Largest Entry List Since 2014 Set for Final Tune Up Before 60th Rolex 24 At Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Each year, the international motorsports' scene waits with great anticipation the arrival of the Rolex 24 At Daytona the annual green flag for the racing season around the globe.

The eagerness is even greater in 2022, with the historic 60th running of the iconic 24-hour race at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 29-30. A whopping 61 cars have been entered for the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test session that precedes the race by a week. It’s the most entries since 2014.

“The racing world turns its eyes to the Rolex 24 every year since it typically kicks off the season for everyone in the industry and draws such an immense amount of international driver and team talent together,” IMSA President John Doonan said. “That’s even truer in 2022 with more cars on the grid than we’ve seen at Daytona in the last eight years. It shows that the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and sports car racing around the world continues to grow and thrive. We’re very excited for what should be a memorable 60th Rolex 24 At Daytona and the season ahead.”

The Roar Before the Rolex 24 from Jan. 21-23 features two full days of on-track testing at Daytona’s 3.56-mile road course, followed by the 100-minute qualifying race on Sunday, Jan. 23 (livestream at 2p.m. ET on Peacock) that sets the starting grid for the Rolex 24.
The talent pool is deep within each of the five competing classes, with more than 50 past Rolex 24 winners in the field. It means each team must take advantage of every minute of track time during the Roar to be prepared for the marathon that is the Rolex 24.

A glance at the classes shows just how competitive they shape up to be:

Daytona Prototype international (DPi): Seven cars, the same number as in 2021, are in the DPi field this year, in what is the final season for the class before it switches to the LMDh platform in 2023. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 claimed the class and overall Rolex 24 victory a year ago and three of its drivers – Filipe Albuquerque, Ricky Taylor and Alexander Rossi – are back along with newcomer Will Stevens.
The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R won the qualifying race during the Roar last year, what proved an important step on the Action Express Racing entry’s route to the season title. Pipo Derani and Mike Conway are back in the No. 31, with Tristan Nunez replacing Felipe Nasr as Derani’s new full-season teammate.

Other DPi entries of note include Chip Ganassi Racing expanding to a two-car Cadillac effort and the No. 48 Ally Cadillac that includes seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and two-time Rolex 24 winner Kamui Kobayashi returning for the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races.

Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2): The LMP2 field remains the same, 10 cars, as it was a year ago and is again full of international flair. The No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07 that won the 2021 Rolex 24 returns fully intact with Dwight Merriman, Kyle Tilley, Ryan Dalziel and Paul-Loup Chatin, as does the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA lineup of Ben Keating, Mikkel Jensen, Scott Huffaker and Nicolas Lapierre that won the qualifying race on its way to the LMP2 championship.

DragonSpeed USA dipped into the IndyCar field for drivers Pato O’Ward, Colton Herta and Devlin DeFrancesco to team with Eric Lux. International flavor is added by entries from teams including G-Drive Racing by APR, High Class Racing, Racing Team Nederland and United Autosports.

Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3): The number of entries grows from six to 10 this year as the LMP3 class embarks on its second season of WeatherTech Championship competition. The No. 74 Riley Motorsports Ligier JS P320 won last year’s Rolex 24 and went on to win the season title for the team and driver Gar Robinson. He’s back to defend and will team with Felipe Fraga, Kay van Berlo and Michael Cooper at the Roar and Rolex 24.

Muehlner Motorsports America is back with a pair of Duqueine D08s, including the No. 6 headed by driver Moritz Kranz that won the 2021 qualifying race. Other LMP3 teams and names to watch include newcomer AWA with the No. 13 Duqueine for drivers Orey Fidani, Kumo Wittmer, Lars Kern and Matthew Bell, the No. 54 CORE autosport Ligier with Colin Braun, Jon Bennett, George Kurtz and Nic Jonsson aboard and four-time Rolex 24 winner Joao Barbosa in the No. 33 Sean Creech Motorsport Ligier.

GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO): The new class that replaces GT Le Mans (GTLM) is loaded with 13 entries and eight manufacturers.

Corvette Racing bears watching as always, but in particular as it shifts from the GTLM platform to the GT3 specification the GTD PRO falls under
The No. 3 Corvette won last year’s Rolex 24 and the driver trio returns with Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg.
The No. 4 Corvette won the 2021 qualifying race and is back on a one-off for the Rolex 24 before taking on a full season in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

BMW Team RLL was the 2019 and 2020 GTLM winner at the Rolex 24 and brings back two entries with the new BMW M4 GT3. WeatherTech Racing has three entries using two manufacturers (Porsche and Mercedes-AMG). Pfaff Motorsports moves to GTD PRO with the plaid No. 9 Porsche 911 GT3R after claiming last year’s GT Daytona (GTD) championship.
Other manufacturers for the debut of this highly anticipated class include Aston Martin, Ferrari Lamborghini and Lexus.

