NTT INDYCAR SERIES stars Will Energy and Conor Daly and MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi are among the many drivers competing this Saturday in GT3 equipment on the Racing Capital of the World.
Seven sequence that includes a few of the most evocative sports activities automobile manufacturers on the earth will compete on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway street course Oct. 16-19 through the Indianapolis 8 Hour introduced by AWS occasion weekend.
The marquee race is the Indianapolis 8 Hour on Saturday, Oct. 18, the longest occasion of the season on the Racing Capital of the World. Elite sports activities automobile drivers from all over the world – and three acquainted names to IMS followers – will compete within the season finale for the headlining Intercontinental GT Problem and GT World Problem America powered by AWS sequence on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile street course.
SEE: Indianapolis 8 Hour Entry List
Groups of drivers will race from 12:20-8:20 p.m. ET Saturday, with headlights from the GT3 sports activities vehicles illuminating the circuit when the checkered flag flies in darkness – a novel website at IMS. Each headlining sequence race concurrently, with total winners in every sequence topped.
There shall be 25 vehicles competing within the eight-hour race from famend producers Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche. These are all GT3-specification sports activities vehicles, which resemble their showroom counterparts.
Three drivers very acquainted to IMS followers are racing within the function occasion Saturday.
Two-time INDYCAR SERIES champion and 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner Will Energy will add one other chapter to his lengthy, legendary profession by competing in sports activities vehicles for the primary time. He’ll be a part of fellow Australians Chaz Mostert and Kenny Habul within the No. 75 75 Specific Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO. Energy has 5 NTT INDYCAR SERIES victories on the IMS street course.
NTT INDYCAR SERIES fan favourite Conor Daly returns to this occasion, becoming a member of Kenton Koch and Connor De Phillippi within the No. 99 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
Two different drivers with restricted INDYCAR SERIES begins, Toby Sowery and Colin Braun, will share the No. 04 CrowdStrike by Riley Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO with George Kurtz.
The third driver well-known to Central Indiana followers competing this weekend is a two-wheeled legend making his IMS four-wheeled debut on this occasion. Seven-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi will share the No. 46 Group WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO with Kelvin van der Linde and Charles Weerts. Rossi rode the No. 46 Yamaha to victory within the inaugural Purple Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP race at IMS in 2008.
Rossi shall be a part of an interesting duel for the Intercontinental GT Problem driver’s championship, a duel between BMW drivers van der Linde, from South Africa, and Raffaele Marciello, from Italy. Van der Linde leads Marciello, 85-80, within the standings with 25 factors obtainable to the winner Saturday.
Van der Linde and Marciello teamed as much as win this season at Nurburgring and Suzuka for the WRT BMW crew, however they had been separated at Bathurst and Spa and can proceed to be rivals this weekend at IMS. There’s little to separate the 2 drivers, as van der Linde has three victories and Marciello two. The WRT crew additionally has gained the Indianapolis 8 Hour the final two years, so there’s no crew benefit for both driver.
BMW is also attempting to win its first producers’ title this weekend. It leads Porsche by 18 factors, with a most of 43 factors obtainable to a producer that finishes 1-2 within the race. There are seven Porsches within the subject in comparison with 5 BMW vehicles, with the 2 highest-placed finishers for every model contributing towards producer factors.
Energy additionally can assist a teammate win a season championship Saturday. Co-driver Habul is a contender for the Intercontinental GT Problem Unbiased Cup title, battling Porsche drivers Ralf Bohn of Germany and reigning Unbiased Cup champion Antares Au of Hong Kong. Bohn and Au are tied atop the Unbiased Cup standings, with Habul simply six factors again.
Intercontinental GT Problem follow classes will happen at 6:55 p.m. ET Thursday, Oct. 16 and 9:50 a.m. ET Friday, Oct. 17. Qualifying begins at 3:35 p.m. Friday.
Different sports activities automobile sequence racing from Thursday by Sunday at IMS embrace GT America powered by AWS, McLaren Trophy America, GT4 America, TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing Faculty and Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Cup North America.
Former INDYCAR SERIES driver Matheus Leist is sharing the No. 47 NOLASPORT Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport with Matt Travis within the GT4 America sequence. Jaxon Bell, the son of INDYCAR SERIES veteran and FOX INDYCAR analyst Townsend Bell, is racing within the No. 7 Copeland Motorsports Toyota GR86 within the Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Cup North America.
Gates are open to the general public Thursday, Oct. 16, Friday, Oct. 17 and Saturday, Oct. 18 for this occasion. Click on these hyperlinks to buy tickets and parking, to see the event schedule or to plan ahead for the Indianapolis 8 Hour introduced by AWS.
