IMSA has confirmed 34 entries for the fourth round on the 2024 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, a 2-hour and 40-minute sprint race around the Laguna Seca Raceway.
The second sprint race of the season will house the GTP, GTD and GTD Pro categories to compete around the 2.238 mile circuit, spanning 11 corners including the renowned Corkscrew complex.
Alike the previous round at Long Beach, the Course de Monterey will clash with the FIA World Endurance Championship, this time being the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday 11 May, whilst the IMSA race will take place on Sunday 12 May.
Given the sprint round circumstances, each car will be driven by the two full-season drivers.
The entry list does not name Gianmaria Bruni’s teammate, yet, in the #5 Proton Competition Porsche 963 as Mike Rockenfeller was brought on at Long Beach to complete the lineup.
As usual, 10 GTP cars will take on the event with the #63 Lamborghini SC63 only taking on the Endurance Cup races, therefore set to return on 23 June’s Six Hours of the Glen.
Long Beach race winners Renger van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais will look for another race win as they chase championship leaders Porsche Penske and their #7 duo Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr, having won the Laguna Seca round last year.
GTD Pro returns for the first time since the 12 Hours of Sebring with nine entries in the category, primarily featuring factory teams and drivers represented across seven manufacturers.
Finally, the GTD class boasts 15 entrants with Frankie Montecalvo and Parker Thompson back in the #12 after Vasser Sullivan entered a modified driver lineup across two Lexus RC Fs at Long Beach.
Despite a challenging Long Beach race for the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 drivers, Philip Ellis and Russell Ward (who holds the GTD track record – 1:23.567), they continue to lead the championship standings although remain crucially in reach by their rivals behind.
Elsewhere, Turner Motorsport will mark their 557th race as a BMW customer team and thus set the record as the team with the most races worldwide for the manufacturer.
They will field the number #557 on their BMW M4 instead of their usual #96 to commemorate the achievement.
See here for the full provisional list of entries for the Course de Monterey on Sunday 12 May.
Editor’s Note:
Bent Viscaal will make his IMSA debut and will partner Gianmaria Bruni in the #5 Porsche.