GT Daytona (GTD):
Now running under the same specs as GTD PRO but with the requirement of having Bronze- or Silver-rated drivers as part of the lineup, the GTD class continues its unrivaled popularity with 22 entries – up three from a year ago.
Mercedes-AMG finished 1-2 in last year’s Rolex 24 and both teams are back, the winning No. 57 Winward Racing with half the drivers (Russell Ward and Philip Ellis) returning and runner-up No. 75 Sun Energy 1 bringing back three (Kenny Habul, Luca Stolz and Raffaele Marciello).

With nine manufacturers entered in GTD, the competition is wide open as usual. Never overlook all-time leading IMSA winner Bill Auberlen and Turner Motorsport co-drivers Robby Foley, Michael Dinan and Jens Klingmann. The No. 96 won last year’s qualifying race and, like BMW Team RLL in GTD PRO, will race a new BMW M4 GT3 this season.

The Heart of Racing Team finished third in the 2021 GTD championship, won the IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup and finished fifth in the Rolex 24. Drivers Roman De Angelis, Ian James and Darren Turner are back for the Rolex 24, with Tom Gamble filling the roster. With the semi-retirement of longtime Porsche driver Patrick Long, the No. 16 Wright Motorsports entry takes on a slightly different look this year with drivers Ryan Hardwick, Jan Heylen, Zacharie Robichon and Porsche works driver Richard Lietz.

Andy Lally has the most Rolex 24 wins of any driver entered (five). His No. 44 Magnus Racing team bears watching with its switch to the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 this year. Others to watch include Crucial Motorsports and inception racing, which both bring the McLaren 720S GT3 back to the Roar and Rolex 24.
The Roar schedule calls for two test sessions Friday, Jan. 21 and a third on Saturday, Jan. 22 ahead of qualifying for the 100-minute qualifying race later that afternoon. The qualifying race starts at 2:05 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23.


Roar Before The Rolex 24 Schedule this weekend :

Friday, January 21, 2022
8:45 AM to 9:30 AM ET
Practice 1 - Prototype Challenge

9:45 AM to 11:00 AM ET
Practice 1 - Michelin Pilot Challenge

11:15 AM to 12:30 PM ET
Practice 1 - WeatherTech Championship

1:45 PM to 2:30 PM ET
Practice 2 - Prototype Challenge

2:45 PM to 4:00 PM ET
Practice 2 - Michelin Pilot Challenge

4:15 PM to 6:00 PM ET
Practice 2 - WeatherTech Championship

6:15 PM to 6:30 PM ET
Qualifying - Prototype Challenge

Saturday, January 22, 2022
8:45 AM to 9:45 AM ET
Practice 3 - Michelin Pilot Challenge

10:00 AM to 11:00 AM ET
Practice 3 - WeatherTech Championship

12:05 PM to 3:05 PM ET
Round 1 - Daytona International Speedway

3:25 PM to 4:30 PM ET
Qualifying - WeatherTech Championship

4:50 PM to 5:50 PM ET
Practice 4 - Michelin Pilot Challenge

7:00 PM to 9:00 PM ET
Practice 4 - WeatherTech Championship

Sunday, January 23, 2022
10:00 AM to 10:20 AM ET
Warm Up - WeatherTech Championship

10:35 AM to 11:50 AM ET
Practice 5 - Michelin Pilot Challenge

2:05 PM to 3:45 PM ET
Qualifying Race for the WeatherTech Championship

Corvette C8.R Racing starts a new year in a new classification this week with the annual Roar Before the 24 a three-day test at Daytona International Speedway ahead of next weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.

For the first time since 2014, Corvette Racing will participate in a new category of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship:
GT Daytona PRO (GTD PRO).

It serves as a successor to GT Le Mans (GTLM), a classification in which Corvette Racing won more races and championships than any other program since 2014. The next goal is to replicate that same success in a full season of GTD PRO competition, which will feature 13 entries at Daytona.

The team’s Chevrolet Corvette C8.Rs for the Roar and Rolex will look similar to the GTLM trim. A revised wing profile will mean a slightly different level of downforce at the rear of the Corvette. The C8.R will run on customer Michelin tires, per GTD regulations.

Under the skin, the GTD-PRO Corvette will retain the same 5.5-liter, flat-plane V8 with a slightly decreased power output over the GTLM rules package. An anti-lock braking system (ABS), tested by Corvette Racing at Belle Isle’s race in June, also will be featured on the IMSA C8.R along with other driver aids that are mandated by the class regulations.

Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg won last year’s Rolex 24 in GTLM to lead a 1-2 finish for Corvette Racing. The trio in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R is back for a chance at two in a row.
Full-season teammates Garcia and Taylor won the last two GTLM Driver championships and seek to use Daytona as a springboard to another full-season championship run.

While Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy will contest the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2022, they will return to Daytona in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R alongside new teammate Marco Sorensen. Milner and Tandy were second to their Corvette Racing teammates in the 2021 Rolex 24 with Sorensen set for his second Daytona start.

