27-01-2025
Milner Holds BMW Team at Fault for Rolex 24 Incident, Not His Rival
It's safe to say there's no love lost between Corvette driver Tommy Milner and the BMW team after a late-race incident ended the 'Vette team's chance of winning the GTD Pro category of the Rolex 24 at Daytona this weekend.
In the race, Milner was held up by the No. 48 BMW entry, which was laps off the pace, while the Corvette was being challenged by BMW's No. 1 entry. "They clearly gave him orders to hold me up, to basically slow me down enough so that the sister car could get by," Milner told Frontstretch. "It's just a poor standard of driving, it's pretty embarrassing on their part to race like that, it's not what IMSA is about."
Milner's No. 4 Corvette was running in the lead and fighting off the Paul Miller Racing MBW M4 GT3 Evo piloted by Conner De Phillippi when he became stuck for several laps behind De Phillippi's PMR teammate August Farfus. For blocking for his teammate for several laps, Farfus was handed a drive-through penalty; before it could be served, however, Farfus and De Phillippi came to the International Horseshoe turn — and as Farfus entered the corner below race-leading speeds, Milner checked up and slammed into the BMW, causing damage to his left bumper.
Farfus went to serve his penalty, and when Milner passed the BMW pits, he rolled down the window of his Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R and flipped his competitor off.
I have to say the Corvette has a great window for exactly this. May or may not have used it myself for this reason over the last 24 hours 😇
— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin93) January 26, 2025
The No. 1 PMR BMW finished fourth in the GTD Pro class, followed by Milner's Corvette in seventh, and the No. 48 finished 55 laps down in 12th.
Once out of the car, as emotions started to settle, Milner iterated that he would keep his composure on track, but said he hoped that if BMW continued to pull similar stunts, IMSA would intervene.
"It's a shame that they want to race that way," Milner told Frontstretch. "They've set the standard for the rest of the race, and we'll continue to drive as we have, with respect. If they want to continue to race like that, I don't think IMSA is going to take too kindly to it."
Milner went on to describe all the ways Farfus held him up in the laps leading to their contact: waiting for him on the track to slow down in corners, brake-checking, and blocking in the hopes of giving the No. 1 BMW a better chance to pass.
After his stint, Milner expressed frustration towards Farfus, who he's known for some time. "I've raced with Augusto in the past. We're friendly, and he's a super nice guy," Milner said. "Just today, he did the wrong thing over and over again."
On Monday, Milner took to social media to make it clear that he was convinced that Farfus was following orders set forth by his team and/or manufacturer and that he carries no ill will towards his competitor.
— Tommy Milner (@TommyMilner) January 27, 2025
"I want to say something for Augusto since it's nearly impossible to do so himself right now," Milner posted on X. "I've raced with and against Augusto for 15 years. He has always been fair with me on track. I'm certain that was him following orders."
You Might Also Like
You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox
Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners
The Man Who Signs Every Car
