There’s strain, after which there’s strain. This weekend, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship championship leaders are going through a distinct, barely lighter, form of squeeze than previously.
For the primary time in half a decade, the championship within the prime class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship isn’t a matter of a single place on the end, and it’s unlikely to come back all the way down to the ultimate minutes of Motul Petit Le Mans. That’s to not say there aren’t some intriguing championship tales inside GTP and the opposite lessons, nevertheless.
The No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 squad of Felipe Nasr and Dane Cameron comes into the finale with a 124-point lead within the GTP championship factors over teammates Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy (which might have been solely 14 factors with out the penalty for the No. 6 following Indianapolis). That’s not an insurmountable lead; there’s potential factors swing of 165 factors, however that swing requires one automotive to take pole and win, and the opposite to complete final in each qualifying and the race – an unlikely incidence.
The No. 01 Cadillac Racing V-Collection.R is inside that window as properly, with Sebastein Bourdais and Renger van der Zander 164 factors behind Nasr and Cameron. So the battle for second could possibly be fairly fascinating, particularly as PPM has stated it might very properly place the No. 6 within the race to take Michelin Endurance Cup factors away from the No. 01. IMEC factors are awarded on the 4h and 8h marks, plus the end.
That Endurance Cup combat is between the No.7 (37 factors), the No.01 (33) and the No.31 Whelen Cadillac Racing V-Collection.R trio of Jack Aitken, Pipo Derani and Tom Blomqvist (32).
The principle championship is an extended shot for the No.01 Cadillac, however it’s proper within the hunt for the Endurance Cup title. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Pictures
Porsche Penske Motorsport actually occupies an enviable place coming into this 12 months’s finale, with two vehicles main the championship, and the one rival for the title has to execute with absolute perfection whereas catastrophe has to strike PPM for it to go another approach. Nonetheless, some efficiency on the a part of the No.7 crew, joined by Matt Campbell for the weekend, is required.
“I all the time thought a pleasant quote from [Team Penske President Tim] Cindric was that strain is a privilege,” stated Cameron. “To be in these positions, to have these expectations on us and have the eyes on us actually is a privilege on the finish of the day. We’re lucky to be in these positions; it’s why we do it, it’s why we compete, it’s why we present up, it’s the place you need to be on the finish of the 12 months. It’s that fruits of that 12 months’s work – not just for this 12 months, however a number of years on this case – to be on this place.”
Nick Boulle and Tom Dillman are additionally in an enviable place of getting a 98-point lead within the LMP2 championship for Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports. Hardly insurmountable, however snug, particularly on condition that PR1 has gained 5 of six LMP2 titles. Riley Motorsports with Gar Robinson and Felipe Fraga are chasing them, however they is also overtaken by Period Motorsports’ Ryan Dalziel, who’s 25 factors in arrears.
The IMEC championship in LMP2 is a tie on the prime. TDS Racing’s Steven Thomas, Mikkel Jensen and Hunter McElrea and Boulle, Dillmann and Jakub Smiechowski have 35 factors. They’re carefully pursued by Period Motorsports’ Daytona- and Sebring-winning trio of Dalziel, Dwight Merriman and Connor Zilisch, solely two factors behind.
Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports has a strong however not insurmountable buffer within the LMP2 standings. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Pictures
Boulle leads the operating for the Jim Trueman Award as properly. Awarded to the highest-placing Bronze-rated driver within the total championship, primarily based on factors awarded solely inside the Tureman candidates themselves, Boulle has a 70-point lead over Robinson. It’s a coveted prize, as a result of the winner receives an automated entry to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
On the power of three victories for AO Racing, Laurin Heinrich has a soft 99-point lead within the GTD PRO championship over Coronary heart of Racing’s Ross Gunn. Whereas Coronary heart of Racing is doing all the pieces it may possibly to assert the title for Aston Martin, together with shifting its second Vantage GT3 Evo to GTD PRO and placing Roman De Angelis with Gunn and Alex Riberas within the No. 23, it’s nonetheless a tricky ask. Relying on qualifying, Gunn wants at the least a six-position benefit – in a 12-car subject – over the AO Porsche to assert the title.
