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Image: Porsche Porsche squad Manthey has finalized its driver lineups across its pair of GT class entries for the upcoming Asian Le Mans Series season. The German squad will once again enter a pair of Porsche 911 GT3 R Evos for the six-race campaign that kicks off on Nov. 14-15 at Paul Ricard as it seeks to regain the title it won when it first entered the championship in 2024/25. However, it is boasting a revamped lineup featuring only two of its six pilots from the 2025/26 season, with Klaus Bachler and Richard Lietz returning as the designated Pro drivers for the No. 91 and No. 92 entries respectively. Bachler will share the No. 91 car with FIA Bronze-rated Max Moritz, who raced in the European Le Mans Series this year, and GT3 rookie Raphael Rennhofer. Rennhofer, whose main 2026 program came in the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nurburgring, already raced alongside Bachler and Moritz in the final round of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup season at Portimao....

Photo: Garage 59 Reigning Asian Le Mans Series GT champions Dustin Blattner and Dennis Marschall have swapped Ferrari machinery for a McLaren to defend their title after being announced as part of Garage 59’s lineup. Blattner and Marschall claimed last season’s championship alongside Chris Lulham at the wheel of a Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, but will race a McLaren 720S GT3 Evo this time around and will be paired with Garage 59 regular Tom Fleming. As well as their two seasons together in a Kessel Ferrari, which landed the duo this year’s GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup Bronze title, they have also shared a Rutronik Porsche 911 GT3 R in the past — while Marschall has previously raced BMW and Audi machinery as well. However, the McLaren move represents a new direction for the pair. Garage 59’s sister car will then be piloted by Marco Pulcini, who returns to the squad having previously raced for it in International GT Open, Freddie Tom...

Photo: Toyota SUPER GT organizers have clarified the special conditions under which the GR GT3 will make its global race debut in next weekend’s Motegi season finale, including the car’s Balance of Performance for its first competitive outing. Rookie Racing announced on Monday , upon the publication of the entry list for the twin 250km races on Nov. 7-8, that it would be racing Toyota’s hotly-anticipated new challenger, dubbed the ‘GR GT3 concept’, in the GT300 class with special permission from the GTA, replacing its previous Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. Hiroaki Ishiura and Tokiya Suzuki will continue as the driver lineup for the car’s debut. At the time, the car’s BoP was not revealed, but it was finally published on Friday along with the rules governing the car’s participation at Motegi. The GTA has assigned the GR GT3 concept with a BoP weight of 45 kg, bringing its total weight to 1345 kg, including a base weight of 1300 kg. That makes ...

Source: Sports Car 365

Photo: Gruppe C Photography/Porsche Porsche is not expecting to make any further “big updates” to its 963 prototype according to LMDh factory director Urs Kuratle, who indicated “that’s it, probably” in terms of any significant developments to the car. The German manufacturer rolled out a comprehensive aero update to the Multimatic-chassied LMDh car this year, which resulted in the fourth Evo joker usage out of five available through 2027. Kuratle reaffirmed no plans to use the final joker, which will presumably expire, although manufacturers are permitted to use up to two additional jokers between the 2028 and 2029 seasons. “There are things we’re going to change for next year but it’s no [big] updates, no aero, no nothing,” he said. “Whatever we are able to do outside the jokers, we will obviously try to do, which includes software and small things.” Kuratle pointed to the fact that the car only currently compete...

Photo: Brandon Badraoui/IMSA Philip Ellis believes the “way we secured the title” has made Winward Racing’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship hat-trick all the more special. The Mercedes-AMG factory drive and team owner/driver Russell Ward walked away with their third consecutive GTD class title following this year’s season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans, in what had been one of the most competitive championships out of the four classes. While having scored a season-high five class victories out of ten races, the team bounced back from misfortune in the two Michelin Endurance Cup rounds following the Rolex 24 at Daytona, where they racked up their third class win in six years. When asked what makes the hat-trick so special, Ellis said: “Above all, it’s the way we secured this third title. “In the previous two years, we went into the season finale with a comfortable lead and essentially just had to get the race finished without any major proble...

Source: Sports Car 365