The extension of the lifespan of the GTP class within the IMSA SportsCar Championship might pave the way in which for brand spanking new producers to affix, collection boss John Doonan believes.
Doonan reiterated IMSA’s place that there’s curiosity from main automobile makers to affix the highest class of the collection within the wake of the announcement forward of this month’s Le Mans 24 Hours that the LMDh and Le Mans Hypercar rulesets were being expanded through to the end of 2029 in each North America and the World Endurance Championship.
“I really feel there may be actual curiosity; there are at the very least a pair [of manufacturers] who’re significantly trying on the platform,” mentioned Doonan.
“The [new] homologation offers stability for individuals who are right here and alternative for these researching entry.
“Now they know that in the event that they got here, for instance, in 2026 they’d have 4 years of competitors with the identical laws.
“We’ve seen GTP racing in North America is mega and it is just going to develop.”
When pushed about seemingly new entries, Doonan replied: “Extra particulars to come back.”
#31 Motion Specific Racing Cadillac V-Sequence.R: Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken
Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
McLaren has once more started talking publicly about its sportscar aspirations at the highest level following the announcement of the foundations extension, whereas Alfa Romeo has lengthy been recognized to have curiosity within the prime class of IMSA.
Jean-Philippe Imparato, the CEO of the Italian model that’s a part of the Stellantis group together with Peugeot, spoke overtly about its WEC aspirations on the conclusion of its badging take care of the Sauber System 1 group on the finish of final season.
The door can also be open to the LMH producers competing within the WEC’s Hypercar class to affix the IMSA collection.
Aston Martin would be the first when it arrives subsequent yr with a solo Valkyrie AMR-LMH run on a manufacturing unit foundation by the Coronary heart of Racing squad, which can also be mounting a two-car WEC marketing campaign.
“Aston has introduced its intentions to come back and we actually welcome them as the primary LMH producer in IMSA competitors,” Doonan mentioned.
“We’d like to see some others be a part of now that the time interval has grown.”
Doonan burdened that room will probably be made for extra GTP automobiles past the 11 competing this yr despite the fact that the IMSA grid is at present at capability.
They might be “welcomed with open arms”, he mentioned.
#6 Porsche Penske Motorsports, Porsche 963, GTP: Mathieu Jaminet, Nick Tandy #10 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti, Acura ARX-06, GTP: Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque #01 Cadillac Racing, Cadillac V-Sequence.R, GTP: Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais Inexperienced Flag, Race Begin
Photograph by: Josh Tons / Motorsport Images
Additions subsequent yr will embody the Aston and most probably an additional Cadillac when it’s anticipated that Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti strikes over from Acura equipment to the Normal Motors model to run a pair of V-Sequence.R LMDhs rather than Chip Ganassi Racing.
On Thursday, Honda Racing Corporation USA confirmed Meyer Shank Racing will return to its Acura programme for 2025.
Doonan additionally expressed a hope that a number of of the producers at present competing in GTP will be a part of Porsche in supplying automobiles to clients in some unspecified time in the future through the prolonged lifetime of the class.
Cadillac and Lamborghini have said that they don’t have any plans to launch automobiles to clients and Acura has additionally advised that it’s unlikely, whereas BMW has to date left the door open.
The prospect of the prevailing producers competing in GTP probably revising the styling of their LMDh contenders was additionally raised by Doonan.
“Possibly there will probably be alternative for styling upgrades – this will probably be as much as the technical groups from IMSA and the FIA/Vehicle Membership de l’Ouest [which run the WEC],” he defined.