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Porsche: GTD Withdrawals Made on Team Level

Porsche confirms GTD withdrawals made on team level…

Photo: IMSA

Photo: IMSA

The withdrawal of two Porsche 911 GT3 R cars from next weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Virginia International Raceway were decisions made on the team level, according to Porsche Motorsport.

Both the No. 22 WeatherTech-backed car of Cooper MacNeil as well as Patrick Lindsey and Joerg Bergemeister’s No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche will not take part in the GT-only round due what the teams have cited as ongoing Balance of Performance concerns.

MacNeil’s entry, meanwhile, has been pulled from the remainder of the WeatherTech Championship season.

A Porsche Motorsport representative told Sportscar365 that the teams’ decisions were not influenced by the German manufacturer in any way. Porsche has declined to comment on the current state of the car’s BoP in the GT Daytona class.

“To Porsche, BoP conversations are internal between the manufacturers and the sanctioning body,” a statement from Porsche Motorsport read. “Therefore, it would be inappropriate for us to make any public declaration on the process or where it currently stands in regards to the GTD class.”

The withdrawal of two of the three customer Porsche GTD entries could come as a significant blow to its title chase, as Porsche currently sits second in GTD Manufacturers Championship, seven points behind Audi and one point ahead of Ferrari.

Only the No. 23 The Heart of Racing/AJR Porsche of Alex Riberas and Mario Farnbacher are expected to take part in the VIR round. The pairing have combined to score four poles this year, as well as a class win at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in May.

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

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