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International Motor Sports Association    Lamborghini Super Trofeo series

International Motor Sports Association 

 

www.imsa.com

 

About the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)

International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 and owns a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, as well as four one-make series: Ferrari Challenge North America, Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America and Porsche Carrera Cup North America. IMSA – a company within the NASCAR family – is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Jones Finds Redemption in Wet VP Racing Challenge Nightcap

No. 87 Duqueine Driver Wins Second CTMP Race after First-Race Victory Aborted


 

July 14, 2024

By Mark Robinson

IMSA Wire Service

Race 2 Results

 

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – Neither sickness nor rain could prevent a determined Jagger Jones from getting back to victory lane in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge.


 

A day after a win in the No. 87 FastMD Racing with Remstar Duqueine D08 was negated by a postrace technical infraction, Jones rebounded to win Sunday’s 45-minute race at the 10-turn, 2.459-mile high-speed road course. Jones was hampered throughout by a stomach illness and endured a treacherous final few laps racing in wet conditions after a light rain fell around the circuit and the entire field was brought into the pits for a mandatory change to wet-condition Michelin tires. Still, he persevered to pick up his fifth overall and Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) win in the last six VP Racing Challenge races.


 

“We really dominated on track both days this weekend, which is awesome,” Jones said. “It looked smooth from the outside but I was super nauseous for some reason; I’ve been really sick all weekend. We brought it home nice and clean, thank you to the Remstar FastMD guys. A little mistake yesterday but today everything’s all cleaned up and another win for us.”


 

The race began in the dry, with Jones bumping his way past polesitter Steven Aghakhani (No. 6 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320) as they battled through Turn 2 on the opening lap. Rain began on parts of the track less than 10 minutes later, with a full-course caution ordered shortly after. Race officials declared it a wet race at the halfway point, bringing all cars in for the grooved Michelin tires and returning them to the track in the same running order.


 

Racing resumed with just under six minutes to go and Jones was off and running away. He took the checkered flag 8.365 seconds ahead of Aghakhani, with Alex Kirby (No. 7 Performance Tech Motorsports Ligier) finishing third for the second straight day.


 

“Once we went on the rain tires, they were super solid,” Jones said. “I’ve only done like six laps on these rain tires before, so I was a little hesitant at first. But once I built that gap, I just kind of managed it.”


 

With two rounds and four races remaining this season, Aghakhani holds a comfortable 500-point lead over Brian Thienes (No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier) atop the standings. Jones is third, 100 points behind Thienes.


 

Rain Dance Pays off for Green with Maiden Series Win in GSX

Josh Green was hoping it would rain in Sunday’s race, sensing he could make his way to the front in the Grand Sport X (GSX) class. Green’s wish came true and so did he, making a strategic pass in traffic on the penultimate lap and rolling on to his first VP Racing Challenge victory in the No. 78 Thaze Competition Mercedes-AMG GT GT4.


 

Green sat in third place when the race restarted late in the wet conditions, trailing Race 1 winner Jack Polito (No. 98 Polito Racing Ford Mustang GT4) and Jesse Lazare (No. 21 Motorsports In Action McLaren Artura GT4). Three laps later, a slower P3 car balked the trio and Green made his move to maneuver past both Polito and Lazare.


 

From there, the Mount Kisco, New York, resident edged away to win by 1.208 seconds over Lazare.


 

“I was doing the rain dance the whole weekend,” Green said. “Once we put the wets on, I was pretty confident. I’ve had a lot of great races in the rain.


 

“We got a P3 car kind of stuck in front of us and he blocked everyone,” he added. “I knew that that was going to be the opportunity to get clear. It feels sweet, I’m so happy. This is such an awesome group, it’s like family to me. I’ve been so lucky that they took me under their wing. It’s my first real season in sports cars and to win it on my third try is awesome.”


 

Lazare trails GSX championship leader Luca Mars (No. 59 KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4) by 190 points with four races remaining. Both classes race next at VIRginia International Raceway as part of the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR weekend from Aug. 23-25.

 

 

Dillmann Fends Off Late Charge to Win Chevrolet Grand Prix

Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports Shines in LMP2 Showcase at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park


 

July 14, 2024

By Jeff Olson

IMSA Wire Service

Race Results


 

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – Two hours and 40 minutes of racing came down to a 0.658-second margin of victory Sunday for Tom Dillmann and Nick Boulle.

 

Dillmann weaved his way through traffic after a final restart with nine minutes left, eventually holding off Felipe Fraga to claim a victory in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class at the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.


 

The victory was simultaneously close and dominant. Despite the narrow margin of victory, Dillmann and Boulle and the No. 52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 controlled the lead for all but the first 10 minutes.


 

It all came down to a final restart, which Dillmann fully expected to happen before Ryan Dalziel slid into the tire barrier with 17 minutes remaining, bringing out a caution and setting up the final duel.


 

“I knew there would be a final restart because there always is in IMSA,” Dillmann said. “I was expecting it, but I knew that I had an edge. I was quite confident I could pull a gap and bring it home.”


 

Their first win of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season helped Dillmann and Boulle close in on the leaders in the LMP2 driver standings. They’re now, unofficially, just 12 points behind Fraga and Gar Robinson in the No. 74 Riley ORECA.


 

“All in all, it was a good points day,” Robinson said. “We’ll move on from here and go to Road America.”


 

As Dalziel was sliding off course late in the race, Fraga sneaked past Scott Huffaker in the No. 11 TDS Racing ORECA he co-drove with Steven Thomas for second place. After the final restart, Fraga relentlessly chased Dillmann. He got close at times, but Dillmann eventually prevailed. 


 

“I was hoping we would not reach the traffic on the final lap, but we did reach it,” Dillmann said. “I had a little bit of a margin, like 1.5 seconds, so I could deal with it without it being too much of a threat. I was fine.”


 

While Dillmann was navigating his way through the harried final minutes, Boulle was in the pits, barely able to watch.


 

“Myself and one of our engineers had to walk away,” Boulle said. “I haven’t been that nervous in a while. We’ve been trying to do this all year. I’m happy it all came together.”


 

Riley is in its first year in the LMP2 class after a successful run of 26 wins in the now-defunct LMP3 class.


 

“These guys (in LMP2) have been racing these cars for five, six years,” Fraga said. “I think we should be proud that we’re leading the championship. It’s disappointing because we’re the only ones to have the fuel to go hard until the end. I saved a lot in the first stint. … It’s always 50-50 with the yellows, but we almost got the win.”  


 

For PR1 Mathiasen, a consistent winner in LMP2 in recent years, the victory was a relief. The team hadn’t won since last August at Road America.  


 

“Nick did an outstanding job, and Tom backed it up,” PR1 Mathiasen owner Bobby Oergel said. “I’m just so thankful to have these guys, you know. … It does taste good right now. We hope to keep it rolling.”


 

The WeatherTech Championship resumes Aug. 4 with the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America. Peacock’s live coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET.
 

 

 

Corvette Goes 1-2 in GTD PRO at Chevrolet Grand Prix for First Z06 GT3.R Win

De Angelis Scores Popular GTD Win on Home Soil as Pumpelly Wins for First Time Since 2015


 

July 14, 2024

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Race Results


 

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – There was nothing unlucky Sunday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park as Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports claimed its 13th IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race win at the legendary road racing venue near Toronto.


 

Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia dominated the Grand Touring Daytona PRO (GTD PRO) class of the Chevrolet Grand Prix to earn the inaugural IMSA victory for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R, the first-ever Corvette built to international GT3 homologation for sale to customer teams.


 

Making the triumph even sweeter, the No. 3 Corvette led home the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller entry shared by Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg for a 1-2 Corvette finish in GTD PRO ahead of season points leaders Seb Priaulx and Laurin Heinrich in the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R.


 

The Pratt Miller Corvettes had shown plenty of speed in the first half of the 2024 season, attaining three Motul Pole Awards – including Sims’ pole-winning effort at CTMP on Saturday. But a combination of misfortune and customary new car reliability issues meant their best finish to date this year was third place for each car.


 

At the track traditionally known as Mosport where Corvettes have always run strong, the Pratt Miller team dominated from start to finish. Garcia had established a comfortable 4.5-second gap to Catsburg and had nearly 20 seconds in hand over Heinrich when a full-course caution bunched the field with 16 minutes remaining in the two-hour, 40-minute contest. When racing resumed with about eight minutes to go, neither Heinrich nor anyone else could match the speed of the yellow cars.


 

The final few laps provided a bit of drama, as Garcia and Catsburg took the restart in a crowd of GTD class traffic. But Catsburg protected the 1-2 finish for Corvette. Garcia’s margin of victory over Catsburg was 0.408 seconds, with Heinrich 1.064 seconds in arrears at the checkered flag.


 

It was a milestone 30th win in IMSA competition for Garcia, whose history with the Corvette Racing program dates to 2009.


 

“It’s always special to have a first win for the car,” said Garcia. “I’m really proud of that, and proud of the Pratt Miller guys. It was really important to get the Corvette GT3.R its first win in IMSA; that’s what we really wanted. And we had a perfect weekend. We led both practices, amazing pole position by Alex, and then we just ran P1 all the way through.”


 

Garcia said he had taken care of his Michelin tires and believed he had enough in hand to hold off a late challenge from Catsburg or Heinrich had it materialized.


 

“It looked easy, but it was kind of difficult – especially the last restart with all the GTD cars ahead of us,” Garcia said. “It was interesting – that’s the classic situation we don’t really like. But still I managed to stay ahead and fantastic to finally have a Corvette 1-2 – not only in qualifying, but in the race.”


 

Sims was visibly fired up after his pole-winning qualifying lap on Saturday, and the breakthrough victory for the Corvette GT3 program built on that enthusiasm. Corvette was the fifth manufacturer to win in GTD PRO competition this year.


 

“It’s a big thing, honestly, and it was great to get the Corvette 1-2 here at Mosport, which is such a big event for Chevrolet,” he said. “We’ve had good pace in qualifying this season so far, but haven’t quite been able to convert it. Today we executed well, and were fast when we needed to be, had pace in the car. Just a really, really nice race.”


 

Henrich and Priaulx extended their GTD PRO championship advantage to 98 points over Ross Gunn (No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo) and 120 points over Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat (No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3). Gunn and Mario Farnbacher finished fifth at CTMP, while the No. 14 Lexus started on the front row but dropped out with an engine issue.


 

GTD: Pumpelly Propels De Angelis to Home Win

Spencer Pumpelly calls himself a “guest” driver for the Heart of Racing Team. At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, he displayed exemplary manners.


 

Pumpelly guided the Heart of Racing’s No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo to a front row starting spot for the Chevrolet Grand Prix, then co-drove with Windsor, Canada native Roman De Angelis to the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class victory in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship event.


 

Pumpelly’s last win in IMSA competition came at the 2015 Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Meanwhile, the Heart of Racing tasted the champagne just three weeks ago at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen with its No. 23 GTD PRO class entry, but the No. 27 GTD contender had gone nearly a year without visiting victory lane.


 

At CTMP, which De Angelis considers his home track, Pumpelly took the lead from Motul Pole Award winner Frankie Montecalvo on the second lap and the No. 27 was essentially never headed again. De Angelis held an 11-second lead over Philip Ellis in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT3 when a caution flew with about a quarter-hour remaining in the two-hour, 40-minute race.


 

In the short eight-minute green flag sprint to the finish, he pulled out an impressive 5.060-second advantage over Ellis, with Brendan Iribe and Frederik Schandorff taking third place in the No. 70 Inception Racing McLaren 720S GT3 EVO.


 

Pumpelly said he didn’t realize how long it had been since he stepped on the top step of the rostrum until somebody reminded him. Three of his 20 victories in IMSA sports car competition have come at CTMP.


 

“Feels really good to be back here, especially to do it with these guys with the Heart of Racing,” said Pumpelly. “I’m kind of a guest here for a race or two, and these guys have welcomed me and made me feel comfortable and right at home. I’m glad I could help them get their first win of the year. The car was awesome, the team was awesome. I knew as soon as I gave Roman the car it was a done deal and just kind of relaxed the rest of the way. Roman nailed it and the guys were awesome in the pit box.”


