The first three-class sprint race of the season will attract 34 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the 2h40m Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N.
LMP2 is still on its months-long break from competition, but GTD PRO returns after the class was on the sidelines for Long Beach. GTD PRO will bring nine cars to the race on the 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course. GTP remains at 10 entries. The lone TBD is for the driver that will partner with Gianmaria Bruni in the No. 5 Proton Competition Porsche 963. Mike Rockenfeller drove the car at Long Beach, but will be back in his regular No. 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 that he shares with Harry Tincknell in GTD PRO.
GTD will feature 15 entries, all regulars in the series but with a couple of alterations. Turner Motorsport is celebrating 557 races with BMW, the most worldwide for any team with the manufacturer. In recognition of the fact, what is normally the No. 96 BMW M4 GT3 driven by Patrick Gallagher and Robby Foley will carry No. 557 for the event.
With the WeatherTech Championship once again running on the same weekend as the World Endurance Championship, as occurred for Long Beach, Heart of Racing has again turned to its fellow Aston Martin team to find a driving partner for Roman De Angelis. While Ian James and Zacharie Robichon are competing in the TotalEnergies 6 Hours for Spa-Francorchamps, Magnus Racing’s Spencer Pumpelly will take the wheel of the No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo.
Last year’s WeatherTech Raceway event was won by Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande in the No. 01 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R, breaking a long Acura win streak at the track. The Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac squad also comes to WeatherTech Raceway with momentum after a victory on the streets of Long Beach.