2024 Petit Le Mans
The 2024 Petit Le Mans (officially known as the 2024 Motul Petit Le Mans) will be a sports car race held at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, on October 12, 2024. It will be the eleventh and final round of the 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship, as well as the fifth and final round of the Michelin Endurance Cup. The event will be the 27th running of the Petit Le Mans since its inception.
Background
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International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) president John Doonan confirmed the race was part of the 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship (IMSA SCC) in August 2023.[1] It will be the eleventh consecutive year the IMSA SCC hosts a race at Road Atlanta. The 2024 Petit Le Mans will be the final of eleven scheduled sports car races of 2024 by IMSA.[2] The race will be held at the twelve-turn 2.540 mi (4.088 km) Road Atlanta on October 12, 2024.[2]
Balance of performance
[edit]Ahead of the event, IMSA published a bulletin regarding the latest balance of performance (BoP) changes in the GTP, GTD Pro, and GTD classes.[3] In the GTP class, the Porsche will receive a 1-kilogram increase in weight, with a 3 kilowatts power decrease. The Battle on the Bricks-winning BMW will see a weight increase of 5 kilograms, with a 3 kilowatts increase in power. The car weights for the Acura, Cadillac, and Lamborghini will remain the same. However, the Acura will see a 2-kilowatts power reduction, the Cadillac will see a 1-kilowatt power reduction, with the Lamborghini gaining one additional kilowatt of power.[3] In the GT classes, the McLaren will see a weight break of 10 kilograms, whilst the Acura will see a power increase of 11.3 horsepower.[3] All other GT cars will run with the same BoP as during the previous event at Indianapolis.
Standings before the race
[edit]Preceding the event, Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr lead the GTP Drivers' Championship with 2650 points, 124 ahead of teammates Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy. Renger van der Zande and Sébastien Bourdais sit in third, an additional 40 points behind.[4] After their second place at Indianapolis, Nick Boulle and Tom Dillmann lead the LMP2 Drivers' Championship by 98 points over Felipe Fraga and Gar Robinson.[4] The GTD Pro Drivers' Championship sees Laurin Heinrich have a 99-point advantage over second-placed Ross Gunn, with Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow in third, 219 points behind. Ben Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth sit in fourth.[4] The GTD Drivers' Championship is led by Philip Ellis and Russell Ward with 3006 points, 222 points ahead of Patrick Gallagher, with Mikaël Grenier in third.[4] The Teams' Championships are led by Porsche Penske Motorsport, Inter Europol by PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports, AO Racing, and Winward Racing, respectively, whilst the Manufacturers' Championships are led by Porsche in GTP and GTD Pro. Mercedes-AMG has already clinched the GTD Manufacturers' Championship.[4]
Entry list
[edit]The entry list was revealed on October 2, 2024, and features 54 entries: 11 entries in GTP, 10 in LMP2, 13 in GTD Pro, and 20 entries in GTD.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Bradley, Charles (August 4, 2023). "IMSA reveals 2024 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar". Motorsport.com. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ a b "2024 IMSA Schedules Revealed at Road America". imsa.com. August 4, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ a b c Dagys, John (October 1, 2024). "McLaren, Acura GT3 Cars Get BoP Breaks for Petit". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "00_Championship Points - Official.pdf" (PDF). imsa.results.alkamelcloud.com. Alkamel Systems. September 30, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ "Motul Petit Le Mans – Pre-Event Entry List" (PDF). imsa.com. IMSA. October 2, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ O'Connell, RJ (October 2, 2024). "54 Car Field For 27th Petit Le Mans". Dailysportscar. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ Dagys, John (October 2, 2024). "Capacity 54-Car Entry for Petit Le Mans". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved October 3, 2024.