IMSA news ticker February 2023: Porsche focusses on customer teams
Here is all the important IMSA news from February 2023 in our ticker format – Latest entry: Porsche wants to deliver cars to its customers soon
February 2, 2023: Porsche in constant contact with LMDh customers
Porsche is planning the first deliveries of the 963 LMDh to private teams at the end of April. Customers such as JDC-Miller Motorsports, JOTA and Proton Competition are expected to join the racing action during the second half of the year. Thomas Laudenbach tells ‘Sportscar365’: “We try to give our customers as much information as possible.” He continued: “We try to give them everything they can learn about the programme and the car before they get it, so they are immediately familiar as soon as they do their first racing.” For next year, Porsche is keeping an open mind as to whether they can serve even more teams with prototypes. Laudenbach is very supportive of the concept of customer racing at Porsche and would like to see this implemented in the highest class of the WEC and the IMSA Series.
February 2, 2023: Chevrolet unveils the brand-new Corvette Z06 GT3.R
For the past years, Chevrolet has competed in the IMSA Weathertech Sport scar Championship with
the GTLM version of the Corvette. After two years of development, the new model according to FIA GT3 regulations is now in the starting blocks. The vehicle is scheduled to make its debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona next year and is in initially intended for customer racing. Above all, the involvement in the American IMSA series is set to be expanded, with up to four cars expected in the coming year, which will compete in both the GTD Pro and the GTD. In addition, races in the WEC and GT World Challenge are also planned. Similar to the GTLM variant, the Z06 GT3.R uses the newly developed 5.5L V8 (Flat Plane) engine. D rivers and teams f or the up coming season have not yet been determined.
February 1, 2023: No issues at all for Cadillac
Cadillac may not have been the winner at the 24 Hours of Daytona, but it was the high-flyer in terms of liability. The GM brand was the only one in the race that had no technical problems. While Porsche and BMW struggled mightily, Acura won the race with Meyer Shank Racing. But both the MSR and Wayne Taylor Andretti Acura had technical failures. Cadillac started with three cars, two fielded by Chip Ganassi and one by Action Express Racing. The brand struggled with the race as two cars were involved in minor accidents.
February 1, 2023: MSR and Acura had luck in Daytona
Meyer Shank Racing won the 24 Hours of Daytona, but it was no walk in the park. The Acura’s transmission overheated for three-quarters of the race. “We decided to run it until it blew up. It didn’t blow up,” Shank said. In addition, Acura had foregone an endurance test during the car’s development. The longest stint lasted at four to five hours, but the car was extensively dyno tested.