 

De Angelis, 23, is one of the hottest young prospects in sports car racing. He’s already racked up eight race wins in IMSA competition in just 51 starts. This was the 13th triumph for the Heart of Racing.


 

“It’s been a long road for us in the No. 27 car,” De Angelis said. “Always had a strong car, always had a strong lineup, the team has always been phenomenal, just stuff hasn’t fallen into our hands, through luck and other circumstances. I think it comes in waves.


 

“There’s no better place to win than at home, so to finally get that win and do it here with a bunch of my friends and family here, I’m just so happy,” he added. “Just can’t thank everyone at the Heart of Racing enough, and Spencer for the amazing job he did at the beginning. Super happy to kind of get the Heart of Racing out of this trough we’ve been in with the No. 27 and look forward to seeing what we can do the rest of the season.”


 

Despite finishing second at CTMP after winning four of the first five races in GTD this season, Ward and Ellis extended their comfortable cushion in the class standings to 340 points over Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher (No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3), the fourth-place finishers on Sunday.


 

The next round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the IMSA SportsCar Weekend, August 1-4 at Road America near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

 

 

Boulle, Dillman, No. 52 Inter Europol ORECA Win Chevrolet Grand Prix

Corvette Takes 1-2 Finish in GTD PRO; No. 27 Aston Martin Wins in GTD


 

July 14, 2024

By Mark Robinson

IMSA Wire Service

Unofficial Race Results

 

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – Nick Boulle took control early and co-driver Tom Dillman held on late to take the No. 52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 to victory Sunday in the Chevrolet Grand Prix, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.


 

Boulle moved into the overall and Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class lead on Lap 10 around the 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course, the first of 88 laps that the No. 52 ORECA led in the race featuring the LMP2, GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and GT Daytona (GTD) classes. Dillman took over the car just over an hour into the two-hour, 40-minute race and maintained a strong advantage as the middle stages ran under green-flag conditions for nearly 90 minutes.


 

A late full-course caution bunched the field for a final restart with eight minutes to go, but Dillman was able to hold off Felipe Fraga, whose co-driver was Gar Robinson, in the No. 74 Riley ORECA. Dillman and the No. 52 and won by 0.658 seconds. The No. 11 TDS Racing ORECA shared by Steven Thomas and Scott Huffaker placed third.


 

The win is the second for Boulle in WeatherTech Championship competition, the first coming in the 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona’s Prototype Challenge class. Dillman collected his initial series win in just his fourth start. For long-time team PR1 Mathiasen, it’s IMSA win No. 29.


 

Chevrolet dominated its namesake race in GTD PRO, with the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R driven by Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia edging the sister No. 4 Corvette of Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg for class win honors. The GTD win went to Spencer Pumpelly and Roman De Angelis in the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo.


 

The LMP2, GTD PRO and GTD classes will be rejoined by the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class in the next WeatherTech Championship race, the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Wisconsin’s Road America on Sunday, Aug. 4.

 

 

Aghakhani Awarded CTMP Race 1 Win in Saturday’s VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Round

 Jones Relinquishes Victory when Car Found Out of Compliance


 

July 14, 2024

By Mark Robinson

IMSA Wire Service

Provisional Race 1 Results

 

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – Steven Aghakhani broke back into the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge win column in an unusual way, but he’ll gladly take it.


 

Aghakhani, the Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) points leader, crossed the finish line second Saturday in the No. 6 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320 to Jagger Jones, driver of the No. 87 FastMD Racing with Remstar Duqueine D08. In postrace technical inspection, however, Jones’ car was found to have camber in excess of the permitted maximum and moved to the rear of the eight-car P3 class in the provisional race results.


 

The revision handed Aghakhani his third win of the season and first since he swept the season-opening doubleheader at Daytona International Speedway in January. Jones saw his bid for a fifth straight victory negated by the infraction.


 

“It wasn’t exactly how we wanted to get a win, but nonetheless a win is still a win in the end,” Aghakhani said. “We’ll absolutely take it and we’ve extended our points lead by a comfortable margin. Our race pace was there (Saturday); we were keeping it safe, looking forward to the entire season.”


 

Aghakhani takes a provisional 440-point championship lead into Sunday’s 45-minute race. With such a sizable advantage, he hinted that he may let the reins loosen on the No. 6 Ligier.


 

“We might show off a little bit more aggression,” he said. “We definitely did show it in qualifying, putting the car out on pole. But again, the biggest thing is bringing the car back home safe. The last thing we want is a DNF for the points gap to close.”

 

Jonathan Woolridge, a Canadian who won at CTMP last year, finished second in the revised order in the No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports Ligier, with Performance Tech teammate Alex Kirby third in the No. 7 Ligier.


 

Canadian Polito Wins on Home Turf in GSX Debut

Jack Polito turned his VP Racing Challenge debut into an even more memorable day at his home track. The Lindsay, Ontario, resident drove the No. 98 Polito Racing Ford Mustang GT4 to the Grand Sport X (GSX) class victory by holding off GSX points leader Luca Mars.


 

Polito started second in class and was still running there when GSX polesitter Jesse Lazare (No. 21 Motorsports In Action McLaren Artura GT4) stopped on track with 20 minutes left in the 45-minute sprint. With Mars (No. 59 KohR Motorsports Ford) breathing down his neck on the ensuing restart, Polito held firm and was still in first place when the second caution flag waved for a single-car crash involving Eddie Killeen (No. 37 Thaze Competition Mercedes-AMG GT GT4). Polito and Mars gave Ford a 1-2 finish under yellow.


 

“It feels pretty good, pretty fantastic!” Polito said. “I’ve been pounding laps here since I was 15 years old and I’ve just been grinding, working out, training for this. I’ve just been envisioning it, manifesting it, and it came true. I’m pretty happy.”


 

Polito captured the 2023 FEL Motorsports Sports Car Championship Canada GT4 class title in a Mustang, winning nine of 12 races. He used that experience to springboard his VP Racing Challenge coming-out party this weekend.


 

“Last year I got to compete in the FEL series and we ended up taking the championship,” Polito said. “Then we decided to do an IMSA race this year and it went so far awesome. It feels pretty good to represent Ford, couldn’t be happier. Wouldn’t want to choose any other brand, that’s for sure.”


 

The second race of the VP Racing Challenge weekend starts at 3:35 p.m. ET today, with a livestream available on Peacock and IMSA.tv.

 

 

Unofficial Results, Points & Post-Race Nuggets | WeatherTech Championship

Chevrolet Grand Prix

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park - Sunday, July 14, 2024

Unofficial Race Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.


 

Unofficial points are available at pitnotes.org/points.

No. 52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports | ORECA LMP2 07

  • 30th IMSA win
  • Last win was at Road America 2023
  • Second win at CTMP, previous was in 2019
  • Third different organization to win in 2024 in four races

 

Nick Boulle

  • First career win in fourth start
  • Previous best finish was third at Watkins Glen 2024
  • 35 years old from Dallas, TX
  • First win in first CTMP start

 

Tom Dillmann

  • First career win in fourth start
  • 35 years old from Mulhouse, France
  • Previous best finish was third at Watkins Glen 2024
  • First win in first CTMP start

 

 

GTD PRO

No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports | Corvette Z06 GT3.R

  • First WeatherTech Championship win for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R
  • Team made debut at 2024 Rolex 24 At Daytona
  • 116th win including wins as Corvette Racing in ALMS, GRAND-AM, and IMSA
  • 33rd win including wins as Corvette Racing
  • 13th win at CTMP including wins as Corvette Racing in ALMS and IMSA, second consecutive at CTMP (won GTD PRO in 2023 with No. 4)
  • Fifth different team to win in GTD PRO in 2024
  • Finishes 1-2, last was at Long Beach 2021 as Corvette Racing


 

Antonio Garcia

  • 30th career win in 200th start
  • 44 years old from Madrid, Spain
  • Last win was at VIR 2023 in GTD PRO
  • Second win and second consecutive win at CTMP, both in GTD PRO

 

Alexander Sims

  • Seventh career win in 40th start
  • 36 years old from London, England
  • Second class win at CTMP (last 2017 GTLM with BMW)


 

GTD

No. 27 Heart of Racing Team | Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo

  • 13th IMSA win
  • Last GTD class win was at Lime Rock Park, 2023
  • Last team win was one race ago with the No. 23 at Watkins Glen in GTD PRO
  • Second win of 2024 all IMSA classes, first win in GTD
  • Second win at CTMP following GTD win in 2022
  • Third GTD team to win in 2024

 

Roman De Angelis

  • Eighth career IMSA class win in 51st start
  • Last win was at Lime Rock Park 2023 in GTD
  • 23 years old from Belle River, Ontario
  • Second career win at CTMP (won 2022 GTD with Heart of Racing Team)
  • Wins at home race in Ontario

 

Spencer Pumpelly

  • 49 years old from Arlington, VA
  • 20th career IMSA class win in 233rd start
  • Last win was at Road Atlanta 2015 in GTD
  • Third career win at CTMP (2011, 2012 ALMS GTC)

 

 

 

 

Sims Earns Chevrolet Grand Prix Pole in First CTMP Appearance for Corvette Z06 GT3.R

Montecalvo Celebrates GTD Pole on Favorite Track in No. 12 Lexus


 

July 13, 2024

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Qualifying Results


 

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – A brief interruption to the start of Grand Touring (GT) qualifying for the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park created an extra sense of urgency for the 15-minute session. The pause to clear a stalled car from the bucolic 2.459-mile road course had no effect on Alexander Sims.


 

Sims uncorked a series of track record laps in the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R to secure pole position for the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class. He left his fastest lap for last, timed at 1 minute, 14.373 seconds (119.027 mph), breaking Jack Hawksworth’s GTD PRO track record by 0.656-seconds.


 

The 36-year-old Englishman owns six career race wins in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition and co-drove to the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class championship in 2023. This was the second time he earned the Motul Pole Award.


 

Sims made it look like an easy Sunday drive on Saturday, ending with a comfortable margin of 0.267-seconds over Hawksworth (co-driver: Ben Barnicoat) in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3. They’ll comprise the front row for tomorrow’s two-hour, 40-minute race.


 

“The Corvette came alive for qualifying and was feeling really, really nice,” enthused Sims, who shares the No. 3 Corvette with Antonio Garcia. “Moments like that -- low fuel, new tires with a beautiful Corvette working well around an incredible circuit that I absolutely love – that was a real blast. That was really good fun.”


 

Corvette Racing has a peerless record at CTMP, scoring the most recent of its 12 wins there just one year ago with drivers Garcia and Jordan Taylor. Nicky Catsburg and Tommy Milner will line up third on this year’s GTD PRO grid with the No. 4 Corvette.


 

The GT3 version of the Corvette, new for 2024 and designated Z06 GT3.R, is seeking its first victory in IMSA competition. Catsburg earned the Motul Pole Award in the No. 4 entry at the Motul Course de Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, while Garcia scored a pole for last month’s Chevrolet Sports Car Classic on the streets of downtown Detroit.


 

“We’ve been learning, we’ve been improving through the season and I have huge confidence in the Pratt Miller guys,” said Sims. “With Antonio, I know the car is in safe hands and he’s super-fast. Hopefully we can continue this good pace.

 

“Starting on pole is obviously the ideal situation, but the huge challenge still is the race,” he added. “It requires perfect execution to beat the rest of the field, who are always operating at a really high level.”


 

GTD PRO championship points leaders Laurin Heinrich and Seb Priaulx qualified eighth in class in the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R.


 

Montecalvo Loves Mosport

The Vasser Sullivan Lexus team may have fallen one spot short of the Motul Pole Award Saturday in GTD PRO, but Frankie Montecalvo made sure the team that splits its two entries between IMSA’s two Grand Touring classes went home with a trophy.


 

Montecalvo was the fastest GTD class qualifier for the Chevrolet Grand Prix with a lap timed at 1 minute, 15.060 seconds (117.937 mph) in the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3. It was the second time in the last three years that he accomplished that feat, sandwiching a second-place qualifying effort one year ago.


 

The pole-winning lap established a new track record for the GTD class.


