Indy 8 Hour entry list takes shape ahead of IGTC and Fanatec GT America finales

This year’s eagerly awaited Indianapolis 8 Hour Presented by AWS features a remarkable roster of international talents poised to tackle the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway from morning until night. The eight-hour endurance race, the longest held at the Brickyard, will unite the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS and the Intercontinental GT Challenge championships, culminating in a final showdown across the Fanatec GT America Pro, IGTC Pro, and Pro-Am classes.

With open paddock access bringing fans closer than ever to the heart of the action, in addition to an array of local vendors, fan zones, autograph sessions, and activations, attendees will be treated to a spectacular weekend at one of the best venues in motorsports.

IGTC Pro Class

In the IGTC Pro class, the field is stacked with premier entries representing elite global teams and manufacturers. Each one of them will be gunning for outright victory in this grueling eight-hour race.

Team WRT are back in the fold, returning with double entries. Last year’s edition came with both highs and lows for the team, as one of the BMW M4 GT3 entries claimed the overall victory, while the other machine ran into issues that put them 11 laps down. This time, the No. 31 BMW M4 GT3 consists of international sensations Dries Vanthoor, Charles Weerts, and Sheldon Van Der Linde. The No. 33 entry consists of the impressive lineup of Augusto Farfus, Daniel Harper, and Max Hesse.

Although the No. 99 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT3 only debuted in the series a few short rounds ago, the team has proven they are prepared to challenge for wins, and their aim is to do exactly that. Boasting a driver lineup with talents such as Kenton Koch, IndyCar driver Conor Daly, and BMW M Motorsport works driver Connor De Phillippi, they will certainly be ones to watch.

Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing is set to return to the competition as well after finishing third overall in 2023. This time around, Mercedes factory drivers Maro Engel, Jules Gounon, and Mikael Grenier are at the helm of the No. 130 Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Lone Star Racing is also joining the field with the No. 4 Mercedes-AMG GT3, co-driven by Fabian Schiller and Luca Stolz, in addition to recently crowned three-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou.

Fanatec GT America Pro Class

The national series’ Pro category boasts a fierce lineup of teams, featuring seasoned competitors that are looking to take big strides in the championship-deciding round, which is worth crucial double points.

Notably, the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 992 GT3 R of Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer and the No. 63 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Alec Udell and Tommy Milner are only separated by 7 points, meaning that whoever comes out on top at IMS will be awarded the title. DXDT Racing’s winning streak, which stands at eight consecutive victories, makes them the plausible favorites heading into the event, but with eight hours on the clock, anything can happen.

Laurin Heinrich will be joining Wright Motorsports as the third driver for the final race, while DXDT Racing are coming equipped with Corvette factory driver Alexander Sims. With two definitively stellar lineups, this title face off is going to be fierce.

Meanwhile, the No. 28 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3 of Varun Choksey and Bill Auberlen currently holds the last spot in the top 3, which the No. 93 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3 EVO22 of Zach Veach and Luca Mars will be seeking to snatch away given the opportunity. ST Racing have recruited Philipp Eng for the task, who also currently competes in Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe.

Meanwhile, the latter have opted for IndyCar alumnus Gabby Chaves.

Jake Pederson and Trent Hindman are stepping up to the Pro class in the No. 85 RS1 Porsche 992 GT3 R, joined by the likes of Kay van Berlo, who is currently a championship hopeful in Pirelli GT4 America.

Fanatec GT America Pro-Am Class

The FGTWCA Pro-Am class consists of a strong field of established teams vying for class honors, and the potential to disrupt the overall leaderboard.

The No. 38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3 is leading the charge in the class championship with Samantha Tan and Neil Verhagen, however, Turner Motorsport’s Justin Rothberg and Robby Foley have been slowly trying to close the points gap with the No. 29 BMW M4 GT3. It would be a tall order as the former has a 31-point advantage heading into Indianapolis, but the fight isn’t over just yet. With John Capestro-Dubets and Patrick Gallagher joining the respective teams, the battle is truly on.

Comparatively, the No. 64 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R and No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 have been battling hard all season long, treating spectators to thrilling wheel-to-wheel action. Blake McDonald, Bryan Sellers, and Patrick Liddy will be flying the Chevrolet banner, while Jeff Burton and Phillip Ellis are set to be accompanied by Elias Seppänen. Additionally, the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 992 GT3 R is still within striking distance with Kyle Washington, Tom Sargent, and Ayhancan Guven teaming up together.

As Flying Lizard Motorsports continue to learn the ins and outs of their No. 8 BMW M4 GT3 following a mid-season manufacturer switch, Elias Sabo and Andy Lee will be aiming for a strong result to wrap up their 2024 campaign with BMW ace Nick Yelloly.

Herberth Motorsport was on the podium last season, earning a second-place finish, and returns in an attempt to one-up themselves with Antares Au, Loek Hartog, and Patric Niederhauser in the No. 10 Porsche 992 GT3 R.

Porsche is a popular manufacturer choice amongst this year’s teams, with Ashish Patel, Yannick Mettler, and Alex Fontana opting for the German brand with the No. 21 Car Collection Motorsports entry. EBM’s Adrian D’Silva, Brendon Leitch, and Bastian Buus did the same for their respective No. 61 machine, in addition to series regulars MMG with the No. 92 Porsche, co-driven by Jean-Frederic Laberge, Kyle Marcelli, and their third driver to be announced at a later date.

Mercedes-AMG will also be well represented on this global stage, the No. 75 SunEnergy1 of Kenny Habul, Lucas Auer, and Jayden Ojeda, and No. 888 Triple Eight JMR of Prince Jefri Ibrahim, Jordan Love, and Arjun Maini both utilizing the Mercedes-AMG GT3 platform.

Finally, the No. 163 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3, which has previously competed in the Am class in prior rounds this season, is stepping up to the Pro-Am class to join the competition with Jay Schreibman, Oswaldo Negri, and Toni Vilander. They will be joined by fellow AF Corse counterparts Custodio Toledo, Riccardo Agostini, and Cedric Sbirrazzuoli in the No. 88 Ferrari.

Full Entry List is HERE