Next week the IMSA WeatherTeach Championship heads to Laguna Seca for the Motul Course De Monterey Powered by Hyundai N. The race weekend will feature GTP, LMP2, GTD Pro and GTD classes. After IMSA just announced that LMP3 would be excluded from the championship in 2024. Fans can use the upcoming race as an indicator for how the field will look next year. The race this year will mark the 25th year IMSA has visited the circuit. It will also be the first opportunity for fans to see the new GTP class in action on the course.
Temperatures for the weekend are expected to be in the 60s and sunny all weekend. You can find the full entry list here: Motul Course De Monterey Powered by Hyundai N Entry list
Tickets are available here: Ticket Sales
Event Details
Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca – Monterey, California
May 12-14, 2023
Race Day/Time: Sunday, May 14 – 3:10 p.m. ET
NBC Network Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 3 p.m. (also streaming in the U.S. on Peacock, outside the U.S. on IMSA.com/TVLive)
IMSA.com/TVLive Qualifying Stream: Saturday, May 13 – 3:50 p.m. ET
IMSA Radio: All sessions live on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com; SiriusXM live race coverage begins Sunday, May 14 at 2:30 p.m. (XM 207, Web/App 992)
Circuit Type: 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course
Race Length: Two hours, 40 minutes
Classes Competing: Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), GT Daytona (GTD)
Track Social Media:
Event Hashtags: #IMSA, #MotulCoursedeMonterey
WeatherTech Championship Track Records
GTP: New class in 2023 (DPi track record: Ricky Taylor, Acura DPi, 1:13.924 / 108.987 mph, April 2022)
LMP2: Louis Deletraz, ORECA LMP2 07, 1:16.216 / 105.709 mph, May 2022 (race lap)
GTD PRO: Mathieu Jaminet, Porsche 911 GT3 R, 1:23.142 / 96.903 mph, April 2022
GTD: Russell Ward, Mercedes-AMG GT3, 1:23.567 / 96.411 mph, April 2022
The paddock rumors surrounding the removal of LMP3 from the WeatherTech Championship Series are true. IMSA announced today that the LMP3 class will be dropped from the WeatherTech Championship and will race exclusively in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge starting in 2024. Details on the transition are included in the press release put out by IMSA this afternoon.
IMSA Press Release: The following was not written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 3, 2023) – As popularity and participation surge in other classes of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) announced today that the exclusive IMSA home for Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) will be in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge through the current 2026 homologation period.
The introduction of the hybrid-powered Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class this season has generated added global excitement and interest in the WeatherTech Championship. The first customer car will join eight manufacturer-backed entries in the upcoming race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and with more customer entries expected, as well as a fifth manufacturer on board to join next season, double-digit GTP fields are on the horizon.
IMSA also recently announced that current-generation Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) cars remain eligible to race in the WeatherTech Championship through 2025. The stability of this prototype platform has sparked fierce competition in the class in recent years, and there is strong potential of even more entries next year.
Meanwhile, the GT3-spec classes continue seeing massive global popularity from manufacturers, competitors and fans. The GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class featured eight manufacturers competing in the opening two endurance races of 2023, with five continuing through the full season. GT Daytona (GTD) has had nine manufacturers compete this year, with the class field ranging from 15 to 20 cars through the first three events. Participation is expected to increase in both classes in 2024, with Ford re-entering WeatherTech Championship competition with the new Mustang and Chevrolet launching its new Corvette C8.R with both GTD PRO and GTD aspirations.
“The LMP3 class has contributed to the growth and success of the WeatherTech Championship since 2021,” IMSA President John Doonan said. “With that has come expanded fields at many events that can test the capacity limits we have at some IMSA tracks. We expect that growth trend to continue into 2024 and beyond, making it necessary to just have the GTP and LMP2 classes for Prototypes with GTD PRO and GTD classes for Grand Touring (GT) competing together going forward.”
