Daytona Sunday Notebook

Photo: Brandon Badraoui/IMSA

***The IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona International Speedway wrapped up on Sunday with two GTD Pro/GTD-only sessions that were led by the No. 48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo of Maxime Martin (Session 6) and Mikael Grenier in the 75 Express Mercedes-AMG (Session 7).

***The No. 93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 of Nick Yelloly ended up quickest overall of the test, in a 1:35.725 lap time that was set on Friday’s opening session of the weekend. Charles Milesi, meanwhile, led the way in the No. 11 TDS Racing Oreca 07 Gibson in LMP2.

***Random Vandals Racing will not expand into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD Pro class next year as initially planned according to team owner Paul Sparta, who told Sportscar365 that the team will shift its IMSA focus to fielding at least one BMW M4 GT4 EVO in Michelin Pilot Challenge, featuring IMSA Diverse Driver Scholarship winner Nicky Hays.

***Sparta said the team is now targeting an end-of-season WeatherTech Championship debut, potentially at Motul Petit Le Mans, with a single BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

***It’s understood that the Vandals will continue to have a strong presence in SRO America next year, through its relationship with the German manufacturer, with multiple entries across GT World Challenge America powered by AWS and Pirelli GT4 America.

***Sheena Monk, who is so far confirmed for the Michelin Endurance Cup races in the No. 16 Myers Riley Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 EVO, said it’s been an honor for her to drive alongside ex-Formula 1 and IndyCar driver Romain Grosjean, who has been confirmed with the team for the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona.

***Monk told Sportscar365: “I had heard some rumblings of it that it was a possibility. Just even the prospect of getting to drive with someone like Romain… to me it’s like a ‘pinch me’ moment. As a driver, it’s cool to work with big-name people with tons of experience, and also I feel like way about the team too.”

***Mike Rockenfeller said “not to read too much” into Ford Multimatic Motorsports’ shuffled driver lineups that were in place for this weekend’s test, which saw Seb Priaulx in the No. 65 Mustang GT3 EVO alongside Christopher Mies and Fred Vervish and Rockenfeller, who drove with Priaulx this past season, sharing the wheel of the No. 64 car with the team’s endurance drivers Ben Barker and Dennis Olsen.

***Rockenfeller told Sportscar365: “This is really for the test. We are just focusing on this test. Sebby and I had a great year, so it’s all good.”

***After serving as a pit lane reporter alongside his wife, Dakota Jane, in the broadcast of last weekend’s Lamborghini World Finals in Misano, Lamborghini factory driver Andrea Caldarelli was back to his ‘day job’ in driving the Lamborghini Temerario GT3, in the car’s U.S. testing debut alongside fellow works drivers Marco Mapelli and Franck Perera.

***This weekend’s test marked the Temerario GT3’s first time on Michelin tires after testing exclusively on Pirellis up until this point.

***Caldarelli, Mapelli and Perera will be joined by several other Lamborghini drivers for an endurance test with the car at Sebring International Raceway this coming week, which is believed to be the Italian manufacturer’s first attempt at a continuous 24-hour run with the V8 twin-turbo-powered car.

***Caldarelli said: “This time, to have the chance to actually test in Sebring for a few days is definitely going to give us some good data and reference for us and the guys back in Italy that everything works well. It’s definitely the hardest track for the car that we can see. We don’t really have tracks like this in Europe. It’s going to be interesting to see how the car is going to react next week.”

***In addition to the Temerario GT3 allocated to Pfaff Motorsports that plans to give the car its global debut in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Sportscar365 understands that Grasser Racing Team and Abt Sportsline (both in DTM) plus Vincenzo Sospiri Racing (GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS) are likely to get the new car in time for the start of the European seasons.

***Multiple drivers, as well as Wayne Taylor Racing, arrived in Daytona with hardware from their success in the World Finals. Danny Formal, driver of the No. 45 WTR Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, was crowned North America Pro and World Finals Pro champion along with co-driver Hampus Ericsson, while Graham Doyle, who is the third driver in WTR’s GTD entry, won the North America Am class title. Additionally, Jason Hart, driving for TR3 Racing, won the North America Pro-Am class title.

***Hart and Scott Noble are set to take part in the Rolex 24 with Winward’s second Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, which is entered in the GTD Pro class. Crew members from its DTM team have been assigned to operate the No. 48 entry, which is also set to contest the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. It’s unclear if the car will run the team’s ‘Mamba’ livery made popular by sponsor Mann-Filter as it has in the German GT3 series with the same car number.

***Head of Mercedes-AMG customer racing Stefan Wendl told Sportscar365 that he’s pleased to see Winward’s expansion in the series, also in welcoming new customers in Noble and Hart to the brand. “That they could make another entry happen, in the Pro class, to not be in competition with their own cars, is maybe similar to what Lexus is doing,” he said. “I’m really happy to get new customers into our program, that we could convince them to come on our GT3 car that’s very proven in IMSA. We’ll see where it ends up.”

***Under the new rules for Bronze-rated drivers competing in GTP or GTD Pro, Noble, along with fellow Bronze-rated driver Kenny Habul, who is also currently entered in GTD Pro, will need to complete at least four-and-a-half hours of drive time in the race, which is the minimum for LMP2 and GTD drivers.

***Muehlner Motorsports could take part in the Rolex 24 with a new Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo that’s due to be delivered at the end of this month according to team boss Bernhard Muehlner, who was on-site this weekend and in discussions with drivers and IMSA for the prospective GTD effort.

***While absent from VP Racing SportsCar Challenge this past season, Muehlner revealed plans to return to the series next year with up to two Duqueine D08 Nissans, which will be eligible alongside new-generation LMP3 machinery with no Balance of Performance measures imposed.

***Sportscar365 understands that IMSA is expected to release the entry list for the Rolex 24 in early December.

***It was announced late last week that American Medical Response (AMR) and IMSA have entered into a renewed multi-year partnership that will see the ongoing efforts of the AMR Safety Team, made up of first responders and local emergency professionals at IMSA events.

***IMSA’s VP of partnership marketing and business development Brandon Huddleston said: “This expanded partnership truly reflects our shared vision for the future of motorsports medicine. By highlighting the dedication and talent of the AMR Safety Team, we celebrate their remarkable service and strengthen the ability to recruit and inspire the next generation of exceptional first responders.”

***The next official track action for WeatherTech Championship competitors will be at the Roar Before the Rolex 24, on Jan. 16-18, which will also include the season-opening rounds for VP Racing SportsCar Challenge as well as testing opportunities for Michelin Pilot Challenge entrants.

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