Entrants and challenges of the 25th edition of Petit Le Mans

The 25th edition of Petit Le Mans, last round of the 2022 IMSA season, will take place this Saturday, October 1 at 18:10 p.m. (French time). A 10-hour event contested on the Road Atlanta circuit (Georgia) where there will be many at stake.

The different classifications before Petit Le Mans

Les titres doivent encore être attribués dans les cinq catégories du championnat lors de cette édition de Petit Le Mans. En GTD Pro, pas besoin de savants calculs puisque la Porsche n°9 de Pfaff Motorsports emmenée par Mathieu Jaminet, Matt Campbell et Felipe Nasr aura juste besoin de prendre le départ de l’épreuve pour être sacrée et couronner ainsi le Français et l’Australien. Il reste malgré tout des enjeux pour l’écurie canadienne qui peut en effet décrocher le record de victoires sur une saison avec un potentiel sixième succès ainsi que le titre en Endurance Cup. The first three are held within three points in this ranking with the No. 8 Corvette C3.R of Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg and the Ferrari by Risi Competizione (Daniel Serra, Davide Rigon, James Calado). 

In DPi, for the last appearance of this generation of prototypes in competition, Wayne Taylor Racing has the upper hand. Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor will be joined for this final round of the season by Brendon Hartley. The WTR advances into George with a 19-unit lead…. as in 2021, an edition where the No. 10 Acura in the colors of Konica Minolta finally lost in the race and in the championship against the Cadillac of Whelen Engineering. This year at Petit Le Mans, an Acura duel is emerging for the title with the No. 60 from Meyer Shenk Racing. Oliver Jarvis and Tom Blomqvist will see the reinforcement of Helio Castroneves for this final. 

As for LM P2, it is John Farano (Tower Motorsport no. 8) who will start with a 33-point lead over Dwight Merriman and Ryan Dalziel (Era Motorsport no. 18). In LM P3, Jon Bennett and Colin Braun (Core Autosport no. 54) are at the top of their class with an 83-unit margin over Gar Robinson (Riley Motorsports no. 74). 

It is in GTD where the ranking is the tightest before the grand final. Roman De Angelis (Aston Martin Vantage GT3 n°27 of Heart of Racing) is ahead of Stevan McAleer (Mercedes AMG GT3 n°32 from Team Korkhoff Motorsports) by 45 points. Ryan Hardwick and Jan Heylen (No. 911 Wright Motorsports Porsche 3 GT16R) are 57 points behind; Philip Ellis and Russell Ward (Mercedes ALG GT3 n°57 from Winward Racing) are 140 lengths behind.

Entrants: 43 cars in the running

While 48 cars were initially planned for Road Atlanta, there are only 43 in the latest entry list. Racing Team Nederland (Frits van Eerd, Giedo van der Garde, Dylan Murry) therefore withdrew. The Dutch team announced its withdrawal on its social networks after the problems encountered by Frits van Eerd with the justice system in his country. The general director of the Batavian supermarket chain has indeed been arrested in connection with a case of money laundering and VAT fraud. Released on Sunday, Frits van Eerd made the decision to temporarily leave his functions.

ALSO READ > Racing Team Nederland withdraws from Petit Le Mans

Three LM P3s also withdrew even before the competition: Muehlner Motorsports America (Ugo de Wilde, Danny Formal, Dillon Machavern), Forty7 Motorsports (Anthony Mantella, Matthew Bell, Wayne Boyd) and FastMD Racing (Max Hanratty, Adam Ali, Colin Noble). Finally, the McLaren Crucial Motorsports' No. 720 3S GT59 will also not start.

Discover the entry list HERE

See you on Saturday 1st at 18:10 p.m. (French time) for the start of the 25th edition of Petit Le Mans. If Hurricane Ian doesn't disrupt the program... 

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