 

“This is my favorite track,” Montecalvo acknowledged. “I’ve loved it ever since the first time I got here. Everything flows, everything connects, and you really have to put each corner here together. It’s really just an awesome circuit to be able to drive, and this track suits the Lexus perfectly. It really loves the high-speed circuits.”


 

Spencer Pumpelly was the second-fastest qualifier in GTD, lapping the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo he shares with Roman De Angelis in 1:15.392 (117.418 mph). Championship points leaders Russell Ward and Philip Ellis (No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes AMG GT GT3) start sixth in class.


 

Montecalvo hopes to avoid repeating what happened when he started on the class pole at CTMP in 2022. He was swept into contact on the opening lap and finished a distant sixth.


 

“This track is so difficult to pass, so starting up front and just kind of controlling the pace really helps here,” he said. “We’ve been fast all season with the No. 12 car but really haven’t been able to get some results for it. So I’m really happy to start up front here, and I’ve got my hometown advantage with Parker. We’re going to take the (No.) 12 car up front.”


 

The Chevrolet Grand Prix will be broadcast live on USA Network and Peacock from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

 

Hyett Finds Speed at Right Time to Put AO Racing on LMP2 Pole at CTMP

'Spike the Dragon' Will Lead the Field to the Green Flag on Sunday


 

July 13, 2024

By Jeff Olson

IMSA Wire Service

Qualifying Results

 

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – For PJ Hyett, the issue was speed and time. He had the speed but wasn’t sure if he’d have the time to show it.


 

After a red flag during qualifying Saturday for the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Hyett had just more than two minutes to land his best lap. He did, recording a time of 1 minute, 9.582 seconds (127.222 mph) around the 2.459-mile, 10-turn circuit in the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA LMP2 07 to win the Motul Pole Award in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class.


 

The pole position was AO Racing’s primary goal, which leads directly into Sunday’s goal – winning the race.


 

“Step one was getting on pole because it’s hard to pass people here – that’s what we’ve found,” Hyett said. “But also, to get around the GT traffic is really difficult in a way that you don’t lose a lot of time. Sometimes you just get unlucky depending on where you catch them. I think that’s going to be the big ticket. If you’ve got the speed, great, but you’ve got to get around the GTs to keep the speed up.” 


 

The 15-minute qualifying session for the LMP2 class was twice interrupted by red flags. Dennis Andersen hit the tire barrier in the No. 20 MDK by High Class Racing ORECA four minutes into the session to force the first stoppage. On his first flying lap after the green flag returned, Hyett logged what would be the pole-winning lap, edging Daniel Goldburg in the No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA he’ll share with Filipe Albuquerque by 0.090 seconds.


 

Less than a minute after Hyett turned his flyer in the purple dinosaur-liveried car known as “Spike,” Luis Perez Companc slid into the tires in the No. 88 Richard Mille AF Corse ORECA, clinching Hyett’s third pole of the season. Gar Robinson will start third in the No. 74 Riley ORECA that he shares with Felipe Fraga.


 

Hyett, whose co-driver this weekend is Louis Deletraz, credited his AO Racing team for the speed.


 

“It’s always a team effort,” Hyett said. “They give me these unbelievable cars to drive in qualifying and the race. I’m able to go out here and push as hard as I can, and the car responds in really positive ways and gives me the lap time. It's incredible.”


 

With the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s top class, Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), taking the weekend off, LMP2 gets a shot at the spotlight at CTMP. 


 

“This circuit is unbelievable,” Hyett said. “You just carry so much speed, and the P2 has so much downforce. The things that the car is capable of around here, you just can’t believe it. You can’t believe what’s happening – to your body, to the car, the fact that it’s able to stay on the road. It’s so much fun. So much fun.”


 

Live coverage of Sunday’s race begins at 11 a.m. ET on Peacock and USA Network.


 

RS1 Porsche's Sage Strategy Breaks Run of Bad Luck for CTMP Win

Wickens, Gottsacker and No. 33 Hyundai Return to Victory Lane in TCR


 

July 13, 2024

By Jeff Olson and Mark Robinson

IMSA Wire Service

Race Results

 

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – Trent Hindman isn’t usually one to get emotional after winning races. That changed Saturday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. 

 

As Hindman emerged victorious from the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, he shouted and showered his teammates with water.

 

“IMSA wins are so special,” Hindman said after teaming with Stevan McAleer to win the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120, the sixth race of the 10-race IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season.

 

“Unfortunately, you learn the hard way how hard it is to win in this championship – how hard it is to win in any level of IMSA competition,” he continued.

 

The timely victory ended a run of bad luck for RS1 – with one second-place finish this season but all others seventh place or worse. The team’s strategy play Saturday put the Porsche into the overall and Grand Sport (GS) class lead after McAleer’s opening stint.

 

“Track position was important,” McAleer said. “I feel that we’re the best driver pair in the series and it’s kind of shown at most of the events. We just haven’t been able to execute. I’m hoping this is a turnaround for us in the season with four events left. Trent was incredible. He was flying all weekend.”

 

Hindman credited the call that got the Porsche the lead after a full-course caution just past the midpoint of the two-hour race. The RS1 Porsche was among eight cars opting not to pit for a splash of fuel and moved to the front of the field, where Hindman remained for the final 43 minutes of green-flag racing.

 

“Fortunately, it worked out,” Hindman said. “I had to do a lot of fuel saving in the end, for sure, but I knew our car was super quick, and I knew we could keep our momentum up and still save fuel. If we were in traffic, it would’ve been a different story.” 

 

Scott Andrews brought the No. 19 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 he co-drove with Rory van der Steur home in second place, 2.537 seconds behind the winning Porsche. The No. 46 Team TGM Aston Martin Vantage GT4 driven by Matt Plumb and Paul Holton finished third. All three podium finishers opted for the one-stop strategy and went into fuel-saving mode to the finish.

 

RS1’s victory – the 11th for both Hindman and McAleer in the Michelin Pilot Challenge – also marked the sixth different GS team to win in as many races this season.

 

With the third-place finish, Plumb and the No. 46 Aston Martin unofficially extended their GS lead to 430 points over van der Steur and the No. 19 Aston and to 450 over Hindman, McAleer and the No. 28 Porsche.


 

Wickens, Gottsacker End Drought with TCR Win in No. 33 Hyundai

There’s something about his home track that brings out the racing best in Robert Wickens and the results again bear that out. Wickens and co-driver Harry Gottsacker drove the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR to victory in the Touring Car (TCR) portion of Saturday’s race.


 

In three Michelin Pilot Challenge races at CTMP, Wickens has now finished first, second and first. He won with co-driver Mark Wilkins in 2022 and was runner-up with Gottsacker last year on their way to the TCR championship without recording a win. Saturday’s triumph was Wickens’ first since the July 2022 CTMP victory and Gottsacker’s first since Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in May of the same year.


 

“I don’t know what it is about this place, but I just seem to get on really well with it in the TCR car,” Wickens said. “It’s not just me. Harry’s opening stint was so strong, he extended one lap longer than the (No.) 17 Audi to basically put us in prime position. … He put us in a position where I could push and attack instead of just saving fuel and trying to make it to the end.


 

“That’s exactly what we did, and once we capitalized on the misfortune of the (No.) 17, it was just managing the gap behind at that point.”


 

Gottsacker and Wickens ran second for most of the race to the championship-leading No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR of Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor. The race took a dramatic turn when Taylor suddenly pulled off course with a mechanical failure with 27 minutes to go. It opened the door for the No. 33 drivers and engineer Mark Weida – a racing veteran making his debut with the team – to snatch the much-desired victory.


 

“I’m retiring now,” Weida joked. “I’m 1-for-1 so that’s it. I’m done.”


 

“It’s unfortunate what happened to (the Audi) but I’ll take it,” Gottsacker said. “It’s racing, things happen. It’s a huge relief (to win again). I know that we could’ve done it last year, it just never worked out. But yeah, it feels really, really good.”


 

Wickens never surrendered the lead after the Audi’s exit, though was constantly harried by Karl Wittmer in the No. 93 Montreal Motorsport Group Honda Civic FL5 TCR. Wittmer was handicapped by a loss of the anti-lock braking system for the final 20 minutes and unable to mount an overtake attempt. He and co-driver Dai Yoshihara held onto second place, 0.723 seconds behind the winners.


 

“To have a well-deserved podium finish at our home track with this crew that’s been putting in sweat and tears since the start of the year is so rewarding to them,” Wittmer said. “I’m so happy, I can’t wait to party with these guys!”


 

The No. 76 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai, with co-drivers Denis Dupont and Preston Brown, took third place, meaning Canada was represented by a driver on each step of the TCR podium (Wickens, Wittmer and Dupont).


 

“Pretty stacked podium, if you ask me,” Wittmer quipped.


 

The No. 17 Audi wound up eighth in class and saw its championship lead trimmed to 150 points over the No. 76 BHA Hyundai and 190 over the winning No. 33 Hyundai.


 

The next Michelin Pilot Challenge race is the Road America 120 from the Wisconsin road course of the same name on Saturday, Aug. 3.


 

Qualifying Results | WeatherTech Championship

Chevrolet Grand Prix

CTMP - Saturday, July 13, 2024

Qualifying Results


 

Practice 2 Results

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.

Practice Results | WeatherTech Championship

Chevrolet Grand Prix

CTMP - Saturday, July 13, 2024

Practice 2 Results

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.

 

Jones Stretches VP Racing Challenge Winning Streak to Five

Polito Takes GSX Class Victory on Home Track in Memorable Debut


 

July 13, 2024

By Mark Robinson

IMSA Wire Service

Race 1 Results

 

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – If nothing else, Jagger Jones is keeping the pressure on in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. The talented 21-year-old soared to his fifth straight win of 2024 on Saturday, in the first of two weekend races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.


 

Jones, driving the No. 87 FastMD Racing with Remstar Duqueine D08, started outside of polesitter and Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) championship points leader Steven Aghakhani (No. 6 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320) in the 45-minute sprint race, but darted to the lead in Turn 1 on the opening lap and never looked back. Jones built a lead of more than 15 seconds before a late full-course caution ended the race with the yellow and checkered flags flying simultaneously.


 

Because he missed the opening doubleheader round at Daytona International Speedway, Jones sits third in the P3 standings, unofficially 480 points behind leader Aghakhani. But the son of former IMSA driver PJ Jones and grandson of the late racing legend Parnelli Jones continues fighting for every win he can to narrow the gap.


 

“I had to work for it a bit more starting second,” Jones said in victory lane. “I had a really good jump at the start, was able to go around the outside in Turn 1, which is always awesome. Then I just picked pretty smart moves through traffic.


 

“The goal is two wins every weekend and we just did one, so one more tomorrow.”


 

That’s not to say Saturday’s winning drive was uneventful. Already holding a comfortable lead 18 minutes into the race, Jones lost control of the No. 87 Duqueine in Turn 5, spun but somehow recovered.


 

“I thought I was crashed,” he admitted. “I was like, ‘That’s it,’ and then all of a sudden, I was going straight again. I don’t know what I did there.”


 

Jonathan Woolridge, who won in his CTMP debut last year, finished third Saturday in the No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports Ligier.

 

Canadian Polito Wins on Home Turf in GSX Debut

Jack Polito turned his VP Racing Challenge debut into an even more memorable day at his home track. The Lindsay, Ontario, resident drove the No. 98 Polito Racing Ford Mustang GT4 to the Grand Sport X (GSX) class victory by holding off GSX points leader Luca Mars.


 

Polito started second in class and was still running there when GSX polesitter Jesse Lazare (No. 21 Motorsports In Action McLaren Artura GT4) stopped on track with 20 minutes left in the 45-minute sprint. With Mars (No. 59 KohR Motorsports Ford) breathing down his neck on the ensuing restart, Polito held firm and was still in first place when the second caution flag waved for a single-car crash involving Eddie Killeen (No. 37 Thaze Competition Mercedes-AMG GT GT4). Polito and Mars gave Ford a 1-2 finish under yellow.


 

“It feels pretty good, pretty fantastic!” Polito said. “I’ve been pounding laps here since I was 15 years old and I’ve just been grinding, working out, training for this. I’ve just been envisioning it, manifesting it, and it came true. I’m pretty happy.”


