2023 By the Numbers - GTD

 

GTD:

Podiums – 41 drivers. Most – Sellers/Snow 7

               33 total podiums, 10 times a Bronze stood on one, 3 of which came at Daytona. 2 Platinum, 14 Gold, 18 Silver, and 7 Bronze drivers.

               14 cars got on the podium. The only non-full season cars to get a trophy were Gradient and AO Racing.

Wins – 5 Paul Miller Racing BMW, 2 Heart of Racing Aston Martin, 1 KellyMoss Porsche, 1 VasserSullivan Lexus, 1 Winward Mercedes, 1 Forte Racing Lamborghini

Champions – Bryan Sellers (2^nd) and Madison Snow (2^nd)

MEC Champions – Kenton Koch, Mikael Grenier, and Mike Skeen.

Sprint Champions – Bryan Sellers (2^nd) and Madison Snow (2^nd)

Manufacturer Champion - BMW

6971.38 miles, 65 miles less than last year.

26 cars ran at least 1 race, 11 ran full season, 2 more missed just one race.

 

BoP – Gets it’s own article.

 

Qualifying – Poles – 3 Snow (only repeat polesitter)

Car	Driver	Qs	Avg Q		Car	Driver	Qs	Avg. OA
12	Telitz	5	3.20		12	Telitz	5	5.8
78	Spinelli	3	3.67		78	Spinelli	3	6
27	De Angelis	7	3.75		92	Udell	2	7.5
1	Snow	11	4.45		27	De Angelis	7	7.86
92	Udell	2	4.50		1	Snow	11	8.45
32	Skeen	7	5.43		32	Skeen	7	10.43
12	Montecalvo	6	5.83		32	Grenier	4	10.5
96	Gallagher	9	6.11		12	Montecalvo	6	10.67
97	Auberlen	5	6.40		96	Gallagher	9	10.78
32	Grenier	4	6.50		70	Iribe	9	12.44
78	Goikhberg	8	7.38		78	Goikhberg	8	12.63
70	Iribe	9	7.44		57	Ward	8	12.88
57	Ward	8	7.75		97	Auberlen	5	13.4
97	Hull	6	8.83		97	Hull	6	13.67
80	Hyett	7	11.71		80	Hyett	7	17
91	Metni	9	12.33		91	Metni	9	17.56
66	Monk	9	13.22		66	Monk	9	18.44
77	Brynjolfsson	10	13.70		77	Brynjolfsson	10	19
57	Ellis	3	15.67		92	Brule	7	21.86
92	Brule	7	16.29		57	Ellis	3	22

 

Yes, Snow had 3 poles, qualified every time for Paul Miller Racing (the only driver in the entire class to do every qualifying attempt), and was more consistently ahead than behind. But Aaron Telitz, while not earning a pole all year, made a splash every time he got behind the wheel of the 12 VasserSullivan Lexus. He ran a total of 5 sessions and on average put it on the front two rows of the class. The other driver who really stands out in this is Roman De Angelis. The 2022 champion and runner up in ’23 wasn’t great overall, consistently outperformed by the Pro cars, but he did get a pole at his home track of CTMP and was near Telitz for class performance. The weakest qualifying effort may look like Ellis, but remember that out of his 3 attempts two of them started from the rear: Daytona for the chassis change after he had earned pole and Sebring, where he got out of the car during qualifying and lost all times. As far as Bronze drivers are concerned, Brendon Iribe was outstanding, putting his car P2 for the race at Road America! He’s only getting better and better.

