The 2024 IMSA Daytona/Season entry list is out and it's loaded!
It may be hard to believe, but the 2024 season is already on the near horizon for IMSA.
We are almost two months away from the season kicking off with the Roar Before the 24 at Daytona, the qualifying weekend for the Rolex 24.
Although, cars aren't back on track yet and testing is still a few short weeks away, an early Christmas gift came in the form of the 2024 Season/Daytona Entry List.
The list, which features 60+ cars on the upcoming grid heading into the opening race of the season, features many driver changes, some of which come as a bit of a surprise and others that add to already stacked lineups for teams.
With that, let's check out the lineups and teams for the 2024 season and Rolex 24.
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GTP
The GTP class, coming off its return campaign, has a lot to live up to in 2024. But based on the field, the class may outdo itself next season.
In terms of new entries, the only true new addition on the grid for 2024 is the Iron Lynx #63 Lamborghini. However, the entry list confirmed reports that the team is not running in the opening race at Daytona, reportedly due in part to being behind on development.
Heading into Daytona, some teams will be seeing some new additions to their roster, with both JDC-Miller and Proton Competition receiving almost completely new lineups for next season.
The big addition between the two customer teams would be Richard Westbrook, who will be slated as the full-time driver for the team next season.
Westbrook, who will also be behind the wheel in the #02 Chip Ganassi Cadillac Hypercar in WEC, brings veteran experience for a 2nd straight year, replacing another veteran in Mike Rockenfeller.
As for factory teams making a big splash, Wayne Taylor Racing looks to be going all in with their two GTP entries for 2024. It adds Brandon Hartley and Marcus Ericsson to the already established tandem of Ricky Taylor and Felipe Albuquerque in the #10 entry and 2009 F1 World Champion Jenson Button and IndyCar regular Colton Herta to a lineup featuring Deletraz and Ricky's brother, Jordan Taylor, creating one of the best lineups in IMSA for next year.
Other Notables.
- Philip Eng, who was with the #24 BMW entry last season, is now out of the seat, being replaced by Jesse Krohn and/or Dries Vanthoor.
- Neel Jani will join Gianmaria Bruni full-time for Proton Competition's #59 Porsche entry next season, replacing Harry Ticknell.
- Ben Keating will be doing double duty this season, finding a Rolex 24 ride with JDC-Miller Motorsports.
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LMP2
With the LMP3 class out of the top series in IMSA, the LMP2s have seen an uptick in entries for 2024, including some drivers transferring over to the series' second prototype division.
The big team addition is United Autosport, which came over from the World Endurance Championship and will be fielding two cars in the class next year.
The team will feature Ben Hanley, who comes over from Crowdstrike, and Ben Keating in their #2 entry as they tag team with Dan Goldburg and Paul Di Resta in the #22 entry for the team.
Other changes to note are the tandem of Colin Braun and George Kurtz in the Crowdstrike Racing #04 entry for 2024, with Braun moving down a class after losing his seat to the now-defunct Meyer Shank Racing GTP group.
The other new team in class, AO Racing, known for their "Rexy" GTD entry, will make their prototype debut with team owner PJ Hyett and Paul-Loup Chatin, who comes over from PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports, similarly to Ben Keating.
Other Notables.
- Sean Creech and Riley Motorsports both make the jump to LMP2s for next season.
- The field is set at 12 cars for Daytona.
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GTD Pro
After a season that only featured five cars in contention for the championship, you knew 2024 would be a big step up for the class and it sure will be for next season.
The major moves come from Corvette Racing and Pfaff Motorsports, with the teams announcing their driver stables and lineups for 2024, featuring some massive shifts for drivers.
Dani Juncadella, who spent last season with WeatherTech Racing, shifts gears to Corvette as a part of their massive camp, getting to drive behind the #3 entry for Pratt Miller Motorsports with Alexander Sims and the returning Antonio Garcia.
Earl Bamber will also see some time in the Corvette this season, racing in the sister #4 car for Pratt Miller as Bamber will be mainly seen in the #02 Chip Ganassi Cadillac in WEC with teammate Richard Westbrook.
For Pfaff, they will have an interesting mix coming into their first season with McLaren, adding IndyCar star Alexander Rossi and former IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe, who has become one of the top racing analysts since transitioning from racing to being in the IndyCar On NBC announcing booth.
Joining them for the full-season stint will be Marvin Kirchhoefer and Oliver Jarvis, who was primarily with Era Motorsports last year in an endurance role but has top-class experience with MSR.
Beyond the major team overhauls, AO Racing will see the GTD Pro ranks for the first time, joining other newcomers Paul Miller Racing and Ford Multimatic Motorsports, fielding their Mustang entries with a stellar driver lineup.
Other Notables.
- Klaus Bachler and Patrick Pilet are out of their ride at Pfaff and have yet to be announced for any IMSA seat for 2024.
- Sebastian Priaulx and Laurin Heinrich will do the driving duties for AO Racing #77 Porsche 911.
- Paul Miller Racing's #1 BMW M4 will feature Sheldon van der Linde doing some driving for the team in an endurance/Rolex 24 capacity.
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GTD
For the GTD class, although driver lineups remain similar to 2023, the grid will be massive, featuring 26 cars scheduled to be on track at Daytona, the largest of any class.
AWA's Corvette lineup is probably the most eye-catching change on the grid with the team fielding two of the new Corvettes in class next season.
AWA's driver lineup will be Orey Fidani, Matthew Bell, and Lars Kern in the #13 entry, while Anthony Mantella, Thomas Merrill, Charlie Eastwood and another former Mercedes driver, Nico Varrone, all will compete in the #17 sister entry.
Beyond those additions, the only notable move is the switch from Aston Martin to Porsche for Jarrett Andretti and Gabby Chaves, who coincidentally will be competing for Andretti Motorsports' #43 Porsche 911 entry on the grid in class next season.
Notable Changes
- Next season, the grid will see four Ferraris at Daytona, which is the most IMSA has seen in quite some time.
- Andy Lally, a Rolex 24 winner, will return full-time next season to compete for Magnus Racing.
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Final Thoughts
Looking at the grid from an overall perspective, it shall definitely be one of the most competitive and intriguing slates in recent memory.
Obviously, with the introduction of the GTP car, it is hard to triumph the successes that IMSA had in 2023, but, with some of the new driver changes and combinations, including the talent that is spread across the grid, it truly is making 2024 a season of close competition.
The most exciting class on paper should be the GTD Pro class.
With the addition of the reigning GTD champion in Paul Miller Racing and the all-American showdown that will be Chevrolet Corvettes vs. Ford Mustangs, it should create for the class to be one of the most hard-fought among the four.
Nevertheless, seeing lineups being announced has to make drivers, teams and fans excited for what's to come -- and it will only be a couple of short months until we get to hear engines firing and roaring once again to begin a new season of IMSA.