News & Notes Roundup: 2.24

***IMSA has released updated Balance of Performance for this week’s Sebring Test, confirming the configuration of both the Oreca 05 Nissan and Lamborghini Huracan GT3s. The Lambos receive a 40kg weight increase but 1mm larger restrictor in the specification it ran at Daytona. The changes come in the wake of IMSA’s penalty to the Italian manufacturer for allegedly sandbagging in the race.

***On a related note, IMSA has also clarified that all engine restrictor geometry must comply with the FIA homologated design and be registered and improved for IMSA competition. It’s understood the issue at hand with the Lamborghinis in Daytona centered around the design of the engine restrictor.

***Testing for the IMSA development series is already underway at Sebring, with the two-day WeatherTech SportsCar Championship test, where more than 30 cars are expected, begins tomorrow.

***Land Motorsport has presented its plans for 2016. The German squad will enter VLN, ADAC GT Masters and the Nürburgring 24 with two Audi R8 LMS. Marc Basseng and Connor De Phillippi will race together in VLN, while Basseng will race with Dutchman Peter Hoevenaars in ADAC GT Masters. De Phillippi will team up with Christopher Mies in ADAC GT Masters.

***RWT Racing Team will continue in the ADAC GT Masters series this year. The German team ran Corvette Z06s in the last two season and Gerd Beisel’s team plans to run the car this season as well. Drivers will be announced at a later date.

***UAE-based Dragon Racing will return to Europe this season, with an entry in the Blancpain GT Sports Club series. Team owner Leon Price will compete in the series in a Kessel Racing Ferrari 458 Italia GT3, sporting the traditional Dragon Racing livery.

***Audi has confirmed the Audi TTS will take part in the SRO BoP test for GT4 cars at Le Castellet next Monday. According to the German manufacturer several teams are interested in running the car. Back in 2008 Jorg van Ommen Autosport ran an Audi TT in the GT4 Cup, while in 2010 a GT4 concept car was shown in Shanghai.

***All GT3 and GT4-homologated cars will take part in the BoP test at the French circuit, with officials from other GT3 championships, including Pirelli World Challenge, also set to be on-hand.

***As reported last week many BMW teams have received their new BMW M6 GT3s. BMW Motorsport confirmed seven teams have their cars for the 2016 season, including Japanese teams BMW Sports Trophy Team Sudie and Team Alnex. ROWE Racing and Schubert Motorsport have also taken delivery of their cars to prepare them for the VLN season opener on April 2.

***Rolf Ineichen, Marc Ineichen, Adrian Amstutz and Christian Engelhart are set to race the GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracan GT3 in the Hankook 12H Italy-Mugello next month. The Ineichen brothers and Engelhart drove the Konrad Motorsport Lamborghini that retired in the final half in hour in this year’s 24H Dubai.

***MJC had initially entered a Ferrari 430 GTC for the Hankook 12H Italy-Mugello, but that car has been replaced by a newer 458 GTE. Rory Butcher and Phil Dryburgh will join Witt Gamski and Keith Robinson in the only Ferrari that will compete in Italy.

John Dagys contributed to this report