 

Polito captured the 2023 FEL Motorsports Sports Car Championship Canada GT4 class title in a Mustang, winning nine of 12 races. He used that experience to springboard his VP Racing Challenge coming-out party this weekend.


 

“Last year I got to compete in the FEL series and we ended up taking the championship,” Polito said. “Then we decided to do an IMSA race this year and it went so far awesome. It feels pretty good to represent Ford, couldn’t be happier. Wouldn’t want to choose any other brand, that’s for sure.”


 

The second VP Racing Challenge race at CTMP streams live on Peacock and IMSA.tv at 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday.

Practice Results | WeatherTech Championship

Chevrolet Grand Prix

CTMP - Friday, July 12, 2024

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.
 

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An Ever-Beating Heart of Racing Team Keeps Expanding

Multiple Aston Martin Programs, Multiple Wins and Hypercar Development All Happening at Once


 

July 25, 2024

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Over the last five years since 2020, Heart of Racing Team has expanded to become one of the top GT teams in this era of sports car racing. Its IMSA program has been the bedrock, but it’s expanded to become a globetrotting entity racing more than 20 event weekends across three major sports car sanctioning bodies.


 

Within the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Heart of Racing Team has, quietly, ascended up the ranks. The former, largely factory-based GT Le Mans (GTLM) class dominated the headlines with the manufacturer efforts from Corvette, Ford, BMW, Porsche and Ferrari standing out most prominently. Aston Martin participated in North America intermittently, more often a welcome guest addition rather than as a full-season entry.


 

The story has changed recently and it’s Heart of Racing with Aston Martin that are poised to become an even greater force in the sports car landscape, beyond having already won the 2022 Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class championship with Roman De Angelis and established its bona fides as one of the winningest teams in IMSA the last few years. 

 

Heart of Racing’s GT Excellence Across GTD PRO, GTD

 

When GTLM ended after 2021, the introduction of GTD PRO for 2022 brought opportunities for those teams in GTD to rise to the top GT class. That has brought a blend of entries.


 

Four teams – Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports, Pfaff Motorsports, Vasser Sullivan and Heart of Racing Team – have competed in all three GTD PRO seasons since the class’ introduction.


 

That’s made them the “core four” present to this point, along with class newcomers such as AO Racing and Paul Miller Racing also making the step up from GTD to GTD PRO, along with Ford Multimatic Motorsports fielding its two cars this year.


 

To date, through the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, those core four teams have won 20 of the 27 GTD PRO races in class history. Those 20 wins are split as Pfaff has six, Heart of Racing and Vasser Sullivan five apiece and Corvette four.


 

Add in five wins with its GTD class car spread across three seasons, and all told Heart of Racing has 10 victories in two classes – the most by any team in both GTD PRO and GTD in the current class structure. Vasser Sullivan is next up with eight wins with its two cars (five GTD PRO, three GTD). No other GT team has more than seven wins in the same time frame.

“I think when sometimes people look from the outside, they’ve seen the Corvette or Porsche programs and think it’s on a totally different level,” said Ian James, driver and team principal of Heart of Racing Team.


 

“We get some support from the factory, but we’re the Heart of Racing Team, compared to Corvette, Ford, Lexus we’re racing against. To compete week-in, week-out against them is a testament to everyone on the team – we’re doing a decent job.”

 

Proving the point, the last two race weekends have seen Heart of Racing deliver back-to-back wins for the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo in both classes. The No. 23 car driven by Ross Gunn and Alex Riberas took first in GTD PRO at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on June 23. The No. 27 car driven by De Angelis and Spencer Pumpelly had a dominant drive to the GTD victory on July 14 at CTMP, marking the lucky 13th Aston Martin Vantage win in IMSA.


 

The No. 23 Aston Martin is second in the GTD PRO standings, just 98 points behind the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R. Despite a 22nd-place finish to open the season in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the No. 27 sits sixth in GTD but only 97 points out of third.


 

Valkyrie Hypercar Set for Test Program

 

Aston Martin with the Heart of Racing Team has just begun the testing and development of its new Valkyrie AMR-LMH in mid-July in Silverstone, England.

The striking new prototype is based on the production-based extreme performance car, the Aston Martin Valkyrie, and is the fastest car the manufacturer has ever built. The prototype will be powered by a 6.5-liter, naturally aspirated V-12 Cosworth engine but will not include the hybrid powertrain system used in the LMDh specification cars currently running in the WeatherTech Championship’s Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class.


 

Aston Martin has announced Heart of Racing Team will run two prototypes in WEC and one car in IMSA in 2025.


 

“It’s Heart of Racing as the factory team representing Aston Martin,” James said. “We’re getting very close to kicking off the testing program now. There’s a finished car, the first iteration of it. That’s exciting. We’re heading into uncharted territory for us. A new class is the next step up, and the competition is fierce. We’ll enjoy the journey and see how well we can do.”


 

GT will not be ignored, as James also expects to announce the scale and series of the team’s 2025 GT efforts at a later date. Right now, the team fields multiple GT3- and GT4-spec Aston Martins across both international and domestic sports car championships.


 

“The end goal is to give opportunities to people that deserve it. Without a GT presence, it’d stop after GT4. Gabe (Newell, team co-founder) is very adamant we continue the ladder system and have a home for people deserving it. We’ll stay present likely in all three categories,” James said.

 

Keeping It All in the Family

 

The Heart of Racing continues to race for Seattle Children’s Cardiology Research Fund.


 

“That’s still very much part of the original DNA of the program: to raise money for pediatric cardiac care at Seattle Children’s Hospital,” James said. “They are still a great partner of ours. Every lap in some form or another, we give back to the hospital.”


 

The Heart of Racing’s driver roster, though expansive, reads like a “who’s who” of current sports car stars and they work together as part of a tight-knit, family unit.

In IMSA this year alone, Gunn, Riberas and Mario Farnbacher have been in the team’s No. 23 GTD PRO car with De Angelis, James, Pumpelly, Zacharie Robichon and Marco Sorensen in the No. 27 GTD car. That roster expands with Daniel Mancinelli joining James and Riberas in its WEC entry.


 

“Continuity is good, but it’s also drivers who have already driven for the team before. Spencer’s new this year, and everyone else has driven for us before or is doing the long races,” James said. “In an ideal world you’d have the same lineup at every race, but with the (series schedule) clashes this year it wasn’t possible.”


 

The team’s expansion and future plans have not come at the expense of the core of its mission, James said.


 

“Any success for the team or drivers that have been part of Heart of Racing makes you feel good,” he said. “It’s a very close-knit group. We all work for each other and can’t do anything without each other. Gabe gives us these opportunities to fulfill our dreams and we try to do that every day, especially when we’re at a racetrack!


 

“Roman (and) I met six years ago for the first time at Daytona, and I said if the opportunity ever arises I would love to drive with him again. He’s delivered twofold.


 

“We get to do so much fun stuff, sometimes it’s hard to look back! I just got off the plane from Brazil, I’m at Silverstone now, and the Hypercar is about to go out. Life’s good.”


 

(Photo of Aston Martin Valkyrie courtesy of Aston Martin Racing)

 

 

Entry List Notebook – IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America

All Four WeatherTech Championship Classes Are in Action at ‘America’s National Park of Speed’


 

July 24, 2024

By Mark Robinson

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship gathers all four classes for the final time in a non-endurance race in 2024 when the series heads to the IMSA SportsCar Weekend from Aug. 2-4 at Road America.


 

The high-speed 4.048-mile track in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, known as “America’s National Park of Speed,” is a favorite of drivers and fans alike. A total of 47 cars are on the pre-event entry list, with 10 listed in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class, 12 in Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), 10 in GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and 15 in GT Daytona (GTD).


 

The two-hour, 40-minute race streams live on Peacock beginning at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 4. Here’s a primer for what else you need to know ahead of the race weekend.

 

Fast Facts

IMSA SportsCar Weekend

Road America – Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

Aug. 2-4, 2024

  • Race Day/Time: Sunday, Aug. 4, 3:10 p.m. ET
  • Peacock Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 3 p.m. (available outside the U.S. on IMSA.tv and youtube.com/IMSAOfficial)
  • Live Qualifying Stream: Saturday, Aug. 3 – 5:15 p.m. on Peacock (in the U.S.) and IMSA.tv (globally)
  • IMSA Radio: Select sessions live on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com; SiriusXM live race coverage begins Sunday, Aug. 4 at 3 p.m. (XM 206, Web/App 996)
  • Circuit Type: 4.048-mile, 14-turn road course
  • Classes Competing: Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), GT Daytona (GTD)
  • Race Length: 2 hours, 40 minutes

Track Social Media: 

Event Hashtags: #IMSA, #RoadAmerica


 

WeatherTech Championship Track Records

  • GTP: Pipo Derani, Cadillac V-Series.R, 1:47.730 / 135.271 mph, August 2023
  • LMP2: James French, ORECA LMP2, 1:52.037 / 130.070 mph, August 2019
  • GTD PRO: Alex Riberas, Aston Martin Vantage GT3, 2:02.918 / 118.556 mph, August 2023
  • GTD: Madison Snow, BMW M4 GT3, 2:03.291 / 118.198 mph, August 2023

 

2023 IMSA SportsCar Weekend Winners

  • GTP: Matt Campbell/Felipe Nasr, No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963
  • LMP2: Ben Keating/Paul-Loup Chatin, No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07
  • LMP3: Gar Robinson/Josh Burdon, No. 74 Riley Ligier JS P320
  • GTD PRO: Ross Gunn/Alex Riberas, No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3
  • GTD: Bryan Sellers/Madison Snow, No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3


 

Storylines

  • GTP Resumes after Summer Break: After being the only class to race in all of the first six races of the 2024 season, the Grand Touring Prototypes (GTP) received a well-deserved six-week break before returning to action at Road America. The No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 – the defending Road America race winner and only two-time GTP winner in 2024 – holds a 93-point advantage atop the class standings with three races remaining.
  • Together Again: All four WeatherTech Championship car classes (GTP, LMP2, GTD PRO and GTD) will be competing at Road America. This is the first and only time it occurs this year outside of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events. After this weekend, the four classes will race together again at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in September and at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the season finale in October.
  • Two-Way Tussle in LMP2 Standings: Two teams are within 12 points atop the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) standings heading into the Road America weekend. Gar Robinson, Felipe Fraga and the No. 74 Riley ORECA LMP2 07 are a dozen markers ahead of Nick Boulle, Tom Dillman and the No. 52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA. The No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen ORECA is coming off an overall win at CTMP and won last year at Road America with a different driver lineup.
  • Rexy or Roxy, No. 77 Porsche Still No. 1 in GTD PRO: The No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, which leads the GTD PRO standings, has raced with the popular “Rexy” the green dinosaur livery to date this season. At Road America, the car will wear the equally popular “Roxy” the pink dinosaur colors. The No. 77 is 98 points ahead of the No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo that is the reigning class winner at the track.


 

Who’s Good Here?

  • Felipe Nasr: The Brazilian and ex-Formula 1 driver is chasing his third consecutive overall win at Road America. He took the checkered flag with co-driver Pipo Derani in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi in 2021, didn’t race in 2022, and then won with Matt Campbell last year in the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 in the GTP class.
  • Gar Robinson: After winning in the Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) class each of the past two years at Road America, Robinson and the Riley team are seeking a three-peat of their own with a victory in LMP2. Robinson and co-driver Felipe Fraga lead the class standings despite not yet winning this season in the No. 74 ORECA LMP2 07.
  • Dirk Mueller: The German veteran returns to Road America for the first time in five years, looking to build on a stout record at the track. He’s a five-time pole winner there, including three straight (2016-18) in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class. He’s also a two-time winner, the last coming in 2017 in GTLM with Joey Hand. Mueller and Hand have reunited this year, sharing the No. 65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 in the GTD PRO class.


 

Who’s Hot?

