WeatherTech Racing have officially confirmed the entry of a second GTLM car in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta this weekend, the final race to welcome a GTLM class in the IMSA Championship.
The #97 WeatherTech Racing Porsche RSR, first revealed by DSC last month will be driven by Kévin Estre, Michael Christensen, and Frédéric Makowiecki.
The car will be prepared by Proton Competition alongside the season-long #79 WeatherTech Racing Porsche RSR entry driven by Cooper MacNeil, Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet.
“Together with Porsche we wanted to try and give the IMSA GTLM Class a proper send off,” Cooper MacNeil said. “Porsche has been a consistent competitor in the Class since its inception. The entry will give the field an even six cars and hopefully, both of our WeatherTech Porsche entries will be a factor when the checker waves at 10:10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13.”
Estre is motivated to get another win for the WeatherTech sponsored car to go with the team’s victories at Sebring in March and Road America in August.
“I am glad to be competing at Petit Le Mans with Fred and Michael,” Estre said. “I’ve driven a lot with Michael, and we’ve had a lot of success together. This will be my first time sharing a car with Fred, so that will be interesting. This will be my second Petit Le Mans, the first was in 2014 and it didn’t go so well. I am looking forward to it. I don’t have much experience at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, but I am glad to be back in the Porsche RSR with the Proton Competition guys and hope to win another big one for WeatherTech like they did at Sebring and Road America.”
For Makowiecki he has two Petit Le Mans wins on his racing resume.
“Petit Le Mans is a very special race, one of the best of the season,” said Makowiecki “It is always a big fight. I’ve won it twice in GTLM, last year in 2020 and my first came in 2018. We will try to repeat this next week. This will be the first time all of us drive together in the Porsche RSR. We are motivated to have a good result. It is also special to be running the last race of the GTLM. The competition level will be high with BMW and Corvette. I am looking forward to the race.”
Christensen wants to improve one step on the podium at Petit to better his P2 finish in GTLM from 2014.
“I am really looking forward to competing in the USA in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship again,” Christensen said. “I am looking forward to racing the WeatherTech Porsche RSR and see if we can get them another victory this year. Petit Le Mans is a very challenging race. Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is narrow and makes for a fast and hectic race. People are excited and ambitious for the race which makes for some chaos on the track. We need to stay out of trouble and be ready to fight for the win late in the race.”
The two-car Porsche entry will complete a six car farewell to GTLM in IMSA competition alongside the two full season factory Corvette C8.Rs and the two BMW M8 GTLMs