Nonetheless, it’s a chance. That is Heinrich’s first Petit Le Mans; however he has the very skilled Michael Christensen and Julien Andlauer backing him up.
“Perhaps [99 points] sounds quite a bit, however as we’ve all have seen in the previous couple of years, this race could be fairly loopy, and something can occur,” stated Heinrich.
AO Racing’s Porsche 911 has the sting in GTD PRO. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Pictures
“So what’s wanted to win the championship? Initially, an excellent qualifying. The factors, they’re so tight, so the qualifying could make an enormous distinction on the finish. After which clearly simply staying out of hassle. I believe the final one or two hours of that race can get actually hectic, and I believe we simply want to remain calm and picked up on the engineering stand in addition to within the cockpit, and simply end the job. So long as we’re kind of across the Aston Martin when it comes to place, we needs to be advantageous for the championship.”
Paul Miller Racing has no actual shot on the total championship, so it’ll go all-out to attempt to win the IMEC Championship for the staff, and Bryan Sellers, Madison Snow and Neil Verhagen. They at the moment have a five-point lead over Heinrich, tied at 32 with Daniel Serra and Davide Rigon for Risi Competizione. PMR is set to be within the lead on the first points-scoring interval on the four-hour mark.
The perfect championship place for a pacesetter is in GTD, and it it belongs to Winward Racing. Russell Ward and Philip Ellis have 4 victories within the No. 57 Mercedes AMG, together with the primary three endurance races with Indy Dontje, plus Daniel Morad at Daytona. That’s given them a 222-point lead coming into the finale. It’s additionally helped Mercedes AMG – which has a fifth win with Korthoff Preston Motorsports – to the GTD producers title, the one championship secured previous to Petit Le Mans.
If there’s one hitch, it’s that Winward hasn’t had good luck at Michelin Raceway Highway Atlanta. And the final endurance race, at Indianapolis, was the staff’s worst end of the season. However qualifying apart, all they really want is to complete 18th in a 20-car subject.
“We’ve executed this race a few occasions and, honestly, we’ve by no means really completed this race,” stated Ward. “We’ve all the time had some points within the evening time, with visitors or with prototypes and issues like that. So it’s form of simply going to be staying out of hassle. It’s actually, actually tough right here at nighttime; the prototypes are 10 seconds a lap quicker, they catch you each 5 – 6 laps, and numerous blind turns and little or no mild on the monitor.
Winward Racing has a powerful lead in GTD – however a rocky previous at Highway Atlanta. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Pictures
“I’ve executed the previous couple of years into the evening. I’ve by no means executed the ultimate stint, however the solar glare right here is fairly unhealthy, and it’ll catch lots of people out in between Flip 6 and seven. That’s the place the worst a part of it’s. And also you’ve simply obtained to take somewhat bit again there, be sure to don’t overshoot something.”
Turner Motorsports is the one staff that has an opportunity to catch Winward and the No. 96 BMW M4 GT3 , so Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher, together with endurance addition Jake Walker, have all to play for with nothing to lose.
With the three endurance wins, Ward, Ellis and Dontje are naturally main the IMEC factors as properly. However Inception Racing is just some extent behind, and gained the Endurance Cup in 2021. Brendan Iribe, Frederik Schandorff and Ollie Milroy have an excellent shot of overtaking Winward, particularly as Winward isn’t targeted on the Endurance Cup and could possibly be enjoying conservatively to make sure they’re within the race on the finish.
Defending IMEC champs Korthoff Preston Motorsports are in an excellent place to repeat with Mikael Grenier, Mike Skeen and Kenton Koch, and Wright Motorsports’ Adam Adelson, Elliott Skeer and Jan Heylen are proper behind.
Inception has one other prize to chase, the Bob Akin Award for the best-placed Bronze driver within the total championship. Just like the Jim Trueman Award, the winner will get an automated entry to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Iribe would love to return. However Inception goes to have to complete properly forward of AWA Racing’s No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R, as Orey Fidani has a 120-point lead. Sheena Monk continues to be within the combat as properly, 30 factors behind Iribe.
The margins for the championships for probably the most half are somewhat greater than they’ve been in current historical past. However that very same historical past reveals that something can occur at Petit Le Mans. Even when the chances favor the leaders, there’s nonetheless a lot to play for.
