49 Entries for Pilot Challenge Season-Opener

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

A bumper grid of 49 cars are set to take part in next week’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season-opener at Daytona.

Released on Wednesday, the entry list features 31 GS cars and a record 18 TCR entries that will do battle in the four-hour BMW Endurance Challenge on Fri. Jan. 24.

A number of changes and additions have been made since the series’ optional pre-season test, including the confirmation of two KohR Motorsports-entered GT4 cars.

Rich Golinello and Bob Michaelian will pilot the team’s No. 59 Ford Mustang GT4, with Nate Stacy and Kyle Marcelli returning but with a to-be-announced car.

Sportscar365 understands that it’s likely to be an Aston Martin Vantage GT4.

Longtime BMW entrant Stephen Cameron Racing, meanwhile, has confirmed an Aston GT4 entry for Gregory Liefooghe and Ari Balogh.

M1 Racing will field a McLaren 570S GT4 for Corey Lewis and Sheena Monk, after Monk suffered an accident at the test at the wheel of RENNtech Motorsports’ Mercedes-AMG GT4, which is no longer listed to compete.

Among the additions in the TCR class since the Roar include both FastMD Audi RS 3 LMS TCR cars, the third Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Veloster N TCR and Honda Civic Type-R TCRs from Atlanta Speedwerks and HART.

Track action gets underway on Wednesday with a 60-minute practice session followed by additional practice and qualifying on Thurs., Jan 23. 

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