Sunday evening, in the wake of a breathless finish to the 2022 Petit Le Mans, IMSA’s WeatherTech Night of Champions took place at the Chateau Elan Winery & Resort, the ceremony hosted by NBC Sports’ Brian Till and Calvin Fish.
IMSA President John Doonan opened the evening reflecting on how IMSA founders Bill France Sr. and John Bishop established the series in 1969 based on the premise that teams and drivers could choose the level at which they wish to compete. He cited how the 2022 champions in each of the five WeatherTech Championship classes fulfilled that vision.
“Bill France Sr. and John Bishop would be very proud that we are operating this championship on that same core set of values,” Doonan said.
Doonan also thanked the 18 auto manufacturers that participate across the spectrum of IMSA’s seven sanctioned series — “more automakers than any sanctioning body in the world,” he emphasized – for their commitment. And he thanked the number of fans that continues to grow in parallel with the increasing popularity in the series and sport.
“We all share the common thread and passion for endurance sports car racing,” Doonan said. “On behalf of IMSA, thank you for all that you’ve invested in making this possible. In return, you have my commitment and the commitment from all of my IMSA teammates to continue to grow our sport and continue to add value for you all.”
Team, driver and manufacturer champions were recognized in the five WeatherTech Championship classes, with the champion drivers presented the Bishop-France Trophy and commemorative TUDOR Black Bay GMT watches. Champions honored were:
In addition to the series champions, special awards were bestowed in other important categories:
VP Racing Fuels Front Runner Award:
Motul Pole Award:
Michelin All Hands for the Win:
Jim Trueman Award:
Bob Akin Award:
Ryan Hardwick
IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup:
IMSA Marketing Achievement Award:
Winners were also recognized in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, for teams, drivers and manufacturers.
