Thought I would write about the recently released entry list for the Indianapolis 8 Hours slated to be contested at "The Brickyard", on October 3rd-6th. As I was politely informed by a couple of people on Sportscar365 including their editor in chief and founder, John Dagys, while the entry list has been confirmed, driver lineups are yet to be set in stone. When the driver lineups come to fruition, you will hear about it in a separate editorial post or regular blog article. There are 22 cars that are set to take part in the race. 13 of them are the regular contenders we have seen in SRO GT World Challenge America all season long, while nine more are registered to participate in and score points for the SRO Intercontinental GT Challenge as the Indianapolis 8 Hours marks the final event of this four-race global GT3 championship for manufacturers, which also had races count this year at the Bathurst 12 Hours in Australia in February, the Nurburgring 24 Hours in early June and the 24 Hours of Spa in Belgium in late June.
There are three classes designated based upon driver ratings only as all cars in the top level of SRO competition are GT3 spec supercars, the cars that everyone dreams of and as kids, we would have posters of on the bedroom wall. So, maybe the best way to tackle this analysis is to take and break the entries down by manufacturer representation, since the driving teams are yet to be confirmed. The German brands, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, and BMW are largely represented. Porsche will have no factory affiliated drivers in a singular entry as they would have in such races at Bathurst, Nurburgring, or Spa. This is due to Porsche, like BMW, also being well represented globally on the prototype side of things with the LMDh cars.
Porsche leads off with Pro-Am entries from both Herberth Motorsports and Car Collection Motorsport from Germany and goes on to feature the American GMG Racing squad who we have seen in Fanatec GT World Challenge America, all year. EBM, Earl Bamber Motorsports are also in the Porsche camp, and I believe they are nominated through IGTC itself. RS1, MMG, and Wright Motorsports, all stalwarts of GT World Challenge America, complete the Stuttgart armada. Not to be outdone, let's have a look at their Stuttgart based neighbors and rivals, from Mercedes Benz. Mercedes-AMG has a grand total of half a dozen AMG GT3's entered.
Teams representing the three-pointed star from both America and Europe include Lonestar Racing, Chouest Povoledo Racing, Australia's SunEnergy1 Racing, former winners of the Bathurst 12 Hours, led by team boss and all-around character, Kenny Habul, Regulator Racing, Team GruppeM, and Australian outfit, Triple Eight JMR who have seen success "down under" in Australian Supercars for years and have recently expanded their efforts to include GT3 sports car racing. All of these teams are going to be competitive. Particularly, look to Regulator Racing. They have employed a fascinating strategy for the sprint races in GTWC America in 2024 that some other teams have actually adopted. Whether this strategy of making the start with a specific driver and changing up their pit strategy, is going to work in an endurance contest like the Indianapolis 8 Hours, remains to be seen.
Now to Bavaria, and the BMW brigade. Like Mercedes, the Roundel of BMW is well-represented via American and international teams alike. Let's start with the two-car team from ST Racing. Both of their cars have shown flashes of true competitiveness in the American GT World Challenge championship in 2024, cars #28 and #38 and I would expect their driver lineups to remain intact with additions, that we will hear about in due course. They look promising for the Indianapolis enduro indeed. Their longstanding rivals at Turner Motorsports will also have something to say, a team with a very large, and experienced brain trust that can put them in a winning position via team boss Will Turner, and team strategists Don "The Ice Man" Salama, and Jay O'Connell. Turner Motorsports, who race in several North American sports car championships and celebrate victories with the whole team having tacos for a victory celebration dinner meal, they are without doubt, big time contenders.
They also have an impressive driver roster. Team WRT, we must talk about them, international superstars and well-known in both GT3 and prototype sports car racing circles, they are led by true European and global sports car racing royalty with former drivers turned team bosses and managers, Vincent Vosse, the man in the ever-present crisp dress shirt and trousers, and the trademark flat cap, with his assistants Pierre Dieudonne, Kurt Mollekens, Yves Weerts, and Thierry Tassin. These blokes know how to win GT3 races and particularly IGTC GT3 endurance races. Don't sleep on WRT. They will be at the front, for dead sure, and are former winners of the Indianapolis 8 Hours dating back to as recently as a year ago.
