The VSCA off-season has been electric since Road Atlanta. With the announcement that the brand new LMDh class will be coming to the series, with single-manufacturer support from BMW, everyone has been wondering: “Who will jump to the top class?”
Series champions Element Sim Racing took their newly minted No. 1 car to the top class with hopes of retaining their hold on the crown, their driver lineup appearing to be unchanged for this season.
Endurance Cup champions Champion Motorsports’ No. 79 entry also jumped ship to the BMW, hoping to win the overall championship this year, having lost on countback last season, with Cameron Barker and Thomas Fisher carrying on for the American team.
Only in recent days, Fischer Motorsport has confirmed that its No. 14 entry will not make the move to LMDh but will instead return in the LMP2 class for the 2023 season, after finishing third last year. The German outfit also will bring back its two entries in GTD.
Few entries from last season have elected to remain in the LMP2 class for 2023. Race4Cat Motorsport was rumored to return to LMP2, but then announced it will join the all-new LMDh class, albeit from a spot on the reserve list for the time being.
Agee Motorsports (who have also entered a car in the top class) will bring back their No. 17 Dallara P217 LMP2 after claiming seventh place in the championship last season. Trading Paints Racing Team and their No. 19 car will also return to LMP2 competition along with the No. 96 entry of Albrecht Motorsports.
One entry noticeably absent from this season’s grid, is the 2022 VSCA Pole Award-winning No. 747 Dallara LMP2 of Lone Wolf Motorsports. Having won the inaugural VSCA 24 Hours of Daytona, they struggled with consistency later in the season. Notably, when Tres Drawhorn crashed while fighting for the lead on a late race restart against Cameron Barker in the No 79 car.
Many new faces have joined in the LMDh category, all of whom are looking to dethrone the No. 1 and No. 79 cars from their respective titles as top class Overall, Sprint Cup and Endurance Cup champions. The grid of 15 cars is looking to be even closer than the LMP2 grid last year.
A defining factor of what will make a team great this year is how fast they can grow and understand the brand-new BMW M Hybrid V8 race car, that will make its competitive series debut in the Roar Before the 24 on January 14, 2023.
With different aerodynamics, suspension, tires, and handling, it is sure to be a challenge for even the best teams and drivers on the grid.
The second annual VSCA 24 Hours of Daytona is the first points-paying race of the season, on January 21, 2023 with the Roar Before the 24 setting the grid for longest race of the year.