Most Positions Gained Q to F class: +65 77 Volt Racing Porsche

Most Positions Gained Q to F Over All: +84 77 Volt Racing Porsche

Most Positions Lost Q to F class: -35 12 VasserSullivan Lexus, -34 32 Korthoff Mercedes

Most Positions Lost Q to F Over All: -37 VasserSullivan Lexus, -35 32 Korthoff Mercedes

Most Points gained in qualifying: +312 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW, +311 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin

Fewest Points earned in qualifying: +187 Volt Racing Porsche, +192 KellyMoss Porsche

Most Points gained in qualifying manufacturer: +328 BMW

Fewest Points earned in qualifying manufacturer: +254 Porsche

 

For the second consecutive year, Wright Motorsport gained more positions in class than anyone else. That also says once again qualifying is where they struggled massively. If they’d earned the same points in qualifying as either PMR or Heart of Racing, they would’ve finished 2 places better in the championship.

 

 

Driver of the Year: Roman De Angelis

               Calculating this one was a bit tricky, but ultimately it came down to comparing co-drivers. Mathematically, the difference between Spinelli and De Angelis was negligible, so I examined who they had to out pace. Roman didn’t always get new tires; Spinelli did. Roman shared his car with the only full season Platinum rated Factory driver in the GTD class. Spinelli shared his Lamborghini with a silver rated AM driver and did get new tires in every race. Therefore, the more impressive performance goes to the Canadian. As a matter of fact, Roman outperformed his Factory co-driver at Long Beach, Watkins Glen, CTMP, Road America, Indy, and Petit. While he didn’t register a Fastest Lap, he did come away with the aforementioned pole at CTMP. Sorensen got the Fast Lap at Daytona (a big reason why they were able to win the Rolex). The duo finished 2^nd in both the season long and Sprint Championships. But Roman really shone this year.

Honorable mention: Phillip Ellis (didn’t participate in 2 races so his average was understandably lower, 1 win, 1 pole, 1 FL), Julien Andlauer (in a year where Porsche struggled, he got 2 FLs and 3 podiums for KellyMoss), Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow (5 wins, 7 podiums, 2^nd season long and sprint championships, 3 poles. The duo proved their effectiveness and competitiveness once again with consistency).

Bronze Driver of the Year: Brendon Iribe. Brendon was faster on average than Russell Ward (race winner at Indy), both of the silver drivers for Turner, as well as all the other Bronzes. He is only getting better. A first full year in competition in IMSA saw him learn many new tracks, and when he comes back for 2024 I’d expect more than the 3 trophies he earned this year. He was the only full season Bronze to earn more than one trophy in 2023!

 

 

Accolades:

1 Paul Miller Racing BMW – First Not Fast. A record was reset in GTD this year when Paul Miller Racing claimed their fifth victory of the season. Let me put this into perspective. In the 10 seasons since the Merge, 267 drivers have won a race. Only 67 of those have 5 or more wins. Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow got 5 wins this season alone. Only Ricky Taylor, Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor (twice), Gar Robinson, James French, Pato O’Ward, Bryan and Madison have accomplished this. That’s an exclusive club, considering 812 drivers have started an IMSA race in the last decade. But I digress. Their accomplishment of 5 wins and 7 podiums is even more impressive when you look at the speed. I’ll delve more into the car speed in the BoP analysis, but in only 4 races was the PMR BMW the fastest for the mark. Never did they set Fast Lap. Yes, Madison earned 3 poles, but their races weren’t won because of one fast driver or a fast car. They won on strategy, great work in the pits, consistently on pace and smart driving, and level heads. They were the fastest BMW in only 4 races but the best finishing BMW in 8 out of the 11!

27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin – Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda. When Roman De Angelis won the GTD championship in 2022, he did it with an average finish of 5.73. It was the weakest average finish to take the GTD championship, but it was enough. In 2023, Roman’s average was 5.91, almost as good. He, along with Marco Sorensen, got 2 wins including the coveted Rolex. The car earned 3 pole positions over the year, one for each of the drivers including endurance Bronze Ian James. They finished 2^nd in every championship, Endurance, Sprint and season long. If they hadn’t been nerfed off the track at Sebring, the entire season could’ve been a different story. They might’ve won the first two races of the year and been a serious contender for the championship. A BoP change after the Lime Rock double win for Aston Martin also changed the way they raced at Road America and VIR, resulting in two poor finishes. It could’ve been a very different year for the team that finished 2^nd, and that will only make them hungrier for 2024.

