MotorSportsTalk’s Kyle Lavigne concludes the team preview of entries for the 2018 Rolex 24 at Daytona with the GT Daytona (GTD) class. At 21 entries, it is down from last year’s 27, but remains the biggest of the three classes entered at the Rolex 24, outnumbering the Prototype class by one.
It is also the most wide open of the three classes, with seven different manufacturers represented and a seemingly infinite number of unknowns. Further, the defending winners of the class, Alegra Motorsports, are not even entered in this year’s race.
All told, the GTD class is the most difficult one to predict, and a winner from this class could come from literally any of the 21 entries.
Below is a breakdown of the teams entered in the GT Daytona class.
GRT Grasser Racing Team
Car: Lamborghini Huracan GT3
No. 11 (Rolf Ineichen, Mirko Bortolotti, Franck Perera, Rik Breukers)
No. 19 (Max van Splunteren, Ezequiel Perez Companc, Christian Engelhart, Christopher Lenz, Louis Machiels)
Outlook: Just in case more evidence was needed to prove that the GTD class is the most wide open, enter GRT Grasser Racing Team. Last year’s Blancpain GT champions, their performance at the Roar Before the 24 test in early January took many by surprise, as they emerged as the fastest of the GTD entrants, qualifying first during Sunday qualifying to get first pick of pit stall and garage.
This is not their first time at the Rolex 24 - they finished 15th in GTD last year with their No. 11 entry, the only car they entered in last year’s race. Now returning with a two-car effort, this team, which will contest all four rounds of the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup in the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, GRT Grasser Racing Team has quickly announced themselves as contenders for GTD victory.
3GT Racing
Car: Lexus RC F GT3
No. 14 (Dominik Baumann, Kyle Marcelli, Philipp Frommenwiler, Bruno Junqueira)
No. 15 (Jack Hawksworth, David Heinemeier Hansson, Scott Pruett, Dominik Farnbacher)
Outlook: 3GT Racing returns with a pair of Lexus RCF GT3 machines after debuting the marque last year, although the weekend proved to be troublesome for the Paul Gentilozzi led squad. It’s No. 14 entry - with Scott Pruett behind the wheel at the time - crashed heavily very early on and was eliminated on the spot, while the sister No. 15 could do no better than 14th in class.
Perhaps the biggest storyline to follow with this team is the aforementioned Pruett, who will be contesting the final race of his career at the Rolex 24. Pruett and company would like nothing more than to send him out with a final victory. It might seem like a tall order, but this class can certainly deliver a surprise winner.
Magnus Racing
Car: Audi R8 LMS GT3
No. 44 (John Potter, Andy Lally, Andrew Davis, Markus Winkelhock)
Outlook: Magnus Racing returns to IMSA after spending last year in the Pirelli World Challenge championship. The last time they contested the Rolex 24 was in 2016, when they took home the GTD victory, their second Rolex 24 triumph.
They return with a strong lineup of John Potter, Andy Lally, Andrew Davis, and Markus Winkelhock, with Potter and Lally both a part of the lineups from their 2012 and 2016 victories. With a proven driver rotation and an Audi R8 LMS GT3 underneath them, the car with which they won in 2016, expect Magnus to be a major player in the GTD class.
Wright Motorsports
Car: Porsche 911 GT3 R
No. 58 (Patrick Long, Christina Nielsen, Robert Renauer, Mathieu Jaminet)
Outlook: Wright Motorsports, last year’s Pirelli World Challenge GT champions, both in the overall standings and in the Sprint standings, make the move to IMSA’s GTD category in 2018, and do so with a powerful driver lineup. Patrick Long is renowned for his exploits as a Porsche factory driver, and partnering him with Christina Nielsen, who has been a co-driver champion the last two years in GTD, creates a highly potent rotation right off the bat. Add in Mathieu Jaminet, part of the Porsche junior program, and Robert Renauer, and you have maybe the strongest driver lineup in the GTD class.
It’s difficult to peg any team as the favorite for victory. But, if you are daring enough to do so, this team may be the one to peg.
Scuderia Corsa
Car: Ferrari 488 GT3
No. 63 (Cooper MacNeil, Alessandro Balzan, Gunnar Jeannette, Jeff Segal)
No. 64 (Bill Sweedler, Townsend Bell, Frank Montecalvo, Sam Bird)
Outlook: The team that has won the last two GTD championships has undergone an overhaul of sorts over the winter. Gone is Christina Nielsen, who partnered Alessandro Balzan to those aforementioned championships, and in is a new partnership with Weathertech Racing that sees Weatherech branding on the No. 63 Ferrari.
