All you need to know about the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR

The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR returns as the second GT-only race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season from Aug. 25-27 at the historic track in Alton, Virginia.

Twenty cars are entered in the two-hour, 40-minute race around the 3.27-mile, 17-turn natural terrain road course. USA Network will have live race coverage of the ninth race on the 2023 series calendar. Questions heading into the race center on whether the respective class leaders – the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 in GTD PRO and No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 in GTD – can maintain their advantages or will pursuers close the gaps.

The full Entry List is HERE.

Fast Facts

Michelin GT Challenge at VIR

VIRginia International Raceway – Alton, Virginia 

Aug. 25-27, 2023  

• Circuit Type: 3.27-mile, 17-turn road course
• Classes Competing: GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), GT Daytona (GTD)
• Race Length: Two hours, 40 minutes

Friday 25 August (CET)

22h30-00h00 : Free Practice 1

Saturday 26 August (CET)

16h20-18h05 : Free Practice 2

21h40-22h00 : Qualifiying ➡️ Watch live video on en.endurance-Info.com

Sunday 27 August (CET)

14h15-14h35 : Warm-up

From 20h00 : Race ➡️ Watch live video on en.endurance-Info.com

WeatherTech Championship Track Records

GTD PRO: Ross Gunn, Aston Martin Vantage GT3, 1:43.953 / 113.243 mph, August 2022

GTD: Ross Gunn, Aston Martin Vantage GT3, 1:43.356 / 113.897 mph, October 2021

2022 Michelin GT Challenge at VIR Winners

GTD PRO: Matt Campbell/Mathieu Jaminet, No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R 

GTD: Russell Ward, Philip Ellis, No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3

Storylines

• GT Classes Front and Center: The GT classes of the WeatherTech Championship, consisting of FIA GT3-specification cars, headline the race weekend at VIR. It’s the last of two races this season (the other came at Lime Rock Park in July) to feature only the GTD PRO and GTD classes.

• Chasing Class Leaders: The points leaders in both GT classes have built sizable but not unsurmountable gaps with consistently strong performances across the season. The No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 sits atop the GTD PRO field by 169 points on the strength of two wins and seven podiums in eight races. The No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 leads in GTD by 205 points thanks to four class victories. With just three races remaining starting at VIR, challengers in both classes need to begin whittling away those deficits.

• Penultimate Sprint Cup Race: The IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup – a separate GTD championship comprised of the eight non-endurance races on the schedule – is another matter. Madison Snow, Bryan Sellers and the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 are the reigning Sprint Cup champions and regained the lead in this category with their Aug. 6 triumph at Road America. They are, however, just 59 points up on Marco Sorensen, Roman De Angelis and the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3.

Who’s Hot?

• No. 14 Lexus and No. 1 BMW: As stated above, the No. 14 Lexus and No. 1 BMW have put together unequivocally strong seasons and cannot be counted out on any track.

• No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin: The hottest team of late, however, has been the No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 shared by Ross Gunn and Alex Riberas. They’re riding a two-race win streak in GTD PRO.

Who’s Good Here?

• No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R: The popular plaid Porsche is seeking a third straight VIR victory with a third straight different driver lineup. In 2021, Zacharie Robichon and Laurens Vanthoor wheeled the No. 9 to the GTD class win. Last year it was Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet taking the No. 9 to victory lane in GTD PRO. Klaus Bachler and Patrick Pilet aim to make it a Pfaff three-peat in GTD PRO this time around.

• Record-Setting Gunn: Heart of Racing driver Ross Gunn has the rare and distinct honor of holding the track record in both classes competing at VIR. The Brit set the GTD standard (1 minute, 43.356 seconds) in 2021 and the GTD PRO record (1:43.953) last year.

Previous Michelin GT Challenge Winners in 2023 Field (9)

• Bill Auberlen (4): GT – 2002, 2004, 2005; GTD – 2020 
• Antonio Garcia (3): GTLM – 2016, 2017, 2020 
• Patrick Pilet (2): GTLM – 2015, 2019 
• Jordan Taylor (2): GT – 2011; GTLM – 2020 
• Philip Ellis (1): GTD – 2022 
• Robby Foley (1): GTD – 2020 
• Bryan Sellers (1): GTD – 2016 
• Madison Snow (1): GTD – 2016 
• Russell Ward (1): GTD – 2022 

Previous Michelin GT Challenge Pole Winners in 2023 Field (6)

• Robby Foley (1): GTD – 2021 
• Ross Gunn (1): GTD PRO – 2022 
• Jack Hawksworth (1): GTD – 2018 
• Madison Snow (1): GTD – 2016 
• Jordan Taylor (1): GT – 2010 
• Russell Ward (1): GTD – 2022 

Previous Michelin GT Challenge Winning Teams in 2023 Field (6)

• Corvette Racing (5): GT – 2012; GTLM – 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021
• Pfaff Motorsports (2): GTD – 2021; GTD PRO – 2022 
• Turner Motorsport (2): GTD – 2014, 2020 
• Paul Miller Racing (1): GTD – 2016 
• Riley Motorsports (1): GTD – 2019 
• Winward Racing (1): GTD – 2022 

Previous Michelin GT Challenge Winning Manufacturers in 2023 Field (6)

• Chevrolet – 9
• Porsche – 9
• BMW – 6
• Lexus – 3
• Lamborghini – 2 
• Mercedes-AMG – 2

Championship standings

GTD Pro Drivers (Teams)

1. Barnicoat / Hawksworth (Vasser Sullivan) 2810 pts, 2. Garcia-J. Taylor (Corvette Racing) 2641 pts, 3. Gounon / Juncadella (WeatherTech Racing) 2594 pts, 4. Bachler / Pilet (Pfaff Motorsports) 2587 pts, 5. Riberas / Gunn (Heart of Racing Team) 2468 pts, etc.

GTD Pro Manufacturers

1. Lexus 2810 pts, 2. Chevrolet 2641 pts, 3. Mercedes-AMG 2594 pts, 4. Porsche 2587 pts, 5. Aston Martin 2468 pts, 6. Ferrari 886 pts, 7. Lamborghini 874 pts, 8. BMW 793 pts.

GTD Drivers (Teams)

1. Sellers-Snow (Paul Miller Racing) 2611 pts, 2. Sorensen-De Angelis (Heart of Racing Team) 2406 pts, 3. Iribe-Schandorf (Inception Racing) 2272 pts, 4. Telitz-Montecalvo (Vasser Sullivan) 2261 pts, 5. Grenier-Skeen (Korthoff Motorsports) 2024 pts, etc.

GTD Manufacturers

1. BMW 2820 pts, 2. Aston Martin 2595, 3. McLaren 2469 pts, 4. Porsche 2447 pts, 5. Lexus 2431 pts, etc.