Indianapolis Thursday Notebook

Photo: Jason Doudt/SRO

***The No. 61 Earl Bamber Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R, which suffered a session-ending accident in Thursday’s test session for the Indianapolis 8 Hour presented by AWS, returned to action in the paid Bronze test session, which immediately preceded Free Practice for the Intercontinental GT Challenge and GT World Challenge America powered by AWS season finale. Adrian D’Silva’s impact resulted in barrier repairs, although the car escaped serious damage.

***Jules Gounon was a late arrival at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday afternoon, with the Mercedes-AMG factory driver having taken part in a two-day test at Paul Ricard on Tuesday and Wednesday, logging 1,000 miles solo in a Pirelli tire development test that the German brand took part in.

***Justin Rothberg’s Bronze* driver derogation has been adjusted since the last round at Barber Motorsports Park. While both of the Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVOs he drives, in GT World Challenge America powered by AWS and GT America powered by AWS, will continue to have 26kg of additional ballast, the five-second pit stop penalty will now only apply each time Rothberg enters the car via a driver change. Should he complete a double stint, the penalty will also apply to the second stop. This change had been petitioned for by team owner Will Turner.

***Rothberg, who could clinch the GT America SRO3 title in Friday’s opening race of the weekend, meanwhile, will now receive a five-position grid penalty for both of the 40-minute single-driver races. This measure, introduced at Road America, was rescinded at Barber.

***It’s understood SRO America will no longer permit derogated Bronzes to compete in GT America next year, although driver derogation will continue on a case-by-case basis in GTWC America and Pirelli GT4 America.

***NTT IndyCar Series drivers Marcus Ericsson and Callum Ilott were spotted in the paddock visiting Will Power, who is making his GT3 racing debut this weekend in the 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo alongside Chaz Mostert and Kenny Habul.

***Ilott, who may not return to IndyCar next year amid the financial uncertainties hanging over Prema, whose IndyCar program is funded by Deborah Mayer of Iron Lynx and Iron Dames fame, is understood to be exploring multiple sports car options for next year, both in IMSA and a potential return to the FIA World Endurance Championship.

***Bronze-rated Habul, who has been taking part in the GT America testing and practice sessions for extra track time, has withdrawn from the remainder of the GT America event per a bulletin from the stewards.”Thanks to SRO for [allowing] that because it’s been great track time for me and I’m enjoying it,” he told Sportscar365. “I might do some more of that next year.”

***Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver Loek Hartog, who has enjoyed a breakout season in GT3 competition around the world, currently leads the Porsche Cup standings. The 23-year-old Dutchman ironically is ahead of second-placed Wright Motorsports team owner/driver Adam Adelson, whom Hartog is driving for this weekend.

***Indianapolis marks Hartog’s first-ever double-duty event. In addition to driving the Pro-Am class No. 10 Wright Porsche 911 GT3 R in the Indy 8 Hour, he will also be behind the wheel of the No. 9 ACI Motorsports Porsche 718 Caymaan GT4 RS Clubsport in the pair of season-ending Pirelli GT4 America races that run on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

***Hartog told Sportscar365: “I’m very happy that both Antares [Au] and Dan [Sibille], who I’ve been driving with this season, are OK with that. It’s actually a lot more track time but indeed it gets you a bit out of rhythm. So it’s not an ideal situation. But I’m just hopeful that it might give me a little bit of a favor or a bit more track knowledge and also ideas of where the track is going during the weekend.”

***JMF Motorsports driver Michai Stephens, meanwhile, could end up overtaking Russell Ward in the Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Championship standings this weekend, should Stephens and co-drivers Mikael Grenier and Lucas Auer win the Indy 8 Hour overall. Ward won the brand-internal customer sports trophy last year on the back of his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD class title.

***Similar in structure the long-standing Porsche Cup, the Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Championship has been awarded since 2014.

***Hartog and IGTC Independent Cup co-points leader Antares Au, who ran the ‘Chip Hart Racing’ livery on their Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, have been united with Wright, the original team to run that livery in the 2023 Rolex 24 at Daytona for filming purposes for the summer blockbuster film ‘F1′ starring Brad Pitt.

***Both Hartog and Au are wearing their Chip Hart race suits this weekend. “We have been virtual teammates even before this race,” Au told Sportscar365.

