IMSA SportsCar Championship ahead Road Atlanta
The IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship is still open in each class. A win is worth 350 points and a pole 35 points. A maximum of 385 points is at play at Road Atlanta for the title per class. Let’s review the contenders per class.
GTP class
In the team standings, Porsche Penske Motorsport’s #7 crew occupies the top spot with 2650 pts with two wins at Daytona and Watkins Glen. The same count for factory drivers Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr who rank first in the driver championship with the same number of points. The #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 and its drivers need a race finish of fourth place or better to lock up the crown.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Indianapolis. Porsche Penske Motorsport’s #7 crew occupies the top spot with factory drivers Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr.
Their Porsche colleagues Nick Tandy and Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche #6) are in second place with 2526 pts after two wins at Laguna Seca and Road America.
#01 Cadillac Racing is third with 2486 pts in the teams standings as well as Renger van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais in the driver standings. A deficit of 164 points with the #7 leaders requires the #01 Cadillac Racing delivers an outstanding race while the Porsche don’t.
For the #31 Whelen Cadillac Racing the deficit of 258 pts makes it definitively harder for Jack Aitken and Pipo Derani to clinch the crown.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Indianapolis. Left: Nick Tandy and Mathieu Jaminet with #6 Porsche 963. Right: #01 Cadillac Racing with Renger van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais
LMP2 class
In LMP2, the #52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 with Nick Boulle and Tom Dillmann lead a 98-point edge. A third-place finish guarantees the title.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Indianapolis. #52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 with Nick Boulle and Tom Dillmann.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Indianapolis. #74 Riley (left) with Felipe Fraga and Gar Robinson are second 25 points ahead of #18 ERA Motorsport with Ryan Dalziel and Steven Thomas (right).
GTD PRO class
In GTD PRO, the #77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R has a 99-point lead over #23 Heart of Racing Team. So does Laurin Heinrich in the drivers ahead of Ross Gunn.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Indianapolis. #77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R with Laurin Heinrich.
Laurin Heinrich (Porsche 911 GT3 R #77): “After our victory in Indianapolis, we’re heading to Road Atlanta feeling particularly motivated. We hold a 99-point lead in the championship. That sounds like a lot, but it isn’t in the IMSA – it could be close. Obviously, my big goal is to win the title. I’m super excited about my first Petit Le Mans. Two years ago, I competed in the USA for the first time at Road Atlanta and took a lights-to-flag victory in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America. So, I have fond memories of this challenging old-school course. It’s one of my favourites. The 10-hour distance is long. As always, we’re excellently positioned with our car, and we have a strong trio with Michael Christensen and Julien Andlauer. We’ll tackle this race like all others. We want to win.” Source: Porsche
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Indianapolis. #23 Heart of Racing Team of Ross Gunn..
GTD class
The #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Philip Ellis and Russel Ward have a comfortable lead of 212 pts. They must finish 14th or better to nail down the GTD championship.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Indianapolis. #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Philip Ellis and Russel Ward
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