📷 © Luc Warnotte: Jaminet (#9) and Vanthoor (#2) entering their last lap of the **Rolex 24 At Daytona** 2022.

As IMSA and endurance racing fans we all remember the dramatic battle between KCMG and Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911. After 24 hours of racing and fighting in the same lap, Jaminet (Pfaff) and Vanthoor (KCMG) came to blows at the Le Mans Chicane on the final lap of the Rolex 24 At Daytona 2022, after Vanthoor tried to out-brake his fellow factory driver on the outside line.

📷 © Luc Warnotte: Pfaff #9 Porsche 911 fighting for P1 with morning leading Risi Competizione #62 Ferrari 488.

Pier Guidi with Risi Competizione #62 Ferrari 488 took the opportunity to end second after starting fourth for his last stint. What a race!

📷 © Luc Warnotte: KCMG #2 Porsche 911 ahead of Pfaff #9 sister on Sunday morning at Daytona.

KCMG will not be at this year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona but Pfaff Motorsport and Risi Competizione will.

The GTD PRO entry list counts 9 cars representing 8 manufacturers (Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mercedes, Porsche) that will definitively make an intense race at Daytona.

Porsche 911 GT3 R (991 II) and BMW M4 GT3 recently dominated the 24 Hours of Dubaï by trusting the podium and getting 2 cars each in the top 4. Mercedes supported, early frontrunners Haupt Racing Team, capitulated with both Mercedes-AMG GT3 abandoning after 6 hours of racing. Daytona is different but the Dubaï race gives an indication of the state of form of the German GT3 manufacturers.

We hereby summarize the announcements made by the teams, as it stands so far, that will compete at Daytona as well as in the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship*. We also clarify the drivers competing in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup** or solely in the Rolex 24 At Daytona when available.

Corvette Racing.

Chevrolet Corvette C8.R won the WeatherTech Championship GTLM class in 2020 and 2021 as well as the Rolex 24 At Daytona both years. The GTD version didn’t reach the same success under the 2022 GTD PRO class Championship, ending third overall with a single win at Sebring.

📷 © Luc Warnotte: The **12 Hours of Sebring** was the only race #3 Corvette C8.R won last year.

2023 will be the last year of the Chevrolet Corvette C8.R in IMSA Championship and each Corvette fan is waiting for the 2024 Corvette Z06 GT3.R racecar to make its public debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona on Friday, January 27th. We therefore consider 2023 as a transition year for Corvette Racing.

Full season: Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor

Rolex 24: Tommy Milner

Porsche

After winning GTD class Championship in 2021 and the GTD PRO class Championship in 2022, Pfaff Motorsports is back this year with the ambition of winning a third title in a row.

The team’s Porsche 911 will be driven by a new lineup (Campbell and Jaminet driving GTP Porsche 969) with Klaus Bachler and Patrick Pilet driving the full season. Ironically, Laurens Vanthoor, who challenged Jaminet in an intense battle right up to the checkered flag in last year’s Rolex 24, will be the third driver of the #9 Pfaff Porsche.

Klaus Bachler will be making his full-time debut in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series.

Patrick Pilet, 2015 GTLM champion, has an impressive resume with GT Le Mans (GTLM) class wins in the Rolex 24 At Daytona (2014), two in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (2018 and 2019), two in the Motul Petit Le Mans (2015 and 2018) and one at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen (2019). He was the 2015 GTLM champion and also has past victories in 24-hour races at Nurburgring and Dubai.

Laurens Vanthoor won the 2021 GTD championship with Pfaff Motorsports as well as the 2019 GTLM champion with the Porsche GT Team.

Porsche customer program with Herberth Motorsport’s Porsche 911 GT3 R (991 II) got off to a flying start at Dubai today by dominating the 24 hours race during the last 12 hours with WRT’s BMW M4 GT3. The #91 Porsche 911 GT3 R (991 II) ended second overall and won the PRO/AM class. #10 Grove Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R (991 II) driven by Earl Bamber ended 4th overall. Of course, Daytona is a different race but this shows that the Porsche 911 GT3 R (991 II) is reliable and fast.

Full season: Klaus Bachler and Patrick Pilet

Rolex 24: Laurens Vanthoor

Lexus

The 2023 season will mark the fifth year Lexus and Vasser Sullivan have partnered together, having earned ten wins, 28 podiums and nine pole positions.

Jack Hawksworth, a long-time driver with Vasser Sullivan, and Ben Barnicoat will drive the #14 Lexus RC F GT3 for the second year in a row.

Mike Conway will complete Vasser Sullivan Racing’s lineup for the Rolex 24 at Daytona as his Michelin Endurance Cup collaboration with Action Express Racing in the DPi class had to cease due to the team becoming a factory Cadillac operation (Conway is a full time driver of #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Hypercar in WEC).

Full season: Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat

Rolex 24: Mike Conway

Aston Martin

Aston Martin vehicles won both the IMSA Michelin Pilot GS and the WeatherTech GTD championships in 2022.

