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The 'International Motor Sports Association' (generally referred to as 'IMSA') is an American auto racing sanctioning body based in Braselton, Georgia. It was started by John Bishop, a former employee of SCCA (Sports Car Club of America), and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from Bill France of NASCAR.

Contents

History

The Beginning

New ownership

The series

Current series

American Le Mans Series

IMSA Lites

Formula BMW USA

GT3 Cup

Star Mazda Championship

Panoz Racing Series

Defunct series

IMSA IS

IMSA GT

IMSA RS

American Challenge

IMSA Renault Cup

IMSA Showroom Stock

IMSA Bridgestone Supercar Championship

World Sports Racer

References

External links

History

The Beginning

John Bishop worked for the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) as an executive; he wrote the technical rules for many of its series and provided artwork for many of the club's magazines. By the mid 1960's, the SCCA made the big step into professional racing rather than remain as an amateur only racing organisation which it had done since its formation in 1944. The SCCA formed two of its major professional racing series, Can Am and Trans Am. Tension arose between staff over the club's new direction, and, as a result, John left the SCCA to start his own organisation.^[2]
Bishop met with NASCAR founder, Bill France, who was looking for somebody to help launch a new road racing series. Knowing that he found the right person with a bit of thought, France accepted the deal. Bishop with his wife Peggy worked hard to build his project, devised all of the initial rules and he even designed the new organization's logo. As a result, IMSA was formed in 1969.^[2]
Two races for Formula Ford and one for International Sedans were organized that year at Pocono International Raceway and Alabama International Motor Speedway.

New ownership

After Bishop and France sold the series in 1989 to Mike Cone, who relocated the IMSA headquarters from Connecticut to Tampa Bay, it had a checkered 1990s with multiple ownerships and a name change to Professional Sports Car Racing (PSCR). Cone lacked dedication and full-time commitment and in turn sold it to businessman Charles Slater. Both lost millions in half-hearted attempts to revive the sagging TV ratings. In 1996 Slater sold the organization to Roberto Muller (ex-CEO of Reebok) and Wall Street financier Andy Evans, who also was an IndyCar owner and owner/driver of the Scandia WSC team. Evans and VP of Marketing Kurtis Eide were responsible for the name change to Professional Sports Car Racing (PSCR).
Under tremendous pressure from team owners and management Evans sold the series to Don Panoz in 2001, to solidify the sanction for Panoz's American Le Mans Series which had been sanctioned by PSCR since 1999. Don Panoz renamed the sanctioning organization back to IMSA and is now the official sanctioning body of the ALMS, as well as the Star Mazda series and the Panoz GT Pro series. The ALMS uses regulations based on those of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but in 2005 the relationship between Panoz and the Le Mans organizers, ACO, has become problematic.
A breakaway series formed by the USRRC in 1998 involving the Sports Car Club of America and headed by a group of competitors wanting to keep rules within the United States initially failed. A second attempt with full support of NASCAR's France family and other motorsports notables known as Grand-Am began in 1999. Grand-Am struggled early on, but has proven to be a formidable competitor to the ALMS in recent years with name drivers, considerably larger fields and much closer competition. Much like the split between Champ Car and the IRL this split has been detrimental to the sport as a whole. Attendance, sponsorships and media coverage have dropped dramatically since the split in 1998.
The ALMS and the ACO have disagreed on several point since the inception of their relationship which have caused lower than expected number of entries on the grid. This has forced the ALMS to make decisions that are contrary to ACO rules to boost field size and fan interest by allowing cars to campaign the 2005 season that do not conform to ACO rules. However, the announcement of Porsche's return to Le Mans style prototypes and several new chassis becoming available for 2006, there is optimism that the ALMS will rebound.

The series

These are the series that is run by the IMSA organisation

Current series

American Le Mans Series

Main articles: American Le Mans Series

The 'American Le Mans Series' (ALMS) was launched in 1999 by Dr. Don Panoz as a replacement for the dwindling IMSA GT Championship. With keystone races such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans, the series serves as qualifier for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) who runs the 24 Hours of Le Mans has given their full backing of the American Le Mans Series, which currently runs two classes of Le Mans Prototypes and two classes of Grand Touring cars.

IMSA Lites

'IMSA Lites' is a series for single seater sportscars sponsored by Hankook Tire. There are three categories within the series, in each category. Onward from 2007, all cars raced are identically to each other with identical engines of each class. The main category, ''Lite 1'' uses an Elan Motorsports Technologies DP02, ^[4] ''Lites 2'' consists of West Racing WR1000, powered by a Kawasaki ZX-10R engine^{[5] [6]} and ''Lites 3'' consists of SCCA Sports Racer specification car powered by a Mazda MP2 engine. ^[7]

Formula BMW USA

Main articles: Formula BMW

The 'Formula BMW USA' series is one the North American version of the open-wheel series supported by BMW. All running identical chassis powered by BMW motorcycle engines, the series serves as stepping stone for formula car drivers moving into higher international series. A world championship of all Formula BMW series is run at the end of the year, taking the top drivers from Formula BMW USA and the other similar series elsewhere in the world.

