On Wednesday, IMSA released the preliminary entry list for next week’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. As per IMSA rules, all teams that planned on competing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona had to enter the Roar Before the 24. As a result, the same 55 teams that participated in the Roar Before the 24 two weeks ago will be competing in the big race.
That said, there are some changes in driver lineups and additional driver confirmations. In the Prototype class, everything driver-wise was set by the end of the Roar. However, during the Roar, a couple of last-minute additions were made. For instance, RC Enerson will be the fourth driver in PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports’ Ligier JS P217-Gibson.
Porsche factory racer Brendon Hartley is currently entered in both of the Tequila Patron ESM Nissan DPi’s. When the team announced their Rolex 24 late last year, they indicated that Hartley would only drive the No. 22 at the time.
Regardless, the race should be a topsy-turvy event with all 12 Prototypes entered competing in their first race. Attrition will likely be higher than normal.
In Prototype Challenge, five cars are entered. Here, there is one change of note. Performance Tech Motorsports had 2016 IMSA Prototype Lites champion Clark Toppe on the team at the Roar. However, Toppe crashed the No. 38 during the first session of the Roar. He has been replaced for the race by Kyle Masson.
GT Le Mans has no changes from the Roar, but nearly every team has a lineup of stars. In addition to their regular drivers, Ford Chip Ganassi Racing has tapped Verizon IndyCar Series regulars Sebastién Bourdais, Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan to drive. Corvette Racing once again has former Audi factory racers Mike Rockenfeller and Marcel Fässler in the fold. Fässler’s No. 4 Chevrolet caught fire on the final day of the Roar. Corvette Racing was forced to repair the C7.R, but will be ready to go.
In addition to their INDYCAR stars, Ford Chip Ganassi Racing also entered the UK division’s two cars that normally race in the FIA World Endurance Championship. All four of the cars were quick at the Roar and should contend.
GT Daytona has the lion’s share of changes. Turner Motorsport just announced their lineup Wednesday morning, just hours before the entry list was revealed. The Racers Group’s lineup sees two drivers dropped from their original announcement. Longtime TRG racer Derek DeBoer is not on the entry list, and neither is Pablo Sanchez. Both drivers did in fact test the team’s Porsche 911 GT3 R during the Roar, but have been replaced. Mike Hedlund and Black Swan Racing owner Tim Pappas will take their places.
Dion von Moltke has been added as a fifth driver in Paul Miller Racing’s Lamborghini. Meanwhile, Mercedes factory racer Maro Engel has been added to SunEnergy1 Racing’s lineup, joining team owner Kenny Habul, Boris Said and Tristan Vautier.
The new DAC Motorsports team has only three drivers listed in their No. 18 Lamborghini (Emmanuel Anassis, Zach Claman and Anthony Massari). Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America regular and former NHL player Patrice Brisebois has been dropped from the lineup.
There are a few teams that have TBD’s (To Be Determined) in their lineups. Those teams are EBIMOTORS (No. 46 Lamborghini), Spirit of Race (No. 51 Ferrari), Manthey Racing (No. 59 Porsche), Park Place Motorsports (No. 73 Porsche), SunEnergy1 Racing (No. 75 Mercedes). It is unclear whether these unfilled spots are actually unfilled seats, or if the drivers who have claimed these seats have not obtained IMSA licenses as of yet.