The learnings from the Roar and the Rolex 24 also will serve to further development of the customer Corvette Z06 GT3.R that will be available to independent teams beginning in 2024.
The Roar Before the 24 is set for Friday-Sunday with the 100-minute qualifying race set for 2:05 p.m. ET on Sunday. Live coverage will be available on Peacock in the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“Every year, we see how important the Roar test is for race preparation.
With the Rolex 24 being the first race for us in a new category, it will be difficult to learn and understand things that every other team that has raced in GTD already knows. We will have to play catch-up to be competitive.
But I have a lot of faith in Corvette Racing. Our experience can help us achieve that.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“I’m super excited to get back to Daytona. Even with it being a shorter off season than usual, it feels like it’s been forever since we’ve been at the track.
We’ve got a lot of new things to look forward to with the new GTD PRO class and a little different C8.R than we’ve raced before.

It’ll be our first time having the car out on track with competition in this spec, so it’ll be interesting to see where we stack up.
There’s going to be a long list of items we’ll be wanting to check off throughout the Roar test to give us confidence going into the Rolex 24.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“The Roar will be super important for us, maybe even more than the last couple of years. It’s an all new class and the field is much bigger and very diverse, simply bigger than years before.
So it will be interesting in learning about who is strong where, which drivers are strong, and where we fit in.
It’s going to be intriguing to find out where we are with our car compared to the other GTDs.

We haven’t had an extreme amount of running in this spec, so we are definitely going to use the Roar as a big learning tool. I’m excited to jump back in the car. It’s a little different now with ABS of course and some minor differences.
It’s going to take some adjusting again. Coming off our Rolex win last year, it’s certainly a positive feeling coming into the Roar. I’m looking forward to it.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“At the end of last season, I didn’t think we would have the chance to race in IMSA this year. So this is a nice bonus to get us back into the groove of racing.

Things will be a little different with some changes to our Corvette C8.R for the new GTD PRO category, but they are items we’ve tested before in the simulator and on the track. So much of the success you have at Daytona is down to the preparation going into the race.
I feel that’s where we are really strong.
It looks like it’s going to be a deep and competitive field, so let’s see how myself, Nick and our new teammate Marco pick up over these three days.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“Daytona this year will be a challenge, but it’s one we’re looking forward to. It’s looking like a very strong grid in GTD PRO, which should make great racing, but also means getting a top result that much harder. It’s a brand-new class to IMSA racing, however it shares many technical and sporting regulations with GTD and some teams transitioning from GTD to Pro might have a bit more experience and knowledge.

One thing that Corvette Racing knows is how to win long endurance races, so we go with high hopes, but we also know we still have work to do. For example, the Roar test will be the first time the C8.R will run in GTD spec at Daytona.
For me personally, it will be the first time I drive the car in GTD trim with the spec Michelin tires used for our class.

The test days often don’t seem to last very long, so we’ll need to be well-prepared to make the most of all the on-track running we can get. I’m also personally excited to work with Marco for the first time.
We first raced against each other back in 2007 in Formula Ford, so I’ve known him a long time, even though we’ve never shared a cockpit together.
I’m sure he’ll fit in perfectly and be a big asset to our team alongside Tommy and myself.”

MARCO SORENSEN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

Honestly, I can’t wait to meet and work with the full Corvette Racing team and get things going.
To go racing with a team like this is going to be a real pleasure.
I met some of the team at the race shop and got my first real look at the C8.R and spent some time in the simulator last week.
It’s an excellent setup and very useful to help me get ready for Daytona.
The Roar and the qualifying event are obviously good opportunities to get some laps in the car and get comfortable with everything, so we can get the job done in the real

There’s plenty of reason to be excited that the new GTD PRO class has attracted a 13-car field for the Rolex 24 At Daytona the opening round of the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

That’s more than double the six entries that contested last year’s twice-round-the-clock Florida enduro in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class that GTD PRO replaces this year. But the expanded GTD PRO grid hasn’t come at the expense of IMSA’s popular GT Daytona (GTD) class, because the GTD field for the Rolex 24 has also grown from 19 to 22 cars this year.

While IMSA is obviously thrilled with these positive developments, two-time defending GTLM class champions Corvette Racing might be even more pumped up.
The two-car Corvette effort fought against a dwindling GTLM field over the past couple years, as many competing manufacturers adapted their racing programs to the FIA standard GT3 platform. In 2021, the Nos. 3 and 4 Corvette C8.Rs sometimes squared off against just one class competitor the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19.

The WeatherTech Porsche is back in GTD PRO for 2022, and the team is also fielding a pair of Mercedes-AMG GT3s at Daytona in partnership with Proton Competition. Porsche’s factory GTD PRO partner team is Pfaff Motorsport, the defending IMSA GTD champion.

