2025 Daytona 24 Hours: Milner Frustrated by Blocking Tactics Amid Race Controversy
In a dramatic showdown during the final hours of the 2025 Daytona 24 Hours, Tommy Milner, piloting the #4 Corvette, voiced strong frustrations towards the Paul Miller BMW team, particularly targeting driver Augusto Farfus for obstructive racing tactics that hampered his performance.
With under three hours remaining, Milner, who was leading the GTD Pro class, found himself embroiled in a contentious battle with Connor De Phillippi in the #48 BMW. Farfus, several laps down, employed aggressive blocking maneuvers against Milner, contributing to a chaotic on-track situation. The incident escalated when race control issued a drive-through penalty for Farfus, yet the damage was already done.
“Their only goal is to race dirty,” Milner stated emphatically in a post-race interview on IMSA Radio. He expressed disappointment in the conduct of both Farfus and the BMW team, labeling it as “poor sportsmanship” and “embarrassing.”
The conflict peaked when Milner’s Corvette made contact with De Phillippi’s BMW after being impeded by Farfus. The damage forced Milner to pit for repairs, during which the team struggled to secure the car’s bodywork adequately. Upon returning to the track, Milner was quickly summoned back due to a flailing bumper—an outcome attributed directly to the earlier incident.
Milner further alleged that the #48 BMW was strategically timing its pit stops to gain an advantage over him, compounding the frustration. “It’s not how sports car racing should be,” he reiterated, underscoring the ethos of fair competition.
As the race concluded, the controversy surrounding the blocking tactics and subsequent penalties left a significant mark on what should have been a celebrated endurance event, igniting discussions around racing ethics and overt team strategies in sports car racing.
