The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship has announced 48 full-season entries across four categories for its 2024 season, an increase of nearly 25 percent.
For its Michelin Endurance Cup schedule, which includes marquee events such as the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, IMSA is expecting to have 57-car grids — the maximum capacity available — in all five races.
“We continue to ride an amazing wave of momentum as evidenced by the number of teams and race cars that have committed to our 2024 WeatherTech Championship and Michelin Endurance Cup seasons,” IMSA president John Doonan said in an announcement ahead of Saturday’s Petit Le Mans season finale. “To have this many teams confirmed for next year is a testament to the stability of the platform we have collectively built.
“Being able to make this announcement in October – even before our 2023 season has been completed – helps us carry that momentum into the offseason and enables IMSA fans to make their 2024 plans that much earlier.”
The Rolex 24 could have as many as 60 cars next year on the Daytona International Speedway road course. IMSA will publish the full entry list for the Jan. 27-28 season opener on Nov. 14, several weeks ahead of when the Rolex 24 at Daytona entries traditionally have been unveiled.
The rise in car counts will occur despite IMSA previously announcing that it will drop the LMP3 division next year. Here’s the breakdown for how the other categories will grow in 2024:
Grand Touring Prototype (GTP)
After making its rebranded debut this season, the premier hybrid prototype division will retain the same level of factory-backed entries with two cars apiece for Porsche (Porsche Penske Motorsport), BMW (BMW M Team RLL), Cadillac (Chip Ganassi Racing and Whelen Engineering Action Express) and Acura (which will have two cars at Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport as two-time Rolex 24 winner Meyer Shank Racing departs).
The customer Porsches of JDC-Miller MotorSports and Proton Competition will become full-time entries after partial seasons this year. The new Lamborghini LMDh fielded by Iron Lynx also will enter select endurance races for a GTP field of 11.
Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2)
Benefiting in part by adding some former LMP3 teams, the LMP2 category will increase by four to 11 total entries in 2024, including a two-car effort for United Autosports USA. The seven LMP2 races also are expected to have single entries from CrowdStrike Racing by APR, Tower Motorsports, TDS Racing, Era Motorsport, High Class Racing, Sean Creech Motorsport, PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports, Riley and AO Racing. A 12th entry from AF Corse will be at selected races.
GT Daytona (GTD) Pro
In a bump highlighted by the new Ford Multimatic Motorsports two-car team, GTD Pro will double to 10 full-time entries for next year’s 10-race schedule. The division will balloon to 13 cars at some endurance races, matching the mark set in the 2022 Rolex 24 at Daytona for the largest factory-supported GT class in series history.
Grand Touring Daytona (GTD)
Always the largest category in IMSA, GTD will have 17 full-time entries with at least four more slated for all the endurance races.
