Roar entry list is here: https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2022/12/15/2023-Roar-Rolex-24-Planning-Entry-List-1.pdf Biggest surprise for me is apparently KCMG is on the reserve list for GTD Pro. They had the epic battle at the end of last year's race with Pfaff. The other interesting one is TGM entered in GTD Pro. They have been running 2 cars in Michelin Pilot Challenge for a long time and have done a few one off's at Daytona (including last year). I am guessing the move to GTD Pro has to do with drive time regulations for Ted Giovanis.
looking forward to this year...GTP going to be lit...296 GT3...new 992 GT3R...huge field. good times. notable absences: JDC because Porsche can't deliver customer 963s on time (it's looking like they won't have it for Sebring either ) Dragon Speed has dominated LMP2 for years- no entry. haven't heard why. United Autosports usually does an LMP2 entry
Also looking forward to the 2023 racing season. But VERY JACKED they are not coming in to Mid Ohio Sports Car Course in 2023. What the h*ll is up with that???????????
JDC is running in P3 till they get their GTP car. The Dragon Speed one is weird. Eric Lux who won with them last year is running in P2 again but with Rick Ware Racing instead.
Wayne Taylor and Andretti teaming up: https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/wtr-andretti-autosport-join-forces-in-new-partnership/
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/jdc-miller-enlists-lmp3-car-in-place-of-porsche-963-for-daytona/ This makes it sound like they will run the endurance races with it. It may depend when they actually get the lmdh car.
Wayne Taylor as an F1 principal would be awesome on Drive to Survive Andretti is making big moves- new shop/"factory" in Fishers, branching out into different series, etc. it's good to see the investment in racing, I hope it works out.
Short podcast that gets into the WTR/AA partnership along with other INDYCAR team involvement in IMSA. https://marshallpruett.podbean.com/e/mp-1354-the-week-in-sports-cars-dec-28-2022/
Alex I recognize you as a LONG time fan. I'm good with "the Captain" part of your message, I'm not good with the "dump" segment. Mid Ohio SCC is a "dump." ?? Clarification, if you will
Been there the last 5 years for the IMSA event. Great track. Great racing. But the condition of the facilities got worse every year. Maybe "dump" is a bit harsh, but when you compare the experience of visiting Mid-Ohio to Watkins Glen, VIR, Road Atlanta, etc...it just isn't on the same level. They have a lot they need to work on but I would be more than happy to go back once they do. I almost cancelled my trip there last year when I heard the Acura bridge had been taken down. The bridge over Thunder Valley had been closed for a few years and it was questionable if it was going to be available. They ended up opening up the bridge which was good. But they section where they redid the fencing on the outside of the tack they got rid of all the photo locations. Concessions stands weren't open at all. FM station was down. I was talking to one of the pro photographers there and there was talk during the event about how unhappy IMSA and a lot of the teams were. I don't think many people were surprised that event dropped off the calendar.
Sheena Monk and Katherine Legge running the full season in GTD with Gradient Racing. Really happy to see Kat with a full time ride for this year. Sheena had been running running in Michelin Pilot Challenge for the last few years. Will be interesting how she does in WeatherTech. Volt Racing is another team that has stepped up from MPC to WeatherTech. https://www.gradientracing.com/news/2023/1/3/sheena-monk-amp-katherine-legge-join-gradient-racing-for-2023-gtd-program
GTP is obviously the big story heading into Daytona, but there are some crazy stacked LMP2 teams as well. I think this category is going to be a really solid battle. Eric Lux won last year with a bunch of Indycar drivers. This year he is back with Pietro Fittipaldi, Austin Cindric and Devlin DeFrancessco. https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/01/07/rick-ware-racing-confirm-2023-imsa-lmp2-programme.html Not to mention the LMP2 car of Tower Motorsports with Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Kyffin Simpson and John Farano https://www.autosport.com/imsa/news/newgarden-mclaughlin-to-make-imsa-debuts-in-daytona-24-hours/10408204/
Updated entry list with driver lineups listed. 61 cars with the addition of the Sun Energy 1 Mercedes. https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2023/01/11/Roar-IWSC-Pre-Event-Entry-List-1.pdf
All the WeatherTech sessions are being covered by IMSA radio. So far number of GTP cars have had issues and a number of LMP3 cars have spun. I feel like this may be a something we get used to hearing lol.
At least so far the Acura's seem to be the fastest in GTP. Oddly Magnus has been fastest in GTD as well. Wouldn't have guessed them.
