IMSA Notebook: Rolex Reserve List, Rick Ware Racing LMP2, Tower Plans, Porsche Numbers and TF Sport/TGM Shakedown.

There’s likely to be an indication next week of who’s in – and who’s out, of the packed Rolex 24 full entry with DC understanding that there is a reserve list of c.10 cars.

As confirmed by IMSA President John Doonan, priority has been given to teams that have committed to the full Championship, and then to those committed to the Michelin Endurance Cup. DSC believes that the reserve list will include cars from up to four of the five IMSA classes.

One car likely to be on the confirmed list is an additional full-season LMP2 effort, understood to be set to enter under the Rick Ware Racing banner, the multi-faceted team, with programmes in NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA drag racing added a GTD programme last season with an Acura NSX GT3 and have had previous success in the Asian Le Mans Series, taking the LMP2 Am title in 2019/20 with a collaboration with Eurointernational.

The team have obtained the ORECA 07 campaigned in IMSA competition in 2022 by High Class Racing and are believed to have retained the services of the experienced Eurasia crew to assist the effort. Drivers will be revealed shortly but this is not an effort looking to make up the numbers!

Tower Motorsport meanwhile are working on their Le Mans 24 Hours programme, earned via the success in 2022 of John Farano, and will field Farano together with the very likely inclusion of Josef Newgarden, and an additional experienced, and very rapid, prototype driver! Scott McLaughlin’s hopes of competing this year at Le Mans look set to fall victim to a clash between the IndyCar Detroit weekend, and the Le Mans Test Day, mandatory for McLaughlin as a Gold-ranked driver but not for Newgarden who is ranked Platinum!

Also revealed in conversation with senior paddock sources is that seven new Porsche 911 GT3 Rs are expected, six in GTD and a solo GTD Pro car for Pfaff Motosport. That total adds a car to the six cars previously spoken about by Porsche sources.

TF Sport were on site at Daytona International Speedway today, the team taking advantage of a track day to prep and shake down the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 they will oversee in a collaboration with TGM.

TGM also had a trio of GT4 Aston Martins present at the test, at least two of which seem bound for the Michelin Pilot Challenge.

The post IMSA Notebook: Rolex Reserve List, Rick Ware Racing LMP2, Tower Plans, Porsche Numbers and TF Sport/TGM Shakedown. first appeared on dailysportscar.com.