With Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona upon us, here's looking at two of IMSA's key classes: GTP and LMP2
Two of the biggest classes that will compete in IMSA racing in 2024 will be the GTP and LMP2 divisions.
Here's a breakdown of what fans can expect from each series:
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Class-By-Class: Previewing The GTP Class for 2024
A class that was the talk of the year last season comes into 2024 with even greater expectations, featuring a double-digit entry list for the season.
Now with the addition of both of the customer-Porsches with Proton and JDC-Miller taking control and the addition of the Iron Lynx Lamborghini, the field will be as exciting as it was last season, with still many answers that will need to be answered.
While 2023 saw a wide-open chase for the championship, 2024 will be interesting to see play out with how the manufacturers and teams iron out and if the season will be more dispersed compared to last season.
AutoRacingDigest.com's GTP Predictions
1. #6 Porsche Penske Motorsports: Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy (season); Kevin Estre (IMEC); Laurens Vanthoor (Rolex 24)
2. #40 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura: Louis Deletraz and Jordan Taylor (season); Colton Herta (IMEC); Jenson Button (Rolex 24)
3. #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura: Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor (season); Brendon Hartley (IMEC); Marcus Ericsson (Rolex 24)
4. #31 Whelen AER Cadillac: Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken (season); Tom Blomqvist (IMEC)
5. #25 RLL BMW: Connor De Phillippi, Nick Yelloly, Maxime Martin, fourth driver TBA (drivers have not yet been designated as season or endurance)
6. #01 CGR Cadillac: Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande (season); Scott Dixon (IMEC)
7. #7 Porsche Penske Motorsports: Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr (season); Josef Newgarden (IMEC); Matt Campbell (Rolex 24)
8. #24 RLL BMW: Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn, Dries Vanthoor, fourth driver TBA (drivers have not yet been designated as season or endurance)
9. #85 JDC-Miller Porsche: Tijmen van der Helm and Richard Westbrook (season); Phil Hanson (IMEC); Ben Keating (Rolex 24)
10. #63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini: Andrea Caldarelli, Matteo Cairoli and Romain Grosjean (all IMEC races except Rolex 24)
11. #5 Proton Competition Porsche: Gianmaria Bruni and Neel Jani (season); others TBD
Prediction Overview
After the season Jaminet and Tandy had in Year One in the Porsche Penske #6 entry, it is hard not to put them back at the top for the upcoming season.
While Porsche Penske hasn’t shown to be the strongest in the opening race, it seems like this year the group has improved and is showing signs of being a contender once again this season.
Following last weekend's Roar Before the 24, Wayne Taylor Racing struggled a bit at a track the team has had great success at. However, with the team hungry for their first win since August 2022 at Road America, WTR looks to be a team that could get back to their winning ways.
One move that may surprise you is Iron Lynx being above Proton. While Proton is running the full season, Iron Lynx early on seems to have a lot of high heading into their first of four endurance races this season, coming off a December test that put them at the top of the unofficial timing charts.
Proton should still bring some competitiveness given their podium finish at Road Atlanta last season, but they are still a team that has some uncertainty to them in a technically full Year One.
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Class-By-Class: Previewing The LMP2 Class for 2024
The LMP2 class may not get the same exposure as its higher counterparts, but this season’s lineup has the surefire makings of what will be quite a competitive class in 2024.
Looking at the class, it’s a mix of newcomers and veteran teams, featuring the two new WEC invaders in United Autosports and Inter Europol, who are teaming with PR1 Mathiasen this season to field the entry.
Not to mention some of the veteran teams such as Crowdstrike Racing, TDS Racing, and ERA Motorsports, the LMP2 class is a great mix of old and new that should create quite a dynamic.
AutoRacingDigest.com's 2024 LMP2 Predictions
1. #04 CrowdStrike Racing: Colin Braun and George Kurtz (season); Malthe Jakobsen and Toby Sowery (Rolex 24)
2. #74 Riley: Gar Robinson and Felipe Fraga (season); Josh Burdon (IMEC); Felipe Massa (Rolex 24)
3. #8 Tower Motorsports: John Farano (season) and Charlie Eastwood (season except Rolex 24); Michael Dinan (IMEC); Ferdinand Habsburg and Scott McLaughlin (Rolex 24)
4. #2 United Autosports: Ben Hanley and Ben Keating (season); Nico Pino (IMEC); Pato O’Ward (Rolex 24)
5. #11 TDS Racing: Mikkel Jensen and Steven Thomas (season); Hunter McElrea (IMEC); TBA (Rolex 24)
6. #18 ERA: Ryan Dalziel and Dwight Merriman (season); other drivers TBA
7. #22 United Autosports: Paul di Resta and Daniel Goldburg (season); Bijoy Garg (IMEC); Felix Rosenqvist (Rolex 24)
8. #52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen: Jakub Smiechowski (IMEC); other drivers TBA
9. #81 DragonSpeed Racing: TBD
10. #33 Sean Creech Motorsports: Joao Barbosa and Lance Willsey (season); other drivers TBA
11. #99 AO Racing: Paul-Loup Chatin and PJ Hyett (season); Matthew Brabham (IMEC); Alex Quinn (Rolex 24)
12. #20 High Class Racing: Dennis Andersen and Seth Lucas (season); Laurents Hoerr (IMEC); TBA (Rolex 24)
13. #88 AF Corse: Luis Perez Companc, Niklas Nielsen, Lilou Wadoux and TBA
(Driver List Not Updated)
Prediction Overview
It will be hard to deny Crowdstrike Racing from the top spot for the season.
With the pair of Colin Braun and George Kurtz following Braun’s departure from the GTP for the 2024 season, Crowdstrike Racing has a lineup that could surprise many this year.
Looking down the list, the #74 Riley entry may be one of the more surprising at the top of the predictions list.
A team that won the now-defunct LMP3 class has potential for this season. While they may not come into the LMP2 class with the same expectations as teams such as United or Inter Europol, Riley has always been a consistent group and can hang with the best of them.
Looking down on the predictions, Tower Motorsports, a team that featured IndyCar stars Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin last season at Daytona, has the potential to also be a serious contender for the championship.
However, following this past weekend’s Roar Before the 24 results, the #2 United Autosports entry may be the team to beat in this weekend's Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.