The GTD class for the 2019 IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship has seen a gaggle of entries announced in recent days, but news too that a number of established talents are set to fall victim to a combination of market forces and the always controversial driver rankings systems operated by the FIA and, increasingly it seems, by race promoters too.
First the good news!
Vilander Joins Weathertech Ferrari Squad
WeatherTechRacing are set to return to the fray with Cooper MacNeil partnered this coming season by Toni Vilander in the #63 Ferrari 488 GT3, still prepared by Scuderia Corsa.
The team are looking to carry the momentum from their 2018 season finale victory at Petit Le Mans into the Floridian double enduro at Daytona and Sebring.
The season-pairing will be joined at the Rolex 24 Hours by Dominik Farnbacher and Jeff Westphal Farnbacher, Westphal most recently in action in a Ferrari at the California 8 Hours IGTC race at Laguna Seca.
Long and Lindsey Re-united For Park Place Effort
Park Place are set to return with a near full season effort with their #73 Porsche 911 GT3.R, a new car in full 2019 spec. Patrick Lindsay will be joined for the full season by Porsche Factory Driver Pat Long, the pairing reunited after last completing a full season back in 2013 in Grand-Am’s GT class.
Lindsey though is set to miss Mid-Ohio due to a calendar clash with the Spa WEC fixture, his efforts in the GTE Am Project 1 Porsche are set to take precedence as the team closes in on a potential title win in the global Championship
Paul Miller Racing Return To Defend Championship
Paul Miller Racing will return to the fray, despite reports to the contrary, in an uprated Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo but with a revised driver line-up in the wake of Madison Snow’s upgrading by IMSA to Gold, effectively counting him out from a return to the team in defence of their 2018 IMSA title.
Bryan Sellers will though return for his fourth year with the team and will be joined by 2018 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North American and World Champion, and 2018 PWC GT Cup Champion Ryan Hardwick who brings backing from sports nutrition outfit 1st Phorm.
Corey Lewis, also a 2018 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North American Champion, will also return to the team as an endurance driver in the Michelin Endurance Cup.
With the AIM Sullivan Lexus programme gaining momentum, the team testing recently with a car displaying two different options for a 2019 livery (above), plus recent announcements from Compass Racing (McLaren 720S GT3), Starworks (Audi R8 LMS Evo), Meyer Shank Racing,(two car effort with the Acura NSX GT3) and with Magnus Racing confirming a switch to a Lamborghini, from their 2018 Audi, for the coming year, the full season class is beginning to take shape with several other teams (including GRT Grasser and Herberth Motorsport already announcing either Rolex 24 Hours or NAEC efforts. The new for 2019 Sprint Cup has attracted the attention of Pfaff Motorsport for their first outing in front-line IMSA competition with a Porsche attack.
There are though still a number of programmes yet to be confirmed, and others that may not return have yet to declare their intentions either.
Driver Rankings and Status Causing Problems
With deals coming together, and in some high profile cases falling apart, at such a late stage there have been some notable casualties from the established ranks.
Whilst Madison Snow has had the highest profile on that front, opting to withdraw from the sport in the wake of his re-categorisation by IMSA – others too are far from certain as to where their 2019 will be spent.
They include double IMSA Champion Christina Nielsen whose move to Porsche at the start of last season with Wright Motorsports seemed to mark a significant career step-up.
At present though her future is unclear – her ‘Porsche Selected Driver’ status, announced with some fanfare by the German marque last year seems not to have provided any body armour against the current GTD market turbulence – and little notice that this was going to be the case!
With the Wright programme for 2019 currently unannounced, and 2019 driving partner Pat Long already allocated to Park Place’s effort, it seems that the Dane is now potentially back to square one at a very late stage in search of a budget if she is to continue.