The LMP3 class will complete its three-year run in the WeatherTech Championship at the Motul Petit Le Mans, the season finale in October. The true intent of the LMP3 platform has been to nurture and develop aspiring prototype teams and drivers, and that continues in the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, where LMP3 drivers compete for overall race victories. The multiclass sprint-race series featuring LMP3 and GT4 machines racing together has built great momentum in its first season.
“We’ve already seen the promise that the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge holds through the first two event weekends,” Doonan said. “We saw a considerable increase in entries between the first race of the season at Daytona and Round 2 at Sebring, and the competition is tight. The format of two 45-minute sprint races on a weekend allows LMP3 entrants to race for overall wins while competitors in both the LMP3 and GSX classes gain valuable multiclass racing experience. It’s the best learning environment for drivers and teams looking to move up the IMSA ladder.”
Jarett Andretti and Gabby Chaves Will Debut in the No. 94 Aston Martin at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
Andretti Autosports has announced that they will compete in the GTD class next weekend at the Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Jarett Andretti and Gabby Chaves will drive for Andretti Motorsports in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The pair will enter select races in 2023 with their No. 94 Andretti Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage GT3.
From the IMSA press release…
IMSA: This section was not written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff.
The foray into the GT3 specification class for some IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup events is in addition to the team’s previously announced plans to compete in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races in the Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) class. Jarett Andretti, co-owner of Andretti Motorsports, started the LMP3 program in 2021 and has been in 14 races over that time, including a class win in the 2022 Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
While experienced racing GT cars in other series, Andretti is excited to roll out the program in the WeatherTech Championship.
“We have been working toward growing into a GTD program since the end of 2020,” Andretti said, “and via our partnership with Justhooit.com and Corsa Horizon we have been able to put a program together for some additional races this year with an eye toward a full season in 2024.”
History in the Making
The WeatherTech Raceway debut will also mark the first GT3 race anywhere for Chaves. The 2014 Indy Lights champion has logged 19 previous WeatherTech Championship starts, all either in the top prototype class (2014-20) or in LMP3 (2021-23), where he was part of the winning team at Motul Petit Le Mans last year. Chaves was also the 2020 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge co-champion in the Touring Car (TCR) class with Ryan Norman.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to join a top manufacturer like Aston Martin with a great team that Jarett has put together to help us keep pushing for victories in sports cars,” Chaves said. “I’m very grateful and excited for my first go at a GT car. I am looking forward to the challenge a new program brings and motivated to learn and push myself to go toe-to-toe with the best GT drivers in the world.”
Live NBC coverage of the Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N starts at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 14.
GTP
Penske Porsche secured its first win of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar championship. After starting in sixth the No. 6 Penske Porsche made an impressive charge through the field to complete the full 100 minutes of racing. The win came in dramatic fashion as the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing/Konica Minolta attempted a pass and ended up crashing resulting in the race finishing under a yellow flag. In addition, the Porsche 963 completed the race on one set of tires. This is an impressive feat given the tire wear required to navigate past slower cars and the track limit curbing.
Due to the Wayne Taylor Racing car crash the RLL Racing BMW M moved up the order securing their second podium of the season. A goal the team set out to achieve prior to this weekend. In the early stages of the race the No. 01 Cadillac was knocked out of the race ending a seemingly good weekend for the Cadillac team.
GTD Pro
The GTD Pro class was won by the Vasser Sullivan. Vasser Sullivan commanded the reduced 5 car GTD Pro field with Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat driving the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 to the win over the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD of Jordan Taylor. The GTD Pro class wasn’t at full capacity as multiple teams did not attend the race due to other obligations and driver availability.
GTD
In the GTD, Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow won the class for Paul Miller Racing in a BMW M4 GT3. It was their third consecutive win in Long Beach extending BMW class dominance in the sprint race. The No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin GT3 secured another podium adding to the teams success in 2023. Pfaff Motorsport also secured another podium finishing third. They had great momentum after the epic 12 Hours of Sebring comeback win. Vasser Sullivan secured a second podium in the GTD class with the No. 12 Lexus.
Photo by Michael Levitt / Motorsport ImagesFull race results are listed below.
