New GT4 Cars, Entry Influx Set for Daytona, CTSC Season

Photo: Brian Cleary/IMSA

The Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge is set for further growth, with the debut of new GT4 machinery and TCR class, resulting in an influx of teams to both classes for 2018.

A total of 40 cars are on the provisional entry list for next weekend’s pre-season test at Daytona International Speedway, including 28 GS entries, which adopts full SRO GT4 regulations next year. 

ENTRY LIST: CTSC Roar

It’s highlighted by the arrival of new-for-2018 GT4 cars from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-AMG, new entries with Ford’s Mustang GT4, as well as returning efforts with the McLaren 570S GT4, Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR and Aston Martin Vantage GT4.

Six new Mercedes are expected for the three-day test, with entries from Winward Racing/HTP, Team TGM, DXDT Racing and 2017 ST class champion Murillo Racing, which steps up to the top class with Jeff Mosing and Eric Foss.

Audi’s new GT4 contender, meanwhile, will be represented by a two-car effort from GMG Racing, featuring James Sofronas and Andrew Davis, along with a to-be-announced lineup for Carbahn Motorsports.

There will also be three BMWs in GS, highlighted by longtime ST class competitors Bimmerworld, with an entry for James Clay and Tyler Cooke, alongside M4s for Stephen Cameron Racing and Classic BMW.

Ford, meanwhile, is expected to be the most-represented GS manufacturer at the test, with seven Mustang GT4s entered, including three from Multimatic.

Former class champion Trent Hindman is listed in the No. 7 VOLT Racing entry alongside Alan Brynjolfsson, with Jack Roush Jr. and Joey Atterbury set to drive a second KohR Motorsports-entered Mustang alongside the previously announced pairing of Nate Stacy and Kyle Marcelli.

The new AWA operation, run by former Mantella Autosport team manager Andrew Wojteczko, meanwhile, will feature Brett Sandberg and Martin Barkey, also in a Ford.

Reigning GS champions RS1 has expanded into a two-car Porsche GT4 operation, including an entry for Spencer Pumpelly, with Bodymotion Racing and BGB Racing also entering the MR-spec variant of the car, which is now mandatory for GS competition.

Compass Racing and Motorsports in Action both return with a pair of McLaren GT4s each, with Automatic Racing entering two Aston Martin GT4s.

Notable absences include CJ Wilson Racing, which campaigned Porsches this year, as well as the Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R, which is currently not represented on the grid after a partial-season campaign by the now-defunct Stevenson Motorsports operation.

Audi Dominates TCR Entry

The new-for-2018 TCR category is dominated by Audi, with six of its RS 3 LMS cars entered for the Roar, alongside a single Volkswagen Golf GTi.

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta, which was run at this month’s IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona by Alfa TCR North America agent BAM! Racing, is not currently entered.

Series stalwarts Compass, Murillo and JDC-Miller Motorsports are among the teams that have entered Audi TCR cars, featuring the likes of Stephen Simpson, Kuno Wittmer and Justin Piscitell on its driving strength.

Five ST Entries for Test

Only five ST class cars are entered for the test, with additional cars expected for the four-hour BMW Endurance Challenge.

It includes entries from MINI JCW Team, Bodymotion Racing, Murllo and BimmerWorld.

The test runs from Jan. 5-7 alongside the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship testing and the season-opening round of the new-look IMSA Prototype Challenge presented by Mazda series.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John