In addition to the release of the 2024 full-season IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship entry list, the State Of The Sport news conference today featured a handful of other key announcements.
The presentation, chaired by NBC’s Leigh Diffey, IMSA President John Doonan, revealed a raft of good news for the commercial health of the IMSA package.
“The whole IMSA team has worked diligently over many years to develop a stable platform, and we could not be prouder to showcase the fruits of our labor today,” said Doonan. “Long-term partnership extensions are a huge vote of confidence that our platform is working. The commitments we’ve secured from the number of manufacturers that participate in IMSA is further proof that our platform is working.
“And perhaps the biggest indicator is what we experienced this past season, where record numbers of race fans have turned out at racetracks from coast-to-coast to take in the IMSA experience in person. The fans will ultimately benefit from this sustained period of stability.”
WeatherTech extends entitlement partnership through 2030
Initially a 10-year partnership from in 2016, IMSA and WeatherTech today confirmed an extension that will keep the Bolingbrook, Illinois-based company as the entitlement partner of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship through 2030.
“The name ‘WeatherTech’ has become synonymous with the pinnacle of sports car endurance racing,” Doonan said. “Our sport has achieved the growth we’ve experienced in no small part thanks to the support we’ve enjoyed from WeatherTech. We cannot express our gratitude to WeatherTech Founder David MacNeil and his entire family, as well as President Pat Womack and the entire WeatherTech team enough for trusting us with their brand and extending this vital partnership.”
“WeatherTech is extremely proud to extend our partnership with IMSA through 2030 as the series entitlement sponsor,” said David MacNeil, Founder and CEO, WeatherTech. “The series is the most competitive and exciting Sports Car racing in the world with almost 20 manufacturers challenging themselves at some of the most iconic race tracks in North America.
“We look forward to our continued relationship with IMSA, supporting racing and building the amazing fan base here in America, and around the world.”
Michelin extends IMSA partnership through 2028
After taking on the role of the “Official Tyre of IMSA” in 2019, Michelin’s partnership with IMSA has been extended through the 2028 season.
The partnership includes Michelin’s continued entitlement of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and the now five-race IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. Michelin also will continue to supply tyres for every car in the WeatherTech Championship, Michelin Pilot Challenge and the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge.
“Michelin’s support of IMSA is clearly evident on every race weekend,” said Doonan. “The IMSA and Michelin teams work closely together from both a marketing standpoint as well as on-track competition. Collectively, we have made substantial gains in those areas throughout the life of our partnership so far, and together we expect continued growth as we go forward.”
“We are excited to continue our partnership with IMSA as a leader in innovative and sustainable sports car racing,” said Alexis Garcin, president and CEO of Michelin North America, Inc.
“Our collaboration together helped introduce the new Michelin GTP tire that provides extended performance for multiple stints, and this same approach will help launch the new GTD Pilot Sport Pro tyre next season. As we extend our partnership, Michelin and IMSA will continue to find ways to transform sports car racing for a more sustainable future.”
Michelin is understood to also have further options to extend the arrangement beyond 2028.
VP Racing Fuels to remain official fuel supplier through 2030
Initially named as the Official Fuel Supplier of IMSA in 2014, VP Racing Fuels is already one of IMSA’s longest-running corporate partners.
That partnership grows even longer with today’s announcement that VP Racing Fuels is locked in through 2030 as IMSA’s Official Fuel Supplier and entitlement partner of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge.
VP Racing Fuels is on the forefront of IMSA’s sustainability efforts as supplier of the 80 percent renewable fuel currently being used in the WeatherTech Championship GTP class, which will become 100 per cent renewable in the coming years. Meanwhile, the multi-class VP Racing Challenge has shown impressive growth throughout its first season in 2023 and is on track for continued success.
“IMSA has been fortunate to have such a reliable partner in VP Racing Fuels for so many years and we are thrilled to see it continue well into the future,” Doonan said.
“VP Racing Fuels has consistently grown in visibility as a brand throughout our partnership, reaching well beyond our racetracks and into the consumer marketplace. We are mutually committed to continue growing both of our brands in the future.”