  • No. 7 Penske Porsche: Since winning at Road America a year ago, the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 hasn’t finished lower than fourth place and has scored more points than any other GTP competitor in that 10-race span. Co-drivers Felipe Nasr and Dane Cameron are the only two-time class winners this season, coming off a victory June 23 in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.
  • No. 57 Winward Mercedes: With four wins and a runner-up finish in the first six GTD races this season, Philip Ellis, Russell Ward and the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 have eased away to a 340-point lead in the class standings. They know how to win at Road America too, having taken the GTD victory there in 2022.

 

Previous IMSA SportsCar Weekend Winners in 2024 Field (32)

  • Joey Hand (3): GT2 – 2009; GT – 2010; GTLM – 2017
  • Ben Keating (3): GTD – 2015, 2016; LMP2 – 2023
  • Richard Westbrook (3): GT2 – 2008; GTLM – 2018, 2019
  • Ryan Dalziel (2): LMP2 – 2021, 2022
  • Pipo Derani (2): P – 2017; DPi – 2021
  • Dirk Mueller (2): GT – 2010; GTLM – 2017
  • Felipe Nasr (2): DPi – 2021; GTP – 2023
  • Zacharie Robichon (2): GTD – 2019, 2021
  • Gar Robinson (2): LMP3 – 2022, 2023
  • Ricky Taylor (2): DPi – 2020, 2022
  • Filipe Albuquerque (1): DPi – 2022
  • Joao Barbosa (1): P – 2014
  • Ben Barnicoat (1): GTD PRO – 2022 
  • Paul-Loup Chatin (1): LMP2 – 2023
  • Philip Ellis (1): GTD – 2022
  • Felipe Fraga (1): LMP3 – 2022
  • Antonio Garcia (1): GTLM – 2020
  • Ross Gunn (1): GTD PRO – 2023
  • Ben Hanley (1): LMP2 – 2020
  • Jack Hawksworth (1): GTD PRO – 2022
  • Ian James (1): P2 – 2004
  • Jesse Krohn (1): GTD – 2017
  • Tommy Milner (1): GTLM – 2016
  • Frankie Montecalvo (1): GTD – 2020
  • Alex Riberas (1): GTD PRO – 2023
  • Bryan Sellers (1): GTD – 2023
  • Madison Snow (1): GTD – 2023
  • Nick Tandy (1): GTLM – 2015
  • Jordan Taylor (1): GTLM – 2020
  • Harry Tincknell (1): DPi – 2019
  • Renger van der Zande (1): PC – 2014
  • Russell Ward (1): GTD – 2022


 

Previous IMSA SportsCar Weekend Pole Winners in 2024 Field (17)

  • Dirk Mueller (5): GT2 – 2008; GT – 2011; GTLM – 2016, 2017, 2018
  • Ricky Taylor (3): DP – 2011; P – 2017; DPi – 2020
  • Dane Cameron (2): DP – 2013; DPi – 2019
  • Joey Hand (2): GT2 – 2009; P – 2015
  • Ben Keating (2): GTD – 2019, LMP2 – 2021
  • Alex Riberas (2): GTD – 2016; GTD PRO – 2023
  • Filipe Albuquerque (1): DPi – 2022
  • Ryan Dalziel (1): P – 2014
  • Pipo Derani (1): GTP – 2023
  • Robby Foley (1): GTD – 2022
  • Daniel Goldburg (1): LMP3 – 2021
  • Jack Hawksworth (1): GTD PRO – 2022
  • Ian James (1): P2 – 2004
  • Felipe Nasr (1): DPi – 2021
  • Madison Snow (1): GTD – 2023
  • Jordan Taylor (1): GTLM – 2021
  • Steven Thomas (1): LMP2 – 2022


 

Previous IMSA SportsCar Weekend Winning Teams in 2024 Field (16)

  • Corvette Racing (8): GTS – 2002, 2004; GT1 – 2005, 2006, 2007 2008; GTLM – 2016, 2020
  • Chip Ganassi Racing (5): DP – 2011, 2012; GTLM – 2017, 2018, 2019
  • Action Express Racing (4): P – 2014, 2015, 2016; DPi – 2021
  • Penske (4): P2 – 2006, 2007; DPi – 2020; GTP – 2023
  • PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports (4): LMPC – 2011; PC – 2016; LMP2 – 2019, 2023
  • Riley (4): GTD – 2015, 2016; LMP3 – 2022, 2023
  • BMW M Team RLL (3): GT2 – 2009; GT – 2010, 2012
  • Turner Motorsport (3): GT – 2013, GTD – 2014, 2017
  • Era Motorsport (2): LMP2 – 2021, 2022
  • Pfaff Motorsports (2): GTD – 2019, 2021
  • Vasser Sullivan (2): GTD – 2020; GTD PRO – 2022
  • Heart of Racing Team (1): GTD PRO – 2023
  • Paul Miller Racing (1): GTD – 2023
  • Wayne Taylor Racing (1): DPi – 2022
  • Winward Racing (1): GTD – 2022
  • Wright Motorsports (1): GTD – 2018


 

Previous IMSA SportsCar Weekend Winning Manufacturers in 2024 Field (10)

  • Porsche – 21
  • Chevrolet – 14
  • BMW – 10
  • Ferrari – 7
  • Ford – 6
  • Acura – 5
  • Aston Martin – 2
  • Lexus – 2
  • Cadillac – 1
  • Mercedes-AMG – 1

 

 

Best-Kept Secret Is Out: LMP2 Racing Is Fast, Fierce and Fun

Growing Prototype Class Garners Praise Following CTMP Thriller


 

July 23, 2024

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – In the exciting multiclass racing world of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class can sometimes get lost in the shuffle.


 

At most races, the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) and GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) classes often gather the lion’s share of attention, whether for the exotic hybrid technology in GTP or the direct factory support enjoyed by the production-based GTD PRO cars.


 

Yet when LMP2 is selected as the top class for a race, as was the case at the recent Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, the drivers and teams put on a headline-worthy show.


 

The two-hour, 40-minute race featured eight lead changes among five different teams and a margin of victory of just 0.658 seconds. The win for drivers Tom Dillmann and Nick Boulle in the No. 52 ORECA LMP2 07 was the first for Inter Europol in its association with PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports, and the first for the PR1 Mathiasen group in just under a year.


 

LMP2 may not always make the headlines, but it’s also arguably IMSA’s best-kept secret. Eight out of 18 LMP2 races staged in the WeatherTech Championship over the last three seasons of racing were decided by less than a second. In 2023, the four races that made up the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (Rolex 24 At Daytona, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and Motul Petit Le Mans) featured a combined margin of victory of 2.171 seconds. That’s after 52 hours of competition!

IMSA uses its Balance of Performance (BoP) process to ensure parity between participants in the GTP, GTD PRO and GT Daytona (GTD) classes due to the wide variety of cars entered by participating manufacturers. LMP2, on the other hand, uses a standardized 4.2-liter Gibson V-8 for every competitor that produces about 500 horsepower. While several chassis are homologated for use, all LMP2 entries in the WeatherTech Championship this season are running the dominant ORECA except for a lone Ligier.


 

“It’s a heck of a class, and I think it’s neat that IMSA created a race where the LMP2s can go for the overall win and the spotlight,” said Colin Braun, who has competed in almost every class of racing that IMSA has to offer, including GTP. Three of Braun’s 25 IMSA race victories have come in LMP2, and he has also achieved an LMP2 class win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.


 

“With the fact that we’re with all the same cars, there’s no BoP to talk about, there’s no different performance levels, it’s just about how good each team executes and how good the drivers and engineers can come up with a setup that is fast,” he said. “It makes for pretty intense racing, for sure.”


 

Big-Name Drivers Continue Taking Their Turns in LMP2


 

Like Braun, who is competing in LMP2 full-time this year teamed with George Kurtz in the No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA, several other sports car stars raced in the category on their way up the sports car ladder. Some still do. The LMP2 field at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park included four regulars from the GTP class: Filipe Albuquerque, Louis Deletraz, Pipo Derani and Renger van der Zande. Of the 19 full-time drivers in GTP this season, only five have never participated in LMP2.


 

LMP2 in the WeatherTech Championship has also attracted a series of well-known guest drivers for Michelin Endurance Cup races over the years, including Formula 1 drivers Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Paul di Resta and Lando Norris. About half the IndyCar Series is generally represented in LMP2 at the Rolex 24, including in recent years the likes of two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward and Scott McLaughlin.


 

LMP2 features the closest championship battle in the WeatherTech Championship this season, with Gar Robinson and Felipe Fraga (No. 74 Riley ORECA) leading No. 52 Interpol/PR1 Mathiasen drivers Dillman and Boulle by just 12 points.

Ryan Dalziel and the No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA are 135 points back of the leaders in third.


 

“It’s always had the ingredients of a great class,” Dalziel said. “It’s huge in Europe and the FIA WEC, so it’s nice to see IMSA and the U.S. racing scene embracing it, because it’s such a good car.”


 

LMP2 is achieving unparalleled popularity this season, with the class swelling to 12 full-time entries and the competition fierce.


 

“It’s gotten tougher,” Dalziel admitted. “With a spec car, spec engine, spec gearbox, there’s obviously only so many things you can tune on it. The European teams coming over has made it increasingly tighter. There were multiple races last year where you looked at the results at the end and the fastest laps between the top five cars were within a couple of tenths.”


 

The ultimate capability of an LMP2 was shown in 2018 when Braun and Jon Bennett drove to WeatherTech Championship outright wins at CTMP and Road America competing in the Prototype class against Daytona Prototype international (DPi) entrants. Since then, class specifications have been slightly modified to create a greater performance gap between LMP2 and GTP. But the bottom line is that an LMP2 car is still an incredibly capable racing car.

 

“It’s a tricky car to get right, but it’s a very easy car to get wrong,” Dalziel said. “It’s very sensitive. When you get it wrong, it’s a bit of a handful. Other than probably the Acura ARX-03B (Prototype) from the Patron days, I think it’s the best car I’ve ever driven.”


 

The next round of the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship is the IMSA SportsCar Weekend, Aug. 1-4 at Road America. All four series classes will be racing on the 4.048-mile road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

 

Conquest Rising in WeatherTech Championship Return

Past Open-Wheel, LMP2 Entrant Making Strides with Ferrari, Franco, Costa in GTD


 

July 22, 2024

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – For as iconic a brand as Ferrari is, its presence as a full-time entrant within the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship has been hit-or-miss for several years.


 

Risi Competizione has more than 25 years’ experience overall but has more recently shifted to an IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup-focused schedule. Several other teams – AF Corse, Cetilar Racing and Triarsi Competizione most frequently – have joined them in that pursuit.


 

But Ferrari has been back fully in the 2024 WeatherTech Championship campaign with a longtime sports car and open-wheel entrant of its own: Eric Bachelart’s Conquest Racing in Grand Touring Daytona (GTD).


 

Somewhat hard as it is to believe, Conquest is the first full-time Ferrari entrant in any WeatherTech Championship class since Scuderia Corsa ran the 2020 GTD season with a 488 GT3. Bachelart’s Conquest team is back in the top level of IMSA for the first time since it fielded a Morgan Nissan Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class entry in the 2012 American Le Mans Series.


 

Bachelart, whose own team has raced multiple series over a couple decades, has fielded one of the pleasant surprises of the season with a pair of WeatherTech Championship rookies in Manny Franco and Albert Costa Balboa. Through the first six races of the season, the drivers of the No. 34 Ferrari 296 GT3 are fourth in GTD points with a pair of podium finishes – third at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and a season-best second at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.


 

“The series has grown a lot and it’s definitely way more competitive than it was back then,” Bachelart reflected.


 

Franco has grown with Ferrari, Conquest and Bachelart through the team’s Ferrari Challenge program and this year is paired with Costa Balboa, who gathered extensive single-seater experience and championships before shifting to sports cars, where he’s driven both LMP2 and GT3 spec cars.


 

Though a relative late arriver to Ferrari Challenge – Franco only joined the series a few years ago – he’s developed quickly. In his first season of GT3 racing last year in another series, he won the first race in North America for the 296 GT3 at Road America.


 

Keen to test himself against not just other GT3 drivers, teams and cars but also prototypes, Franco and Conquest Racing took the step back into the full, four-class WeatherTech Championship this season.

