ROAR: GTD and GTD PRO qualifying
GTD PRO will use the same GT3-spec cars as the GTD class. The only major difference between the two classes is that GTD PRO entries use works drivers exclusively, while GTD must use a mix of works and amateur drivers, or amateur drivers only.
With the same car, the same tires and the same Balance of Performance (BoP) per manufacturer, the combined GTD classes are the toughest class to win in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, because there is more competition with the largest field and nine manufacturers fighting for victory during the 11 races of the 2023 Weathertech Sportscar Championship for GTD season: Acura, Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.
As seven of those nine automotive brands achieved GTD race wins in 2022 and no marque has claimed the manufacturer’s championship more than twice since 2014 the ROLEX 24 At Daytona look promising as less than one second separates the top 10 in ROAR qualification session today.
As both classes have identical cars, there is no split grid between GTD PRO and GTD in WeatherTech Championship races, so all 33 cars (24 in GTD, 9 in GTD PRO) will line up in order based on their qualifying times. Actually, the top 10 has 7 GTD and 3 GTD PRO.
The 4 Mercedes AMG GT3 in the entry list are trusting the two first rows:
📷 © Luc Warnotte: #57 Winward Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 at ROAR qualifying 2023.
P. Ellis with Winward Racing #57 set the fastest lap in 1:46.093 of ROAR qualifying this Sunday.
“The last half of the 2022 season, we were really, really strong, and the plan was basically to keep that momentum going into this year,” said Ellis, who earned his first career IMSA pole. “The team did great work in the offseason during the winter, and I think all the Mercedes did a great job.
“I had a great, great lap, and it shows. I’d say we had a perfect Roar.”
Ellis, who will be partnered in the Rolex 24 with Russell Ward, Indy Dontje and Lucas Auer, admitted he took some satisfaction from besting the top GTD PRO entries.
“Of course, it’s nice to be at the very top of the GT field, but it doesn’t really mean much,” Ellis said. “The cars are the same; we have the same BoP (Balance of Performance), so it’s not like it used to be with the old GTLM (GT Le Mans class).
“So this is the icing on the cake, but it doesn’t mean anything for the racing, unfortunately. It’s a completely different animal to go through the 24 hours.”
📷 © Luc Warnotte: #75 Sun Energy 1 Mercedes AMG GT3 at ROAR qualifying 2023.
0.219 sec. behind was Fabian Schiller with #75 Sun Energy 1 which will also start from first row of combined GTD classes.
📷 © Luc Warnotte: #32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 at ROAR qualifying 2023.
Second row will be occupied by Team Korthoff Motorsport #32 (M. Grenier) and
📷 © Luc Warnotte: Weather Tech Racing #79 Mercedes AMG GT3 at ROAR qualifying 2023.
WeatherTech Racing #79 (Maro Engel). Engel was the Motul Pole Award qualifier in the GTD PRO class..
Engel – who along with Ellis, Ward and Dontje won the 2021 Rolex 24 in the Winward GTD entry – similarly downplayed the interspersing of GTD and GTD PRO cars in qualifying. Also a first-time IMSA pole winner, Engel’s co-drivers this year in the # 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes, are Cooper MacNeil, Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon.
“We definitely have an amazing car,” Engel said. “The Mercedes-AMG GT3 is a car that’s well adapted to all forms of GT racing, whether long-distance or the sprint rounds. It's always a car that gives the driver confidence, and I think all four teams did a really good job today.
“There was some room for me to improve in that qualifying session, but it was still good enough for pole,” he added. “So that’s great. It’s a huge field of GT cars, and being at the sharp end is good for the start and helps to stay out of trouble.”
Actually, we experienced the same domination of Mercedes AMG GT3 who were trusting the first row at the 24 Hours of Dubai last weekend but were among the first ones to withdraw within the first quarter of the race. Bottom line, the velocity of the Mercedes does not guarantee domination of a 24 hours race moreover that 4 other manufacturers are within one second of the fastest lap in class: Aston Martin, Acura, Lexus and Mc Laren.
📷 © Luc Warnotte: #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage at ROAR qualifying 2023.
The fastest non-Mercedes qualifier was Ross Gun with #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage (fifth and second GTD PRO).
📷 © Luc Warnotte: Racer's Edge with WTR Acura NSX GT3 at ROAR qualifying 2023.
Sixth was Kyle Marcelli driving #93 Racers Adge Motorsports with WTR Acura NSX GT3.
“We’re at Daytona International Speedway for the 24-hour event weekend—the Super Bowl of sports car racing,” said Kyle Marcelli. “ ROAR Qualifying is super important in our class and I’m thrilled that our #93 Harrison Contacting Company Acura NSX will start in fourth of GTD class. All of us drivers—Ashton, Danny, Ryan, myself—we’re all getting along really well and looking for the same things out of the car. Acura, HPD and the Racers Edge with WTRAndretti crew have been fantastic. We’ve got good prep behind us and now we’ve got to focus forward to the race.”
📷 © Luc Warnotte: #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 at ROAR qualifying 2023
B. Barnicoat set the seventh-best time of the ROAR qualifications with #14 Vasseur Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 (third GTD PRO).
📷 © Luc Warnotte: #66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 at ROAR qualifying 2023.
M. Farnabch was eighth with #66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3.
📷 © Luc Warnotte: #70 Inception Racing Mc Laren GT3 at ROAR qualifying 2023.
📷 © Luc Warnotte: #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage at ROAR 2023.
M. Kirchhoffer with #70 Inception Racing Mc Laren GT3 and with #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage are closing the 10 of the ROAR qualification session.
Andy Garcia with Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R #3 was 12th.
The first Lamborghini Huricane GT3 EVO 3 was 14th with A. Caldarelli at ‘sthe wheel of #63 Iron Lynx.
The first Ferrari 296 GT3 was 15th with Antonio Fuoco driving #47 Cetillar Racing.
Group shot for the 3 BMW M4 GT3 who are 17th (#95 Turner Motorsport), 18th (#1 Paul Miller racing) and 19th (#96 Turner Motorsport). Remember that last year, BMW claimed the manufacturer’s crown over Mercedes-AMG and BMW M4 GT3 won (and third) the recent 24 Hours of Dubai with BMW Motorsport Team WRT.
The first Porsche 911 GT3 (992) is 21st with Wright Motorsports #16 almost 3 sec. slower than the class’s fastest lap. Last year winning Pfaff Motorsport #9 was 22nd.
“Our cars haven’t been able to match the pace of the competition since the Roar began,” explains Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R. “On the one hand, the Balance of Performance process is based on basic data such as the vehicle’s weight, engine output and aerodynamics, which help determine the initial classification. On the other hand, what is taken into account is the data collected out on the circuit under comparable track and weather conditions. The organiser receives the data when the qualifying session is over so that the adjustment of the BoP process can begin. We work closely with the organisers and look forward to a balanced field for the race.”
* Weathertech Sportscar Championship for GTD is an eleven-race championship with 7 sprints (Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Lime Rock, Road America, Virginia International Raceway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway) and the 4 IMSA Michelin Endurance races**.
**IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup is a four-race competition encompassing the marquee endurance races on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule: Rolex 24 At Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, 6 Hours of The Glen, and Motul Petit Le Mans. Car Racing Reporter will be on site to report those four races
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