Meanwhile, BMW’s factory effort with Team RLL returns with a vengeance, fielding two brand-new M4 GT3s with works-supported drivers. Lexus/Toyota Racing Development will also join the GTD PRO grid, along with similar factory supported entries from Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin.
So, where there are just two or three manufacturers represented last year in GTLM, there will be eight to kick off the 2022 GTD PRO season at the Rolex 24.

In addition to adapting the GTLM specification, Corvette C8.R to the worldwide GT3 specification, Corvette Racing is developing a production version of the car for sale to customer teams in the future. Laura Klauser, sports car program manager for General Motors, relishes the challenge of going up against the expanded 2022 field.

“We want a full field,” she declared. “It’s so satisfying when you do really well when you’re up against a full field, because then you know you brought your ‘A game’ you did everything correctly, you hit all your marks, and you brought home the win. You’re not just the last car standing.
“Having a high volume of competitors really makes each win that much more special,” Klauser added. “I think it’s going to challenge us to think in different ways and to try different things and get more creative.”

Corvette drivers Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor are equally excited as they embark on their quest for a third consecutive IMSA championship to follow up their GTLM achievements in 2020 and ’21.
“I’m looking forward to 13 cars to battle,” said Taylor. “I miss battling on restarts and starts and strategy wars, just the actual racing side of what we had in the past.”
“It’s going to be great to have the competition,” Garcia added. “Lots of manufacturers are in the class, and it looks like almost every one of the 13 cars is capable of winning the race. It’s definitely going to be a big battle.”

In some ways, Corvette is at a disadvantage because the other manufacturers in GTD PRO have been building GT3-specification cars for years for generations, in the case of Porsche and BMW. Those manufacturers, along with GTD competitors Acura and Audi, have a considerable head start in terms of developing and racing the GT3 platform. And they are bringing a host of factory supported drivers.

“I’m super happy to be joining Pfaff in GTD PRO,” said Mathieu Jaminet, who co-drove the winning WeatherTech Racing Porsche in the 2021 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts. “It was really my priority to race full time in the USA in 2022, and to be racing with the reigning GTD champions is a privilege. Our goal is clear; we’ve got all the ingredients to be up front, so the target is to try and win the championship. Obviously, we are always looking at the big races, so Daytona and Sebring are also on top of my list.”

BMW is similarly confident. Retooling the marque’s IMSA program to pursue the 2022 GTD PRO championship while developing an LMDh prototype for 2023 and beyond was one of the final accomplishments of outgoing BMW M Motorsport boss Mike Krack prior to his recent move to lead the Aston Martin Formula 1 team.

“I am confident that we will be very well-prepared going into the GTD PRO premiere of the IMSA series,” Krack stated. “Almost all of our BMW M works drivers have already contested the 24 Hours of Daytona and will be working together to find the perfect set-up for the BMW M4 GT3 during the Roar Before The 24.”
Based on past GTD performances in the Rolex 24, Lamborghini is likely to be another strong GTD PRO contender. The Italian marque triumphed at Daytona in 2018, ‘19 and ‘20.

Florida-based TR3 Racing is a fairly young team, but it is quickly expanding thanks to support from Lamborghini.
“The 24 Hours of Daytona has a special meaning for us and following four podiums in a row we have the aim to fight for the top positions again,” said Giorgio Sanna, Lamborghini’s head of motorsport. “This race will also open the partnership between Lamborghini and TR3 Racing, an experienced team that I’m sure has the potential to take good results.”

Also keep an eye on Lexus, which will split its two-car effort between GTD and GTD PRO in 2022 after fielding two GTD cars since 2017 – the last four years in association with Vasser Sullivan Racing.

“Racing in IMSA has helped strengthen awareness and consideration of Lexus performance models amongst our dealers, owners, and competitors alike,” said Andrew Gilleland, group vice president and general manager Lexus Division.
“Our momentum is rapidly growing and everyone at Lexus is excited to race for an IMSA championship. We know we’ve got something special here, and we’re excited to get out and earn our first GT championship together, beginning with the Rolex 24.”

Should be a real 100-minute battle to see who wins the pole for the 24 IMSA race the following weekend

IMHO : Michelin should keep their noses out of forcing track rules as hard enough to keep a car racing hard for 24 hours and not worrying about if tire pressures are too hot or cold

IMSA and Michelin have introduced tire usage requirements for all classes, including negative camber values in GTD Pro and GTD.

The new operational requirements, which outline minimum cold and/or hot pressures and/or stabilized pressures, will be enforced by in-race penalties if teams are found to be running outside the permitted parameters.

Teams will be given a warning/reprimand on the first violation,

followed by a drive-through penalty for the second violation and a stop-and-hold plus ten-second penalty for subsequent violations.

Additionally, a penalty assessed in qualifying may result in qualifying times being disallowed and an un-served penalty or penalty assessed post-race will be added to the car’s race finishing time and may include a lap count penalty.

