VIR Weekend Notebook

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

***The entry list for this weekend’s Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway is down to 19 cars, following the no-show of the No. 94 Andretti Autosport Aston Martin Vantage GT3 for the second consecutive race. It has resulted in a 14-car GTD field, alongside the five GTD Pro entries that are set to do battle in the second and final GT-only race of the season.

***IMSA competitors battled high levels of heat on Friday, with temperatures soaring to 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius) with the heat index in excess of 100 degrees. Similar weather is forecasted for tomorrow although it is expected to cool down for the two-hour and 40-minute race on Sunday.

***WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams unloaded on Friday morning, as part of the series’ compressed weekend format that’s aimed to reduce days at the track. A similar schedule was in place at other recent races this summer.

***The WeatherTech Racing crew escaped injuries following a flash fire in the pit lane in the closing moments of practice on Friday as Dani Juncadella was climbing out of the of the No. 79 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. Fire damage was sustained to the GTD Pro class car, although is expected to be repaired in time for tomorrow’s track action.

***The Mercedes and Porsche 911 GT3 R were given Balance of Performance adjustments two days after an initial BoP was issued by IMSA. A reason for the second wave of changes was not made clear although is believed to help both GT3 models despite the weight additions. The first change to the Aston, however, has come in the range of a 12 horsepower decrease compared to the specification the car ran at Road America.

***Katherine Legge said she enjoys the GT-only races on the WeatherTech Championship calendar, particularly this year, due to the absence of the GTP class that has often taken center stage. The Gradient Racing Acura driver and co-driver Sheena Monk are seeking their first podium finish of the season this weekend.

***Legge said: “For us I think we feel the black sheep of the family with the GTPs being a new class this year and being so exciting. I think that especially for television they focus on that and we don’t get the recognition in the GT class that we always deserve because there’s some epic battles that go on.”‘

***Ben Keating has clarified to Sportscar365 that Tuesday’s announcement from United Autosports that confirmed Alex Quinn as his full-season co-driver is inaccurate. Quinn will in fact be the team’s third driver for the Michelin Endurance Cup races, with Keating’s full-season co-driver set to be announced in the coming days. The Anglo-American team has yet to issue a retraction to its announcement.

***While not racing this weekend, a number of GTP teams have been in action in recent days, including Porsche Penske Motorsport, which tested into the darkness at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as well as Action Express Racing and Meyer Shank Racing, which were both present at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in advance of Petit Le Mans. Penske is also due to test at Road Atlanta next week.

***Spectators at VIR this weekend are able to get hot laps around the 1.1-mile Patriot Course in cars based on, or similar to, the race cars seen on the track, courtesy of Michelin. Sign-ups are available at the Michelin booth in the vendor area.

***Michelin, the Official Tire partner of both IMSA and the recently released ‘Gran Turismo’ movie, is running a sweepstakes through Aug. 31 that features a VIP travel package for two to the 2024 Rolex 24 At Daytona, set for Jan. 26-28. Click Here for details and contest entry.

***Tickets went on-sale this week for next year’s Rolex 24, which will open the WeatherTech Championship season with all four of its 2024 classes. Click Here for details. The purchase of tickets to the Rolex 24 also includes admission to the Roar Before the Rolex 24 as well.

***The Lexus IS 500 will be serving as the official safety car for Sunday’s WeatherTech Championship race. The vehicle is in a bright yellow livery with a sunflower.

***The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR gets underway Sunday at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage on USA Network. Brian Till will be joined by Calvin Fish in the NBC Sports broadcast booth, with Hannah Newhouse and Matt Yocum on pit lane. IMSA Radio will also have coverage featuring John Hindhaugh, Jeremy Shaw and Shea Adam.

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