Still, despite the changes, it’s hard to imagine that this group won’t contend for a victory. The No. 64 features former Rolex winners in Bill Sweedler and NBCSN’s Townsend Bell, while the No. 63 has a former winner of its own in Jeff Segal - all three were triumphant in 2014.
Expect both entries to be contenders for the win.
HART
Car: Acura NSX GT3
No. 69 (Chad Gilsinger, Ryan Eversley, Sean Rayhall, John Falb)
Outlook: If you’re looking for an underdog in the GTD class to pull for, then HART might be your best bet. Comprised of Honda employees who are basically volunteering to enter the Rolex 24, this is an entry that represents a throwback to the days when a group would get together, build their own car, and show up at a race to see what they can do.
While they aren’t as seasoned as the other GTD entries, this is an entrant that can sneak up on you if you’re not careful. John Falb and Sean Rayhall partnered to take the LMP3 championship in the 2017 European Le Mans Series, and Ryan Eversley is among the more underrated GT drivers around.
Chad Gilsinger, a Honda employee who has raced in SCCA previously, represents the biggest unknown on the driving front, but a mistake-free run from him would do plenty to keep the team in contention.
And with the team using an Acura NSX GT3, which had an impressive debut in last year’s Rolex -- and went on to win races in its first year of IMSA competition -- there’s definitely potential for this team to surprise a lot of people.
Michael Shank Racing
Car: Acura NSX GT3
No. 86 (Katherine Legge, Alvaro Parente, Trent Hindman, AJ Allmendinger)
No. 93 (Justin Marks, Lawson Aschenbach, Mario Farnbacher, Côme Ledogar)
Outlook: Another team with a sneakily good driver lineup, Michael Shank Racing returns to GTD with a pair of Acura NSX GT3 entries. An overall winner of this event in 2012 and two-time race winners last year with the NSX, the Michael Shank led squad possesses a strong winning formula that should make them one of the GTD favorites entering the event
Their driver lineup offers no weak links, either. Katherine Legge returns to the team after helping the team to those aforementioned wins last year. Alvaro Parente is, ironically, a McLaren factory driver who has been a star in Pirelli World Challenge. Mario Farnbacher is long-time standout in GT competition. Justin Marks and Lawson Aschenbach represent two underrated road racers. Côme Ledogar, like Parente, is a factory McLaren driver, and fresh off a class at the 24 Hours of Dubai. And, AJ Allmendinger is a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series star who helped Michael Shank’s team take their 2012 overall victory.
All told, it’s easy to imagine either entry taking a GTD victory.
The remaining GTD entries are below. While they may lack the star power of other GTD entries, any of the below teams could also prove to be contenders. You’ll also find some big-name GT drivers as well, such as Jeroen Bleekemolen, Bryan Sellers, Madison Snow, Joerg Bergmeister and Martin Tomczyk, among others.
Remember, last year’s GTD winner, Alegra Motorsports, was a big underdog last season, yet came out on top at the end of 24 hours.
Expect the GTD class to be the most tightly contested throughout the 24 hours.
Montaplast by Land Motorsport
Car: Audi R8 LMS GT3
No. 29 (Sheldon van der Linde, Kelvin van der Linde, Jeffrey Schmidt, Christopher Mies)
Mercedes-AMG Team Riley Motorsports
Car: Mercedes-AMG GT3
No. 33 (Ben Keating, Jeroen Bleekemolen, Adam Christodoulo, Luca Stolz)
Paul Miller Racing
Car: Lamborghini Huracan GT3
No. 48 (Bryan Sellers, Madison Snow, Andrea Caldarelli, Bryce Miller)
Spirit of Race
Car: Ferrari 488 GT3
No. 51 (Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy, Mathias Lauda, Daniel Serra)
Manthey Racing
Car: Porsche 911 GT3
No. 59 (Steve Smith, Randy Walls, Harald Proczyk, Sven Muller, Matteo Cairoli)
P1 Motorsports
Car: Mercedes-AMG GT3
No. 71 (Kenton Koch, Robby Foley, Loris Spinelli, JC Perez)
Park Place Motorsports
Car: Porsche 911 GT3 R
No. 73 (Patrick Lindsey, Joerg Bergmeister, Norbert Siedler, Tim Pappas)
SunEnergy1 Racing
Car: Mercedes-AMG GT3
No. 75 (Kenny Habul, Thomas Jaeger, Maro Engel, Mikael Grenier)
Risi Competizione
Car: Ferrari 488 GT3
No. 82 (Miguel Molina, Ricardo Perez de Lara, Martin Fuentes, Santiago Creel, Matt Griffin)
Turner Motorsport
Car: BMW M6 GT3
No. 96 (Jens Klingmann, Martin Tomczyk, Mark Kvamme, Don Yount)