AWA to Launch GTD Program After LMP3 Class Removal

LMP3 team AWA is set to shift its entire operation over to a two-car GTD effort in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship starting next year.

The Canadian squad currently runs a pair of Duqueine D08 Nissans in LMP3, but it will enter new territory next season after the third-tier prototype class gets removed from the series.

Team owner Andrew Wojteczko explained that the two-car effort will cover the full GTD schedule but declined to name the GT3 manufacturer that AWA is working with.

Brand-new vehicles are expected to be delivered to AWA’s facility near Toronto in November or December ahead of a planned race debut in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

AWA is the second LMP3 team to declare a change of machinery following news of the category’s impending WeatherTech Championship exit, after Riley Motorsports recently announced that its program with Gar Robinson and Felipe Fraga will move to LMP2.

“We’re going to GTD,” Wojteczko told Sportscar365 ahead of this weekend’s Michelin Endurance Cup round at Watkins Glen.

“I think GTD is going to have a bigger class count and we’re going to have more races than in LMP2. The running cost on the car is more attractive than on an LMP2.

“We’ve got a really exciting manufacturer that we’re looking forward to working with.

“And to me, LMP2 is just a bit uncertain with what’s to come with the new [generation of] car [in 2026]. I think you’d be looking at buying a car for one or two years.

“The idea of winning a ticket to Le Mans is exciting. Two cars for GTD is where it’s going.”

AWA’s shift to GTD will signal the end of the team’s LMP3 program after two seasons.

“I don’t want any distractions from the GTD side,” Wojteczko explained. “Our goal is to be a top-level WeatherTech Championship team. To me, anything else is just a distraction from that goal.

“I want to be focused on winning championships in our primary program. If I’m looking for more growth, I’m going to do it in GTD.”

Wojteczko indicated that AWA is leaning towards maintaining its current customer driver partnerships for the GTD effort, although lineups are yet to be confirmed.

AWA currently runs Bronze-rated drivers Orey Fidani and Anthony Mantella in its LMP3 program. All three of its Duqueines, including the spare chassis, are customer-owned.

“There is still an appetite for car sales, so we’ll work with our clients to help them recover the cost from their cars,” said Wojteczko, who added that the GTD effort will be fully customer-focused and therefore doesn’t carry the target of competing in GTD Pro.

AWA started exploring GTD options midway through last season, as rumors about LMP3’s potential exit from the WeatherTech Championship gathered pace.

“We started these conversations at Mosport last year,” Wojteczko recalled.

“Following the concerns with LMP3 at Watkins last year, we sat down with the manufacturer and have just been working on it from there.

“I love the LMP3 class and our customers have been very happy with it. We’re at a good spot in it at the moment and have seen some success this year, which has been great.

“I would have liked to see it continue, but it is what it is.

“With the experience we have in the team… most of the team have worked in GTD in some capacity and we’ve got great depth on the engineering side. So I’m not concerned.

“Yes, we’re going to have to work and train hard. It’s not going to be easy. But I have no doubt that we can’t perform at the top level there.”

AWA joined LMP3 at the start of last year, in a move that saw it graduate from IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with a McLaren 570S GT4 into the WeatherTech Championship.

It took its first LMP3 class win at Daytona in January with Mantella, Wayne Boyd, Thomas Merrill and Nico Varrone sharing the No. 17 Duqueine.