2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona Entry List
| Class | Team | Drivers | Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prototype | 2 - Tequila Patron ESM | Ryan Dalziel Pipo Derani Brendon Hartley Scott Sharp | Nissan DPi |
| GT Le Mans | 3 - Corvette Racing | Antonio Garcia Jan Magnussen Mike Rockenfeller | Chevrolet Corvette C7.R |
| GT Le Mans | 4 - Corvette Racing | Marcel Fässler Oliver Gavin Tommy Milner | Chevrolet Corvette C7.R |
| Prototype | 5 - Action Express Racing | Filipe Albuquerque Joao Barbosa Christian Fittipaldi | Cadillac DPi-V.R. |
| Prototype Challenge | 8 - Starworks Motorsport | Chris Cumming John Falb Ben Keating Remo Ruscitti Robert Wickens | ORECA FLM09-Chevrolet |
| Prototype | 10 - Wayne Taylor Racing | Max Angelelli Jeff Gordon Jordan Taylor Ricky Taylor | Cadillac DPi-V.R. |
| GT Daytona | 11 - GRT Grasser Racing Team | Mirko Bortolotti Christian Engelhart Rolf Ineichen Ezequiel Perez Companc | Lamborghini Huracan GT3 |
| Prototype | 13- REBELLION Racing | Sébastien Buemi Nick Heidfeld Neel Jani Stephane Sarrazin | ORECA 07-Gibson |
| GT Daytona | 14 - 3GT Racing | Ian James Sage Karam Gustavo Menezes Scott Pruett | Lexus RCF GT3 |
| GT Daytona | 15 - 3GT Racing | Robert Alon Austin Cindric Dominik Farnbacher Jack Hawksworth | Lexus RCF GT3 |
| GT Daytona | 16 - Change Racing | Kaz Grala Corey Lewis Jeroen Mul Brett Sandberg | Lamborghini Huracan GT3 |
| GT Daytona | 18 - DAC Motorsports | Emanuel Anassis Zach Claman Anthony Massari | Lamborghini Huracan GT3 |
| GT Le Mans | 19 - BMW Team RLL | Bill Auberlen Augusto Farfus Alexander Sims Bruno Spengler | BMW M6 GTLM |
| Prototype Challenge | 20 - BAR1 Motorsports | Chapman Ducote Mark Kvamme Buddy Rice Gustavo Yacaman Don Yount | ORECA FLM09-Chevrolet |
| GT Daytona | 21 - Konrad Racing | Marc Basseng Franz Konrad Marco Mapelli Luca Stolz Lance Willsey | Lamborghini Huracan GT3 |
| Prototype | 22 - Tequila Patron ESM | Ed Brown Brendon Hartley Bruno Senna Johannes van Overbeek | Nissan DPi |
| GT Daytona | 23 - Alex Job Racing | Townsend Bell Pierre Kaffer Frankie Montecalvo Bill Sweedler | Audi R8 LMS GT3 |
| GT Le Mans | 24 - BMW Team RLL | Nicky Catsburg John Edwards Martin Tomczyk Kuno Wittmer | BMW M6 GTLM |
| Prototype Challenge | 26 - BAR1 Motorsports | David Cheng Trent Hindman Adam Merzon Johnny Mowlem Tom Papadopoulos | ORECA FLM09-Chevrolet |
| GT Daytona | 27 - Dream Racing | Larry DeGeorge Raffaele Giammaria Paolo Ruberti Luca Persiani Cedric Sbirrazzuoli | Lamborghini Huracan GT3 |
| GT Daytona | 28 - Alegra Motorsports | Michael Christensen Carlos de Quesada Michael de Quesada Daniel Morad Jesse Lazare | Porsche 911 GT3 R |
| GT Daytona | 29 - Montaplast by Land-Motorsport | Connor de Phillippi Jules Gounon Christopher Mies Jeffrey Schmidt | Audi R8 LMS GT3 |
| Prototype | 31 - Action Express Racing | Dane Cameron Mike Conway Eric Curran Seb Morris | Cadillac DPi-V.R. |
| GT Daytona | 33 - Riley Motorsports | Jeroen Bleekemolen Adam Christodoulou Mario Farnbacher Ben Keating | Mercedes-AMG GT3 |
| Prototype Challenge | 38 - Performance Tech Motorsports | Nick Boulle James French Kyle Masson Patricio O'Ward | ORECA FLM09-Chevrolet |
| GT Daytona | 46 - EBIMOTORS | Fabio Babini Emanuele Busnelli Emmanuel Collard | Lamborghini Huracan GT3 |
| GT Daytona | 48 - Paul Miller Racing | Andrea Caldarelli Bryce Miller Bryan Sellers Madison Snow Dion von Moltke | Lamborghini Huracan GT3 |
