WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Category

By IMSA Wire Service The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) announced today that John Doonan has been named the next president of the sanctioning body effective January 1, 2020 with his first day on the job scheduled for Monday, Oct. 21. Doonan was previously the director of motorsports for Mazda North America Operations where he developed the overall strategy and managed Mazda’s motorsports programs in North America. “John is a fantastic choice to become our next president, to build upon the momentum of our just-completed 50th anniversary season and takeRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer BRASELTON, Georgia — Lamborghini could only win one championship in GTD class competition, and win they did. Paul Miller Racing, Magnus Racing and Precision Performance Motorsports could deliver the GTD Manufacturer’s Championship to the Italian make with their Huracan GT3 entries, but there was one big obstacle. Meyer Shank Racing’s pair of Acura NSX GT3 Evos have been the car to beat during the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. While the No. 86 NSX of Trent Hindman and Mario Farnbacher won the team and driver titlesRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer BRASELTON, Georgia — For about 15 minutes during Saturday’s Motul Petit Le Mans, Risi Competizione had no idea what was going on with its GTLM class-winning Ferrari 488 GTE. A computer failure meant that the team lost all telemetry data to the car, but the team were able to rectify the problem during the 10-hour contest at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. “We lost all kinds of things, but that’s motor racing,” said team owner Giuseppe Risi. “It’s the strength of the team. I’m extremely proud ofRead More

By IMSA Wire Service BRASELTON, Ga. – The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi did everything it could in an attempt to repeat as Daytona Prototype international champions in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Even by winning Saturday’s thrilling Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the No. 31 couldn’t unseat the No. 6 Acura Team Penske Acura DPi from the 2019 season title. By placing fourth on Saturday, No. 6 drivers Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya held on for the DPi crown by five points.Read More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer BRASELTON, Georgia — Some crafty pit strategy has given some teams the first batch of Michelin Endurance Cup points in the 2019 Motul Petit Le Mans. With five minutes left before the four hour mark, Action Express Racing had the No. 5 Cadillac DPi in the lead, but Mike Conway pitted, as did Tristan Nunez in the No. 77 Mazda Team Joest entry and Simon Pagenaud in the No. 6 Acura Team Penske machine. The pole-sitting No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac led with Felipe NasrRead More

By IMSA Wire Service BRASELTON, Ga. – Felipe Nasr rocketed to the top of a record-setting qualifying session Friday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, collecting his first Motul Pole Award in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition and earning the prime starting spot for the 22nd annual Motul Petit Le Mans. Piloting the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac, Nasr shattered by nearly two seconds the lap record set a year ago by co-driver Pipo Derani, to take the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) and overall pole positions. Nasr sped around theRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer BRASELTON, Georgia — Qualifying for Saturday’s Petit Le Mans featured some welcome returns to the top of the time sheets with a few surprises thrown into the mix. Felipe Nasr gave co-driver Pipo Derani an early birthday present by qualifying the No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac DPi on  pole position. Nasr set a new lap record for DPi cars with a lap of 1 minute, 8.457 seconds around the 2.54 mile circuit. Ricky Taylor qualified second in the No. 7 Acura Team Penske DPi, justRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer All that’s left is 10 hours. Saturday’s Motul Petit Le Mans will conclude the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at the newly-renamed Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta circuit near Braselton. The 2.54 mile road course will see many endings besides the championship, so let’s dive straight into that before we get into the classes. The Ford GT and Corvette C7.R will be making their final starts as factory programs in the GTLM class. Ford has decided to shutter the GT project while Chevrolet is moving onto theRead More

By IMSA Wire Service The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) announced today that President Scott Atherton will retire at the end of this year, ending a professional motorsports career that spanned more than 34 years. Atherton, who has held the title of IMSA president since November of 2013, will remain on the IMSA Board of Directors after his retirement. Atherton started his professional motorsports career as a sponsor marketing executive in the CART (IndyCar) Series in 1985. He later served as president and general manager of Laguna Seca Raceway (nowRead More

By IMSA Wire Service This was a statement win for No. 6 Acura Team Penske ARX-05 co-drivers Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya. In Sunday’s Monterey SportsCar Championship Powered by McLaren at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Cameron and Montoya cruised to their third victory of the season as Cameron took the checkered flag 9.784 seconds ahead of teammate Helio Castroneves in the No. 7 Acura DPi after two hours and 40 minutes of racing around the 2.238-mile circuit. In the process, the No. 6 duo extended its lead in theRead More