Indianapolis Wednesday Notebook

Photo: Mercedes-AMG

***The Indianapolis 8 Hour presented by AWS field has been reduced to 23 entries, with the No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo and No. 92 MMG Porsche 911 GT3 R having been withdrawn. Both cars didn’t have third drivers nominated for the race on the original 25-car entry list.

***Sportscar365 understands that Chouest Povoledo was unable to source another chassis following a weekend-ending accident in the second GT America powered by AWS race at Barber Motorsports Park. The reason for MMG’s withdrawal is believed to be related to securing a third driver, as required for the enduro.

***The majority of the Intercontinental GT Challenge competitors took to the track alongside Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS entrants for a pair of 90-minute test sessions on Wednesday to kick off the event. Both the No. 33 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 and No. 130 GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG missed the opening session due to both cars being stuck in freight delays because of a major port workers’ strike.

***The GruppeM entry arrived in the afternoon and completed only a single installation lap in the second session, while the whereabouts of the WRT BMW is currently unknown according to a team spokesperson.

***A total of 18 of the 23 cars are nominated to score IGTC points, including a total of six Porsches, which lead the manufacturers’ championship but do not have an IGTC Pro class car entered this weekend.

***Jules Gounon, who is down to drive the GruppeM Mercedes-AMG, has yet to arrive at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the Andorran driver testing with his FIA World Endurance Championship team Alpine at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Wednesday. Gounon is expected to arrive in time for Free Practice tomorrow evening.

***The No. 8 Flying Lizard Motorsports BMW M4 GT3 completed only 14 laps in the opening session due to a fuel sensor issue according to Nick Yelloly, who has been drafted into the team’s lineup this weekend alongside Elias Sabo and Andy Lee.

***This weekend marks Yelloly’s first Pro-Am start with BMW since the 2020 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup 3 Hours of Imola, at the wheel of a Boutsen Ginion Racing BMW M6 GT3.

***Lone Star Racing has become the first U.S. Mercedes-AMG Performance Team to compete in the Indy 8 Hour. The Texas-based squad previously supported Craft-Bamboo Racing’s efforts in the last three editions. The Hong Kong-based team, which won the 2022 event, is not present this year.

***Seven drivers are set to pull double duty between Saturday’s eight-hour headline race and the support package. Kay van Berlo, John Capestro-Dubtes and Kenton Koch also compete in Pirelli GT4 America, while Kyle Washington, Justin Rothberg, Ross Chouest and Blake McDonald have also been entered in the pair of GT America powered by AWS races.

***Twenty-four drivers that took part in the six-hour Battle of the Bricks as part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship two weeks ago will also contest this weekend’s event. The list includes Van Berlo, Koch, Philipp Eng, Connor De Phillippi, Nick Yelloly, Bryan Sellers, Neil Verhagen, Alexander Sims, Tommy Milner, Kenny Habul, Laurin Heinrich, Kenton Koch, Mikael Grenier, Gabby Chaves, Kyle Marcelli, Toni Vilander, Philip Ellis, Riccardo Agostini, Cedric Sbirrazzuoli, Brendon Leitch, Jake Pedersen, Robby Foley, Patrick Gallagher, Adam Adelson and Elliot Skeer.

***When including drivers from support series, that list also includes Porsche Carrera Cup North America points leader Loek Hartog, Michelin Pilot Challenge competitors Trent Hindman and Luca Mars and Dubets, McDonald and Patrick Liddy from Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America.

***Vilander is believed to be the only driver to have taken part in all three sports car racing events at The Brickyard over the last four weeks, when counting the Ferrari Challenge North America meeting held the weekend prior to the WeatherTech Championship event.

***Hollywood star Keanu Reeves is making his debut in Toyota GR Cup North America competition this weekend as a guest entry in the single-make series. Reeves previously took part in multiple editions of the now-defunct Toyota Long Beach celebrity race.

***Max Hesse’s inclusion in this weekend’s Team WRT lineup at Indy means he will be unable to fulfill his regular commitments with Ceccato Racing in the Italian GT Championship. Instead, Raffaele Marciello will be teaming up with Jens Klingmann for this weekend’s Sprint round at Monza.

***After parting ways mid-season with Carrus Callas Race Team, Terry Borcheller has returned to the wheel of a Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO this week with Precision Racing LA, alongside Ryan Eversley. “Terry and I have been competitors for a long time and have fought against each other for a championship, so I know how qualified and capable he is, and I’m thankful for this chance to be co-drivers,” said Eversley.

***Maro Engel has improved upon his own lap record for production cars at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, setting a time of 6:29.09 aboard a Mercedes-AMG ONE. His previous time, set in the same car in 2022, was just over six seconds slower.

***BMW has announced a new partnership with simulation software company Ansys, building on an existing relationship that saw the German manufacturer use its products areas such as in drivetrain design and construction. Ansys branding previously also appeared on Porsche factory cars in the WEC, WeatherTech Championship and ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

***Fanatec, the sim racing hardware brand that currently serves as the title sponsor of GT World Challenge, was recently acquired by Corsair. The American computer peripheral and hardware company announced it had reached a “definitive agreement” with Fanatec parent firm Endor AG on September 19th. The two parties had been in talks as early as May, but the acquisition was complicated by Endor AG filing for insolvency in July.

***While no details were disclosed on the future of its title sponsorship agreement with SRO, Corsair outlined in a statement that it “plans to make significant investments in the Fanatec brand, its products, and increasing worldwide availability through our channels.”

***Tomorrow’s IGTC/Fanatec GT track action features just a single Free Practice session, from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. EDT, while a number of support series, including GT America and GT4 America will be on track for the first time, along with the first race of the event for Mustang Challenge.

Davey Euwema 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