36-car IMSA entry at Laguna Seca

IMSA’s provisional entry list for next week’s Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca features 36 cars across three classes.

In the 11-car GTP field, Porsche Penske Motorsport’s undefeated streak in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is on the line. Nick Tandy and Felipe Nasr have won all three races this season in their No. 7 Porsche 963 — Daytona, Sebring, and Long Beach — and will aim for their fourth in a row on Sunday, May 11.

Tandy won this race last year, sharing the No. 6 Porsche with then-co-driver Mathieu Jaminet. Jaminet and Matt Campbell have finished second in the last two races together as Porsche leads the GTP manufacturers’ championship.

With Earl Bamber fulfilling his commitments to Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA in the FIA World Endurance Championship that same weekend, Frederik Vesti will replace him in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R alongside Jack Aitken. All other GTP driver line-ups remain the same from Long Beach.

GTD PRO features 10 cars in its return to action for the first time since Sebring. Ford Multimatic Motorsports’ Christopher Mies and Frederic Vervisch currently lead the drivers’ championship in their No. 65 Ford Mustang GT3, but after winning the Twelve Hours of Sebring in March, AO Racing’s Laurin Heinrich and Klaus Bachler are just 17 points behind in their No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Laguna Seca was the site of AO Racing and Rexy’s first GTD PRO victories one year ago, but this time AO Racing is carrying the pink “Roxy” livery that has not yet won in the IMSA WeatherTech series.

As announced earlier today, Rolex 24 At Daytona GTD winner Marvin Kirchhofer will replace the injured Ben Barnicoat in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3.

Finally, GTD features 15 entries headlined by championship leaders Winward Racing, Russell Ward, and Philip Ellis. The No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 won last year at Laguna Seca and also won this year’s Twelve Hours of Sebring to jump into the GTD points lead.

DXDT Racing has officially confirmed that Alec Udell will join Robert Wickens in the No. 36 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R at Laguna Seca. Udell drove for DXDT Racing last season in GT World Challenge America’s Pro class and helped give the Corvette Z06 GT3.R its first win in worldwide competition at Circuit of The Americas. For his part, Wickens is coming off a strong first outing in his hand-controlled Corvette at Long Beach.

In addition, Orlando-based Triarsi Competizione is bringing both of its Ferrari 296 GT3s to Laguna Seca, including the No. 023 Ferrari that originally committed to the five-race Michelin Endurance Cup. Onofrio Triarsi Jr. will be joined in the No. 023 car by Riccardo Agostini.

Darren Turner has already been confirmed to drive the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3, replacing Tom Gamble who is on WEC duties for THOR.