IMSA: What To Watch For At Lengthy Seashore

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The “36 Hours of Florida” moniker is well-used to open the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

Now, the season is ready to launch the “260 Minutes of California” in contrast at this weekend’s 100-minute Acura Grand Prix of Lengthy Seashore, adopted by the two-hour, 40-minute run two weeks later at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Range tells the story of the opening quartet of rounds on the IMSA season spanning 4 totally different race lengths in two totally different states at polar opposites of the nation. That juxtaposition is interesting.

“With these first 4 races, you see what makes IMSA nice and why so many drivers get pleasure from being right here,” stated Matt Bell, driver of 13 Autosport’s No. 13 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, web second within the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) championship.

“You begin with two long-distance, however vastly totally different tracks in Daytona and Sebring, now to a 100-minute road occasion at Lengthy Seashore after which a dash race at a spot like (WeatherTech Raceway) Laguna Seca. All 4 tracks and occasions check the groups, the vehicles and us as drivers. You don’t get this selection actually wherever else on this planet. It’s nice enjoyable and why I get pleasure from being again right here yr after yr.”

The Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring present ample testing alternatives upfront. In contrast, the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) rivals all the time sort out the 1.968-mile Lengthy Seashore road circuit “chilly” and work by means of vital monitor evolution over three periods Friday whereas 4 different sequence add their rubber to the monitor.

That makes previous monitor data and simulator work extra useful, as Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Julien Andlauer defined.

“(Testing) is one thing we’re a bit extra restricted for Lengthy Seashore,” stated the co-driver of the No. 7 Porsche 963. “Fortunately, the group has been driving there for years, and so they have some good knowledge. They can correlate the advance since Lengthy Seashore final yr to this yr.

“With the opposite sequence driving on the monitor we convey a special grip, and that is one thing we will solely expertise on the race weekend. That’s why I believe we have to use the total potential of the break between the periods to work on the automobile.”

Fellow Lengthy Seashore first-timer Eduardo “Dudu” Barrichello, additionally a factors chief to begin 2026 in his No. 27 Coronary heart of Racing Staff Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, famous his want to study shortly.

“At Lengthy Seashore, you simply should get comfy with the partitions, as I believe it’s very straightforward so that you can contact the wall wherever,” he stated. “I believe the final nook is admittedly tight. I’ve by no means performed one thing that tight. So yeah, it’s gonna be a brand new expertise for me. I believe you simply should construct as much as it and that’s my plan for the primary follow and the remainder will, we’ll see how we get on.”

That famous motorsport sage, Yogi Berra, is alleged to have noticed, “It’s déjà vu yet again.”

Might that line bear fruit for Porsche Penske Motorsport once more, as its No. 7 Porsche 963 entry of Andlauer and Felipe Nasr seeks an encore of its 2025 “hat trick” to begin the yr?

It begins with qualifying, which takes on higher significance in Lengthy Seashore. Penske Racing President Jonathan Diuguid stated the group’s Lengthy Seashore strategy is diametrically against Daytona and Sebring.

“At Daytona and Sebring, we stated, ‘I don’t care when you’re final place after the primary nook, we don’t actually need you to be aggressive on the beginning,’” Diuguid defined.

“It’s most likely the alternative (at Lengthy Seashore). I believe in ’24, Nick (Tandy) went from eighth to second on the beginning. These are the form of aggressive strikes you’re gonna see within the first couple laps. I believe you’re gonna see the drivers be much more aggressive in site visitors, and that’s undoubtedly a transparent mentality change.

“After which from a setup perspective, you recognize, we’re not planning on doing full double stints on tires. It’s a 100-minute race, so it finally ends up being one and a half stints when you don’t change tires. So, we could be a little bit extra aggressive on tire utilization within the setup of the automobile and the instruments and the issues the drivers have (to work with).

“Actually, it’s simply, it’s aggressiveness from the drop of the inexperienced flag till the checkered flag, which might be barely totally different from the strategy that’s been taken in Sebring and Daytona.”

Among the many 10 different GTP vehicles the No. 7 Porsche is attempting to beat is a driver who raced the primary two occasions of 2026 within the No. 7 Porsche. That’d be Laurin Heinrich, added to JDC-Miller MotorSports’ No. 5 Porsche 963 for many remaining 2026 rounds.

“I believe it’s going to be extra of a enjoyable situation,” Andlauer laughed. “We talked about it lately and it’s nice for him to get extra monitor time within the automobile, despite the fact that he doesn’t want it as a result of he’s already flying.”

Diuguid added, “Clearly he’s one of many co-points leaders at present within the driver’s championship, and I’d be completely satisfied for him to remain there. However we race everyone on monitor, and we’re attempting to beat the JDC group, and subsequently, now, Laurin, as arduous as we’d race any of the opposite rivals.

“JDC’s been very aggressive at racetracks from through the years with the 963. So, you recognize, I don’t rely them out in any respect. Laurin is a robust expertise. It’ll give that group an excellent benchmark to arrange their automobile round, and he comes with expertise from working with our group for 3 races.”

It’s value reiterating the need of Acura and Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian to win right here at Lengthy Seashore with both of its two vehicles, as Renger van der Zande defined heading into the race.

“It’s the occasion of the yr for Acura,” stated the two-time Lengthy Seashore winner, who shares the No. 93 Acura ARX-06 with Nick Yelloly. “We’re attempting to make it occur this yr. I believe it’s a type of occasions final yr we tried arduous. We bought tapped a bit of bit on the left rear by one of many Porsches, and it broke one thing off the rear tail. In any other case, I believe we’d have been on the rostrum.”