IMSA President John Doonan spoke to the media today in the wake of the decision made to postpone the 2020 Sebring 12 Hours (originally scheduled for next week) to November.
He had plenty to say on a variety of topics, which ranged from the expectation of fans heading to the rescheduled race, the status of the LMDh technical regulations (which were due to be shown off at Sebring next week) and the impact on the teams, which are now set to take part in three Endurance Cup races in quick succession (Petit, Sebring & Rolex) between October 2020 and January 2021.
First off, Doonan was keen to explain the process behind the decision to postpone Sebring, which came just hours after the FIA WEC cancelled its race next week due to the COVID-19 EU-US travel ban.
“In the case of IMSA and our stakeholders and all partners, our first concern was to be able to communicate to them that we were in discussions about changing the date of the event, getting opinions and feedback,” he said to the media. “It was the same with manufacturers.
“Nobody has brought up any concerns about partnership value at this time and given the spirit of everyone, I hope that continues. We’ll remain positive.
“Last night’s announcement at 9 pm Eastern was a big factor in us being able to put together an iconic event. Once we had all of our factors gathered, in teamwork style, we wanted to make sure that everyone was aware of our situation and how it plays into what they’re doing. We worked as a unit, and I’m proud to be part of it.”
Doonan pointed out that sportscar fans are a loyal bunch, and may well relish the chance to watch big races like Petit Le Mans, Sebring 12 Hours and the Rolex 24 Hours all in a row later this year. He said it will be a challenge for teams and drivers with the gap between the end of the 2020 season and the start of the 2021 season now shortened, but pointed out that current gap in the calendar offers a chance for the teams to plan their programmes going forward.
As for other events in the season being postponed, cancelled, or even just impacted by the Coronavirus outbreak, he had this to say:
“Given the situation across all communities everyone is staying mindful and aware,” he explained. “It’s important for all of us to understand the schedule, the people who need to travel to attend other events. It’s really about what health professionals say and the safety of our folks. We’ll continue to work with staff and event promoters, we’ll determine what needs to happen at key milestone dates.”
He was also asked about IMSA’s thoughts on running races behind-closed-doors, like NASCAR and Formula One have planned. His answer was not definitive.
“There’s no question that was when I was a little boy going to my first IMSA race I was hanging on the fence learning about what sportscar racing was about,” he said. “None of us could watch that, we had to be at events. Now we have to take a different approach in all forms of the sports and sports leagues.
“We have a tremendous television partner in NBC and a long term partnership with them. They played a key part in Sebring being postponed. We’ve got ways that even if they can’t attend because the race isn’t in their market, that they can follow the races on traditional TV broadcasts and streaming platforms, re-broadcast, replays, social media highlights.
“All of us would rather be at the race track hearing the sounds and smells, but right now we need to take a different approach. This allows us to provide a great show for those there in person, or watching via those various formats.”
Beyond just the race at Sebring, this postponement has impacted on the forthcoming release of the IMSA technical regulations, which were due to be presented next Friday at Sebring. Doonan said it’s still full steam ahead to publish a draft set of regulations, but that it is likely to be delayed.
“The technical teams from IMSA and the ACO will continue to work together on this,” he explained. “We continue to be in regular contact with them and the four chassis constructors and all of the manufacturers that are competing in the top category or are kicking the tyres and considering participating in the category. Those discussions are ongoing. We had additional planned meetings in person, for our regulation announcement next Friday.
“At the moment we are stuck with travel and will do conference calls, it could be delayed a little bit before we get there. But I can assure you that the intention is still the same.
“We plan to get a draft set of technical regulations for the LMDh category out as soon as possible. We’re going to continue to have those meetings, virtually, but the intention is still there. There has been a lot of positive communication and a lot of professionalism shown.
“Everybody is sharing their overall platform, their expectations on power and aero. The technical teams are extremely aware of aero packages, the power targets, the way the cars make power. We’re continuing discussions, with the same spirit of trying to accomplish the same thing. Nobody has drawn a line in the sand or said it’s my way or the highway.
“We want to make sure that to the best of our ability in the top-level category, LMDh, it will allow manufacturers to compete head-to-head in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship and have those same teams compete at Le Mans.
“Lots more to discuss, the spirit is to find a way. There’s a lot of work still to be done.”