12 VasserSullivan Lexus – We’re Here Too! I’m disappointed for the 12 Lexus team because they had little brother syndrome for 2023. The strength of the 14 GTD Pro entry overshadowed the pace of the GTD car. A huge win at the Sahlen’s 6 Hours of the Glen was lessened because the 14 won also. It was a huge weekend for Lexus, but it didn’t allow the 12 their moment in the spotlight. And they didn’t have as many as expected this season. Just two podium finishes on the year and 4 fifth place finishes is largely the reason they finished in the top 3 of the championship. Their year is coming, the question is when.

96 Turner Motorsport BMW – Hmm. The result of this duo placing 4^th in the championship is truly puzzling to me. Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher in a BMW on paper was a serious championship contender for me at the beginning of the year. I thought for sure they’d get at least a win, maybe 2. But it was just 3 second place trophies at the end of the season, one of which was a bit of luck at the end of Petit. Foley was the fastest BMW driver 3 times this year, including setting the Fastest Lap at VIR, but 2 DNFs and the majority of finishes outside the top 5 was not what I predicted.

78 Forte Racing Powered by USRT – Late Bloomers. This team was hampered badly by Sebring and VIR with two critical DNFs. They only had 4 top 5 finishes, but found form in the dying moments of the season. The win at Petit was Misha Goikhberg’s first in 5 years. Loris Spinelli (already praised above) battling with Phillip Ellis at the end of the Indy race for the win was popcorn worthy! Again, this is a team that has a lot to prove in 2024 if they want to be championship contenders, with an average finish of 7.82, but 5^th in their first season is a good start!

70 Inception Racing McLaren – Sniff of Victory. Out of all the teams that should’ve won a race this year, there’s none who was closer than Inception. 3^rd at Daytona, 4^th at Sebring, 2^nd at CTMP and Road America. The season began to show cracks at Watkins Glen, when Iribe had an early incident with Winward and the car was damaged for the majority of the race. At Lime Rock, they had a solo crash after qualifying way up the field. Indy saw a coming together with the 12 Lexus put an early end to any hope of a podium. Petit was heartbreak, when they were the first car out after an LMP2 car caused them to be involved in a multicar wreck that ultimately destroyed the tub. It’s these incidents that caused them to go from championship contender to 6^th. Iribe, whether partnered with Schandorff (who 4 times this year was in the top 3 fastest drivers) or Pepper (who he drove with in 2022) is willing to learn. He’ll learn how to spray champagne from the top step. Soon.

32 Korthoff Mercedes – Who Are You? Who Who, Who Who? A few name changes for this team over the last two years has really muddled the identity of this team that managed to win the Michelin Endurance Cup. Mike Skeen returned for a second year, bolstered by factory Mercedes driver Mik Grenier. They added Kenton Koch to the mix for the endurance races, and actually didn’t get a top 5 finish in any of them. But the Endurance Cup isn’t about where you are at only the ends, and the team nailed the strategy to get the car into good positions for the points paying moments. Year two saw them get another 2 podiums, but they dropped to 7^th in the championship from 3^rd in 2022. They averaged 8.91 this year compared to 5.73 last. Yes they won a championship but they aren’t closer to winning a race, and that’s something they really need to evaluate for 2024. The car always looks good and has been fast, but that’s not enough. They were the best finishing Mercedes in 7 races, but they were only the fastest Mercedes in 4.

Wright Motorsports – Bright Side: Best of the Rest. The 77 Volt Porsche was the only full season entrant for Wright Motorsports this year, with the 16 Porsche running only the enduros. I’ve already noted above the qualifying struggles for this car, and how they gained more positions than anyone else across the year. The two visits to the bottom step of the podium were their only top 5 finishes all year. They struggled, to say the least. Not as much as others, but this season was not one to go in the record books for a team that has finished 2^nd twice in the last 4 years. The sister car was in contention for the win at Petit until the end and finished 3^rd at the Glen. Wright Porsches were the fastest Porsches in 4 races, and given the depth of roster for the manufacturer, that is something to be really proud of.

