Get the moving van ready: IMSA drivers that will be switching teams in 2024

The end of the season next month after the 2023 finale at Petit Le Mans near Atlanta will also mark the last race for several drivers with their current teams.

IMSA offseason and even remaining in-season moves are hot right now.

Over the past several weeks, many team’s plans for races -- in the case of 2023 and seasons, in the case of 2024 -- have been coming to fruition, resulting in major driver changes happening across all classes.

Looking at the moves that affect this season, the big two are the additions to the GTP classes at Petit Le Mans come October, featuring 2009 Formula 1 champion Jenson Button, who will team up with his former Garage 56 teammate Mike Rockenfeller and Tijmen Van Der Helm in the #5 JDC-Miller Porsche.

The other major addition is the other Porsche family member, defending Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden, who will help pilot the #7 Porsche Penske entry, making his GTP debut after a LMP2 stint at Daytona earlier this season.

Laurens Vanthoor was also going to be on that list, competing in GTD Pro for Pfaff’s #9 Porsche, completing what would have been an already stacked field. However, Kevin Estre will be taking over that spot, as reported by Sportscar365.com.

While these moves are only affecting the season finale, finishing off with one of the most highly anticipated races since possibly Daytona, the driver changes for 2024 are also quite noteworthy and bring some talking points as things begin to transition.

Wayne Taylor Racing, who will be fielding two cars full-time next season, revealed their two full-time drivers, with the return of Jordan Taylor to his father’s team and Louis Deletraz, who has primarily been the 3rd man for the #10 this season in endurance races.

The younger Taylor, who truly was embracing being a member of the Corvette Racing family, will now have to transition to GTPs, a big difference from his DPi days a few years ago, but something that Taylor should be able to handle.

The other big change coming is Alexander Sims moving over to Corvette Racing from the #31 Action Express Cadillac GTP, hypothetically taking Taylor’s seat on the team for next year.

Sims has had a great season under the GTP class umbrella, sitting 2nd in the driver's championship with his teammate Pipo Derani and showing great strides of improvement, making this move for Corvette a score, especially after losing Taylor.

Sims will be joined by additions Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg, while also driving with Antonio Garcia, as the four will be mixed around in some sort of tandem for the Corvette.

Coming in for Sims in GTP will be Jack Aitken, the former Williams F1 prospect who made just one F1 start while with Williams.

While Aitken may be more of a project pickup for Action Express and the #31, especially with Derani being the veteran, Aitken definitely brings some promise and could be someone who could develop into someone who has a full season of top-class racing under his belt.

In terms of the top pick as a whole, it has to be Jenson Button.

While one can only assume that the strong friendship and relationship between Mike "Rocky" Rockenfeller and Button led to this decision for JDC-Miller, the possibility of Button, Rockenfeller, and Van Der Helm leading the "Banana Boat" Porsche to victory lane is one that is likely.

Having the veterans behind the wheel brings a level of knowledge and understanding to the track, even if Button hasn’t raced in IMSA. Bringing that level of experience behind the wheel makes JDC a massive dark horse for the Petit Le Mans weekend, exceeding everyone’s expectations that people had of the team.

While the move may be part-time, hopefully Button and Rockenfeller will be able to team up for a more sizeable schedule in IMSA and that their combo can be revitalized for 2024.

But in all, the landscape of IMSA is getting hot as we approach ever closer to what is expected to be a crazy offseason.