“That’s what I love about IMSA, the multiclass and the opportunities in both attacking and defending,” Franco said. “Sometimes you’re on the wrong end of it, but the attacking side can be fun.


 

“It’s a mental overload but it’s good. GT3 racing alone has its ups and downs, but it can be a train if everyone is so similar on driver level and performance.”


 

Costa Balboa, who was part of the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning LMP2 effort with the Inter Europol Competition team, is also new to IMSA in 2024. The Spaniard blends both LMP2 and GT3 racing simultaneously and has thoroughly enjoyed his first year through the North American tracks and series.


 

“As drivers, we have some good friends and when I told them I had an opportunity in IMSA, they said, ‘It’s one of the best championships to race as a driver,’” Costa Balboa said.


 

“The tracks are cool and the competition is high, but it’s almost more that the atmosphere is so nice around the paddock and fans. I’m really enjoying it and I hope I get to be back next year because I’ve made so many new friends. And as work, I’m enjoying it a lot. I’m growing up as a driver.”


 

Both Bachelart and Costa Balboa have been quick to note Franco’s development, Bachelart as a team principal and Costa Balboa as the pro driver within the GTD lineup requiring a Silver- or Bronze-rated driver.


 

“Manny is a very gifted driver; we saw that from the first time we tested him in Ferrari Challenge,” Bachelart explained.


 

“So he has adapted really well to GT3 right away. Obviously now it’s a matter of learning more about the series, developing the feedback and the race craft in IMSA with all the traffic involved. I think we’ve gone above expectations this year and have done a good job overall.”

Costa Balboa added, “This is my first time ever in a Pro-Am or GT3 class. So my career was either in a pro class or racing alone in single-seaters, and you need to change the mentality.


 

“You’re not not going to win; but you need to adapt the car and set up the car so the Silver driver has to be as quick as he can. You work the base to him to have him as quick as he can be, and then I have to race it. It’s a nice challenge and I like it, weekend by weekend.”


 

The next race, the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America, Aug. 2-4, is a special one for Franco and Conquest in particular. Not only is it where Franco won last year, but it’s also his home venue.


 

“Everyone wants a home race, but being born in Wisconsin and getting to race there is a true home race,” Franco said.


 

“The first win for the 296 is something Ferrari reps told us was a big achievement for the team and for us in GT3 competition. It’s nice to go to a track where we’re very familiar with it since most of the places we’ve gone have been so new.”


 

Conquest is sorting its 2025 plans heading into the final quartet of 2024 races. Bachelart said the goal is to keep on improving and working and try to get back to the top three in points, where they were going into Canadian Tire Motorsport Park before finishing 11th in that race. He said that was very motivating.


 

The No. 34 Conquest Ferrari will be part of the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America with coverage Sunday, Aug. 4 at 3 p.m. ET on Peacock and IMSA Radio.

 

 

Three Takeaways: Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Enjoying Top Dog Status, Honoring the Title Namesake and Loving the CTMP Vibe


 

July 15, 2024

By Jeff Olson

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Blind corners, long straightaways and high speeds met a new headlining class Sunday in the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The combination did not disappoint.


 

Here’s what we took away from the seventh IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race of the 2024 season.


 

LMP2 Can Handle the Spotlight


 

After he won the Motul Pole Award on Saturday, PJ Hyett was asked if he enjoyed the opportunity to lead the 34-car field to the green flag.


 

“I like that part,” Hyett said with a smile. “I like that part a lot.” 


 

The Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class rarely finds itself the fastest class during a race weekend – nor does it often have a chance to emerge from the shadow of the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class.


 

Visiting CTMP for the first time since 2019, LMP2 put on a show as the headliner. The 0.658-second margin of victory between Tom Dillmann in the No. 52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 and Felipe Fraga in the No. 74 Riley ORECA at race’s end proved the class can carry a weekend.


 

One added bonus: Not getting lapped by GTP cars.


 

“It’s nice to not have to worry about anyone outside your class passing you,” said Gar Robinson, Fraga’s co-driver. “That was pretty cool.”


 

Perfect Effort, Perfect Timing

When your manufacturer holds the race title sponsorship, it’s wise to put forth your best effort. 


 

Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports nailed it, with Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia taking the team’s No. 3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R to victory over the No. 4 Corvette, co-driven by Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg, by 0.408 seconds in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class.


 

The performance carried weight for an organization accustomed to hefty achievements. It was the first win for the new generation of the Z06 and the 116th victory by a Corvette, including wins in American Le Mans Series, GRAND-AM and the WeatherTech Championship.


 

"This is huge for the entire Corvette program,” said Garcia, who notched his 30th career win. “I'm glad that we could finally get the first win in IMSA for the Z06 GT3.R and to get my first win with Alex. We just need to carry on like this and build on the things we have been doing. More wins will come.”


 

Everything about This Place Is Special

With its high speeds, elevation changes and robust fan base, the track formerly known as Mosport is unique.


 

It’s a jewel among North American road courses, one that isn’t often seen but must be experienced. Drivers who race it regularly know the challenge the circuit presents and what it means to prevail at CTMP.


 

“I just love this track, I love these fans,” said Spencer Pumpelly, who teamed with Roman De Angelis to win the GT Daytona (GTD) class in the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo. “I always love getting an opportunity to come up and race here. These cars are so much fun around this track. I’m going to be reliving this moment for the next couple of weeks coming up.”


 

All four classes of the WeatherTech Championship return to action Aug. 2-4 in the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

 

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What to Watch For: Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

LMP2 Class Earns Much-Deserved Weekend in Spotlight


 

July 11, 2024

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The “I” standing for “International” in IMSA is highlighted this weekend when the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship visits Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.


 

IMSA-sanctioned sports car racing is a hugely international affair, with 18 participating auto manufacturers representing six nations. But the Chevrolet Grand Prix weekend at the historic venue colloquially known as “Mosport” is IMSA’s only event staged outside of the United States.


 

Located about 60 miles east of Toronto’s city center, CTMP is a fast and flowing 2.459-mile road course that has been a favorite of drivers and racing fans since 1961. It’s unique on this year’s WeatherTech Championship slate because the field will be comprised of the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) classes, with Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) taking a summer holiday.


 

The three days are loaded with action, featuring a card that also includes the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge and Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin. Here’s what to watch for:


 

LMP2 Is Number 1


 

It may not be obvious at first glance, but every GTP car in the WeatherTech Championship is based on an LMP2 chassis from approved suppliers. Porsche uses Multimatic, Cadillac and BMW are with Dallara, Lamborghini with Ligier and Acura with ORECA, whose LMP2 07 chassis has become the choice of almost every LMP2 class competitor.


 

Because LMP2 cars are smaller and lighter than the complex hybrid-powered GTP class entries, the performance gap between GTP and LMP2 is surprisingly small – about three seconds a lap at most tracks. LMP2 cars also achieve their performance differently, with less straight-line velocity countered by higher cornering speeds.


 

The GTP pole time in 2023 at CTMP was 1 minute, 5.653 seconds. The LMP2 lap record is 1:06.315 – less than a second’s difference. It’s not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison because weight and power regulations for LMP2 cars have been modified in recent years to maintain a performance separation between GTP and LMP2. But make no mistake, an LMP2 prototype is an extremely capable racing car.

Just ask Colin Braun, the driver who set that LMP2 track record in 2018. Not only that, Braun and Jon Bennett drove to the overall win for CORE autosport that weekend in a 12-car Prototype class field that included four LMP2s and eight Daytona Prototype international (DPi) cars.


 

Six of Braun’s 24 IMSA race wins have come at CTMP, including last year, when he and Tom Blomqvist took the overall victory in a GTP-class Acura ARX-06 for Meyer Shank Racing. This year, Braun will be back to compete for the overall win, teamed with George Kurtz in the LMP2 class No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA LMP2 07.


 

“I think it’s neat what IMSA has done to give this class a spotlight race where they can compete for the overall win,” said Braun. “That makes it fun for us as teams and good for our sponsors and partners, and just brings some awareness to how great the racing is in the LMP2 class.


 

“I think oftentimes there are some storylines that go untold or unseen because there’s so much good racing in IMSA right now. You can’t cover everything, so it will be great to showcase what the competition is all about because it’s a heck of a class.”


 

Wickens Homecoming

Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker are the defending champions in the Touring Car (TCR) class of the Michelin Pilot Challenge. But theirs was a winless title campaign, and it’s been a full two years since Canadian favorite Wickens (No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR) last tasted victory. It came during the Chevrolet Grand Prix weekend in 2022, at a venue the Ontario native considers a home track despite having rarely raced there throughout the course of his varied and successful career.


 

“I raced there in Formula BMW in 2006, and then I did a (Formula) Atlantic race as a one-off in 2009,” Wickens said. “Apart from that, I was racing overseas in Europe and the stars never aligned where I could race in a series that came to CTMP (until the 2022 win). Although I feel I know the track like the back of my hand from watching it all the years, I actually don’t have much on-track experience.”


 

Wickens and Gottsacker finished second at CTMP in 2023. They rank third in this year’s TCR class standings, 310 points behind Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor, who have driven the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR to wins in four of five races.


 

Championship Chases


 

LMP2 features the closest championship battle in the WeatherTech Championship, with Gar Robinson and Felipe Fraga (No. 74 Riley ORECA) leading Dwight Merriman and Ryan Dalziel (No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA) by just six points, though Stuart Wiltshire is subbing for Merriman this weekend.


 

It’s a three-team battle in GTD PRO, with Seb Priaulx and Laurin Heinrich (No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R), Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat (No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3), and Ross Gunn (No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo) in a 60-point cluster. Philip Ellis and Russell Ward (No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT3) have an impressive lead in GTD, with four wins in five races to build a 305-point cushion over Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher (No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3).

 

GTP Quartet Jumping into LMP2s at CTMP for Chevrolet Grand Prix

With Le Mans Prototype 2 as the Lead Class, Albuquerque, Deletraz, Derani and van der Zande Getting in on the Action


 

July 10, 2024

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – You won’t see Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) cars when the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship visits Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this weekend for the Chevrolet Grand Prix. But you will see several of the stars who normally drive them.


 

For a variety of reasons including track length, available pit and paddock space, and competitive balance and safety aspects, not every WeatherTech Championship event can accommodate all four of IMSA’s racing classes – GTP, Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) and GTD PRO. The LMP2 class was not on the bill for the races earlier this year at Long Beach, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Detroit, but it is the top class competing in this weekend’s two-hour, 40-minute competition.


 

The break in the GTP schedule is no vacation for four of the regular class drivers, however. Renger van der Zande, Filipe Albuquerque, Pipo Derani and Louis Deletraz – all of whom have prior LMP2 experience – have been retained to co-drive at CTMP for teams in the heat of the LMP2 championship battle. They’ll be chasing class leaders Gar Robinson, Felipe Fraga and the No. 74 Riley ORECA LMP2 07, who hold a slim six-point advantage over the No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA. LMP2 entries make up 12 of the 35-car field.


 

Deletraz returns to the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA known as “Spike” that he shared with AO Racing team owner PJ Hyett and Alex Quinn at the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans, where they earned a second-place finish in the LMP2 Pro-Am class. The 27-year-old Deletraz has a wealth of LMP2 experience, including a pair of European Le Mans Series championships and the LMP2 title in the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship, with three wins in seven races.


 

He also shared the winning GTP class Acura ARX-06 at this year’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Cadillac, claiming the honors in the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06 with Jordan Taylor and Colton Herta.


 

“I’m excited to be at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with AO Racing,” Deletraz stated. “It’s a new track for me, but everyone says good things about it. It’s high-speed and we’ll be the top class there with no GTP running. It will be nice to have the opportunity to win an overall race in LMP2. I’m really looking forward to it after Le Mans and to sharing the car with PJ and all the crew.”


 

United Autosports has fielded LMP2 cars at Le Mans and in European-based championships since 2017. This year, it has added a full-time two-car WeatherTech Championship program under the United Autosports USA banner. Albuquerque was part of United’s initial entry into LMP2 seven years ago, and while his day job now is to co-drive WTRAndretti’s No. 10 GTP class Acura in the WeatherTech Championship, he has continued to compete at Le Mans with United, claiming the LMP2 class win in 2020.