Random Vandals Racing rounds out the BMW brigade, and blimey O'Reilly, have they come on the scene! They are probably one of the most improved teams in GT World Challenge America as they have stepped up their game tenfold and have been contenders for victories in the sprint races in GT World Challenge America in 2024. Don't sleep on the Random Vandals bunch either. Their presumed driver lineup should be stacked with talent. As I said, we cannot spill the beans on any driver lineups yet for the simple reason that confirmation of the driving trios is still to come. Recent converts to the Munich marque, Flying Lizard Motorsports under team boss and former driver for the team, Darren Law, they too, will be ones to watch. Recently, they changed over from the British Aston Martin marque to BMW, and it appears to be paying dividends.
Back to Stuttgart for a wee while as we have a look at Porsche Motorsports. They have chosen to have the American teams in SRO GT World Challenge represent them, rather than bringing over a full-fledged international entry. It is expected that some of their factory drivers could very well join the SRO America regulars for the Indianapolis 8 Hours. Pay particular attention to the Porsche teams including, from Europe, Herberth Motorsport and Car Collection Motorsport, both entered for the Intercontinental GT Challenge itself. The same is the case for Earl Bamber Motorsports from New Zealand, led by team owner, and endurance racing driver, Earl Bamber, a Le Mans winner, a man with vast experience in both the driver and team owner situation.
GMG Racing under team owner and driver Kyle Washington, have been competitive on the SRO GT World Challenge America circuit throughout 2024 and they too will be ones to keep a close eye on. Ditto for RS1. RS1 has competed in a few championships this year, but most of their successes lie within the realm of SRO America, so they too will be ones to keep a keen eye on. Talking of Porsche and GT World Challenge America, RS1 and GMG have company in the form of Wright Motorsports. This team is another frontrunner and could indeed be in the pound seats to be contenders for overall victory in the 8-hour race at "The Brickyard".
Porsche, Mercedes, and BMW are all going to be given a king size run for their money by the most dominant team in the North American SRO championship, the turquoise Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R's for DXDT Racing, a team that has now won eight straight SRO GT World Challenge America sprint races, on the bounce. If they play their cards right, they could indeed very well sweep the season, but an endurance race is a different kettle of fish entirely and it will be fascinating to see who will join their proven driver lineups as third members of the respective teams for the #63 and #64 cars. Like Mercedes, BMW, and Porsche, even though they don't have the numbers of the German supercar brands, Corvette will be contenders, believe me.
Speaking of supercars, we have a couple more brands to get to, who don't have the numbers, but they have the talent, the desire, the passion, to race competitively and be potential winners. The Prancing Horse of Ferrari, who have their GT3, Hypercar, and Formula 1 programs, of course, in the GT3 arena globally, they will be represented at "The Brickyard" by their customer cars from AF Corse #88 and #163. They have a Pro and a Pro-Am class entry each that will be formidable. Acura, Honda's luxury and performance division, who have a presence in prototypes and in GT3 alike, Racer's Edge Motorsports will be their sole representative on the grid, but this is a team that has won titles before and should have a strong and stellar trio of drivers.
So, there you have it. The contenders for the grand finale for SRO in GT World Challenge America and in Intercontinental GT Challenge alike. Very excited to bring you, hopefully, wall to wall coverage of all of the racing to take place throughout the Indianapolis weekend, but especially the main event, the 8 Hours on the Saturday of the weekend. That is going to be the race to watch. Remember the dates. October 3rd-6th. Tune in on SRO GTWorld on YouTube to follow all of the action, or if you can, be there in person. It's going to be a hot one!
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