GTP
With qualifying complete the IMSA Acura Long Beach Grand Prix grid is set. The Acuras of Konica Minolta (Wayne Taylor Racing) and Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian continued their street circuit dominance from FP2. Acura secured a 1-2 finish in the first sprint race qualifying of the year. The Konica Minolta Acura was the only car to dip into the 1m09s. Konica Minolta set a qualifying time nearly 7 tenths ahead of the Meyer Shank Racing Acura. Pole position for Konica Minolta may provide the team with the edge they need to bring home their first win of 2023.
The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R ran 3rd fastest overall which is an improvement from the result in FP2. The team was able to cut an addition 1.7s off of their lap time. Team RLL rounded out the top 5 running 4th and 5th.
GTD Pro
Vasser Sullivan improved from FP2 and topped the GTD Pro qualifying session to start 10th overall and 1st in class. The WeatherTech Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 again fell outside of the main GTD Pro pack similarly to FP2. The team posted a presss release that stated the following, “Jules Gounon (France) and Daniel Juncadella (Spain) spent the two practice sessions learning the Long Beach circuit in the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Mercedes-Benz of Billings, Montana support.”
Juncadello stated, “First, the Long Beach circuit is amazing,” Juncadella said. “I really enjoy it. It’s mega! For me it’s a good discovery and new track that I enjoy driving.”
[Referring to his qualifying run] “I was compromised by the yellow flags around the track and then later the red. I really didn’t get a good run on the new tires. The WeatherTech Mercedes-AMG GT3 felt good in practice, so we will have to maximize what we have now in the race tomorrow.”
Gounon also comments stating, “It is amazing when you are four-wheel drifting the car towards the wall. I thought sunny California was going to be a bit hotter, but it has been cool. We got unlucky in qualifying with Dani. We will have to work our strategy with the WeatherTech Racing/Proton guys and be ready to take advantage of every opportunity. We had big changes in the balance of performance coming into the race, so we will have to optimize everything for the tomorrow.”
GTD
In an effort reminiscent of their Rolex 24 win this year. The Heart of Racing GTD Aston Martin Vantage GT3 topped the table for GTD and GTD Pro cars in qualifying. They set a blistering class fastest lap at 1m17.811s. Second fastest was the Vasser Sullivan Lexus. Logging a lap just over 5 tenths behind the Heart of Racing’s car. The rest of the field will need to find some pace come race time. If Aston Martin is able to maintain their pace over the course of the 100 minute race it could be trouble for the field.
Full Qualifying results are below. The race starts today at 2:00pm Pacific time. You can access the race and a large amount of additional content at IMSA. The race will also be airing on channel USA at 2:00pm via local cable networks.
GTP
After a disappointing finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring. The Meyer Shank Racing Acura top the overall table setting a 1m10.391s lap. Behind was the Konica Minolta Acura setting a 1m10.714s. This was a great showing for the Acura’s in their title grand prix. Rounding out the top 3 was the No. 25 of BMW Team RLL. Prior to the race weekend it was clear to the BMW side that they wanted to fight for podiums and if this FP2 result is any indication to how qualifying will go they appear to be in good form. The second RLL Racing BMW finished FP2 fifth fastest 1.618s behind the session leader. 12 Hour of Sebring winner Whelen Engineering No. 31 were only able to post a 1m11.816 leaving them 4th fastest.
GTD Pro
Vasser Sullivan were the fastest in the truncated GTD Pro class. Only 5 cars entered the competition this weekend leaving top point finishes up for grabs for all of the teams. Pfaff Motorsports who won the class in Sebring went 2nd fastest in GTD Pro setting a 1m18.300s. They were 1 tenth off of the class leader. The WeatherTech Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 was the sole GTD Pro car that failed to hang with the rest of the pack. The No. 79 finished 18th overall behind 5 GTD class cars.
GTD
Continuing the Acura success the GTD class was led by the Acura NSX GT3 of Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR setting a 1m18.516s; a time good enough for 13th overall. The Porsches seemingly are struggling with lap times with the Kellymoss with Riley Porsche 911 GT3 R finishing FP2 in 24th overall and 11th fastest in class. The sister Kellymoss with Riley car finished at the bottom of the table behind Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Full FP2 results are Below
Qualifying begins at 5:10pm local time.