“VP Racing is excited to continue its nearly decade-long partnership with IMSA, bringing world-class racing to racers and fans across the world,” said Bruce Hendel, Senior Vice President of Global Sales for VP Racing. “We are proud of our relationship and we look forward to many years of continued success together.”
IMSA announces 2023 esports global championship
IMSA is again collaborating with iRacing, the Virtual Competition Organisation (VCO) and Michelin to present the 2023 IMSA Esports Global Championship starting next month.
In its inaugural season in 2022, the IMSA Esports Global Championship proved to be a magnet for the world’s top sim racing drivers and teams (including several with direct ties to leading marques and teams from IMSA, the FIA World Endurance Championship and Formula One). The 2023 IMSA Esports Global Championship promises the likes of Team Redline, BS+ COMPETITION, Coanda Esports, Williams Esports and defending IMSA Esports Global Championship GTD Champions Apex Racing Team in a battle for cash prizes and for the overall series championship. Each race will be broadcast live on iRacing Facebook, Twitch and YouTube social media channels.
In keeping with IMSA’s more traditional racing series, the Esports Global Championship will consist of multi-driver, multi-class racing and will feature iRacing’s models of the new GTP hybrids including the Acura ARX-06, BMW M Hybrid V8, Cadillac V-Series.R and Porsche 963, as well as their GT counterparts the BMW M4 GT3, Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), Mercedes-AMG GT3 2020, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO and Ferrari 296 GT3, all competing on virtual Michelin tyres.
The series will enable professional sim racers and teams to develop close working relationships with many of the manufacturers competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship including Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.
“In its debut season the IMSA Esports Global Championship proved to be a success, with upwards of 180,000 viewers for the four-race championship,” IMSA President John Doonan said. “IMSA and the sport of sim racing have experienced remarkable growth in the past couple of seasons and we look forward to full fields and fierce competition in the 2023 IMSA Esports Global Championship. We are particularly excited by the fact that many of the world’s leading marques will again be participating in the series, giving sim racers and teams a unique opportunity to work closely with those world class racing programs.”
This year’s IMSA Esports Global Championship schedule opens at virtual Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Sunday, November 5th. Each race will be two hours and 40 minutes in length.
“iRacing and IMSA have enjoyed a productive relationship for more than a decade,” said Tony Gardner, president of iRacing.com. “Our partnership with IMSA enables more than 230,000 iRacers around the world to race virtual versions of the world’s fastest sports cars on the great North American road courses featured in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. The IMSA Esports Global Championship continues our great partnership with IMSA as well as with many of the world’s leading makers of high performance sports cars.”
The full 2023 IMSA Esports Global Championship entry list and further details surrounding the series will be announced later this month.
Mazda MX-5 Cup to remain on support package for three years
The Mazda MX-5 Cup presented has extended its partnership with IMSA and series operations specialists Andersen Promotions.
Mazda MX-5 Cup, which has a relationship with IMSA that dates back to 2021, will continue to operate under the IMSA umbrella for a further three years.
“The MX-5 Cup series puts on some of the most entertaining races in all of motorsports,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “Since joining the IMSA family in 2021, the MX-5 Cup series has become quite a popular addition to IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship event weekends, with pulse-pounding action and photo finishes seemingly every time out. We are proud to confirm that the series will continue with IMSA sanctioning for at least the next three years and hopefully well into the future.”
In addition, its relationship with Andersen Promotions, which began back in 2016, will also continue.
“The Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship is not only the best value in motorsports, but it has awesome teams and drivers delivering fantastic racing event after event,” Andersen Promotions owner & CEO Dan Andersen said. “It’s been a real pleasure for Andersen to be involved in series operations and work alongside the professionals at IMSA to produce something we are especially proud of. The future looks very strong thanks to Mazda.”
The continuity of these relationships ensures that MX-5 Cup is well situated for further growth as a star among spec racing series for years to come.
“IMSA and Andersen have been phenomenal partners,” Mazda Motorsports senior manager Jonathan Applegate said. “Andersen Promotions has streamlined the operations of the series and their staff bring a lot of experience. That’s especially helpful since our relationship with IMSA has increased our audience worldwide. I believe our competitors are equally pleased to know these top-tier services will continue.”
