GTP Class Knotted at Top with No. 7 Porsche and No. 40 Acura
By Mark Robinson
Official Season Point Standings
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Now that the “36 Hours of Florida” are complete, it’s the right time to check in on each of the four IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship classes.
While the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Cadillac comprise more than half the race hours of the 2024 campaign, each of the remaining races awards just as many points toward the championships as those two enduros that kick off the year.
Broken down by class, here is where things stand with the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach looming in less than a month:
Grand Touring Prototype (GTP): It couldn’t be any closer as the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 (the winner at Daytona) and the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06 (winner at Sebring) are tied with 706 points apiece. With seven GTP races remaining, the reigning class champion No. 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R is 106 points back, with the No. 01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac another six points in arrears. The GTP manufacturer battle is just as tight, with Cadillac, Porsche and Acura knotted at the top.
Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2): No surprise here that the No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07, which has won both races to start the season, rides atop the class standings. With a pair of top-five results, the No. 74 Riley ORECA is second in points, 127 markers behind. The LMP2 class has five more events this season, the next not until the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on June 23.
Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO): With a class win at Daytona and runner-up finish at Sebring, the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 holds a substantial lead in the standings. But since the No. 62 is only slated to run the five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events, it’s not in contention for the season title.
That leaves the GTD PRO chase wide open, with the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 just seven points ahead of the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 and 19 points better than the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992). With eight GTD PRO races to go, it’s anybody’s game.
The GTD PRO manufacturer championship finds Lexus 12 points ahead of Porsche, 41 up on Lamborghini and 43 ahead of Aston Martin. The class races next on May 12 in the Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Grand Touring Daytona (GTD): The No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 has also built a sizable point lead after winning its class in the first two races, and that advantage is even greater when considering who the nearest contenders are. The No. 47 Cetilar Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 is 136 points behind but only entering the endurance races. The No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) is the closest full-season competitor, third in the GTD standings at 155 points back.
Mercedes also owns a 117-point lead over Porsche in the GTD manufacturer standings. But with eight races remaining – beginning next at Long Beach – and GTD fields of 16 or more cars expected in each, the tide can turn quickly with one subpar finish.
Michelin Endurance Cup Battles Tight across the Field
IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Point Standings
Points under a separate scoring system are awarded at the five longest races to determine the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup champion in each class. After two races, all four classes remain hotly contested.
In GTP, the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac is a single point ahead of the No. 7 Penske Porsche, with the No. 01 Cadillac four points from the leader. Cadillac and Porsche are tied for the manufacturer lead.
In LMP2, the No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA is tied with the No. 52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA. The No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA is a single point behind.
In GTD PRO, the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW is two points better than the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari. Chevrolet leads the manufacturer standings, three points ahead of Porsche.
In GTD, the No. 57 Winward Mercedes leads, two points ahead of the No. 70 Inception Racing McLaren 720S GT3 Evo and four points ahead of the No. 023 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3. Mercedes-AMG holds an eight-point edge over McLaren in the manufacturer standings.
The next Michelin Endurance Cup race – the next time all four WeatherTech Championship classes race together again – is the Sahlen’s Six Hours at Watkins Glen International in June.