The NTT IndyCar Series heads to Long Beach for the Long Beach Grand Prix this weekend in sunny California. Action kicks off tomorrow April 14th 2023 with free practice 1. This weekend is a co-sponsored event between the NTT IndyCar Series and the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. You can find the full weekend schedule below.
ACURA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH WEEKEND START TIMES
(All times are Pacific Time)
Friday, April 14
7:45-8:15 am: Porsche Carrera Cup practice
9-10am: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
10:15-10:35am: Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA) practice
11:15am-11:55am: Porsche Carrera Cup practice
12:10-12:30 pm: Stadium Super Trucks practice
12:45-2:30 pm: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
3-4:15 pm: NTT IndyCar Series practice
4:30-5 pm: Porsche Carrera Cup qualifying
5:10-6 pm: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship qualifying
6:30-6:50 pm: Super Drift Challenge practice
7-8:30 pm: Formula D Super Drift Challenge, Race 1
Saturday, April 15
7:45-8:05 am: HMSA practice
8:45 a.m.-9:45 pm: NTT IndyCar Series practice
11:20-11:40 pm: HMSA, Race 1
12:05-1:20 pm: NTT IndyCar Series qualifying
2-4 pm: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race
4:30-5 pm: Stadium Super Trucks, Race 1
5:15-5:55 pm: Porsche Carrera Cup, Race 1
6:30-6:50 pm: Super Drift Challenge practice
7:00-8:30 pm: Formula D Super Drift Challenge, Race 2
Sunday, April 16
9am-9:30 pm: IndyCar warmup
10:45-11:05 pm: HMSA, Race 2
Noon: Driver introductions
12:38 p.m. – Command to start engines
12:45 p.m. – Green flag for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (85 laps/167.28 miles)
For more information on tickets and news visit IndyCar or IMSA for their respective information.
After coming off of a dramatic 2nd place finish in the GTP class at the 12 hours of Sebring. RLL Racing has it’s sights set on winning their first race of 2023. What better place to achieve that than Long Beach, CA this weekend? RLL Racing have prepped both the No. 24 and No. 25 GTP class BMW M V8 Hybrids to compete this weekend.
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will be held on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn street circuit on April 15. The race is the shortest on the calendar and will run for 100 minutes which is stark contract to the Rolex 24 and 12 Hours of Sebring. All errors, pit spots, safety cars and other on track incidents will be amplified due to the reduced race time. Cars are only expected to make on pit stop in this grand prix. Qualifying is also very important in Long Beach. The tight streets and track limit proximity to the track walls make passing difficult. Given the short amount of time between qualifying and the race; teams will have very limited time to make any repairs or alterations that may result from incidents prior to the race.
Team Principal at RLL Racing, Bobby Rahal stated in a press release, “Long Beach is always a great event and we’ve had very good success there in past seasons with BMW. This year, with the BMW M Hybrid V8, it’s an entirely different animal. But as always, at a tight street circuit, where it’s tough to pass, a good qualifying effort is paramount.”
Connor De Phillippi, driver No. 25 BMW M Hybrid V8:
“Long Beach is always a special event for us. It’s the shortest race of the year, our only street course, and the strategic possibilities are endless. On top of that, we have a nice wave of momentum from our Sebring podium and the entire team is making a big push to bring a lot of improvements from every department. We don’t have prototype experience there but I’m confident we can learn from last year and fight for another podium.”
Nick Yelloly, driver No. 25 BMW M Hybrid V8:
“I am really looking forward to racing at Long Beach. It will be my first time there, as with most of the tracks in the US. After having watched it for many years on TV, to be finally driving is a dream come true, as I love street circuits. We will be looking to continue to make progress as we did in Sebring with our BMW V8 Hybrid and hopefully be at the sharp end of the field.”
