As nearly the entire IMSA GTP throng is schlepping
across thoust Bloody Puddle…
Following the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car
Classic race. According to IMSA Sports Car writer John Oreo’ Oreovicz, Thars’ a
total of 18 out of 22 IMSA GTP drivers from the previous Detroit round
contesting this year’s 93rd 24 Heurs du Mans. Which took awhile, but I did
manage to find All of these IMSA GTP drivers
Hypercar
The No. 4 Porsche Penske Motorsport teams
“third” Porsche 963 is comprised of Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy and reigning
Formula E Champion Pascal Wehrlein, making His Le Mans debut.
As Tandy and Nasr currently lead the IMSA GTP
championship by some 70 markers over Porsche Penske Motorsport No. 6 IMSA teammates
Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell. With Jaminet joining Penske’s No. 5 Porsche
963 lineup, and Campbell in the No. 6 Porsche 963 FIA World Endurance
Championship (WEC) entry. With Penske fielding three Werks’ 963 Panzwrwagens
once again.
Cadillac WTR sees Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR) running
the No. 101 for the Taylor Brothers, i.e.; Jordan and Ricky, joined by longtime
WTR driver Filipe Albuquerque aboard the Cadillac V-Series.r entry adorned in
the classic Mobil 1 livery.
Action Express Racing’s (AXR) Whelen
Engineering brings their Cadd-Oh-lac’ V-Series.R prototype to the Le Mans
party. With Jack “Achey Breaky” Aitken, Felipe Drugovich and Frederik Vesti at
the controls of the No. 311 Caddy’.
Werks’ BMW Hotschues’ Dries Vanthorr and
Sheldon van der Linde will be aboard the BMW M8 Hybrid Nos. 15 & 20
respectively.
Ross Gunn and Roman De Angelis, pilotes’ of the
only current FIA WEC Hypercar competing in IMSA GTP. Sees Gunn and De Angelis
in the Aston Martin Thor Team’s #007 and #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie’s
respectively.
Earl Bamber who co-drives with Aitken in IMSA
GTP, also races for Hertz Cadillac Team Jota in WEC. As the Kiwi’ will join le
Hamburgular’, nee Sealmeister B’, aka SeaBass or simply Sebastien Bourdais and
Bloody Jense’, ergo 2009 F1 World Champion Jenson Button behind the wheel of
the team’s No. 38 entry.
LMP2
The United Autosport #22 entry sees former
IndyCar driver Pietro Fittipaldi joined by IMSA’s Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) Acura
prototype driver Renger van der Zande and David Heinemeier.
The No. 24 Nielsen Racing entry sees MSR Acura
prototype driver Colin Brown joined by fellow Yank’ Maveen Rao and Turkey’s Cem
Bolukbasi.
Inter Europol Competition’s No. 34 Oreca 07
Gibson IMSA entry features Nick Boulle, former Dale Coyne Racing IndyCar driver
Luca ghiotto and Jean-Baptist Simmenauer.
With the Seester’ #43 entry seeing the third
MSR Acura IMSA GTP Hotschue’ Nick Yelloly at it’s controls. Partnered by Tom
dillman and Jakub Smiechowski.
Rounding out MSR’s quartet of Acura IMSA GTP
pilotes, Tom “The Bomb” Blomqvist is entered in the No. 37 CLX – Pure Rxcing
entry. With co-drivers Tristan Turbo’ Vautier and Alex Malykhin.
IMSA competitor’s Algarve Pro Racing’s No. 45
fields a strong Pro Am lineup with Nicky Catsburg, George Kurtz and Alex Quinn
behind the keyboard.
Another strong Pro Am entry is the #199 AO by
TF entry with Dane Cameron, Lous Deletraz and team owner P. J. Hyett.
As the Pro Am Cup is a race inside a race of
LMP2 competitors. With the Pro Am (Professional Amateur) driver lineup
consisting of one Bronze rated driver.
LMGT3
Oh Kanaduh’s AWA Racing IMSA Corvette Z06 GT3.R
#13 entry sees Matt Bel, Orey Fidani and Lars Kern behind the wheel.
The NO. 33 TF Sport Corvette Z06 racecar sees
longtime IMSA “Gentleman” driver Ben Keating at the controls, alongside Daniel
Juncadella and Johny Edgar, not Winter, Hya!
“Union Jack” Hawksworth returns to the Akkodis
ASP #78 Lexus RC F GT3 entry, teamed with Finn gehrsitz and Arnold Robin.
And that’s just what I found during my initial
cursory look over this year’s 24 Heurs du Mans entry list, which naturally is
subject to change.
But it’s good knowing that IMSA is so well represented once again, as you’ll definitely need a scorecard to keep track of everybody!