Teams and drivers for GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO)

BMW Team RLL: No. 24 BMW M4 GT3, drivers Philipp Eng, Sheldon van der Linde, Marco Wittman and Nick Yelloly; No. 25 BMW M4 GT3, drivers Connor De Phillippi, John Edwards, Augusto Farfus and Jesse Krohn

Corvette Racing: No. 3 Corvette C8.R, drivers Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg
No. 4 Corvette C8.R for Rolex 24 At Daytona, drivers Tommy Milner, Nick Tandy and Marco Sorensen

Heart of Racing Team: No. 23 Aston Martin Vantage GT3, drivers Alex Riberas, Ross Gunn and Maxime Martin

Pfaff Motorsports: No. 9 Porsche 911 GT3R, drivers Matt Campbell, Mathieu Jaminet and Felipe Nasr

TR3 Racing: No. 63 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO for Rolex 24 At Daytona, drivers Mirko Bortolotti, Rolf Ineichen, Andrea Caldarelli and Marco Mapelli

Vasser Sullivan Racing: No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3, drivers Ben Barnicoat, Jack Hawksworth and Kyle Kirkwood

WeatherTech Racing (3 CARS):
No. 15 Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Rolex 24 At Daytona, drivers Austin Cindric, Dirk Mueller and Patrick Assenheimer ;
No. 79 Porsche 911 GT3R, drivers Cooper MacNeil, Julien Andlauer, Matteo Cairoli and Alessio Picariello;
No. 97 Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Rolex 24 At Daytona, drivers Cooper MacNeil, Maro Engle, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella

So WeatherTech owns and sponsors this series, yet biased race results by having 3 cars (2 nameplates),
funny, do not see the BoP wack them as they did for the C8.Rs

ROAR before the Rolex 24 at Daytona
January 23, 2022

Daytona International Speedway
Circuit Length: 3.56 miles

Entry by Class:
DPi - 7
LMP2 - 10
LMP3 - 9
GTD PRO - 13
GTD - 22

Television/Online Broadcast: (ROAR)

Sunday, January 23 (All times ET) Motul Pole Award Qualifying Race

USA:

Peacock TV: 2:00 pm-4:00 pm ET

January 29 11:00 am - 12:00 pm channel USA (tape delay)


International:
IMSA TV: 2:00 pm-3:45 pm ET


LIVE TIMING: http://scoring.imsa.com/

Live Timing for mobile device: http://scoring.imsa.com/mobile.html


Entry List:
ROAR: https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uplo...tryList_v3.pdf

Radio: IMSA Radio
http://imsatv.imsa.com/

http://radiolemans.0157.org/nplayer.php

Local: 107.9 FM local at track, 93.5 FM and 1150 AM in Daytona,

2) PIT NOTES: http://twitter.com/ @CorvetteRacing, @IMSA, @IMSAlive, @DISupdates, @Rolex24Hours
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CorvetteRacingFans/


Roar BoP pdf tables: https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uplo...P-01122022.pdf


TICKET INFO:
Corvette Corral sold out. Regular tickets can be purchased at:
https://www.daytonainternationalspee...A/Tickets.aspx


Event Schedule:
Roar: https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uplo...OAR-011222.pdf

Track Map:
https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uplo...ack-Map-v1.pdf

Pit Map:
Roar: https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uplo...-Layout-V4.pdf


WEATHER:
http://www.myweather2.com/Motor-Raci...-Speedway.aspx


Hotels:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g3...da-Hotels.html

Have you ever heard of a sponsor of a race series like IMSA where WeatherTech is also the boss ?

How about they bias the race by entering 3 cars, 2 different nameplates in same class (GTD-Pro) and now finding they are using their top driver to
drive 2 cars in the same class and race ?
Yet, multi BoP rules against the C8.Rs but not WeatherTechs 3 cars ?

They claim no team orders between the WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evos and Porsche 911 GT3 R in the Rolex 24 at Daytona according to Cooper MacNeil, who is set to pull double duty for the first time in his driving career.

MacNeil, who claimed three GT Le Mans class victories last year, including the final race of the category at Motul Petit Le Mans, will split his driving time in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opener between the No. 97 Mercedes and his full-season No. 79 Porsche entry, both competing in the GTD Pro class.

An additional Mercedes has been entered in the class by a joint effort from Proton and Multimatic, although it is also sponsored by WeatherTech and not directly involved with MacNeil’s racing program.

MacNeil won Motul Petit Le Mans courtesy of a last-lap reversal of positions between the two WeatherTech Porsche 911 RSR-19s that were running 1-2 in class at the time of the race.

When asked if team orders could be deployed again in the Rolex 24, MacNeil said “no, not here.” (I say BS)

“I’m driving both cars,” he states. “I wasn’t driving both cars at Petit.”

