Daytona CTSC Thursday Notebook

***Ahead of the season-opening BMW Performance 200, IMSA has finalized the preseason car specifications. Notable adjustments include a 50-pound weight reduction for the Camaro Z/28.R, down to 3,500 from 3,550, a 25-pound weight reduction for the Porsche 911 (3,025 with stock ECU, 3,075 with Bosch), a 100 max rpm increase on the BMW 328i E90, and fuel capacity increases to 21 gallons on both the BMW 328i F30 and Hyundai Genesis coupe.

***Doran Racing will see the David Empringham/John Farano pairing replaced by two former Nissan GT Academy USA winners, Bryan Heitkotter and Nick McMillen, in the team’s No. 41 Nissan 370Z. That pairing joins the returning Brad Jaeger and B.J. Zacharias in the sister No. 14 as the team’s two full-season entries.

***Irish Mike’s Racing is a late entry addition in ST with its No. 95 Hyundai Genesis coupe, the lone Hyundai in the field, and Alex Bolanos and Conor Flynn behind the wheel. Flynn makes his professional debut this weekend; the team itself now is set to return after previously having its cars up for sale this winter.

***Long-time Mazda partner ModSpace Motorsports returns to back the No. 5 CJ Wilson Racing Mazda MX-5 entry driven by Stevan McAleer and Chad McCumbee.

***Freedom Autosport will run a single MX-5, the No. 26 for Liam Dwyer and Andrew Carbonell, this weekend at Daytona with the sister No. 25 withdrawn. The No. 25 is possible to return as a partial season entry.

***NASCAR, MX-5 and late model driver Devin Jones will share the No. 34 Alara Racing Mazda MX-5 with Christian Szymczak; neither Kenton Koch nor Randy Pobst will be in the car. The team was back out Wednesday after losing its Roar testing time due to an engine change.

***Beyond the team’s three previously announced entries, brothers Benoit and Donald Theetge return in the No. 77 Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si for Daytona. Karl Thomson’s team will premiere the new ST class Audi S3s at Sebring, after running the Civics in ST for the Nos. 74, 75 and 77 cars this weekend.

***Bodymotion Racing is running just its ST class Porsche Cayman, the No. 31 for Jason Rabe and series debutante Ethan Low, at Daytona. Rabe is confirmed for a five-race program. The team’s No. 12 GS class Porsche was damaged in a testing accident at the Roar, and is not present this weekend.