***Au revealed that his No. 10 Wright Porsche, which has seen the unchanged lineup of he, Hartog, and Porsche-contracted driver Patric Niederhauser, which claimed Pro-Am class honors in last year’s race when run by Herberth with logistical and equipment support from GMG Racing, is not receiving any assistance from Manthey this weekend.

***He said: “I have observed Wright from the outside for a few years. Adam [Adelson], Elliott [Skeer]… everyone on the team. They’re not just friends but I respect what they’re doing. I’ve always wanted to give them a try and see how it works with a pure American effort. So this is it. We’ll see.”

***Au is seeking back-to-back IGTC Independent Cup titles although faces the wildcard of 75 Express moving up to the Pro class with the revised lineup of Power, Mostert and team owner/driver Habul, who is six points behind the Hong Kong driver and co-points leader Ralf Bohn of Herberth.

***When asked if he feels Habul may have an advantage by having two Platinum-rated drivers in his lineup compared to the Platinum (Niederhauser), Silver (Hartog) and Bronze (Au) lineup, Au told Sportscar365: “I’m not thinking so much about the championship because it’s basically three guys, whoever wins, wins.”

***He added: “We’re going to try. There’s never a fair-fair competition anywhere. It’s just how our sport is. Kenny is a friend, so I wish him well. He has raced really well before. Last year he was the key competitor to us but they suffered a bit of a mechanical failure, which took them out. I’m sure he’ll be back with vengeance this year.”

***After not being in the paddock at the last SRO America event at Barber Motorsports Park, Flying Lizard Motorsports is back to full strength this weekend, fielding four cars across three series.

***The Darren Law-led organization has two entries in GT America with Evan King in a GT2 class Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 and Craig Lumsden in a BMW M4 GT4, while Craig’s son Zach is reunited with Kris Wilson in a BMW after taking Pirelli GT4 America Am class honors in Race 2 at Virginia International Raceway. The team’s season-long McLaren Trophy America entry of Canaan O’Connell and Brandon Kreutz is also in action.

***Law said: “We’re fielding multiple cars across several classes, including new drivers, providing an excellent opportunity to evaluate talent and potential for the upcoming year. We’re especially proud to have Brandon and Canaan competing for a championship position in their debut season. Brandon, in particular, has made significant progress throughout the year and continues to impress with his development and performance.”

***Flying Lizard’s Lamborghini has received dispensation from the stewards to compete this weekend despite not having been able to “procure certain parts” from the Italian manufacturer. This is believed to be parts related to make the car GT2 compliant, which Lamborghini Squadra Corse has never officially formally embraced in offering a turn-key GT2 car.

***Toyota GR Cup competitors Jaxon Bell and Ford Koch scored their first Michelin Pilot Challenge podium finish in last week’s season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, ahead of a planned full-season campaign in Copeland Motorsports’ Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 next year.

***Bell and Koch sit second and tenth, respectively, in the single-make series entering this weekend’s final GR Cup rounds, in what is likely to mark their final outings in the series. “It was a massive team effort by our Copeland Motorsports group to give us a fast race car with great pitstops,” said Bell. “Huge credit to my teammate Ford Koch to hand me the keys in the lead of the race. Can’t wait for Daytona in 90 days!”

 ***Maserati has a significant at-track presence this weekend, with its MC20 GT2 car making its North American debut fresh off a championship-winning season in GT2 European Series with Am class driver Philippe Prette. The car on display this weekend is sporting a special livery honoring the Maserati 8CTF, which remains the only Italian-made car to win the Indianapolis 500 (excluding Dallara).

***The Maserati GT2 Stradale, a road-legal super sports car, as well as the track-only MCXtrema are also on hand in the Maserati display trailer in the fan zone.

***Sportscar365 understands that Maserati has already sold two of its GT2 cars to North American clients, with GT America the only current venue to race the car on the continent.

***Ginetta also has its GTP8 race car on-display in the fan zone, having announced plans on Thursday to make the car available to race in GT America next year in its own dedicated class. While initially proposing a double-digit number of cars for the series, it’s understood Ginetta has earmarked around a half-dozen GTP8s in the series for next year.

***Friday’s track action will be highlighted by Pre-Qualifying, qualifying and the Pole Shootout for the Indy 8 Hour. Race 2 for McLaren Trophy America, as well as the first GT America round of the weekend are also on tap. All of the above sessions will be streamed live on SRO’s GT World YouTube channel.

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