Philipp Eng, driver No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8:
“I am very much looking forward to racing at Long Beach, which is a new track for me. I have done a million laps around there on the simulator, so I can’t wait to race there in real life. We took some major steps in Sebring and our whole team is working very diligently so we keep improving.”
Augusto Farfus, driver No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8:
“Long Beach will be a challenge for both me and Philipp. I believe we may be the only pair to have never driven this circuit. It is certainly a race I have been looking forward to and looks to be a very exciting event. I have been watching many videos. We will push hard to get up to speed. The team made some good improvements to our BMW at Sebring, and we will look to continue to close the gap to our competition.”
RLL Racing currently sits in 4th (586 points) in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship series. Ahead are Whelen Engineering Racing (1st; 670 points), Konica Minolta Racing (2nd; 660 points)and #01 Cadillac Racing (3rd: 600).
FP1 for the WeatherTech Championship kicks off at 12:00pm local time on April 14 2023. Check out the action at here.
The latest installment of the Win the Weekend series hosted by IMSA has been released. Episode 4 covers the events that led to the dramatic and epic finish of the 12 Hours of Sebring. You can read more about the 12 Hours of Sebring in our previous Post Race Recap. Check out Episode 4 below.
Video by IMSAThe Long Beach Grand Prix is the third installment of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. The event will serve as the first sprint race on the 2023 calendar. The Long Beach Grand Prix is a 1.968 mile long street course that features 11 turns formed on a temporary street course. The race length is 100 minutes and will only feature the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), GT Daytona (GTD) classes unlike the two previous 2023 events the Rolex 24 and the 12 Hours of Sebring which featured LMP2 and LMP3 cars. Last week IMSA released a technical bulletin that will affect some of the cars on grid. You can read more about that here: IMSA Technical Bulletin: Long Beach.
Today IMSA released the 28 car entry list representing 26 teams for the Long Beach Grand Prix. The entrants are as follows:
GTP
Porsche Penske Motorsport/Porsche 963 (2 cars will be entered)
Meyer Shank Racing/Acura ARX-06
Whelen Engineering Cadillac Racing/Cadillac VSeries.R
BMW M Team RLL/BMW M Hybrid V8 (2 cars will be entered)
Konica Minolta Acura (Wayne Taylor Racing)/Acura ARX-06
Cadillac Racing/Cadillac VSeries.R
GTD Pro
The GTD Pro field is a bit thinned out for this race. Only 50% of the teams for 2023 season are included on the official pre-event entry roster
Corvette Racing/Corvette C8.R GTD
Pfaff Motorsports/Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
Vasser Sullivan/Lexus RC F GT3
Heart of Racing Team/Aston Martin Vantage GT3
WeatherTech Racing No. 79 Mercedes AMG GT3
GTD
Paul Miller Racing/BMW M4 GT3 Michelin BMW
Vasser Sullivan/Lexus RC F GT3
Heart of Racing Team/Aston Martin Vantage GT3
Team Korthoff Motorsports/Mercedes AMG GT3
Winward Racing/Mercedes AMG GT3
Gradient Racing/HPD Acura NSX GT3
Inception Racing/McLaren 720S GT3 EVO
Wright Motorsports/Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
Forte Racing/Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2
AO Racing/Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
Kellymoss with Riley/Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
Kellymoss with Riley (Thu Brule’ Skincare)/Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
Racers Edge Motorsports/Acura NSX GT3
Turner Motorsport Liqui Moly/BMW M4 GT3
Turner Motorsport McIntosh/BMW M4 GT3
You can catch the race by tuning in:
Race Day/Time: Saturday, April 15 – 5:05 p.m. ET
NBC Sports Coverage: USA Network and Peacock from 5-7 p.m.
IMSA.com/TVLive Live Qualifying Stream: Friday, April 14 – 8:10 p.m. ET
IMSA Radio: All sessions live on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com; SiriusXM live race coverage begins Saturday, April 15 at 5 p.m. (Sirius 217, XM 207, Web/App 992)
Event Hashtags: #IMSA, #AcuraGPLB, #AcuraGP, #LBGP, #GPLB