The No. 15 Mercedes, which features the three-driver lineup of Dirk Mueller, Austin Cindric and Patrick Assenheimer, will also have the chance to go for the class win.

“We’re just the title sponsor of the livery of that car,” MacNeil said. “We’re not funding any of the race itself for that car. We don’t have the jurisdiction, so to say, to do that.

“If they win, great, good for them. It would be nice to have any WeatherTech car in the center of the podium, I just hope it’s one of the two I’m driving.”

MacNeil said he’s “super excited” to be pulling double duty for the first time and sees benefits in driving cars from two different GT3 manufacturers.

“The idea is to double our chances at winning the race,” he explained. “I think having two different makes is important as well.

“Obviously driving two different cars of the same manufacturer doesn’t make that much sense.

“Driving a Mercedes and a Porsche, hopefully you have a decent BoP in one of the two. That’s what we all hope for.

“I’ve never had double duty before in a race, especially a race this big. It will be interesting.

“We just have to stay out of trouble and get my minimum drive time out of the way and let the other guys [focus] and let the strategy take it away from there.”

Results of the first practice session

Piss poor by the C8.Rs, out of the 1-hour session, the #3 C8.R never got on track for the first 30 minutes

Running 4-5 seconds a lap slower than car running up front, so last place

Second session at 4:15 PM ET

End of second practice, C8.Rs did slightly better but still about 4 seconds per lap slower than the leaders

2nd day, third practice session results
Starting to stink awful

Here is how they qualified

C8.Rs doing so bad that IMSA had to give them a break with a BoP that may help them
We will see

Three GTD Pro/GTD class cars, including the new BMW M4 GT3 and Chevy Corvette C8.R GTD have been given mid-event Balance of Performance adjustments at the Roar Before the Rolex 24.

Issued by IMSA on Saturday afternoon, one hour prior to qualifying for Sunday’s qualifying race, the BoP changes have been made “to maintain competitive equivalency” according to the sanctioning body.

The Corvette has received a 1.5 mm larger air restrictor and 3-liter increase in fuel capacity, while the new-for-2022 BMW will have increased boost across all RPM levels as well as 5 additional liters of fuel.

Ferrari’s 488 GT3 Evo 2020 has also underwent changes, most notably a 30 kg addition in minimum weight and 3-degree increase in minimum rear wing angle but with a slight increase in boost levels and an added 4 liters of fuel.

The adjustments come in the wake of three timed test sessions at the Roar so far, which have seen the three manufacturers near or at the bottom of the time charts in either the GTD Pro and/or GTD classes.

It’s believed to be the first mid-event BoP change made by IMSA at the Roar pre-season test.

Understood that both BMW and Corvette teams had been concerned about the pace of their new or modified cars under the original BoP, which was released last week.

An additional two-hour test session is on tap for this evening following qualifying for tomorrow’s 100-minute qualifying race, which will be broadcast live on Peacock at 2 p.m. ET.

IMSA TECHNICAL BULLETIN IWSC #22-07

To: All IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Competitors
From: IMSA Competition
Date: January 22, 2022
Re: IMSA ROAR Revised GTD BoP

In accordance with Attachment 2 of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship SSR, the following Balance of Performance values are set for the indicated Car Models.
The column listed as current is the current specification after any adjustment is applied, and thus the required specification for the Event.
These decisions come into immediate effect and are applicable until further notice.

Attachment 2.2.2. General

A. To maintain competitive equivalency between Cars within the Class, and between Classes, IMSA uses the Balance of Performance (BoP) process as outlined
herein to identify and mandate adjustments to the Specification.

i. Evaluation is based on Demonstrated Performance data; including, but not limited to, the IMSA Scrutineering data logger, IMSA technical inspection
measurements, and official Timing and Scoring.

B. These Regulations serve as a guideline for the application of BoP.
C. Cars representing a Car Model must always respect the Specification.
i. Cars outside of technical compliance may be excluded from BoP Analysis.
D. IMSA’s measurements and calculations are the official measurements and calculations

Fourth practice
Still last place even with the BoP changes

Completed the 20-minute warm up laps before the 1 hour 45 minute qualify race at 2 PM ET today

Even with the relaxed BoP, the C8.Rs are still 3-4 seconds a lap slower than lead cars in class.

The beginning of the GTD Pro category is set to bring a “whole new dynamic” to races in the production-based ranks of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, according to Nick Tandy and other drivers in the field.

GTD Pro has replaced GT Le Mans as the top GT class in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, removing GTE machinery from the grid and ensuring that all cars below the prototype classes are now running to the same GT3 spec.

While many other GT racing series around the world use a multi-class structure, including the FIA World Endurance Championship and the Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by AWS, this year marks the first in which such an arrangement has been deployed by IMSA.

Corvette C8.R Racing driver Tandy stated that the establishment of technological parity between the IMSA GT classes is “exciting” because it brings an element of the unknown to drivers and teams that previously competed in the quicker GTLM division.

