IMSA has confirmed that it is actively working to introduce torque sensors to its GTD Pro and GTD classes for the 2025 season.
Speaking today on a media roundtable call focused on Balance of Performance, IMSA’s technical director Matt Kurdock gave insight into the planned changes coming.
The technology has been used by IMSA in the new for 2023 GTP class as a key ingredient in its Balance of Performance setting and monitoring. It is also used by the FIA WEC in both Hypercar and for the new-for-2024 LMGT3 class.
Whilst the tech looks set to be introduced to allow the introduction of similar performance monitoring to LMGT3 there is, as yet, no firm commitment from IMSA to matching the technical spec of the FIA WEC and ELMS LMGT3 cars.
LMGT3 cars run to a different performance window to that of a standard GT3 (or GTD) machine and require an additional kit, which varies from car to car. This might include aerodynamic tweaks and in some cases the introduction of an e-clutch, as well as the mandatory torque sensors.
The technology being introduced to GTD would also allow the introduction by IMSA of the Virtual Energy Tank concept, which was used for the first time last weekend in the FIA WEC opener at Qatar.
More information on this is expected to be released in the coming months.
Also notable from today’s call is a significant shift by IMSA, in time for Sebring, in the methodology of the Balance of Performance process in GTD Pro and GTD, away from the one used for the season opener at Daytona.
There, the manufacturers declared their own performance parameters for the meeting and both BMW and Ferrari were eventually penalised for exceeding their performance targets during the race.
Henceforth, IMSA will revert back to a system where it defines the performance parameters, using data gathered during the 2023 season and at the Rolex 24 Hours this year. The BoP system being used going forward was described on the call as “just like last year, but with a more transparent working group including the manufacturers.”
IMSA Technical Director Matt Kurdock said:
“We concluded a technical working group yesterday with the OEMs discussing the process, discussing the performance targets for Sebring and the OEMs felt that carrying on in a manner where working towards common performance targets would prove to be difficult, particularly as there was no opportunity to conduct a Sebring sanctioned test.
“IMSA has taken some of the 2023 data in combination with some of the Rolex 24 data and has since devised a BoP solution for Sebring that’s basically a combination of those sources of data available.”
Ideally, to assist the process, IMSA would like to host additional sanctioned tests in the future. While none are planned for the remainder of the 2024 season, Kurdock explained that it is looking at whether or not it is viable to run an extra post-season test over the winter ahead of the 2025 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
More to follow…
