The International Motorsport Association, or IMSA for short, is the pinnacle of Sportscar racing in North America.
IMSA hosts races all over the United States, including one in Canada. The next race is the 12 Hours of Sebring this Saturday, starting at 10:10 a.m. EST.
The biggest race of them all is the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. Other major races include the upcoming 12 Hours of Sebring, the Six Hours of the Glen, and Petit Le Mans. IMSA races range from 100 minutes to 24 hours.
IMSA has four classes: Grand Touring Prototype(GTP), Le Mans Prototype 2(LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona Pro(GTD Pro), and Grand Touring Daytona(GTD).
The GTPs are the top flight of the league. They are much larger than the LMP2s. They can measure up to 201 inches in length and 79 inches in width. They weigh around 2,300 pounds and have nearly 700 horsepower. They cost nearly $3 million.
They are easily identifiable by the cockpit, sleek aerodynamic features, and their black box numbering.
Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Lamborghini, and Porsche all run in the GTP class. Additionally, Aston Martin will make its GTP debut this weekend.
Each manufacturer is allowed to develop its own internal combustion engine and bodywork. All GTPs use the same hybrid powertrain, which takes kinetic energy gained in braking and stores it in batteries for later use.
GTPs are easily the fastest cars in IMSA. They are one-and-a-half seconds to nearly two seconds faster than the LMP2s. GTPs can navigate the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona road course in one minute and 37 seconds for an average speed of 132 miles per hour.
These are the second fastest cars on the IMSA grid, just a tick slower than the GTPs. LMP2s have a horsepower output of 510 and weigh nearly 2,100 pounds. They have a maximum length of 187 inches and are around 73 inches wide. They cost just over $500,000.
Every LMP2 entry is an ORECA 07 model. They are most identifiable by their large front headlights and blue number panels.
This class attracts a lot of top-tier talent. Several IndyCar drivers, including Josef Newgraden, Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward, and Scott McLaughlin, have represented LMP2 in the Rolex 24.
The LMP2 class features close, competitive racing. All cars in this class feature the same 4.2-liter Gibson V8.
The GT cars are all based on road-going vehicles. They top out at 175 miles per house, have 540 horsepower, and weigh around 3,000 pounds. Their price ranges from $300,000 to $600,000.
Acura, Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Porsche, and Mercedes all have GT entries in IMSA.
The biggest difference between the classes is the driver rating. GTD Pro requires two drivers with Gold or Platinum ratings, while GTD requires at least one driver with a Silver or Bronze rating. GTD Pro cars have a red panel on the side, and GTD cars have a green panel.
GTs are very important for the high-quality racing that IMSA provides. They force the faster prototype cars to work through traffic, which leads to thrilling racing.
Every class has its own championship titles, including the Drivers’ Championship, Team Championship, and Manufacturers Championship.
For the Drivers’ Championships, both teammates in one car can share the award if they meet the minimum drive-time requirement. The points collected by the car, regardless of the driver, go to the Team Championship.
The Manufacturers Championship is only awarded to registered manufacturers like Cadillac, Porsche, Acura, BMW, etc. Only the highest-finishing eligible car from each manufacturer earns points for that manufacturer.
Additionally, IMSA offers a separate award called the Michelin Endurance Cup, which is given to one car in each class with the most points from endurance races. The races include the 24 Hours of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, Six Hours of the Glen, Battle on The Bricks, and Petit Le Mans. Points are awarded at various points throughout the endurance races.
Each class is given 15-minute sessions to qualify, and they start separately, so GTD Pros start ahead of GTDs but behind LMP2s.
BoP reduces performance differences between different cars to ensure that every manufacturer and team has a fair chance to win. IMSA does this by making adjustments to each car to level the playing field. These include adjusting engine output, modifying weight, fuel capacity, aero restrictions, and other parameters. The BoP system is dynamic and is based on performance data.
IMSA includes several support series, including the Michelin Pilot Challenge, the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, the Ferrari Challenge, the Super Trofeo, the Mustang Challenge, the Mazda MX-5 Cup, and the Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
The support series contains a variety of cars, from P3s to Porsches.
