New, Returning Teams Set for Pre-Season Test

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

A number of new and returning teams to IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge competition are set to take part in January’s Roar test ahead of its season-opening round at Daytona International Speedway.

IMSA released Friday the provisional entry list for the BMW Endurance Challenge, featuring 37 cars for the four-hour enduro to be held on the Friday prior to the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Driver lineups have not been disclosed due to a number of yet-to-be-announced lineups and drivers that are still in the process of IMSA licensing for the 2020 season.

Unlike the Roar Before the Rolex 24, which is mandatory for WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams, the Pilot Challenge test is optional, with the grid expected to expand for the Jan. 24 race.

Among the 26 GS class entries due to take part in the test include a three-car Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4 effort, with one car to be driven by Chase Briscoe and newly named Ford Performance development driver Hailie Deegan.

As revealed by Sportscar365, Archangel Motorsports returns to IMSA for the first time since 2003, with the Mike Johnson-owned team taking over Park Place Motorsports’ Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport program, which retains the same lineup of Trent Hindman and Alan Brynjolffson.

Former class champions TGM Racing has made the switch from Mercedes-AMG GT4 to Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R machinery, joining Rebel Rock Racing in the GM camp for 2020.

Turner Motorsport has expanded into a two-car GS operation while McCann Racing steps up to the top class with an Audi R8 LMS GT4 for Michael McCann Jr. and inaugural IMSA TCR class champion Britt Casey Jr. 

Reigning GS class champions CarBahn with Peregrine Racing, meanwhile, will be back with an unchanged lineup of Tyler McQuarrie and Jeff Westphal.

11 Entries in TCR; No Mazdas

The TCR entry list features 11 cars, including a new link-up between IMSA Prototype Challenge squad Forty7 Motorsports and Hyundai, although no Mazda3 TCR cars are listed for the test.

Announced in November, it was expected that the Long Road Racing-built Mazdas would be ready for the season-opener event.

A Mazda spokesperson has yet to return Sportscar365’s inquiry.

Forty7 will be joined by a pair of Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundais along with three LA Honda World Racing Honda Civic Type-R TCRs and Audi RS 3 LMS TCR cars from JDC-Miller Motorsports, Road Shagger Racing and Team Premat.

Fan-favorite team HART is absent from the test, although could still take part in the race. 

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