Autoweek - January 23_ 2017 magazine-pdf.org

BOLD PREDICTION
More than one IMSA GTD
privateer team will move to
the Pirelli World Challenge
in 2018 after finding the going
difficult against the factory
squads in the growing class.
IMSA 2017: Some of the Changes
A FEW NUTS
and bolts to whet
the appetite for the
2017 WeatherTech
SportsCar Championship
season:
Prototype: Cadillac
replaces Chevrolet
for most of the previously
Chevy-powered
DP teams, including
the only Prototype
class champion
the 3-year-old
series has known:
Action Express.
Chevy’s lone
IMSA WeatherTech
presence backs the
two-car Corvette GT
Le Mans entry.
Visit Florida Racing,
the other Chevrolet
team, has moved
to a Riley Mk. 30.
Wayne Taylor
Racing is now a
Cadillac team.
Tequila Patrón
ESM, which ran a
partial IMSA Weather-
Tech schedule last
season and won at
Daytona and Sebring,
returns full time after
racing in the World
Endurance Championship
last year.
Mazda is back with
its two-car team and
the new Riley-based
Mazda RT24-Ps.
GT Le Mans: The two
Ford GTs will return
for the full season. The
two U.K.-based GTs
that compete in the
WEC join the IMSA
pair for a four-car
Rolex 24 effort.
The new midengine
Porsche 911
RSR that debuted
at the Los Angeles
auto show debuts
on track at Daytona.
GT Daytona: GTD
gets even bigger
this season with the
addition of the twocar
Acura NSX team,
fielded by Michael
Shank Racing,
which moves over
from Prototype.
Also all new: The
long-delayed, two-car
team fielded by former
Trans-Am champion
Paul Gentilozzi for the
Lexus RC F. The team,
Lexus RC F
called 3GT, has IMSA
legend Scott Pruett
as its lead driver.
The Mercedes
AMG GT3 comes
to IMSA with at least
three cars.
Core Autosport,
one of the better
Prototype Challenge
teams, moves to
GTD with Porsche.
Kevin Buckler’s
TRG team is back
with Porsche.
With WeatherTech
sponsorship moving
to Mercedes and
Team Seattle’s plans
unclear, it seems
likely that Alex Job
Racing, the legendary
Porsche team, won’t
have any cars at the
start of the season.
Prototype Challenge:
This is a lame-duck
season for Prototype
Challenge spec class
because the cars
will be retired at the
end of 2017. How
many will make it for
the full season is
anyone’s guess.
-STEVEN COLE SMITH
OUR PICKS
2017 CHAMPIONS:
Prototype: Wayne Taylor Racing’s Cadillac DPi
GTLM: Ford Chip Ganassi Racing’s Ford GT
GTD: Scuderia Corsa’s Ferrari 488 GT3
PC: BAR1 Motorsports, or whoever shows up at
every race in this class
NEXT BIG THINGS: The GT Daytona field’s new
Mercedes AMG GT3s, Lexus RC F GT3s and Acura
NSX GT3s
IMSA WEATHERTECH
SPORTSCAR SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, JAN. 28
Daytona Beach, FL
Sat: Fox, 2-5 p.m.; FS2, 5-10 p.m.; 11 p.m.-midnight;
Sun: FS2, midnight-12:30 p.m.; FS1,12:30-3 p.m.
SATURDAY, MARCH 18
Sebring, FL
FS1, 2 p.m.
SATURDAY, APRIL 8
Long Beach, CA
Fox, 4 p.m.
SATURDAY, MAY 6
Austin, TX
FS2, 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, JUNE 3
Detroit
FS2, 12:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, JULY 2
Watkins Glen, NY
FS1, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; FS2, 1-4:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, JULY 9
Bowmanville, ON
FS1, 5 p.m.
SATURDAY, JULY 22
Lakeville, CT
FS2, 3 p.m.
SUNDAY, AUG. 6
Elkhart Lake, WI
FS1, 2:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, AUG. 27
Danville, VA
FS1, 1:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 24
Monterey, CA
FS1, 5 p.m.
SATURDAY, OCT. 7
Braselton, GA
FS1, 10:30-11:30 a.m.; FS2 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.;
5 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
For more IMSA previews, including further
bold predictions and preseason news, along
with coverage during the season, go to autoweek.com/
racing/IMSA and follow us on Twitter @AutoweekUSA.
JANUARY 23, 2017 AUTOWEEK 29