IMSA has released the provisional entry list for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Watkins Glen International which will see 56 cars compete in the six-hour affair.
The sixth round on the 2024 calendar, which is also the third on the Endurance Cup, will take place on 23 June.
For the first time since the 12 Hours of Sebring over three months ago, all four of the WeatherTech’s classes will return to compete together on-circuit again.
There has been a different GTP class winner for each of the races so far, and the Six Hours of the Glen will mark the second appearance at the circuit for the LMDh era.
Lamborghini Iron Lynx will enter their second race with the #63 SC63 being fielded by duo Matteo Cairoli and Andrea Caldarelli.
After scoring seventh place on their grueling Sebring debut with the help of Romain Grosjean, the duo will be keen to continue the momentum heading into the race one week after the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In the LMP2 category, Era Motorsport are equally high on their momentum after winning both the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring, although the latter came by through exciting circumstances when Connor Zilisch fended his lead during a closing sprint to the finish.
With a lead in the LMP2 standings, the pressure will be on for the #18 Oreca 07 to defend against 22 other LMP2s, including the sole #33 Ligier JSP217 run by Sean Creech Motorsport.
After finishing an impressive fourth at Sebring, drivers Joao Barbosa, Jonny Edgar, and Lance Willsey will intend to fight to finish the race and optimise the issues or errors made by their LMP2 rivals.
Riley have won the race for the past three years, albeit when the LMP3 category was part of the main IMSA championship.
Their #74 Oreca 07 will be driven by Gar Robinson and Felipe Fraga who will chase their fourth consecutive Glen LMP2 win, whilst Josh Burdon is set to chase his second consecutive win – but the first LMP2 Watkins Glen victory for the Riley outfit.
GTD Pro is headlined by the #77 AO Racing ‘Rexy’ Porsche 911 GT3.R having secured two consecutive wins: One at Laguna Seca, and more recently at Detroit.
Although these were sprint races, Laurin Heinrich and Seb Priaulx reside on an 84-point lead though both qualifying and the race at Watkins Glen will be regarded as crucial for a strong points haulage.
Vasser Sullivan have asserted great form at last year’s running after they secured both GTD and GTD Pro victories, and so they will defend both wins with 21 cars in the former category, and 11 in the latter.
For the full provisional entry list for the 2024 Six Hours of the Glen, see here.
That is the 2023 entry list.