With LMP2 having Canadian Tire Motorsports Park off, and the Michelin Endurance Cup-only groups going again into hibernation till Petit Le Mans in September, the entry listing for the sixth spherical of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is up 10 entries from final yr, however pared considerably from the 57 vehicles at Watkins Glen Worldwide final weekend.

The total-season groups and drivers that will likely be there are most likely glad – 34 vehicles is a way more manageable quantity across the 2.459-mile, 10-turn circuit. The rise comes from 9 vehicles in GTP vs. 5 in DPi final yr, and an enormous bounce in GTD entries. Final yr, CTMP was a non-points race in GTD.

With out the hectic three-day turnaround between ending the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen and loading in at CTMP, it’s a bit extra relaxed between the 2 races; some years have had the races on consecutive weekends, whereas this yr there’s a weekend in between. Groups with broken vehicles from crashes within the Six Hours will definitely recognize a bit further time.

However with the slight date change which means the race is not on the Canada Day vacation weekend. There could also be a couple of native drivers completely happy to have the ability to spend Canada Day with household moderately than racing that weekend, and there are fairly a couple of Canadian drivers within the area. Notable amongst these is defending GTD champion and CTMP race winner Roman De Angelis, at the moment third within the GTD standings together with his Coronary heart of Racing teammate Marco Sorensen. Different Canadians within the area embody GTD competitor Misha Goikhberg, LMP3 drivers Garrett Grist – who holds the LMP3 observe document – Orey Fidani, Anthony Mantella, and one-offs Antoine Comeau and George Staikos in an Ave Motorsports Ligier. Then there’s the Canadian crew carrying lumberjack plaid, Pfaff Motorsports. Based mostly on the outskirts of close by Toronto, the Porsche GTD PRO crew and defending winners may have an enormous variety of associates, household and followers readily available.

In fact, one of many extra well-known Canadians to have raced in IMSA competitors is Ron Fellows, now part-owner of the circuit. Fellows had an extended tenure with Corvette Racing, which has received 11 instances on the circuit, though the final time Corvette received at CTMP – the place, sarcastically, Chevrolet is the title sponsor – is 2014. A driver who has a number of wins right here is Colin Braun, who will likely be searching for the primary actual victory of the season for he and Tom Blomqvist within the Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 (they received, with Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud, on the Rolex 24 at Daytona, however later obtained large factors penalties as a result of the crew was manipulating tire strain knowledge). Invoice Auberlen is the one driver within the area moreover Braun to have received multiple time at CTMP.

The general factors leaders going into the CTMP spherical, a 2h40m dash race, are Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims for Motion Specific Racing in GTP; Gar Robinson and Felipe Fraga for Riley Motorsports in LMP3; Ben Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth for Vasser Sullivan Lexus in GTD PRO; and Paul Miller Racing drivers Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow in GTD.