Story and photos by Tim Adams
The 22nd Annual Motul Petit Le Mans was a fitting end to IMSA’s 50th anniversary season. Fours days of almost perfect weather allowed for great racing in all the series competing on the 2.54 mile circuit at Road Atlanta. Champions were crowned in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Michelin Pilot Challenge, Prototype Challenge, and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge.
The overall winner in DPi was the Action Express teams Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi. They were able to take advantage of some late race brake problems that their teammates car suffered from. The Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi was leading late in the race only to suffer a shattered front brake disc with only minutes to go in the race. This left the door open for the teams Whelen sponsored car to take the win. Jordan Taylor was close behind in second place in the Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi. The season long points battle belonged to the Acura Team Penske DPi driven by Juan Pablo Montoya and Dane Cameron. Joining them for the endurance races was Simon Pagenaud.
In LMP2, only two cars were entered in this quickly dying class and neither one of them finished the race. The PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports entry made it further into the race getting the class victory. Some are slightly optimistic that this class may see more than two entries next year, but I am doubtful. This class is generating little interest with the fans, and I would not be surprised to see it end sooner than later.
In GTLM it was the Ford vs. Ferrari battle again. Risi Competizione had been sitting out the entire season since racing in the season opening 24 Hours of Daytona. Ferrari continues to have little to no interest in supporting any GTLM efforts here in the US. This is a shame since Risi can win any race it enters. The two Chip Gannasi Racing Ford GT’s and the Ferrari were close the entire race. Late in the race the Ferrari was able to get around the 67 Ford GT and pull away for the win. We can only hope that Ferrari will come to their senses and give Risi some help so that they can compete the entire season. The season long points battle was basically an all Porsche affair with the 912 car taking the championship over the sister car, 911. The Porsche’s were wrapped in special throwback Coke livery for the weekend and were the hit of the paddock.
In GTD the battle went down to the last lap of the race. Bill Auberlen in the Turner Motorsport BMW M6 was hot on the tale of the Mercedes-AMG Team Riley Motorsports AMG. As the Mercedes entered the esses on the final lap it ran out of fuel, handing the win to Auberlen and Turner Motorsports. This was Auberlens 60th win in IMSA tying Scott Pruett’s record. I do not think that record will not be tied for very long. The overall season championship went to Meyer Shank Racing in the Acura NSX.
While it was a fantastic race and a great 50th anniversary season for IMSA, there is a lot going on within the three top classes. As discussed earlier, no one is really paying any attention to LPM2.
In DPi Cadillac has confirmed that they will be back thru 2020, after that they have not committed. That could be big trouble for IMSA. There were six Cadillacs on the grid this year, and already one team has announced they will be back with only one car next year. Action Express has lost the sponsor Mustang Sampling so that car will not be back. Action Express will only campaign the Whelen Engineering Cadillac next year. If you look at the Juncos Racing, you will see a distinct lack of a major sponsor. How long can they continue like this? The Wayne Taylor Racing Konica Minolta Cadillac team will also be going through a big change. Jordan Taylor will be leaving his father’s team to drive the new C8.R for Corvette Racing. The Core Autosport Nissan powered Ligier will not be back. Nissan provided no support to this team and Jon Bennett the businessman-driver, has decided to retire. Having Jon and a driver meant that the team would never compete for a season long title. DPi is for professional drivers, a team with an amateur as one of the drivers simply can not compete on a season long basis. Both Team Joest Mazda’s, Team Penske Acura’s, and JDC-Miller Motorsports Cadillacs will be back in 2020.
GTLM is where the big changes are happening. From the beginning in 2016 Ford told everyone that they would race the GT for four years and that was it. They have held true to their word. Petit was the last race for the Ford GT. There have been rumblings of a privateer effort, but I do not think this is very likely at all. We may see a Ford GT at some of the endurance races, but I would not hold my breath. I will never miss the horrible sounds the GT’s made, but the camera loved the GT. I will really miss photographing the Ford.
Petit was the last race for the current Porsche 911 RSR. While the new 911 RSR will have that familiar shape next year in GTLM, the sound will not be the same. The current car emits a flat-6 wail that must be heard in person to just know what a magic noise it is. The new 911 RSR has changed the exhaust outlet from the back of the car to a side exit exhaust. In videos it does not sound anything like the car it replaces. I will have to reserve judgement until I hear it in person.
The biggest change of all in GTLM is with Corvette Racing. The C7.R’s final race was Petit. The new C8.R will feature a mid-engine, DOHC, flat plane crank 5.5 liter V-8. Yes, you read that right, MID-ENGINE! Corvette had taken the front engine performance envelope as far as it could go, any finally have produced the car the was Zora Arkus-Duntov’s dream. Zora always believed the Corvette should be mid-engine and now it finally is. In a very unpopular move the team has released driver Jan Magnussen. Corvette Racing has not won a race in over two years, not Jan’s fault. The biggest issue from a PR standpoint is that the team really has no explanation for his release. Taking Magnussen’s place will be Jordan Taylor, leaving his father’s Cadillac DPi to join Corvette Racing. It is going to be very interesting to see how the new mid-engine C8.R performs.
BMW will continue with the M8 in GTLM for 2020, but after that will make no commitment. I really do not expect Ferrari to do anything, so Risi Competizione might compete in the long endurance races again and that is it.
In GTD one car is gone for sure. Ben Keating in the Team Riley Motorsports Mercedes AMG has decided to leave IMSA and race in the WEC next year. At the time of this writing it is not known what GTD teams will be back for certain on the grid in 2020.
If that was not enough going on in IMSA during the off-season, Scott Atherton has decided to retire after heading up IMSA since 2013. Scott has been replaced by Mazda Motorsports director John Doonan. The move has been widely hailed by all, and hopefully John can keep IMSA heading in the right direction.
Only two short months until the Roar before the 24 January 3-5, 2020.
