WeatherTech Racing will enter a second Porsche 911 RSR-19 into the Motul Petit Le Mans season finale, bringing the car count for the class up to six.
The #97 Porsche had previously appeared on the entry list for the final round of the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, but the team has now confirmed the full line-up.
The car will be driven by the trio of Kevin Estre, Michael Christensen and Fred Makowiecki. All three drivers recently competed in the Eight Hours of Bahrain, where Estre and Christensen lost out on a GTE Pro victory under controversial circumstances.
The one-off entry joins WeatherTech Racing’s full-season #79 Porsche in the ten-hour classic, which will be driven by Cooper MacNeil, Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell. Together with two entries from Corvette and BMW, six cars will contest the final race for the GTLM category before it is replaced by GTD Pro in 2022.
“Together with Porsche we wanted to try and give the IMSA GTLM Class a proper send off,” 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 will be taking part in only his second Petit Le Mans after his first appearance in 2014. The Frenchman has made two starts with the team so far this season, at Daytona and VIR.
“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.”
Christensen, meanwhile, has contested the race twice. His best finish was in 2014, when he finished second in class.
“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.”
Makowiecki is the driver with the most wins at the Atlanta circuit in the #97 line-up, having taken victory there in 2018 and 2020.
“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.”
