Road Atlanta Friday Notebook

Photo: Jurgen Tap/Porsche

***With Jack Aitken’s pole for Motul Petit Le Mans, it marked the sixth top qualifying run for Cadillac this season in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the seventh time out of nine GTP events that a Cadillac has started from the front row.

***Laurin Heinrich extended his GTD Pro championship lead from 99 to 104 points over Heart of Racing Team’s Ross Gunn after taking class pole and Gunn qualifying third. “The points gaps are always intense steps, so getting the 100-point gap, that mark was really important for us,” Heinrich said.

***Scott Andrews and Robby Foley qualified 1-2 in the GTD class. The two were former roommates for six years living in Miami before Andrews moved to Texas to be closer to Lone Star Racing. Andrews jokingly said that tomorrow’s race will feature an “old Miami roommates front row” in GTD after LMP2 pole-sitter Ben Keating asked the Australian what it was like to out-qualify Foley.

***Both the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R and No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 returned to action in qualifying after a session-ending accident in Thursday’s night practice. Extensive repairs were made to the Corvette, which qualified fourth in GTD Pro in the hands of Antonio Garcia, while Misha Goikhberg was tenth in GTD.

***The No. 64 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 underwent an engine change prior to qualifying. It qualified sixth in GTD Pro in the hand of Harry Tincknell. Both the No. 13 AWA Corvette and No. 023 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 did not set qualifying times, with AWA opting to preserve its car and tire allotment for the race according to a GM spokesperson, while the Ferrari sustained a fuel leak.

***Porsche Penske Motorsport is taking a revised approach this weekend in order to ensure that it secures the GTP drivers, teams and manufacturers’ titles according to Porsche’s LMDh factory director Urs Kuratle, who stressed that “it’s not done yet” despite the Felipe Nasr, Dane Cameron, the team and German manufacturer being in “good positions” points-wise to the competition.

***Kuratle told Sportscar365: “It’s definitely a different approach than usual. It’s a bit more conservative approach, yes, but also we want to win it. Also, in the pre-race meeting, we will tell the drivers that the risk level has to be a lower one than usual because we basically have to start and have to finish, but then we want to finish as good as possible.”

***Kuratle confirmed that the transponder and leader light wiring loom, which was found to be out of homologation on the No. 6 Porsche 963 following IMSA’s extended post-race technical inspection at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has since been homologated and is outfitted on the customer cars from Proton Competition and JDC-Miller Motorsports this weekend.

***DragonSpeed team principal Elton Julian said it’s been “energizing” to step up to the GTD Pro class for this weekend’s race and go up against factory and works-supported teams in the class, in only the team’s second race with its Ferrari. Thomas Neubauer and Vincent Abril have joined the squad alongside Toni Vilander, who was also part of the team’s debut GTD lineup at Indianapolis.

***Julian told Sportscar365: “I think it proves the level of LMP2 in a way. A P2 team went to the Indy 500 and qualified on the first day with Ben Hanley, who had never been to the place. A P2 team can do LMP1, a P2 team can go into GTD Pro and not embarrass themselves. It speaks volumes of the level that P2 is at and how it’s sharpened us.”

***Julian said he’s still working out details on the team’s driver lineup for next year, having been granted a full-season entry in GTD. “The car will race next year,” he said. “Who’s in it, I can’t tell you. That’s almost a compliment to the strength of the championship and where we are at in these times. There’s a lot of discussions.”

***Risi Competizione, which was absent from both the 2025 full season and Michelin Endurance Cup entry list releases on Thursday, has not yet announced plans for next year according to a team spokesperson. It’s unclear if IMSA will grant further spaces beyond its to-be-confirmed additional full season entry after the closing of entry requests.

***Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s GTD Pro entry for the Endurance Cup races will likely again be run by Iron Lynx according to Lamborghini North America senior motorsports manager Erik Skirmants, who indicated that a deal has not yet been reached with the Italian squad.

***Skirmants told Sportscar365: “It’s a real entry; there will be a 163 car at the five endurance races. More likely than not, it’s Iron Lynx but it may not be. If the global strategy of the partnership says that’s not the best option then there would be multiple considerations.”

