As we’ll All find out in another 24 hours…
All of the IMSA GTP prototypes have been
upgraded this year, most extensively the BMW, in hopes of dethroning Porsche.
Which I’ll leave to Racer to do the “Heavy” lifting…
Manufacturers
prepare revised GTP cars for IMSA Daytona test
The above article was posted on Racer.com, which
refuses to update its website to comply with current Web Content Accessibility
Guideline standards. Specifically WCAG 2.2 to enable ease of access for Blind
or Visually Impaired readers.
BMW
BMW M Hybrid V-8
Engine:
4.0-litre V-8 Twin Turbo
Team: BMW M Team WRT
#24 Sheldon van der
Linde, Dries Vanthoor, Robin Frijns and Rene Rast
#25 Philipp Eng, Marco Whittmann, Kevin
Magnussen and Raffale Marciello
While the BMW team lineups remain unchanged,
albeit with the drivers having been rotated between the two entries. The big
news is that after 16 years, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLLR) was dropped
as BMW’s service provider. With the Bavarian marque switching to WRT, who were
running just the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) programme last year.
The Belgian W Racing Team, better known as WRT
was founded in 2009 by former VW Motorsports Boss Rene Verbist, Vincent Vosse
and Yves Veerts.
The team has won multiple championships and
races, and is one of Europe’s premiere GT race teams. Competing also in the GT
World Challenge Europe and the Intercontinental GT Challenge, series. Having
won the title last year with Kelvin van der Linde and some Cat known as thee
Doctor’, aka Valentino Rossi! While Rossi also competes for WRT in the GT World
Challenge Europe series.
As could we see Rossi contesting the Rolex 24
one day in the future?
PORSCHE
Porsche 963
Engine:
4.6-litre V-8 Twin Turbo
Team: Porsche Penske Motorsport
#6 Kevin Estr, Laurens Vanthoor and Mat
Campbell
#7 Felipe Nasr, Julien Andlauer and Laurin
Heinrich
The big news for Porsche Penske Motorsports was
the surprising decision to drop reigning IMSA Prototypes champion Mathieu
Jaminet completely. While Matt Campbell gets shuffled to a supporting cast
role, as the No. 6’s Michelin endurance cup rounds only. Meaning neither driver
gets the chance to defend their championship.
And the Blood letting runs deeper, with Nick
Tandy, winner of last’s year’s Rolex 24 being dropped from the team!
Effectively being swapped with new “Endurance Specialist” Laurin Heinrich, who
graduates from His 2024 GTD Pro Championship winning campaign with AO Racing,
with Tandy taking over Heinrich’s seat in AO Racing’s “Rexi” Porsche 911.
All of this follows the “winding Up” of
Porsche’s World Endurance Championship programme.
Kevin Estr and Laurens Vanthoor continue
together in the No. 6 entry, as the pair won the FIA World Endurance
Championship Hypercar title in 2024. While Mathieu Jaminet, who along with
Campbell won the IMSA GTP Prototypes title last year in the same car, has
joined the Genesis FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar team this season.
Julien Andlauer steps up to a full season drive
alongside Felipe Nasr, the only holdover from last year’s full season IMSA Porsche
drivers. As Andlauer is another of the Porsche WEC Werks’ drivers moving to
IMSA this year.
Interestingly, both ScottyMac’, aka Scott
McLaughlin and Josef Schlick’ Newgarden participated in the Daytona IMSA test
last November behind the wheel of the team’s two Porsche 963’s, but won’t
contest this year’s Rolex 24…
Although subsequently, I learned via DXDT
Racing’s website that McLaughlin had joined their Michelin Endurance Cup
effort, and will drive the team’s No. 36 Corvette Z06 GT3.R entry in the GT
Daytona (GTD) class.
Meanwhile, the Porsche Penske Motorsports No. 7
and Nasr are the defending Rolex 24 winners, seeking a third consecutive w’
this weekend.
Team: JDC-Miller Motorsports
#85 Tijmen van der Helm, Bryce Aron and Nico
Pino
Tijmen van der Helm and Bryce Aron return from
last year’s campaign. Whilst Nico Pino who previously drove for Proton
Competition moves over to JDC-Miller Motorsports this year. Whom I’m guessing
will be the team’s “Endurance Specialist”.
As JDC-Miller Motorsports continues racing the only privateer Porsche 963 entry, albeit Proton Competition wishes to return to IMSA GTP competition in the near future…
