DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Blind corners, long straightaways and high speeds met a new headlining class Sunday in the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The combination did not disappoint.
Here’s what we took away from the seventh IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race of the 2024 season.
LMP2 Can Handle the Spotlight
After he won the Motul Pole Award on Saturday, P.J. Hyett was asked if he enjoyed the opportunity to lead the 34-car field to the green flag.
“I like that part,” Hyett said with a smile. “I like that part a lot.”
The Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class rarely finds itself the fastest class during a race weekend – nor does it often have a chance to emerge from the shadow of the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class.
Visiting CTMP for the first time since 2019, LMP2 put on a show as the headliner. The 0.658-second margin of victory between Tom Dillmann in the No. 52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 and Felipe Fraga in the No. 74 Riley ORECA at race’s end proved the class can carry a weekend.
One added bonus: Not getting lapped by GTP cars.
“It’s nice to not have to worry about anyone outside your class passing you,” said Gar Robinson, Fraga’s co-driver. “That was pretty cool.”
Perfect Effort, Perfect Timing
When your manufacturer holds the race title sponsorship, it’s wise to put forth your best effort.
Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports nailed it, with Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia taking the team’s No. 3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R to victory over the No. 4 Corvette, co-driven by Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg, by 0.408 seconds in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class.
The performance carried weight for an organization accustomed to hefty achievements. It was the first win for the new generation of the Z06 and the 116th victory by a Corvette, including wins in American Le Mans Series, GRAND-AM and the WeatherTech Championship.
“This is huge for the entire Corvette program,” said Garcia, who notched his 30th career win. “I’m glad that we could finally get the first win in IMSA for the Z06 GT3.R and to get my first win with Alex. We just need to carry on like this and build on the things we have been doing. More wins will come.”
Everything about This Place Is Special
With its high speeds, elevation changes and robust fan base, the track formerly known as Mosport is unique.
It’s a jewel among North American road courses, one that isn’t often seen but must be experienced. Drivers who race it regularly know the challenge the circuit presents and what it means to prevail at CTMP.
“I just love this track, I love these fans,” said Spencer Pumpelly, who teamed with Roman De Angelis to win the GT Daytona (GTD) class in the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo. “I always love getting an opportunity to come up and race here. These cars are so much fun around this track. I’m going to be reliving this moment for the next couple of weeks coming up.”