KellyMoss with Riley – Big Leagues. Well, we knew the team that’s dominated the PCCNA and GT3 Cup ranks for many years wouldn’t step up without being able to put up. And they did. The 92 Porsche earned 3 podiums, and the 91 got the first win for the new car at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca! That was their only top 5 finish of the year. The team was the fastest Porsche 5 times this year, including 2 Fastest Laps for Andlauer, and the best finishing Porsche 4 times. They’re stepping up to GTD Pro with one car for 2024, and they’ll be able to get a win in that class too, especially with two professional drivers. This team knows how to win, which is why 9^th and 12^th in their first full IMSA season feels like a disappointment.

57 Winward Racing Mercedes – Le Sigh. 5 DNFs. 5. No one wants one DNF on a season. Five. It feels a bit like Winward kicked a black cat into a hall of mirrors and shattered everything. That said, they did get a huge win at Indy! 3 finishes all year inside the top 5, an average of 10.45, but 6 times the fastest Mercedes in class doesn’t quite add up. This was a year to forget. Reload, recombobulate, and come back swinging. It started so promising at Daytona with the pole. One dropped wheel is kind of the feeling of the season for Winward.

66 Gradient Racing Acura – Ouch. Two top 5 finishes.  6 finishes outside the top 10. 11^th in the championship. 11 cars ran every race. That’s unexpected. Gradient was only outperformed at the finish once by another Acura, and that was at Petit when they had a DNF. But they were outperformed speed-wise in 4 out of 6 times where there was another Acura. Sheena had a marked improvement over the course of the year. She gained confidence, and looked like a different driver from about Road America onwards. She was the second strongest full season Bronze driver. Kat snuck out the Fastest Lap at Long Beach. They’ve got potential. They need to unlock it.

80 AO Racing – Dinorific! The fan favorite car made a serious splash in 2023, just not in the points or trophies department. It’s fair to say that no one will remember that Rexy didn’t finish on the podium. Everyone who watched an IMSA race in 2023 (or Le Mans) developed a soft spot for the best livery in the field. Seb Priaulx drove every race, sharing with PJ Hyett for 5 and Gunnar Jeannette for 1. Twice Seb was the quickest Porsche driver but only at VIR was Rexy the best finishing Porsche. PJ and Gunnar darn near won Le Mans in their first attempt. 2024 should be a stronger season, especially with PJ’s anticipated move to LMP2. That should be a great class for him!

97 Turner Motorsport BMW – Jump Around! Bill Auberlen is still fast. He was the quickest BMW driver in GTD 3 times. The 2 DNFs when they ran the GTD Pro class really hurt them, and running in that class destroyed any chance they had at finding footing in GTD. Chandler Hull, still relatively new to racing, drove really well. They got the 2^nd place finish at Laguna, and only finished outside the top 10 at Long Beach and Lime Rock. Just one car for Turner in 2024 leaves a lot of mystery as to who the driving talent will be, but a part of me thinks it’ll be Auberlen (now Silver) and Foley (Gold) together once again, rolls reversed. This could be a championship threat, especially since the speed is still there.

93 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura – A Foot in the Water. 6 starts in 2023 resulted in a pole at Sebring, Fast Lap at Petit, and 4 times the fastest Acura. This little team that operates out of one of the sparsest trailers in the IMSA paddock hits hard. Their partnership with WTRAndretti helped give them one of the best pit boxes on the lane, and next year the parent team is bringing it’s own entry to GTD. It’s unknown who the drivers will be, but I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that some of the talent we saw on display with Racers Edge will be in the full season spotlight next year!