LMR. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()