The Pratt & Miller-run GM factory squad is running its ex-GTLM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R in GTD specification to comply with the new class rules. Both cars are entered in GTD Pro.
“From a GTD & GTD Pro point of view, there’s a whole new dynamic that’s going to play out in the racing,” said Tandy.
Nobody knows how it’s going to work. It’s kind of coming back to Daytona afresh, not knowing how things are going to play out and who’s going to benefit from certain situations and not.

It feels strange coming here, not knowing what we’re going into.
Since the [2014] merger, Corvette Racing and me have come here knowing we’re in GTLM, up against these cars, working to find out when you’re going to put the certain tire compound on and set it up around different compounds.
All of that has disappeared, and we’re kind of the new guys.
People have raced BMWs in GTD before. Even though the BMW is a new car [now], there’s never been a Corvette in GTD running on these tires and specifications.
“It’s exciting because we don’t really know what’s going to happen.”

Fellow GTD Pro driver Maro Engel, who is in one of two WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evos and won the GTD class at Daytona last year, doesn’t feel that the new structure is altering teams’ approaches but reckons the racing could take on a new look.
“There’s a lot more GT[3] cars in the field,”

You get the impression from Lap 1. There’s much more similar-paced cars. That’s definitely something very different to the past.
Clearly we have to look at our class; that’s what matters and that’s where there’s a prize to win.
Right now, race prep is no different. The traffic is a little different.
Whereas previously in GTD, obviously you had the GLTM cars come past you three seconds a lap faster, the LMP3s a little faster and so on.

Now you’ve got more than half the grid that are at the same or similar pace, basically.
“For sure, I’m anxious to see how that’s going to play out in a race situation because it’s going to have an influence for sure.”

Tandy suggested that the mixed class structure could have a “massive” impact on the strategy options for the Pro runners compared to what was possible in GTLM which used faster cars and confidential, rather than commercial, Michelin tires.

Unlike before, the Rolex 24 grid will not be sorted into class order if standard GTD cars finish ahead of GTD Pros in today’s qualifying race.
Full course caution wave-by procedures will cover both GT classes as one.
“For instance, there could be a GTD Pro fight for the class lead that could be a lap up on the GTD field,” said Tandy.

But say it’s the penultimate stop, and you try to take a tank of fuel under yellow, and you come out 12 GTD cars behind someone who has short-filled. It could be massive.

At that point the cars could be all a very similar pace, and it will have a massive effect on the strategy.
If there are late yellows in the race, I can see pit strategy and track position being pretty important.
“In GTLM, you knew that it would take time to get through some GTD cars, but you could pass them because the car was faster.
But now, you might not pass them because they’re all the same speed.”

‘I’m Less Likely to Let a Pro Car By"

Competitors in the GTD class are also anticipating a new dynamic in mixed-class races, as a customer team-focused category now becomes more closely mixed with the Pro tier’s factory and factory-assisted operations.
Turner Motorsport BMW driver Bill Auberlen noted that most lineups in GTD have drivers strong enough to battle those in GTD Pro on an equal technological footing.
I’m in Pro-Am, but I don’t mind showing that I belong,” Auberlen said

I want to beat them. It’s an added carrot for the Pro-Ams to show that they belong there as well.
To win a championship, a race, you have to be smart and know who you’re racing.
But if you let your head get spun out, and you start racing the wrong people for the wrong reasons, it doesn’t do anything for you.

My teammate Robby Foley, who is an Am, one day wants to be in a Pro car. He has a lot to prove against the people he should be racing.
“There are a lot of different objectives and motivations that are going to be working their way into the racing.”

Auberlen also suggested that GTD drivers are less likely to make provisions for drivers in the Pro category to get past under certain racing scenarios.

“Conversely, if I am racing my guy ahead of me, and a Pro is behind me, I’m not going to pull over to let him just get in front of me to then block me,” he said.
But if I let a Pro get between me and the guy I’m racing, I can’t race that guy anymore. So I’m less likely to let him by. This is a really weird thing.
“On the other hand, I think it’s going to make for craziness that is good for fans.

“If all of a sudden there are cars getting into it that don’t belong together, and it makes for controversy and odd stuff. Maybe that’s good.”

End of race, not good at all

C8.R Corvette Racing finished up its first 3 days of official testing & competition in the new GTD PRO class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on Sunday with work to do ahead of the upcoming Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The team finished poorly in eighth & ninth in class and 14th and 18th among GTD cars following a 100-minute qualifying race to set the grid for the Rolex 24 on Jan. 29-30. Sunday’s race was the first for the evolved Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, which ran for all three days in GTD spec for the first time in a full-field setting.

The results show the uphill battle facing last year’s GT Le Mans (GTLM) race-winning program. Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor last year’s GTLM champions and Rolex 24 winners with Nicky Catsburg in the mid-engine No. 3 Corvette C8.R led the team’s efforts but finished a lap behind the class-winning Lamborghini.

