International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) president John Doonan confirmed the race was part of the 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship (IMSA SCC) in August 2023.[1] It was the eleventh consecutive year the IMSA SCC hosted a race at Virginia International Raceway. The 2024 Michelin GT Challenge at VIR was the ninth of eleven scheduled sports car races of 2024 by IMSA.[2] The race was held at the seventeen-turn 3.270 mi (5.263 km) Virginia International Raceway on August 25, 2024.[2]
Balance of performance
Ahead of the event, IMSA published a bulletin regarding the latest balance of performance (BoP) changes in the GTD Pro and GTD classes.[3] The Acura was given a 1-liter increase in fuel capacity to accommodate the 11.5 horsepower gained across all power levels. Additionally, the Lamborghini saw an increase in weight of 15 kilograms. This was countered by an increase of 5.3 horsepower across all power levels, and a 2-liter fuel capacity increase. Finally, the Ferrari saw an increase of 10 kilograms in weight, with no adjustments to the power level.[3]
The entry list was revealed on August 14, 2024, and featured 23 entries: 9 entries in GTD Pro, and 14 entries in GTD.[5]Klaus Bachler replaced Julien Andlauer in the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche, to race alongside Laurin Heinrich. Furthermore, Kyle Marcelli re-joined Danny Formal in the No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Lamborghini, after missing the previous round due to an arm-related injury.[6] Both the No. 023 Triarsi Competizione and No. 35 Conquest Racing Ferraris did not appear at the start after one-off appearances at Road America.[7]
There were two practice sessions preceding the start of the race on Sunday, one on Friday afternoon and one on Saturday morning. The first session on Friday afternoon lasted 90 minutes while the second session on Saturday morning lasted 105 minutes.[8]
Qualifying
Saturday's afternoon qualifying session lasted 15 minutes, with one combined session for the GTD Pro and GTD cars. The rules dictated that all teams nominated a driver to qualify their cars.[8] The competitors' fastest lap times determined the starting order.[9]
Qualifying results
Pole positions in each class are indicated in bold and with ‡.
The final results of GTD Pro meant Heinrich continued to lead the GTD Pro Drivers' Championship, but his advantage was reduced to 17 points by third-place finisher Gunn. Sellers and Snow jumped from fifth to third.[12] Ellis and Ward's third-place finish allowed them to extend their advantage over Foley and Gallagher in the GTD Drivers' Championship.[12] Porsche and Mercedes-AMG continued to top their respective Manufacturers' Championships while AO Racing, and Winward Racing kept their respective advantages in their of Teams' Championships with two rounds remaining.[12]
^The No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin was moved to the back of the GTD class since non-homologated parts were used during the event. It originally finished 7th overall, and 2nd in class.[13]
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