 

This year at Le Mans, United scored the LMP2 win with a car driven by Bijoy Garg, Oliver Jarvis and Nolan Siegel. Albuquerque shared another United entry with Ben Keating and Ben Hanley, who race United’s No. 2 ORECA in the WeatherTech Championship. At CTMP, Deletraz will be in the No. 22 United ORECA with Daniel Goldburg.


 

“I am really looking forward to race in Mosport with United, racing for the overall victory,” Albuquerque said. “I had the chance to meet Daniel already and we had a great feeling. On top of that, I got a nice warmup at Le Mans to get back into the LMP2. We want to fight for the win, for sure.”


 

Derani parlayed his impressive form in LMP2 machinery into a top-flight prototype driving career. He joined the team now known as Whelen Cadillac Racing in 2018 and has since won a pair of top-level IMSA championships, in Daytona Prototype international (DPi) in 2021 and GTP in ’23. He joins Richard Mille AF Corse at CTMP to share the No. 88 ORECA with Luis Perez Companc.


 

Van der Zande has maintained a presence in international LMP2 competition for the last few years to enhance his full-time GTP program in the No. 01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R in the WeatherTech Championship. He’ll pair with team owner (and 2022 IMSA LMP2 champion) John Farano in the No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA this weekend in Canada.


 

The Chevrolet Grand Prix airs live on USA Network and Peacock starting at 11 a.m. ET Sunday. International coverage is available on IMSA.tv and youtube.com/IMSAOfficial.

 

 

Fast Learner, Aghakhani Leads P3 Class Heading to CTMP

The 21-Year-Old Tops the Class in His First Season Driving Prototypes


 

July 9, 2024

By Mark Robinson

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Considering he’d never stepped into a prototype race car before this year and was completely out of the sport for all of 2023, Steven Aghakhani has acquitted himself exceptionally well this season in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge.


 

The 21-year-old Californian heads into the second half of the season with two wins and a comfortable lead in the Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class. The VP Racing Challenge heads this week to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for a pair of 45-minute sprint races.


 

Aghakhani began racing GT cars at age 16 in 2019. That year, he finished second in the Am class of the IMSA-sanctioned Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series, missing out on the title by a single point. He graduated to the Pro class the following two years, where he and Jacob Eidson finished second in 2020 and third in 2021. Aghakhani notched 10 total wins in the series and made his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut in late 2021.


 

After taking the 2023 season off from racing, Aghakhani landed the opportunity this year to join MLT Motorsports to drive the No. 6 Ligier JS P320 in the VP Racing Challenge that features P3 and GT4 cars. Despite no prior prototype experience, Aghakhani swept the season-opening round at Daytona International Speedway. He’s followed that with a trio of second-place finishes in the next four races to build a 280-point lead in the P3 standings.


 

“So far, it's been a fairly good season,” Aghakhani said. “Obviously, having I think a combined drive time of all the practice and races of about maybe 15-20 hours in the car, we have a little catching up to do in terms of driving the car more and getting the overall feeling. But as of right now, seems like it's going pretty well.”


 

Aghakhani’s prime competition in P3 has come from Jagger Jones, driver of the No. 87 FastMD Racing with Remstar Duqueine D08 who’s won the last four races. But since Jones missed the Daytona round, he sits a distant fourth in points.


 

While he’s enjoyed his battles at the front with Jones, Aghakhani admits he and the MLT team are keeping the end goal in sight, which has tempered his aggressiveness.

“We have the championship in mind and that's what's important,” he said. “As a competitive driver it's not what you want, but also in the end – in the long run – winning the war is more important than the battle. Taking home the championship at the end of the season is way more important than sacrificing everything for one race, and that's what we keep in mind.”


 

Like many in this weekend’s 20-car field (eight in P3, 12 in GSX), Aghakhani has never raced at CTMP. He’s well aware of the track’s high-speed nature, which once again gets his competitive juices flowing.


 

“I'm looking very forward to this weekend because high-speed tracks I prefer actually over a lot of low-speed courses,” Aghakhani explained, “just because it's almost like a fun factor of just kind of throwing the car in the corner and kind of scaring yourself. You’re like, ‘I hope this holds!’ I think we're going to do great there. It's a blessed opportunity to come out and do some racing at some legendary tracks like this.”


 

The GSX championship battle is much closer, with Luca Mars (No. 59 KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4) and Jesse Lazare (No. 21 Motorsports In Action McLaren Artura GT4) separated by 120 points. Each of those drivers has won three times this season.


 

The VP Racing Challenge races are set for 8:50 a.m. ET Saturday and 3:55 p.m. Sunday. Both will stream live on Peacock in the U.S. and IMSA.tv elsewhere.

 

 

Plumb Sets Sights on Sole Possession of GS Wins List, Class Title

The Team TGM Driver Is Tied with 2023 CTMP Winner Billy Johnson Heading into This Weekend’s Race


 

July 8, 2024

By Mark Robinson

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Matt Plumb returns to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this week with a bit of a vengeful edge in his mind.


 

It was at the historic road course in Bowmanville, Ontario, a year ago where Plumb temporarily lost his share of the lead in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge career victories in the Grand Sport (GS) class. Having regained that stature with a win last month at Watkins Glen International, Plumb seeks to take sole possession atop the chart in the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120 on Saturday.


 

Plumb and the No. 46 Team TGM Aston Martin Vantage GT4 that he shares with Paul Holton lead the GS standings by 240 points following their June 22 triumph at The Glen. It was the 24th GS victory for Plumb, drawing him even with Billy Johnson for most in series annals.


 

Johnson secured his 24th GS win a year ago at CTMP, which left Plumb – who had been winless for nearly seven years until the recent victory – admittedly miffed.


 

“I remember when Billy broke the tie for the most wins in the series, and that angered me a bit because he’s quite a bit younger than me,” Plumb jokingly said after winning at Watkins Glen.


 

Now that he’s drawn even with Johnson once more, Plumb can return focus on the bigger picture: capturing the GS season championship. He and Team TGM have built their points advantage through consistency, finishing no worse than sixth in any race through the first half of the 10-race season.


 

“It’s incredibly hard to win in the series,” Plumb said. “I went into this year thinking, ‘Win the war, not the battle,’ and there are a lot of pieces that have been working to our advantage. Paul and I have a long history of driving successfully together. Obviously, I've had a long history with TGM – four, five years. We’re just starting to get some momentum going.”


 

True, but parity has ruled the GS class this season, with a different winner in all five races so far. While the No. 46’s championship points margin seems comfortable, with 23 GS entries this week, a subpar finish could chop into – or completely eliminate – that lead. Four other teams – the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4, No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4, No. 91 Kellymoss with Riley Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport and No. 71 Rebel Rock Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo – all lurk within 240 to 320 points from the No. 46 and are eager to capitalize.


 

The Touring Car (TCR) class, meanwhile, has been dominated by the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR and co-drivers Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor, who’ve won four of the first five races and built a 220-point cushion in their class.


 

They are the defending TCR winners at CTMP, with Taylor using a late bump-and-run maneuver on the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR for the lead that prevented native Canadian Robert Wickens from taking a second straight win at his home track.


 

Michelin Pilot Challenge will conduct a pair of 60-minute practice sessions Friday at the 2.459-mile, 10-turn CTMP circuit. Qualifying rolls off at 8 a.m. ET Saturday. The two-hour race streams live on Peacock in the U.S. and IMSA.tv globally starting at 1:20 p.m. Saturday.

 

IMSA’s Canadian Contingent Converges on CTMP

Bevy of Talent across Four IMSA Series Gets to Race on Home Soil This Week


 

July 8, 2024

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Chevrolet Grand Prix weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park provides more than 20 IMSA drivers in four IMSA-sanctioned championships a chance to race on home soil.


 

The iconic 2.459-mile, 10-turn track – formerly known as Mosport – set roughly an hour outside of Toronto in Bowmanville, Ontario, is renowned for its sweeping elevation, fast corners and overall speeds. Since Corvette Racing legend Ron Fellows and his group took over track ownership and leadership, the caliber and presentation of CTMP has only increased.


 

The most populous IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship class featuring Canadians is the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class, with six Canadian-flagged drivers in the field.


 

Five of those six have already earned an IMSA championship at some level, and include Parker Thompson (No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3), Roman De Angelis (No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo), Mikael Grenier (No. 32 Korthoff/Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3), Kyle Marcelli (No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2) and Misha Goikhberg (No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2). Thompson is the only one of these six who’s won a WeatherTech Championship race in 2024, having done so at Long Beach co-driving a renumbered No. 89 Vasser Sullivan Lexus with Ben Barnicoat.


 

The only one who hasn’t is Orey Fidani, co-driver in the No. 13 AWA Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, who is leading the Bob Akin Bronze Cup thus far this year and keen to secure that. The top finishing Bronze-rated driver within IMSA’s GTD class secures an automatic entry to the following year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Heading into the weekend, Fidani leads the Akin standings by 70 points over Sheena Monk.


 

John Farano, another championship-winning Canadian, brings the total of WeatherTech Championship Canucks up to seven. The Bronze-rated driver co-drives the No. 8 Tower Motorsport ORECA 07 and won the 2022 Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class title, after previously winning a Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class title a decade earlier in 2012.

There’s another Canadian link within the LMP2 class, albeit from a Florida-based team. The lone Ligier entry in class – Sean Creech Motorsport – will carry a Canadian flag on its JS P217 chassis in deference to Lance Willsey’s family escaping from pre-World War II Czechoslovakia. His family was able to take roots in Niagara Falls, Ontario, a new safe haven following an arduous journey.


 

Beyond the WeatherTech Championship, three other IMSA series – the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, VP Racing SportsCar Challenge and Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin – are active at CTMP and bring the number of Canadian drivers competing north of double digits.

Most notable among the Michelin Pilot Challenge entries is 2023 Touring Car (TCR) class champion Robert Wickens, the Guelph, Ontario, native who co-drives the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N. BHA teammate Mark Wilkins is another past TCR champion in the sister No. 98 Hyundai. Wickens and Wilkins teamed up to win at CTMP two years ago.


 

There are six other Canadian drivers in TCR: LP Montour and Jon Brel (No. 6 Montreal Motorsport Group Honda Civic FL5 TCR), Dean and Sam Baker (No. 52 Baker Racing Audi RS3 LMS TCR), Denis Dupont (No. 76 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N) and Karl Wittmer (No. 93 Montreal Motorsport Group Honda Civic FL5 TCR).


 

The Grand Sport (GS) class isn’t lacking for Canadians either, with an additional six drivers. Toronto’s Daniel Morad is a consistent win contender in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4. The other four include series veteran Jesse Lazare (No. 69 Motorsports In Action McLaren Artura GT4), Jesse Webb (No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT GT4), Thomas Collingwood (No. 38 BGB Motorsports Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport), and Justin Di Benedetto and Travis Hill (No. 22 TWOth Autosport Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport).

The VP Racing Challenge adds in Jonathan Woolridge (No. 38 Performance Tech Ligier JS P320), who won at CTMP last year, and George Staikos (No. 61 Ave Motorsports Ligier JS P320) in the Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class, and Lazare (No. 21 Motorsports In Action McLaren Artura GT4) and Jack Polito (No. 98 Polito Racing Ford Mustang GT4) in Grand Sport X (GSX).


 

Finally in MX-5 Cup, Jonathan Neudorff (No. 55 BSI Racing) is the lone Canadian racing on home soil.


 

You can see all the Canadians and everyone else racing this weekend at CTMP across the IMSA television and streaming platforms of USA Network, Peacock, IMSA.tv and youtube.com/IMSAOfficial.

 

 

 

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Entry List Notebook – Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

LMP2 Class Takes Spotlight in Annual Visit North of the Border


 

July 3, 2024

By Mark Robinson

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click here)

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship takes on a fresh look as North America’s preeminent sports car racing series makes its annual visit to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the Chevrolet Grand Prix next week.


 

The Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class returns to the high-speed road course for the first time in five years and will serve as the lone prototype class in the two-hour, 40-minute race on Sunday, July 14. Joining the LMP2s will be both GT classes – GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and GT Daytona (GTD).


