VIR CTSC Weekend Notebook

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

***The No. 84 BimmerWorld BMW 328i, which set the second quickest time in ST class qualifying by Tyler Cooke, will start from the rear of the field this afternoon after the car was found to have exceeded the maximum negative camber in post-qualifying tech.

***It has promoted the No. 93 HART Honda Civic Si of Chad Gilsinger to the ST front row alongside the class pole-sitting No. 92 Honda of teammate Kevin Boehm. Gilsinger will again team with Ryan Eversley this weekend, with Cameron Lawrence returning to the No. 92 with Boehm. Click Here for the final grid.

***GS pole-sitter Sebastian Landy was a late addition to the No. 99 Automatic Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4, with a deal having only been reached with the team on Thursday. The 20-year-old, a five-time Gold Cup race winner in Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama, is pulling double duty between the two series this weekend.

***There’s been a shakeup at Rebel Rock Racing, both on the driver and crew level, with Brandon Davis and team co-owner Frank DePew driving the No. 7 Porsche Cayman this weekend, instead of Elliott Skeer and Sam Adams. The team, formerly supported by a number of ex-Blackforest Motorsports personnel, also has new crew this weekend.

***Rebel Rock went through a change of ownership earlier this year, with DePew and Tom FitzGerald taking over full control of the team and renowned record producer Jim Jonsin taking a back seat.

***Ethan Low has switched from the MINI JCW Team to Alara Racing this weekend, teaming with Christian Szymczak in the No. 34 Mazda MX-5. Low has been replaced in the No. 37 MINI by Austin Mack.

***The Alara team has rebounded from a heavy accident in Thursday’s Promoter Test Day to be on the grid with its freshly rebuilt No. 34 car, thanks the help of fellow Mazda squad Freedom Autosport, which have loaned parts. Nearly every piece of bodywork was damaged, along with the windshield, in the accident. “We had four guys each working nine hours to get it back together. It might look like the ‘Blues Brothers Mobile,’ but it handles good,” Szymczak said.

***2013 ST class champions Terry Borcheller and Mike LaMarra have been reunited in Alara’s No. 43 Mazda, which makes its debut this weekend. Borcheller filled in for Alara in the team’s No. 34 Mazda at Lime Rock Park last month, finishing second in class. It marks LaMarra’s first start since Road Atlanta 2015.

***LaMarra told Sportscar365 there’s a chance he and Borcheller could complete the season with races at Circuit of The Americas and Road Atlanta, although nothing has been finalized.

***Team TGM has elected to race its No. 46 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport today, for only the second time this year. Guy Cosmo and team owner/driver Ted Giovanis practiced both the Nos. 46 and 64 cars and have typically raced the No. 64 car but made significant gains in setup on the No. 46 car this weekend. The team is coming off its first GS podium at Road America.

***All three of the MINI JCW cars are carrying decals in memory of Bryan Clauson, who died following complications from a midget car accident in Belleville, Kan. earlier this month.

We're all one big racing family. Awesome to see @lapmotorsports representing @BryanClauson @IMSA race! #BCForever pic.twitter.com/Dms5xYgfvR

— Continental Tire (@continentaltire) August 27, 2016

***Be sure to download Andy Blackmore’s official IMSA Spotter’s Guide for this weekend, featuring all 36 Continental Tire Challenge entries for the race. Click Here to view.

***Watch this afternoon’s race live on IMSA.tv beginning at 1:55 p.m. ET. The two-and-a-half hour race will be televised on Sun. Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.

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