20 Cars For IMSA Northeast Grand Prix
Throughout this 2023 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, the all-new GTP premier category has commanded the spotlight at every race. But next weekend, the GTD cars will have the stage to themselves at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.
The Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock is one of two events exclusive to the GTD Pro and GTD classes, which combine to present 20 cars for this year’s iteration.
Of the five GTD Pro cars and 15 GTD cars listed, the only notable change is the return of Andretti Autosport’s #94 Aston Martin Vantage GT3. The car first appeared at Laguna Seca, where Jarett Andretti and Gabby Chaves’ race ended early due to a collision.
Vasser Sullivan Racing’s Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat still lead the GTD Pro standings by 96 points with five races to go, but the #14 Lexus RC F GT3 cannot afford a repeat of their first dismal showing of the season at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Pfaff Motorsports won this race last year, and return with Patrick Pilet and Klaus Bachler aboard the #9 Porsche 911 GT3 R. Corvette Racing, who’s won at Lime Rock six times throughout its history, closed to within 109 points of the lead after IMSA’s trip to Canada. Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor won here in 2021 in the #3 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD.
In the GTD category, Paul Miller Racing lead both the main championship as well as the WeatherTech Sprint Cup standings heading into Lime Rock – which is the closest thing to a “home round” for the New Jersey-based Paul Miller Auto Group. Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow aim to keep that run of success going in the #1 BMW M4 GT3, the same car that won last year’s race.
Their closest competitors are defending champions Heart of Racing Team, Roman de Angelis, and Marco Sørensen in the #27 Aston Martin. The duo trails Sellers and Snow by 212 points in the overall championship table and 66 points in the Sprint Cup. De Angelis is a previous winner in the GTD class, in 2021 alongside Ross Gunn.
Another active winner is Bill Auberlen, who won the GTU class in Grand-Am’s inaugural visit to Lime Rock back in 2000. He represents New Hampshire-based Turner Motorsport, who can also claim Lime Rock Park as a home race.
Michelin Pilot Challenge will support this year’s Northeast Grand Prix, but the Lime Rock Park 120 will be exclusive to the TCR class (just as Detroit was an exclusive race for the GS class).
Feature image courtesy of IMSA
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