| GT Daytona | 50 - Riley Motorsports (WeatherTech Racing) | Thomas Jäger Gunnar Jeannette Cooper MacNeil Shane van Gisbergen | Mercedes-AMG GT3 |
| GT Daytona | 51 - Spirit of Race (AF Corse) | Peter Mann Maurizio Mediani Alessandro Pier Guidi Davide Rigon | Ferrari 488 GT3 |
| Prototype | 52 - PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports | RC Enerson Mike Guasch José Gutierrez Tom Kimber-Smith | Ligier JS P217-Gibson |
| GT Daytona | 54 - CORE autosport | Jon Bennett Colin Braun Nic Jonsson Patrick Long | Porsche 911 GT3 R |
| Prototype | 55 - Mazda Motorsports | Jonathan Bomarito Tristan Nunez Spencer Pigot | Mazda RT24-P |
| GT Daytona | 57 - Stevenson Motorsports | Lawson Aschenbach Matt Bell Andrew Davis Robin Liddell | Audi R8 LMS GT3 |
| GT Daytona | 59 - Manthey Racing | Matteo Cairoli Sven Müller Harald Proczyk Reinhold Renger Steve Smith | Porsche 911 GT3 |
| GT Daytona | 61 - GRT Grasser Racing Team | Michele Beretta Christian Engelhart Rolf Ineichen Roberto Papmanini Milos Pavlovic | Lamborghini Huracan GT3 |
| GT Le Mans | 62 - Risi Competizione | James Calado Giancarlo Fisichella Toni Vilander | Ferrari 488 GTE |
| GT Daytona | 63 - Scuderia Corsa | Alessandro Balzan Sam Bird Matteo Cressoni Christina Nielsen | Ferrari 488 GT3 |
| GT Le Mans | 66 - Ford Chip Ganassi Racing | Sebastién Bourdais Joey Hand Dirk Müller | Ford GT |
| GT Le Mans | 67 - Ford Chip Ganassi Racing | Ryan Briscoe Scott Dixon Richard Westbrook | Ford GT |
| GT Le Mans | 68 - Ford Chip Ganassi Racing UK | Billy Johnson Stefan Mücke Olivier Pla | Ford GT |
| GT Le Mans | 69 - Ford Chip Ganassi Racing UK | Tony Kanaan Andy Priaulx Harry Tincknell | Ford GT |
| Prototype | 70 - Mazda Motorsports | James Hinchcliffe Tom Long Joel Miller | Mazda RT24-P |
| GT Daytona | 73 - Park Place Motorsport | Jörg Bergmeister Patrick Lindsey Matt McMurry | Porsche 911 GT3 R |
| GT Daytona | 75 - SunEnergy1 Racing | Maro Engel Kenny Habul Paul Morris Boris Said Tristan Vautier | Mercedes-AMG GT3 |
| Prototype | 81 - DragonSpeed | Loïc Duval Ben Hanley Henrik Hedman Nicolas Lapierre | ORECA 07-Gibson |
| Prototype | 85 - JDC/Miller MotorSports | Mathias Beche Misha Goikhberg Chris Miller Stephen Simpson | ORECA 07-Gibson |
| GT Daytona | 86 - Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian | Tom Dyer Ryan Hunter-Reay Oswaldo Negri, Jr. Jeff Segal | Acura NSX GT3 |
| Prototype Challenge | 88 - Starworks Motorsport | Conor Daly James Dayson Scott Mayer Alex Popow | ORECA FLM09-Chevrolet |
| Prototype | 90 - Visit Florida Racing | Marc Goossens René Rast Renger van der Zande | Riley Mk. 30-Gibson |
| GT Daytona | 93 - Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian | Andy Lally Katherine Legge Graham Rahal Mark Wilkins | Acura NSX GT3 |
| GT Daytona | 96 - Turner Motorsport | Jens Klingmann Jesse Krohn Justin Marks Maxime Martin | BMW M6 GT3 |
| GT Daytona | 98 - Aston Martin Racing | Paul Dalla Lana Pedro Lamy Mathias Lauda Marco Sorensen | Aston Martin Vantage GT3 |
| GT Le Mans | 911 - Porsche North America | Frédéric Makowiecki Patrick Pilet Dirk Werner | Porsche 911 RSR |
| GT Le Mans | 912 - Porsche North America | Kevin Estré Richard Lietz Laurens Vanthoor | Porsche 911 RSR |
| GT Daytona | 991 - The Racers Group | Santiago Creel Mike Hedlund Wolf Henzler Jan Heylen Tim Pappas | Porsche 911 GT3 R |
Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He's the manager of the site's FREE e-mail newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the site's Sports Car racing editor.
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