DSC’s Daily Notebook (18/12/2023)
Allied Racing commits two Caymans to GT4 European Series
Allied Racing (above) has confirmed that it will return to the GT4 European Series in 2024 with a pair of Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS’ once again.
The team, which has been a part of the GT4 European Series paddock since 2015, are set to reveal their driver line-up soon, though it is expected that drivers from the Allied Junior Academy will fill the spaces.
Lamborghini LMGT3 onboard
Watch this POV onboard lap of Circuito Monteblanco with Iron Lynx’s Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 Evo2 during the 2023 Goodyear Tyre Test last month.
KMW Pilot Challenge line-up confirmed
KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering, which won three races and finished fourth in the TCR class championship in the 2023 Pilot Challenge season, has announced that William Tally will join its driver line-up next year.
Tally, a full-time orthopaedic surgeon in Georgia, will join Tim Lewis Jr. in the # 5 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce as the Florida-based team returns to the TCR class. Lewis previously ran the last five seasons with Roy Block, who has chosen to step away from racing after the pair collected a historic eight wins with Alfa Romeo and finished as high as second in the championship.
“We have big changes coming in 2024 for our little team,” team principal Louis Milone said. “While Roy Block can never be replaced, we are very excited to welcome Will Tally to partner with Tim Lewis Jr. moving into next season. We watched Will collect championships in the Porsche Club National series and also during his freshman IMSA TCR season. We know he will be a perfect fit to compete for wins and ultimately the championship.
“I really want to thank Roy for his commitment and dedication that helped build our team into a world-class championship contender. Thank you to IMSA and its staff for helping us put together the necessary pieces to bring this program back and to Romeo Ferraris of Milan for supporting us with such a great race car ahead of our sixth season.”
Tally drove in eight Michelin Pilot Challenge races this season with LA Honda World Racing, recording a best finish of second at Daytona International Speedway.
“I’m excited to join Tim on track with KMW Motorsports and TMR Engineering for my sophomore IMSA season,” said Tally. “This year presents a refreshing change to drive with him in the Alfa Romeo instead of trying to chase him down! I’m excited to see how our season unfolds.”
Wittmer signs for Montreal Motorsport Group
Another Pilot Challenge team to reveal drivers for next year in recent days is Montreal Motorsport Group. It announced that Karl Wittmer and Daijiro “Dai” Yoshihara will pilot the new team’s #93 Honda Civic Type R FL5 and Louis-Philippe Montour will partner with Bryan Ortiz aboard the #6.
Wittmer, a multiple Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR race winner and Canadian professional driver, is eager to get the season started alongside Yoshihara, the 2011 Formula Drift Champion, 2020 Pikes Peak Unlimited winner and stunt driver.
“I’m incredibly excited to be driving with MMG in 2024 in the No. 93 FL5 Honda Civic Type R and to be joined by Dai Yoshihara,” Wittmer said. “I can’t wait to get started in Daytona and compete for the IMSA TCR championship. This marks my 14th season driving a Honda product, and I couldn’t be happier about this ongoing relationship.”
Yoshihara looks to build on his first full season of professional racing, while Montour, another Canadian for the Montreal-based team, is just as excited to team with Ortiz in the #6 Honda.
“After 12 years as a race car driver in various racing series in Canada and the United States, I can finally confirm that I will be participating in the IMPC series,” Montour said. “The establishment of this team and program happened quite swiftly and I did not hesitate at all to fully commit to this new adventure when the opportunity was presented to me.”
Ortiz, a former Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America champion, finished seventh in this year’s Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR points, highlighted by a second-place finish for van der Steur Racing in the season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
The 2024 Michelin Pilot Challenge season opens with its traditional four-hour race on January 26th at Daytona International Speedway ahead of the Rolex 24 Hours.
Images courtesy of GT4 European Series & IMSA
