Road Atlanta Thursday Notebook

Photo: John Dagys

***IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors battled wind gusts in upwards of 40 mph on Thursday morning as an effect from Hurricane Ian, which has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it passes through Florida. Current weather forecasts call for significantly less rain on Saturday — if any at all — with series officials now confident of getting the race in as planned.

***Wright Motorsports driver Zach Robichon said it was unclear whether it was the high winds or other setup-based factors affecting his No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R in opening practice.

***Magnus Racing missed the majority of Thursday’s running due to an engine change to its No. 44 Aston Martin Vantage GT3. The team completed just two laps in the opening practice session when a transmission issue prompted it to install a new engine and transmission as a precautionary measure. The car missed second practice, but rejoined the track during the night session.

***Jeroen Bleekemolen was present in the Road Atlanta paddock on Thursday, hoping to secure a drive for the 2023 season. The Dutchman has been without a seat since his Michelin Pilot Challenge program with Black Swan Racing fell apart just before the Sebring weekend and has primarily been working as a commentator on Dutch television throughout the year.

***Bleekemolen hinted to Sportscar365 that he could be reunited with Ben Keating at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, should the Texan opt to remain in the LMP2 category. Keating, for his part, stated that his plans for next season are yet to materialize.

***Keating’s No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07 Gibson missed a significant portion of the second practice after the team had to repair damage inflicted when Scott Huffaker crashed the car during the opening session. It returned to the track in the closing minutes.

***Dylan Murry, who was due to be part of Racing Team Nederland’s lineup in LMP2, was also spotted in the paddock, as well as current Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS driver Michael Cooper and former Prototype Challenge champion Alex Popow.

***Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup champion Ulysse de Pauw revealed to IMSA Radio that he was called up to join Cetilar Racing last week. De Pauw completed 34 laps behind the wheel behind the No. 47 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 across the first two sessions, with a best lap of 1:20.269.

***While Brendon Hartley makes his debut with Wayne Taylor Racing, the Kiwi has been teammates to Filipe Albuquerque on two previous occasions, first in Formula Renault in 2006 prior to driving together at Action Express Racing in the 2019 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in a Cadillac DPi-V.R.

***Vector Sport team principal Gary Holland has rejoined Risi Competizione this weekend. Holland, who runs the UK-based squad’s FIA World Endurance Championship program, had been part of Risi’s crew at the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona as well and had previously worked with the team in multiple capacities, including running Risi’s LMP2 entry at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2021.

***WeatherTech Racing’s future is unclear, with Cooper MacNeil rumored to be hanging up his helmet following January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. A team spokesperson told Sportscar365 that MacNeil could “possibly” be in a car at Daytona although wouldn’t confirm such details.

***MacNeil, who stepped out of the No. 79 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo for Petit Le Mans, is not on-site this weekend and instead is “attending to business matters” according to the spokesperson.

***Proton Competition, which currently operates WeatherTech Racing’s entry, meanwhile, is understood to be finalizing a two-car Porsche 963 customer program next year, with one car apiece in the WeatherTech Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. Those customer cars, however, may not arrive until March or even April due to current supply chain challenges.

***Acura will expand into a two-car ARX-06 testing program for the first time in next week’s IMSA-sanctioned LMDh test, with Meyer Shank Racing’s chassis joining the existing car that’s been run mostly by Wayne Taylor Racing crew until now. MSR’s car, still wearing the colors shown during its unveiling at Monterey Car Week, completed a shakedown at Transportation Research Center in Raymond, Ohio last week.

***While being the only LMDh manufacturer that’s not set to test at Road Atlanta next week, Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Porsche 963 is still on-site this weekend for filming and promotional purposes, which will include a Petit Le Mans grid appearance from all four LMDh manufacturers that will have fans get an up-close view of the 2023 GTP class machinery.

***Porsche’s next outing will come with a 36-hour endurance test at Sebring International Raceway next month, followed by a group test at Daytona International Speedway later in the month, hosted by Action Express Racing, but managed by IMSA. The test is in addition to the previously-scheduled IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona that’s still on schedule for Dec. 6-7.

***A large contingent of Porsche and Penske personnel are on-site this weekend including Head of Porsche Motorsport Thomas Laudenbach, Porsche LMDh factory director Urs Kuratle and Porsche Penske Motorsport managing director Jonathan Diuguid.

***BMW M Motorsport boss Andreas Roos was also spotted in the paddock following the manufacturer’s test at Watkins Glen International, which saw Connor De Phillippi among the drivers in attendance on Wednesday and Thursday before arriving at Road Atlanta this afternoon.

***Magnus Racing is conducting an “apparel buyback” program this weekend, where fans can trade in old Magnus GRT and Magnus with Archangel gear for gift certificates to Styled Aesthetic, the team’s merchandise provider. GRT Magnus gear will net a $15 gift certificate, while Magnus with Archangel will pull in $10. Homemade and team gear is not allowed for trade-ins. All old gear will be donated to Andy Lally’s hometown.

Davey Euwema and 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