Heart of Racing

📷 © Luc Warnotte: R. Gunn / A. Riberas / M. Martin with #23 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 abandoned the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Ross Gunn driving #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 finished third in the 2021 GTD WeatherTech Championship with Roman de Angelis and fourth in the 2022 GTD PRO class Alex Riberas. The Gunn / Riberas duo will drive the #23 Aston in GTD PRO this season. David Pittard will join them for the 61st edition of the Rolex 24.

Full season: Alex Riberas and Ross Gunn

Rolex 24: David Pittard

TGM Team

The Ted Giovanis-owned team made its debut in the annual Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2021, abandoning after 17 hours, and ending 7th GTD class in 2022 with Giovanis joined by Matt, Hugh Plumb and Owen Trinker driving #64 Porsche 911 GT3R.

Same driver lineup with team owner, Ted Giovanis, Owen Trinkler and brothers Hugh and Matt Plumb but new car as they will share the #64 Aston Martin Vantage. Last month the team announced its partnership with Aston Martin and TF Racing for the upcoming 2023 Rolex 24-Hour race at Daytona.

The team is well known in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge where they will now feature Aston Martin Vantage GT4 race cars in the GS category.

Ferrari

📷 © Luc Warnotte: James Calado, Alessandro Pier Guidi, Davide Rigon and Daniel Serra ended second GTD PRO class Rolex 24 At Daytona 2022 with #62 Ferrari 488.

Risi Competizione is aligning the brand new Ferrari 296 GT3 with #62 for Rolex 24 At Daytona.

FIA World Endurance LMGT champions James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi and IMSA Michelin Endurance GTD Pro Champions Davide Rigon and Daniel Serra will drive the #62 car at Rolex 24 At Daytona. The quatuor ended second in last year’s edition.

Lamborghini

Same number but different team and new car for #63 Lamborghini as Iron Lynx, supported by Lamborghini Squadra Corse, comes to Daytona with the new Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2.

📷 © Courtesy of IMSA: #63 Lamborghini at test days at Daytona - December 2022.

Lamborghini drivers, two-time winners of Daytona Mirko Bortolotti (2019 and 2020 Rolex 24 At Daytona GTD class), Andrea Caldarelli, former formula One Racer Romain Grosjean and Jordan Pepper, will compete with the new Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 at Daytona.

It is a new challenge for Iron Lynx who will compete in the entire IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup** Championship during 2023 with #63 Lamborghini.

IMEC rounds: Mirko Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli and Romain Grosjean.

Rolex 24: Jordan Pepper.

Mercedes

In 2022 WeatherTech Racing made a shift from #79 Porsche 911 to the #97 Mercedes-AMG GT3 after a podium finish (P3) at Sebring. From then on the team decided to run the #97 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Mercedes-Benz of Billings, Montana support for the remainder of the IMSA WeatherTech Championship schedule ending 6th in Teams GTD PRO class. Cooper MacNeil ended 7th in the Drivers GTD PRO Championship.

The two Mercedes-AMG GT3 Haupt Racing Team Mercedes dominated the qualification session and took the first row of the starting grid of the 24 Hours of Dubai demonstrating speed on the Dubaï track. Both abandoned the race and Heart of Racing by SPS Mercedes-AMG GT3 ended 8th overall in the 24 Hours race.

📷 © Luc Warnotte: #79 WeatherTech Mercedes AMG GT3 at The Glen and Road Atlanta

Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella will drive the #79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Mercedes-Benz of Billings, Montana support for the 2023 season. Maro Engel will join for the endurance races with Cooper MacNeil coming on board for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

MacNeil will run a reduced schedule with only the Rolex 24 At Daytona at this time and will take on more of a management role with the team throughout the season. The Proton Competition crew, headed by Christian Ried, will once again direct the program.

Full season: Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella

IMEC rounds: Maro Engel.

Rolex 24: Cooper MacNeil.

BMW

With Team RLL now featuring the GTP BMW, Turner Motorsport will secure two BMW M4 GT3 in the IMSA Championship. Contrary to what you’ve read in many publications the GTD PRO class is welcoming a ninth team with #95 Turner Motorsport’s BMW M4 GT3.

At Rolex 24 At Daytona, the car will be driven by BMW M Motorsport factory drivers Bruno Spengler and John Edwards plus full season drivers Bill Auberlen and Chandler Hull.

📷 © Luc Warnotte: Turner Motorsport #96 BMW M4 GT3 ended 3rd combined classes GTD and GTD PRO

Turner Motorsport ended 4th overall GTD Championship last year even though abandoning at Daytona. Progressively they became more competitive during the season with a P4 in class at Sebring, P3 at The Glen and P3 at Road Atlanta BUT ahead of all GTD PRO!

Based on 24H Dubaï recent success of BMW M Motorsport Team WRT clinching two podium seats, the BMW M4 GT3 becomes a serious challenger for overall victory of both GTD and GTD PRO classes as well as combined ranking.

Full season: Bill Auberlen and Chandler Hull

IMEC rounds: John Edwards.

Rolex 24: Bruno Spengler.

Writer’s notes:

* 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.