 

Thirty-five cars are entered in the three competing classes. The Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class has the weekend off, but several of its regular drivers have secured one-off rides with LMP2 teams that will make the event even more intriguing. Here’s what you need to know to prepare for the race weekend.


 

Fast Facts

Chevrolet Grand Prix

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada

July 12-14, 2024

  • Race Day/Time: Sunday, July 14 – 11:05 a.m. ET
  • USA Network Coverage: LIVE – 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
  • Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 11 a.m. on Peacock (in the U.S.), IMSA.tv (outside the U.S.) and YouTube.com/IMSAOfficial (outside the U.S.)
  • Live Qualifying Stream: Saturday, July 3 – 3:55 p.m. on Peacock and IMSA.tv
  • IMSA Radio: Select sessions live on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com; SiriusXM live race coverage begins Sunday, July 14 at 11 a.m. (XM 206, Web/App 996)
  • Circuit Type: 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course
  • Classes Competing: Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), Grand Touring Daytona (GTD)
  • Race Length: 2 hours, 40 minutes

Track Social Media: 

Event Hashtags: #IMSA, #ChevroletGrandPrix


 

WeatherTech Championship Track Records

  • LMP2: Matt McMurry, ORECA LMP2, 1:08.197 / 129.806, July 2019 (race)
  • GTD PRO: Jack Hawksworth, Lexus RC F GT3, 1:15.029 / 117.986 mph, July 2023 (qualifying)
  • GTD: Roman De Angelis, Aston Martin Vantage GT3, 1:15.478 / 117.284 mph, July 2023 (qualifying)

 

2023 Chevrolet Grand Prix Winners

  • GTP: Tom Blomqvist/Colin Braun, No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura ARX-06
  • LMP2: Did not race in 2023
  • LMP3: Gar Robinson/Felipe Fraga, No. 74 Riley Ligier JS P320
  • GTD PRO: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor, No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD
  • GTD: Bryan Sellers/Madison Snow, No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3


 

Storylines

  • LMP2 Front and Center: LMP2 has experienced tremendous growth and great competition in the 2024 WeatherTech Championship. The Chevrolet Grand Prix provides the perfect opportunity for the class to showcase itself, with a dozen entries scheduled to compete. The No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07 won the opening two races of the season, with the No. 88 Richard Mille AF Corse ORECA claiming the most recent class victory at Watkins Glen International on June 23.
  • One-Off Wonders: Four drivers who have full-season rides in the GTP class are jumping into LMP2 machines for the chance to race at CTMP. Filipe Albuquerque is part of the No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA lineup, Louis Deletraz is joining the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA team, Pipo Derani will drive in the No. 88 Richard Mille AF Corse ORECA and Renger van der Zande is half of the No. 8 Tower Motorsports lineup. Plus, Colin Braun – who drove to the overall and GTP win last year at CTMP with Tom Blomqvist – is a full-season LMP2 driver in 2024 in the No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR entry.
  • GTD PRO Class Resumes Battle: The chase for the GTD PRO class title tightened at Watkins Glen when the No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo won. The No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (with co-drivers Laurin Heinrich and Seb Priaulx), which has two wins this season, still leads the championship but the reigning GTD PRO champ No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 (co-drivers Ben Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth) is just 49 points behind and the No. 23 Aston with co-drivers Ross Gunn and Alex Riberas is an additional 11 markers back.
  • Canadian Homecoming: At least seven Canadian drivers are entered in the race. They include John Farano (No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA), Parker Thompson (No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3), Orey Fidani (No. 13 AWA Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R), Roman De Angelis (No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo), Mikael Grenier (No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3), Kyle Marcelli (No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2) and Misha Goikhberg (No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2).


 

Who’s Hot?

  • No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: Co-drivers Russell Ward and Philip Ellis are on a tear, winning two straight and three of the last four GTD races. In doing so, they’ve built a commanding 305-point lead in the class standings just past the halfway point of the 2024 season. They’ll look to improve on a 10th-place finish in last year’s CTMP race.

 

Who’s Good Here?

  • Colin Braun: The co-driver of the No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA LMP2 07 is the all-time IMSA leader in CTMP wins with six. That includes last year when he was on the overall winning team. The Texan is shooting for a rare three-peat this year, trying to capture his third victory in three tries – each in a different class. He won in Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) in 2022, in GTP last year and comes back in LMP2 this time around.
  • Corvette Racing: The stalwart IMSA team has won 12 times at CTMP over the years, most recently last year in the GTD PRO class. Now running as Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports, the team fields a pair of Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R cars in its quest for the baker’s dozen of CTMP victories.


 

Previous Chevrolet Grand Prix Winners in 2024 Field (15)

  • Colin Braun (6): PC – 2013, 2015, 2016; P/Overall – 2018; LMP3 – 2022; GTP/Overall – 2023
  • Antonio Garcia (2): GTLM – 2014, GTD PRO – 2023
  • Ben Keating (2): GTD – 2014, 2018
  • Spencer Pumpelly (2): GTC – 2011, 2012
  • Roman De Angelis (1): GTD – 2022
  • Robby Foley (1): GTD – 2019
  • Felipe Fraga (1): LMP3 – 2023
  • Oliver Jarvis (1): DPi/Overall – 2019
  • Tommy Milner (1): GT – 2013
  • Dirk Mueller (1): GT – 1999
  • Gar Robinson (1): LMP3 – 2023
  • Bryan Sellers (1): GTD – 2023
  • Alexander Sims (1): GTLM – 2017
  • Madison Snow (1): GTD – 2023
  • Renger van der Zande (1): DPi/Overall – 2022


 

Previous Chevrolet Grand Prix Pole Winners in 2024 Field (9)

  • Colin Braun (4): PC – 2012, 2016; P – 2018; DPi – 2019 
  • Dirk Mueller (3): GT – 2001, 2011; GT2 – 2009
  • Jack Hawksworth (2): GTD – 2018; GTD PRO – 2023
  • Gar Robinson (2): LMP3 – 2022, 2023
  • Roman De Angelis (1): GTD – 2023
  • Robby Foley (1): GTD – 2019
  • Antonio Garcia (1): GTLM – 2016
  • Kyle Marcelli (1): PC – 2011
  • Frankie Montecalvo (1): GTD – 2022 


 

Previous Chevrolet Grand Prix Winning Teams in 2024 Field (9)

  • Corvette Racing (12): GTS – 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004; GT1 – 2005, 2007, 2008; GT2 – 2009; GT – 2011, 2013; GTLM – 2014; GTD PRO – 2023 
  • Riley (3): GTD – 2014, 2018; LMP3 – 2023
  • Turner Motorsport (2): GTD – 2016, 2019
  • Conquest Racing (1): P2 – 2012
  • Heart of Racing Team (1): GTD – 2022
  • Paul Miller Racing (1): GTD – 2023
  • Pfaff Motorsports (1): GTD PRO – 2022
  • Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports (1): LMP2 – 2019
  • Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (1): P – 2015


 

Previous Chevrolet Grand Prix Winning Manufacturers in 2024 Field (8)

  • Porsche – 18
  • Chevrolet – 14
  • BMW – 5
  • Acura – 4
  • Ferrari – 4
  • Aston Martin – 3
  • Ford – 3
  • Mercedes-AMG – 1

 

 

 

 

 

IMSA Esports Global Championship Set for November Return

Public iRacers Will Have Chance to Qualify for First Time

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 2, 2024) – IMSA is partnering with iRacing and VCO for the third straight year to stage the 2024 IMSA Esports Global Championship beginning in November, but for the first time the prestigious sim racing contest will feature a public qualifying process.


 

Although entries in the championship will be reserved for previous series champions and winners of iRacing’s VCO Grand Slam events, every iRacing member will have the opportunity to earn their way into the four-race championship. Additionally, a limited number of wildcard entries will be featured. The 2023 wildcard entries included the Nitro Circus Sim Racing Team and Texaco Racing by TK, Tony Kanaan’s Esports Team.


 

“It will be great to once again have the best sim racers from around the world competing under the IMSA banner in the 2024 Esports Global Championship,” IMSA President John Doonan said. “They’ve shown in the first two seasons how skilled they are. Opening the process for all iRacing members to try to qualify for the championship only makes it more exciting. We can’t wait to see how it all shakes out in what is certain to be the most competitive IMSA Esports Global Championship yet.”


 

The four-round schedule kicks off with Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta (Nov. 24), followed by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (Dec. 8) and Sebring International Raceway (Jan. 5, 2025) before concluding at Daytona International Speedway (Jan. 12, 2025). The competition will feature precisely digitized versions of the Acura ARX-06, BMW M Hybrid V8, Cadillac V-Series.R and Porsche 963 Grand Touring Prototypes (GTP), along with the Mercedes-AMG GT3, BMW M4 GT3, Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, Ferrari 296 GT3, Ford Mustang GT3, Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, and Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) cars from the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class currently available on the iRacing platform.


 

“Multi-class sports car racing lies at the very core of the international sim racing community, and the IMSA Esports Global Championship is the premier series in this segment,” said Florian Haasper, CEO of Virtual Competition Organisation (VCO). “Working together with IMSA and iRacing on this project has been a blast over the past years. Together, we constantly strive to improve the competition further. Introducing an open qualifying process for the series is a very important next step. We cannot wait to get the new season going!”


 

To date, Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen’s Team Redline, VRS Coanda and Williams Esports have earned automatic berths in the 2024 IMSA Esports Global Championship’s GTP class, while Team Redline and Drago Racing have qualified for the GTD competition. Teams looking to participate in the public pre-qualifiers will need to register with the IMSA.


 

Teams that qualify from the Time Attack will then participate in a “Car Shootout” with other qualifying teams to determine which car they will use during the 2024 IMSA Esports Global Championship season.


 

“iRacing and IMSA have enjoyed a remarkably successful partnership for more than a decade,” says Tony Gardner, iRacing president. “It’s no coincidence that both our organizations have experienced dramatic growth during that time frame. The 2024 IMSA Esports Global Championship will be yet another exciting step in this partnership, and I’m confident that opening the qualifying format to our more than 270,000 iRacers will help make this the most exciting edition of the series yet.” 


 

In keeping with the sprint race format in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, each event in the IMSA Esports Global Championship will be 2 hours, 40 minutes long and will stream live on the IMSA and iRacing Facebook, Twitch and YouTube channels. Additional details on public qualifying and the series can be found in the official series rulebook.


 

About the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA):

The International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 and owns a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge and Historic Sportscar Racing, as well as five one-make series: Ferrari Challenge North America, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin, Mustang Challenge and Porsche Carrera Cup North America. IMSA – a company within the NASCAR family – is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. For more information please visit www.IMSA.com, www.twitter.com/IMSA, www.facebook.com/IMSA or www.instagram.com/imsa_racing.


 

About iRacing:

The world leader in the online racing simulation and gaming market, iRacing was founded in 2003 by Dave Kaemmer, co-founder of Papyrus Design Group, and John Henry, principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club and co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing. iRacing has developed dozens of formal partnerships in the motorsport industry to help create the most authentic racing simulation in the world, including with NASCAR, INDYCAR, the FIA, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, and numerous other car manufacturers, tracks, and racing series. Alongside its PC simulation, iRacing owns two additional game studios and produces the official console games of NASCAR (beginning in 2025) and the World of Outlaws, as well as the fantasy off-road racing game ExoCross. Learn more at www.iRacing.com.

 

About VCO:

Virtual Competition Organisation (VCO) brings together different stakeholders in Esports, from simulation or gaming platforms and interested partners to active teams, drivers and the community. In a rapidly growing sector, VCO stands for professionalism, focus and a broad media presence. With its international network, VCO provides solutions for the best possible conception and implementation of Esports projects of all kinds. The best teams in the world compete in such high-class competitions as VCO INFINITY, the Esports Racing League (ERL), and the FLExTREME championship, which VCO implements on a wide range of gaming and simulation platforms.
 

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   gary lee.................auto racing broadcast legend and personnel friend

charlie patterson ............my old friend that supported me when mo one else did

 Carroll Horton .......................................life long friend and indy car owner

Judy Morris.................... a true race fan

todd shafer..............."a rock n roller" with a love for racing!

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