Next stop Laguna Seca for both IMSA and Michelin Pilot Challenge
Saturday, May 04, 2024
Similar to the last round of the IMSA Series at Long Beach, this coming weekend’s round will again see just the topflight GTP Class but this time alongside both the GTD and GTD Pro classes to make up a combined grid of thirty-four cars with all bar ten being GTD based entries.
Like last time out at Long Beach three weeks ago, the FIA World Endurance Championship again impacts upon the driver roster for both Championships with the Heart of Racing team having to run their adaptive crews as a consequence of that diary clash. Mario Farnbacher again pairs up with Ross Gunn aboard the team’s #23 GTD Pro entry as Alex Riberas will be at Spa Francorchamps whilst Roman de Angelis will again pair up with his temporary Magnus Racing co-driver Spencer Pumpelly for the same reason with Marco Sorenson.
That means joining these two Vantage GT3 crews will be up to six Vantage GT4 crews of the supporting Michelin Pilot Challenge Series who will compete at their third round of the season having so far visited Daytona and Sebring.
Having not run since Sebring in mid-March, many crews have looked for racing opportunities elsewhere in North America and Todd Coleman is a good example of that after having come to something of a fiery end in Sebring to seek podium winning ways within the SRO Series events in-between.
We see the #16 Skip Barber entry re-appear for the first time since their disastrous Daytona debut where an incident in Free Practice saw their new car damaged beyond repairability in time for that four-hour season opener.
Then within the #19 Van Der Steur AMR, Valentin Hasse-Clot is also away with his WEC obligations with the D’Station Racing team at Spa Francorchamps. Although not driving the #777, the Frenchman is in intrinsic part of their driver coach squad for the team. That means that Rory Van Der Steur will be partnered by Alex Premat this time around.
The #46 Team TGM again sees Paul Holton deputise for the still recuperating Owen Trinkler whilst Ted Giovanis and Hugh Plumb remain unchanged within the sister #64 car. Rebel Rock will still present the only 2024 Evo version of the Vantage GT4 for drivers Frank DePew and Robin Liddell whilst Todd Coleman Aaron Telitz will hope to get their IMSA account together off the mark this time around.
Thanks to results so far, five AMR powered drivers feature within the top ten of the GS Class with Matt Plumb, DePew and Liddell leading an AMR 1-2-3.
Photo credits – Team / Series / Social media
