Penske revealed it had requested an additional entry for this year's grand classic, scheduled for June 15/16, to repeat its expanded commitment from 2023, when its facility's IMSA arm joined the WEC team , fielding a third car.
“We're pushing! We ran three cars in 2023 and the results didn't live up to our expectations, but we saw the benefits of having three cars together on track, so that's our goal,” he told Motorsport.com Porsche Penske Motorsport boss Jonathan Diuguid.
“We have applied for three cars and we will see how it turns out. We would be thrilled if we were granted another entry, but it is not in our hands.”
Manufacturers represented in the WEC Hypercar class are allowed to field extra cars at Le Mans, but these cannot score points. And last year the German manufacturer brought the IMSA lineup made up of Nick Tandy, Felipe Nasr and Mathieu Jaminet to the track.
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#6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Kevin Estre, André Lotterer, Laurens Vanthoor
However, Diuguid admitted that, with the increase in the number of cars entered in the WEC in the Hypercar category to 19, it is not a given that the request will be accepted. Indeed, he suggested that “getting signed up will probably be more difficult than working out the logistics of it.”
The 2024 IMSA calendar, in fact, should not create significant difficulties. The renewed Detroit event takes place a week before Test Day at Le Mans, while the 6 Hours of Watking Glen is just two weeks after the race, having been brought forward by a week to avoid a coincidence with the 24 Hours of Spa.
“I don't think it will be as difficult as it was last year – we've flown cars, parts and people all over the world to get it done,” he said. “Now our workshop in Europe is much more stable. We have three cars and all the support equipment in Europe and the supply of components is improving every day.”
The entry process for Le Mans opened at the beginning of last month and will close on January 15 for competitors registered for the WEC. The full list of 62 cars will be announced at the end of February.
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