***Sportscar365 understands that Iron Lynx is likely to move out of its U.S. outpost in Detroit to Prema’s new North American base in Indianapolis that will be used for the team’s NTT IndyCar Series effort. The Rene Rosin-led organization is largely responsible for the operation of the Lamborghini Iron Lynx LMDh effort.

***Porsche has continued to hold discussions with Proton Competition team boss Christian Ried on the prospects of the German privateer team fielding a second customer 963 in the WEC in 2025, amid Thursday’s confirmation that the team will scale back to an Endurance Cup-only program for its IMSA-based 963 next year.

***Kuratle said: “For the customer teams, they always have to get the financing right and have to talk to drivers. It’s not an easy task for these guys. We have talks here in Atlanta and also next week with Chris to see how his lineup will be in the WEC.” Kuratle confirmed that it has not held discussions with any new 963 customers, meaning Proton will be its sole privateer representation in the world championship next year.

***IMSA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a five-year extension of its partnership on Friday as part of IMSA’s Sustainability initiative, a partnership that also includes the U.S. Department of Energy and SAE International that was forged back in the American Le Mans Series in 2008.

***Series President John Doonan hinted of a future adoption of 100 percent renewable fuels. “We’re at 80 percent [renewable] now but I can assure you my phone has plenty of messages from the manufacturers wanting to get to 100 as soon as possible.”

***When asked by Sportscar365 on the sanctioning body’s current position on hydrogen, which continues to be pursued by the FIA and ACO for inclusion in the World Endurance Championship from 2028, Doonan said: “Fuels and options like hydrogen are certainly on the radar and it is really driven by our OEM partners and what they see as what’s most relevant to their road car lineup, their powertrains and vehicle platforms. We’ll wait and see but we’re definitely keeping our finger on the pulse.”

***All 18 IMSA automotive partners have now claimed at least one win in sanctioned competition this year, following Tyler Hoffman’s GSX class victory aboard a Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO in Friday’s VP Racing SportsCar Challenge season finale. Toyota had been the lone manufacturer seeking a trip to victory lane in IMSA competition.

***Fans received the chance to sign the bodywork of AO Racing’s No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 R on Friday, with more than 250 signatures on the ‘Rexy’ liveried machine that scored GTD Pro class pole with Laurin Heinrich and enters tomorrow’s title-decider in the points lead. The Gunnar Jeannette-led team followed in the tradition set by Meyer Shank Racing, which offered fans the same opportunity at the final race of the season.

***Victory lane and the podium for Motul Petit Le Mans has been moved to the support paddock on pit lane, under the backdrop of a grandstand, allowing spectators to get a bird’s eye view of tomorrow evening’s celebrations.

***Mike Johnson is one of the busiest people in the paddock this weekend, with the Archangel Motorsports team owner running its Michelin Pilot Challenge GS entry for Todd Coleman and Aaron Telitz, managing Rukus Racing’s Scott Blind, who competed in both VP Racing SportsCar Challenge and Porsche Carrera Cup North America, with Johnson also calling strategy on the No. 78 Forte Lamborghini for Saturday’s race.

***Brembo announced on Friday the acquisition of a 100 percent stake in Ohlins Racing, a leading manufacturer of premium, high performance suspension technology for motorcycles and cars in the original equipment, motorsport, and aftermarket segments.

***Sebring International Raceway has been staged as a base camp for approximately 1,000 Duke Energy and Glades Electric personnel and equipment to assist in restoring power to more than 63,000 homes and businesses in the area following the aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Sebring, Fla. The circuit facility sustained limited damage from the hurricane, with recovery operations estimated to remain at the facility for a week.

***NBC Sports’ coverage of Petit Le Mans kicks off on network NBC on Saturday from 12-3 p.m. EDT, with USA Network picking up the finish from 6-10:30 p.m. and the entire race streamed live on Peacock. Brian Till and Kevin Lee will be joined in the booth by Calvin Fish, Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe, with Georgia Henneberry, Matt Yocum, Dillon Welch and Ryan Myrehn on pit lane.

***IMSA Radio’s team this weekend includes the addition of Diana Binks and Nick Daman alongside Shea Adam, John Hindhaugh and Jeremy Shaw. International viewers will be able to watch the race live on IMSA’s YouTube channel.

Jonathan Grace contributed to this report

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