Bevy of WeatherTech Championship Teams Solidify Their Lineups in January
By Tony DiZinno
IMSA Wire Service
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Just as in December, there’s been a bevy of team announcements to start January 2025 in anticipation for the Roar Before the Rolex 24 and Rolex 24 At Daytona entry list reveals. They’ve predominately been in the GT ranks, in either Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) or Grand Touring Daytona (GTD).
Here is a recap of what has come out in the last week or so:
Grand Touring Prototype (GTP):
Bruni joins JDC-Miller Porsche
With most GTP lineups set in the fall, few questions remained heading into January. One was answered when Gianmaria Bruni was confirmed to lead the full-season lineup for the No. 85 JDC-Miller Motorsports Porsche 963. Bruni shares this car with Tijmen van der Helm, Pascal Wherein and Bryce Aron.
The knock-on effect of his naming to the JDC-Miller entry is a change to fellow customer Porsche 963 team Proton Competition, which revealed Neel Jani, Tristan Vautier, Nico Pino and a fourth driver to be named later to its No. 5 Porsche on Wednesday’s Roar and Rolex 24 entry lists.
Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2):
United Autosports USA adds champions to the fold
After Ben Hanley, Paul di Resta and Daniel Goldburg were announced last year, United Autosports USA revealed its other five Rolex 24 drivers. It includes past WeatherTech champions Oliver Jarvis and Nick Boulle, past Rolex 24 winner James Allen with Rasmus Lindh and Garnet Patterson completing the two ORECA LMP2 07 cars.
Grand Touring Daytona Pro / Grand Touring Daytona (GTD PRO/GTD):
Lineup shift for Vasser Sullivan Lexus
The split of 2023 GTD PRO champions Ben Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth into separate cars highlights the revised Vasser Sullivan Lexus lineup, while Aaron Telitz moves into its Pro class car and Townsend Bell returns to the cockpit after a several-year hiatus.
From a tall Brit to a tall American at Ford
A skiing accident has sidelined British driver Ben Barker with a broken collarbone, but the Ford Multimatic Motorsports team has found an equally tall replacement in American Austin Cindric, the 2022 Daytona 500 winner, in the team’s No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3.
Turner’s six-pack of BMW M4 cars
As BMW prepares to introduce its EVO package for its M4 GT3 and GT4 models, Turner Motorsport is set to run six BMW M4s in total across three series. Its single WeatherTech Championship GTD car runs alongside two Michelin Pilot Challenge GS cars and three VP Racing SportsCar Challenge cars, split into two Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX) cars and one Grand Sport X (GSX) car.
Same jingle, new car number for JG Wentworth pair
Sheena Monk and Stevan McAleer were unable to curb their enthusiasm about their new car that will feature continued JG Wentworth support, the No. 021 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3. With past IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup champion Mike Skeen and 2024 Rolex 24 GTD PRO class and 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans overall winner James Calado completing the lineup, this car is a potential GTD win or podium contender.
With Scott Andrews the only returning driver, Lone Star Racing has three new faces alongside him in the No. 80 Mercedes-AMG GT3: Dan Knox, Eric Filgueiras and Ralf Aron.
Van der Steur Rounds Out Debut Lineup
On the eve of its debut in stepping into the WeatherTech Championship from Michelin Pilot Challenge, van der Steur Racing has added Maxime Robin and Anthony McIntosh to the already confirmed Rory van der Steur and Valentin Hasse-Clot in their No. 19 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo.
IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge:
Pegram Racing confirmed the second father-daughter pairing for 2025 with Larry and Riley Pegram sharing the No. 72 Hyundai Elantra N Touring Car (TCR) entry.
Czabok-Simpson Motorsport added its second Grand Sport (GS) class entry with longtime open-wheel ladder drivers-turned-sports car drivers Robert Megennis and Nikita Lastochkin set to share the No. 2 Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport starting at Sebring. Megennis will be in the team’s No. 67 car with Gordon Scully and Morgan Burkhard at Daytona.