WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

By IMSA Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship was one of the most anticipated seasons yet, with legendary sports car teams and big-name drivers joining the fray to take on many of the world’s best, and it didn’t disappoint. It was an unpredictable season, with longtime, established teams duking it out for the championship in all three WeatherTech Championship classes. None of the championships were decided until the final minutes of last Saturday’s Motul Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Let’s take a quick,Read More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer After a growing year with new partner Team Joest, Mazda finished off their 2018 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship challenge with a double podium finish at this past weekend’s Motul Petit Le Mans with a second and third place finish for their two RT24-P DPi machines. The No. 55 of Spencer Pigot, Jonathan Bomarito and Marino Franchitti led at times but they had the lion’s share of bad luck for the team with contact forcing the mechanics to replace the nose and tail on the carRead More

By IMSA Wire Service BRASELTON, Ga. – The world renowned Motul Petit Le Mans is a 10-hour endurance test that on Saturday was dramatically decided in the final seconds in the final three corners of the scenic 2.54-mile Road Atlanta road course nestled in the rolling hills of North Georgia. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R. driven by Renger Van Der Zande, took advantage of the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi running out of gas three turns from the finish line to take the victory in theRead More

By IMSA Wire Service BRASELTON, Ga. – It wasn’t exactly how the team drew it up, but Corvette Racing won its third consecutive IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Le Mans (GTLM) class championship Saturday in the Motul Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. The 10-hour race was won in class by the No. 911 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR and co-drivers Nick Tandy, Patrick Pilet and Frederic Makowiecki, but it was the No. 3 Corvette C7.R team and co-drivers Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen, joined at Road Atlanta byRead More

By IMSA Wire Service BRASELTON, Ga. – It was a night of firsts for two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) teams during Saturday’s 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. After earning the Motul Pole Award on Friday – the team’s first of the season – the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa WeatherTech Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 crossed the finish line ahead of the field to earn its first win of 2018 with co-drivers Cooper MacNeil and Gunnar Jeannette joined by endurance driver Daniel Serra. It was theRead More

By IMSA Wire Service BRASELTON, Ga. – All but one Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup titles now have been clinched in a dramatic, 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans as darkness falls on Road Atlanta. The No. 66 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT team wrapped up the GT Le Mans (GTLM) Patrón Endurance Cup team title, while its full-season co-drivers, Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller clinched the drivers’ title when points were awarded at the eight-hour interval. In the GT Daytona (GTD) class, the No. 33 Mercedes-AMG Team RileyRead More

By IMSA Wire Service BRASELTON, Ga. – On a picture-perfect fall day in front of a huge crowd at Road Atlanta, five IMSA championships already have been clinched in the first four hours of the Motul Petit Le Mans, the 2018 season finale for both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup. The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi and co-drivers Eric Curran and Felipe Nasr secured Action Express Racing’s fifth consecutive Patrón Endurance Cup when Nasr was scored as the race leader atRead More

By IMSA Wire Service BRASELTON, Ga. – Pipo Derani won the pole position for Saturday’s Motul Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta – the season finale for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – and his last race with the Tequila Patron ESM team. It was the second Motul Pole Award of 2018 for the team after also leading the field to green in Detroit back in June. “Big thank you to my entire team,’’ Derani said after turning his fastest lap of one minute, 10.437 seconds (129.817 mph). “This place isRead More

By Holly Cain, IMSA Wire Service BRASELTON, Ga. – There was important news on a beautiful Fall afternoon at Road Atlanta as the iconic Michelin tire brand officially announced it had secured the naming rights for the track. Beginning in 2019 it will be known as Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. It is a significant and strategic move for the tire company and a big boost for the nearly 50-year old facility that will host Saturday’s Motul Petit Le Mans WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season finale. “This is the first time globallyRead More