WeatherTech Championship Heads to the Downtown Street Circuit the First Time
May 22, 2024
By Mark Robinson
IMSA Wire Service
 Entry List (Click Here)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is ready to take on a new circuit when the premier North American sports car racing series heads next week to the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic. After racing 12 times since 2007 at the nearby Raceway at Belle Isle Park, the action moves to the downtown street course constructed around the Renaissance Center, the global home of General Motors. The 1.654-mile, nine-turn circuit made its debut a year ago with the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge part of the weekend show. The Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) and GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) classes will be featured in this year’s WeatherTech Championship 100-minute sprint, with 21 cars on the pre-event entry list. The race airs live at 3 p.m. ET Saturday, June 1 on USA Network, Peacock and IMSA Radio. Here’s what else you need to know about this fresh event:
Fast Facts
Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic
Detroit Street Course – Detroit, Michigan
May 31-June 1, 2024
Race Day/Time: Saturday, June 1 – 3:10 p.m. ET
USA Network Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 3 p.m. (also available on Peacock in the U.S. and IMSA.tv outside the U.S.)
Peacock and IMSA.tv Live Qualifying Stream: Friday, May 31 – 4:35 p.m.
IMSA Radio: All sessions live on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com; SiriusXM live race coverage begins Saturday, June 1 at 3 p.m. (XM 206, SiriusXM Web/App 996)
Circuit Type: 1.654-mile, nine-turn temporary street course
Classes Competing: Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO)
Race Length: One hour, 40 minutes
Event Social Media: X/Twitter: @detroitgp
Instagram: @detroitgp
Facebook: @detroitgp
Event Hashtags: #IMSA, #DetroitGP
WeatherTech Championship Track Records
None: New circuit in 2024
2022 Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic Winners(last WeatherTech Championship race held in Detroit, at Belle Isle Park)
DPi: Renger van der Zande/Sebastien Bourdais, No. 01 Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R
GTD: Ben Barnicoat/Kyle Kirkwood, No. 17 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3
Storylines
Takin’ It Downtown: The WeatherTech Championship raced a dozen times on the notoriously bumpy temporary course at Belle Isle Park from 2007-2022, but now the Detroit event returns to where it all started with a Formula 1 race in 1982 – on the city’s downtown streets. A new circuit with a unique split pit lane provides intrigue heading to the Motor City.
Super Sprint: The Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic, at 100 minutes, is one of two ultimate sprint races on the WeatherTech Championship schedule. It calls for a very different race strategy than for the other races that are each two hours, 40 minutes or longer.
Tight Championship Races: The two classes racing at Detroit – GTP and GTD PRO – each feature tight battles atop the point standings. The No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963, winner of the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona and a podium finisher in all four races this season, holds a 50-point advantage on the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R in GTP. In GTD PRO, the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R used its May 12 win at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to take a 56-point lead on the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3.
Who’s Hot?
No. 7 Porsche, No. 31 Cadillac: With a string of six podium finishes in its last seven races dating to the final three events of 2023, the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 is undeniably the strongest GTP car of late. But don’t look past the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R, which won the 2023 championship and has claimed three second-place finishes already this season.
Who’s Good Here?
Anyone’s Guess: Since this is a new circuit for everyone, it’s hard to gauge who will be strong at Detroit. If the other temporary street course on the schedule, Long Beach, is any indicator, the No. 01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R came out the winner there in GTP. The GTD PRO class did not race at Long Beach this year but the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 was victorious there in 2022.
Jordan Taylor: They may have all come at Belle Isle, but Jordan Taylor has more wins in Detroit (5) than any other IMSA driver.
Previous Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic Winners in 2024 Field (9)
Jordan Taylor (5): GT – 2012; DP – 2013; P – 2014, 2016, 2017
Renger van der Zande (4): PC – 2015, 2016; DPi – 2021, 2022
Ricky Taylor (3): P – 2014, 2016, 2017
Dane Cameron (2): P – 2015; DPi – 2019
Ben Barnicoat (1): GTD – 2022
Sebastien Bourdais (1): DPi – 2022
Ross Gunn (1): GTD – 2022
Jack Hawksworth (1): GTD – 2019
Felipe Nasr (1): P – 2018
Previous Chevrolet Sports Car Classic Pole Winners in 2024 Field (6)
Bryan Sellers (2): GTD –2016, 2018
Sebastien Bourdais (1): DPi – 2022
Gianmaria Bruni (1): GT2 – 2007
Pipo Derani (1): P – 2018
Jordan Taylor (1): DP – 2013
Richard Westbrook (1): P – 2014
Previous Chevrolet Sports Car Classic Winning Teams in 2024 Field (7)
Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (4): DP –2013; P – 2014, 2016, 2017
Action Express Racing (3): DP – 2012; P – 2015, 2018
Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports (2): GT1 – 2007, 2008
Chip Ganassi Racing (2): DPi – 2021, 2022
Penske (2): P2 – 2007; DPi – 2019V
asser Sullivan (2): GTD – 2019, 2022
Heart of Racing Team (1): GTD – 2021
Previous Chevrolet Sports Car Classic Winning Manufacturers in 2024 Field (7)
Chevrolet – 9
Acura – 4
Cadillac – 4
Porsche – 3
Ferrari – 2
Lexus – 2
Aston Martin – 1 |
