Since Obviously without the other 43 Supporting Classes entrants, It would be a Gory boring race!
(LMP2) Le Mans Prototype 2 Class
Although I totally understand why IMSA has been loathe to enable these European "Second Tier" Prototypes having a legitimate shot at winning Overall vs. their Manufacturer backed top flight DPi Brethren, clearly it Ain’t Working!
Alas, the blending of Prototype categories ability to fight for Overall victory a la 'Ol Roger Penske's Porsche RS Spyder Days of Knocking Off the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) Big boyz' when ALMS was in a similar Dilemma, but I Digress...
As any Diehard sports Car afficinado knows, the LMP2 category is mandated to run the (WEC) European Spec Gibson GK428 Naturally Aspirated V-8 lump' with teams choosing between either the Uber’ dominant Oreca chassis or it’s Seester’s Ligier mount. Although Thar is a lone Dallara chassis in the mix.
So if my New & Improved, NOT! Schreen Reader “Zoey the Princess Warrior’s” reading me this right? The #20 High Class Racing entry features somebody I used to call “the Krakow Kid,” akak Robert Kubica, who last ran a one year campaign for Team willy’, aka Williams F1 in 2019, amongst his other racing exploits. And currently is a Alfa Romeo Racing Formula 1 Test/Reserve Driver along with racing in the Deutsch Touren Wagen Masters (DTM) series.
But once again, I'm most interested in how the DragonSpeed effort performs, most notably the lead #81 entry from it’s two car brace of Oreca’s, with former IndyCar Driver Ben Hanley and soon to be Sophomre IndyCar Driver at Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR) Rinus VeeKay making up half of it’s driver roster. As I’m guessing it’s the Dutchmam’s Debut rolex 24 outing?
(LMP3) Le Mans Prototype 3 Class
According to the scant information gleamed, All LMP3 entries must compete with the Spec Nissan VK56VE 5.6-litre V-8 Normally Aspirated engine, which I find very Cornfuzing’ since this would be of larger cubic displacement than it’s Big Brother LMP2 entrants, Righto?
Although I did find somewhere on the Intrawods’, nee Internet that they’ll be effectively “Detuned” by the Dreaded BoP Balance of Performance measures to Slot-in slightly behind Thar LMP2 Brethren…
47 Motorsports, which is one of the two non-Ligier JS P320 chassis in the seven car LMP3 field, running a Norma Mk 30 features ex-IndyCar Driver Gabby Chaves at it’s controls. With Indy Lights driver Ryan Norman also on the Driver roll.
Riley Motorsports will enter a brace ‘O Ligier’s with it’s lead car the No. 74 featuring Arrow McLaren SP IndyCar Castoff Oliver Askew. Along with another IndyCar Refugee named Spencer Pigot, and Gar Robinson, son of former SCCA Trans Am racer George Robinson and his 74 Ranch Resort Camaroes.
(GT LM) GT Le Mans Class
According to Racer’s Marshall Pruett, this will most likely be the “Swansong” for the fiercem’ Factory backed Grand Torismo racecars, since the class has been steadily shrinking yearly. And Corvette with it’s two C8.R’s will be the only Fulltime entrant this season, along with a lone Privateer Porsche. As Booby Ruble’, nee Bobby Rahal & Co. Werks BMW M8 GTE Squad will only contest the four endurance rounds this year, while Risi Competizione will probably be doing likewise.
OPINION: Charting A New Direction for INSA GTs
(GTD) GT Daytona Class
Ladies First, El Correctomundo? Having just learned that past IndyCar Femme Fatale Thy Leggy Juan’, aka Katherine Legge, now recovered from her nasty testing accident last year will share the #88 Porsche 911 GT3 R with Female Bad Arse Christina Nielsen, giving the Team Hardpoint EBM entry a 50% Female Driver line-up.
While another former IndyCar Driver J.R. Hildebrand will join the No. 42 MTE Sport audi R8 LMS Evo line-up, returning to Day-toner’ for the first time in mearly a decade. And Nah, that Ain’t that MTV Y’all are thinking about, or was it just me falling afoul of Ye FauxNetics’ of my Screen Reader, Eh? Although J.R. might be wanting his MTV if things go sour for the Audi during the event, Hya!
Former IndyCar Drivers Ryan Briscoe and Ed Jones will make up half of the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GTE Evo’s line-up.
And Arse-sumedly many IndyCar Fans will be watching the #96 Turner Motorsports BMW M6 GT3’s performance since one of it’s drivers behind the Keyboard will be Colton Big shot’ Herta, joining it’s lead drivers Bimmer billy’, aka Bill Auberlen who currently holds the record for most major career victories in IMSA Overall with 61 to date. Whilst Auberlen’s team-mate Robby Foley will be on tap along with an unknown Aussie’ making up the Driver Quartet, as Turner makes it’s “400th Cap” (start) with a BMW at Daytona.
Then Thars’ the massive Shake-up at what’s now simply Vasser Sullivan Racing, (VSR) as ‘Ol Top Jimmy’, aka Jimmy Vasser and James Sully’ Sullivan have split with AIM Motorsport along with a more Open Wheel Racing “Friendly” Drivers line-up. As their newest recruit is Zach Veach, who’ll run the full season aboard the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 entry.
And the #12 will feature (Townsend) T-Bell’, now just running endurance events Me Thinks? With his longtime Co-driver Frankie Montecalvo as Veach’s season long partner. Whilst another Andretti Autosport Indy Lights driver named Robert Megennis, whom I’m guessing is making his Rolex 24 Debut makes up the Driver Quartet at Day-Toner’.
The No. 14 entry features “Union” Jack Hawksworth and Aaron Telitz as it’s regular season Pilotes. With the Coup of signing perinial Bowtie’ Corvette HotSchue’ Ollie’ Gavin for Daytona along with current Andretti Autosport Indy Lights and future IndyCar Driver Kyle Kirkwood. As guess Thar will be an Intra-squad Scrum for Bragging Rights between the two current Mikey A’ Indy Lights Pilotes’, Eh?
And that’s just a semi short ‘N Sweet review of the 20 Strong GT entrants, with No Disrespect towards those I’ve left out, but this No Fenders tome is simply getting too long in Ye proverbial Tooth!
Although I’ll be rootin’ as usual for who’ll always be my Homeboyz’, fondly known forever as Team Seattle, even if they’re just now the Heart of Racing in that Bitchin’ #23 Aston Martin!
While the #44 Magnus Racing with Arc Angel running a Nasty Acura NSX GT3 Evo with a Stacked Driver line-up including Super Mario’, aka Mario Farnbacher and Andy “the Enforcer” Lally amongst others is definitely worth keeping an eye upon.
As Lally reportedly is the current winningest driver at Daytona, with a Mega 8 Rolex 24 victories in many different classes over the years to his credit, which I think he told the Speed Freaks recently included one Overall victory?
Along with mentioning he actually had an insane 11 Rolex wrist watches since Grand Am used to also give it’s Class champions a Rolex at season’s end! Although Lally’s been very generous by giving his Rolex’s to people in his Family and Friends as rewards for their helping him achieve his racing career. Having only kept his initial Rolex time piece for himself, saying what are Yuhs gonna do with eight Rolex’s?