The C8.R has undergone a number of changes from its two-year GTLM campaign to bring it in line with the existing GTD cars. Corvette Racing is running with more weight, less power, a higher level of drag, customer Michelin tires and an ABS system for 2022 compared to 2021.

Even with a mid-week Balance of Performance adjustment by the sanctioning body in an attempt for more evenly balanced competition, the Corvettes still faced a significant performance deficit in Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race.

Sunday’s race ran green for the full 100 minutes. Garcia ran the first half of the race and gained three spots in class in the opening 10 minutes. He remained there before the GTD pit stop cycle began and handed off to Taylor, who rejoined in the same position after Sorensen made the class’ final stop with 45 minutes remaining.

Tommy Milner and Marco Sorensen teamed in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette in their first race together.
Sorensen turned his first laps in competition as a member of Corvette Racing as the pair will drive with Nick Tandy. Milner opened with the longest stint of any GTD PRO drivers at 55 minutes, but the top-speed deficit hurt his progress before the pit cycle began.

Corvette Racing returns to the Daytona track Thursday for the opening practices for the 60tth Rolex 24 At Daytona. The race begins at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 29. Television coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC before transitioning between the USA Network and the Peacock streaming service before the final two hours of NBC coverage Sunday afternoon.
The full race will stream on Peacock while live IMSA Radio coverage will air on XM 202, SiriusXM Online 992 and IMSA.com, which also will host live timing and scoring.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R EIGHTH IN GTD PRO:

“Knowing how little testing we did before the Roar, we used this race as a big test for tires.
There are a lot of different things with the tire regulations where you have to run a certain pressure, and we learned a lot about that.
It’s the first experience we’ve had with this. I was driving and learning how to maximize the tire performance.
Even if we didn’t have the overall pace to be farther up, I think we can a lot from here for the race.

Even if it’s only learning how to run a double-stint, it’s better than nothing.
Almost all the other GTD teams have been running this tire on their car for a long time, so there is a lot of catching up we need to do on this little thing.
Let’s see if we can come back stronger in a few days, so we can be where we need to be.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R EIGHTH IN GTD PRO:

“The race was a qualifying race, so you can’t really win too much in that event. It’s pretty much just about setting us up for the Rolex. For us, we know the car we have now. Throughout the Roar, we made some developments and gathered more data to hopefully set us up well for next week.

That’s the one that counts. We still have some more work to do in order to understand the ABS, the new tire and everything.
The guys will have a busy week ahead, but I know we’ll come back strong next week.

Understanding the race craft of this category was important. We’re now mixed into a new class with GTD and Am drivers as well.
Understanding how they race and how we will interact is useful. It’s a lot harder to get by them now that we have the same BoP, so it will make for a long and interesting 24 hours. It will make staying out of trouble that much more important than years past.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R NINTH IN GTD PRO:

“We’re obviously not thrilled with our ultimate pace. There is still a lot to learn with tires and things like that, experience that will help us for the race. Today was good for us as drivers to learn more about the tires and about interacting with the other competitors in GTD. This played out as we probably expected.

The plan, of course, was to learn as much as we could. From my perspective, learning where some other cars are fast and where they aren’t, how they race… that will be a huge part of 24 hours here with 35 cars all near our pace. From that standpoint, it was successful.
The car is in one piece, and we stayed out of trouble. There’s lots of race data for the engineers to pour over and make our Corvettes as fast as they can.”

MARCO SORENSEN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R NINTH IN GTD PRO:

“First off, it’s amazing to drive a whole stint in the Corvette. I got to understand the car in a totally different way.
The tires we are on now are new for the team, so it was good to get some data on how much as a driver you can push on these tires.
I’m still on a very steep learning curve with this car, and I want to keep that curve going up, so we are 100 percent ready for next week.

I was a little surprised it was green all the way. You drive to the limit of the car, and then you just sit on the straights and wait!
There were some silly overtakes out there that people probably didn’t have to make in a qualifying race.
I’m happy to have done my first race in a Corvette now. We have to now keep it going for the next week.”

A few GTD Pro and GTD cars will not start the Rolex 24 where they apparently qualified after they were found to be outside tire usage requirements in the Rolex 24 qualifying race.

Following post-race inspection, the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Porsche and the No. 97 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes AMG GTD Pro entries, along with the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche GTD car, were given the time equivalent of drive-through penalties for failing to operate within parameters defined by Michelin and IMSA.

Teams were given a warning in-race for the first infraction, before penalties were applied for a second.
The No. 79 Porsche finished second in GTD Pro, while the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche was third in GTD.

In a tech bulletin issued prior to the start of the Roar, Michelin outlined certain requirements on cambers and pressures.
Negative camber beyond 3.5 degrees is prohibited, and the bulletin specified what minimum stabilized pressures had to be for given camber ranges, starting at 29psi.