Laurin Heinrich and Seb Priaulx of #77 AO Racing were victorious in the GTD Pro category at the IMSA Detroit Sports Car Classic after a race filled with incidents. The fifth round of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship featured an exciting 1-hour and 40-minute sprint race on the streets of Detroit. The narrow circuit limited overtaking opportunities, but drivers still attempted to make moves throughout the race. Dry conditions and the shortest race duration on the calendar meant that GTP and GTD Pro drivers had to manage fuel and tires strategically to make any overtakes. The qualifying drivers had already done most of their work the day before, so it was up to their teammates to make an impact in the race.
At the start of the race, there was chaos in the GTD Pro field, particularly for the pole-sitter Antonio Garcia in the #3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R, who had to pit after the first lap due to an alternator failure. His teammate Tommy Milner took over the lead. There was also trouble for Harry Tincknell in the #64 Ford Multimatic Mustang, causing a brief full-course-yellow period. When the race resumed, Milner maintained his lead ahead of Jack Hawksworth in the #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F, while Seb Priaulx in the #77 AO Racing Porsche 911 ran in third.
The race took a turn when Nick Tandy in the #6 Porsche Penske collided with Daniel Serra in the #35 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296, causing the Ferrari to crash into the wall. Tandy received a drive-through penalty, and the Ferrari dropped down the order. The #3 Corvette and the #64 Ford Mustang later returned to the race, although the Mustang’s issue was not fully diagnosed.
In the P2 category, Ben Barnicoat in the #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus defended his position against Laurin Heinrich in the #77 Porsche. After another full-course-yellow period, Milner lost his lead due to a collision with Barnicoat’s Lexus. The #14 car attempted a risky move on the inside of the #3 Corvette at Turn 3, resulting in damage to both cars. Heinrich took advantage of the chaos and moved into the lead, leaving the #3 Corvette and the #14 Lexus behind.
Despite the damaged front bodywork, the #14 Lexus continued to fight in second place, but Heinrich was able to extend his lead. A full-course-yellow was declared to clear debris from the circuit, reducing Heinrich’s lead. With seven minutes left to the finish, a fifth full-course-yellow was called after two GTPs collided.
In the final moments of the race, the #9 Pfaff Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, running in third position, had contact with the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR. The McLaren ended up in the wall and out of the race just two laps before the end.
In the end, the #77 AO Racing Porsche 911, driven by Laurin Heinrich and Seb Priaulx, took the victory. Ben Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth, the reigning GTD Pro champions, secured second place in the #14 Lexus RC F. Alex Riberas and Ross Gunn of the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR inherited third place, followed by Parker Thompson and Frankie Montecalvo in the #15 Vasser Sullivan Lexus. Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow rounded off the top five in the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3.