GT3 Cup

The 'IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge' is a one make series dedicated to the Porsche 911 GT3 and is similar to the Porsche Supercup. The series is more cost effective then the Supercup in that drivers are allowed to race either newer 997-generation 911s or older 996s in a different class.

Star Mazda Championship

Main articles: Star Mazda Series

The 'Star Mazda Championship' is a Mazda supported open-wheel road racing support series that serves to help drivers escalate through the ranks of American open-wheel racing. All teams run identical chassis with Mazda rotary engines out of a Mazda RX-8.

Panoz Racing Series

Originally began as 'Women's Global GT Series', formed by Lyn St. James in 1999, the series began as a support race to ALMS for women racers, using the race modified version of the Panoz Esperante series of cars.^[8] The series was an invitational affair with forty one drivers are selected out of four hundred applicants to participate in the Women’s Global GT Series.^[9] The grid would usually consists of experienced racers such as former Formula One drivers, Giovanna Amati and Divina Galica, NASCAR's Shawna Robinson, and Italian Audi factory team touring car driver Tamara Vidali against talented amateur drivers from varying degrees of professions, such as radio personality, police officer, law student, and racing simulations art designer for Microsoft.^[8]
One of its most notable drivers to graduate from the Women series is Milka Duno, who currently competes, as of the 2007 season, in Indy Racing League.
The series would run for another year before the rules was changed to allow male drivers to compete, therefore it became the 'Panoz Racing Series'. In 2004, the series would be split into a two-season series, a Winter and Summer GT series which would consist of races held over three rounds followed by finale round at a major ALMS race. The Summer Series finale would take place at the Petit Le Mans. The Winter Series would follow after that race concluding at the 12 Hours of Sebring

Defunct series

IMSA IS

The 'International Sedan' series was ran between 1971 to 1993^[11]

IMSA GT

Main articles: IMSA GT Championship

IMSA RS

The 'IMSA RS' (abbreviated as Racing Stock or Radial Sedan) began as the 'Baby Grand Series', which was originally sponsored by B.F. Goodrich (therefore known as 'Goodrich Radial Challenge'), in 1971 to attract racers who did not have the budgets that was required in the GT category as well as an emphasis on "compact sedans" such as the AMC Gremlin. Limited preparation was permitted, and since the entrants were meant to be street-driven race cars, the rules required the retention of headlights, seats, upholstery, window cranks, stock brakes and original springs and radial tires. Only the exhaust systems and shock absorbers were free and like its GT counterpart, engine size, otherwise the series itself was based on rival SCCA Trans-Am's ''Two-Five Challenge'' rule. ^{[12] [13]} The series, which would later be known as 'Champion Spark Plug Challenge', became dominated by a mostly by Mazda's rotary powered RX-2 and RX-3 as IMSA specified heavier weights than piston-engined cars and prohibited any modifications to the rotors. ^[14] The Datsun also had a fair share of fun within the series with cars such as the 510 and 200SX. Many drivers also sut their teeth into the series such as Don Devendorf, of Electramotive fame, Jim Downing, of Kudzu and Bobby Rahal. The final season was run in 1984 before it was replaced by the newly reformatted series for the following year, whilst retaining its sponsor until 1988.^[15] Nowadays, there are revival races run for this category.

American Challenge

The 'American Challenge' or known in full as 'Kelly American Challenge', otherwise abbreviated as 'AAC' was a category for US built cars and throughout the series, it has always been run as a support race to the premier GT series. Starting in 1977, the series ran until 1989. ^[11] In 1992, all this was rewarded, when the premier GTO category was renamed to GTS due to sponsor reasons, rather than leaving the GTO category redundant, the title was reallocated to the former American Challenge cars, as a result, they would be run alongside GTS cars. This series started the careers of Irv Hoerr, Kenny Irwin, Jr, Patty Moise, Clay Young, Lyn St. James and Paul Gentilozzi. ^[17]

IMSA Renault Cup

The Renault Cup is an one-make racing series that ran between 1982 to 1985. The series began with the Renault LeCar which the series went on for another until the car's discontinuation in the US. The series went on for the remainder of the three seasons with the Encore. ^{[18] [19]}

IMSA Showroom Stock

In 1985, IMSA would undergo a major rules reformat while still retaining its sponsor, therefore it was still known as its sponsor's moniker. This time, the series was more restricted to current models that is being available in dealerships throughout the US, other than that, the series had rules and race format that were similar to the RS series, being an endurance series. At the end of the 1987 season, Champion stepped down as sponsor and was replaced by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, therefore, the series was renamed 'IMSA Firestone Firehawk Endurance Championship' or commonly known as 'Firehawk Series', after the brand of Firehawk performance tires.
Total prize purses, year-end point funds and manufacturer contingency awards in 1991 amount up to $1 million. As required by the sponsor, all cars are required to use its own Firehawk SZ or Firehawk SV tires which can be shaved to racing depth or the all season Firehawk GTX, Bosch and Kendall Oil are also associate sponsors. Most of the drivers that compete in the series are amateurs or semi professional, with a few made their living out of competing in the series, Dorsey Schroeder and John Andretti are one of the few drivers that cut their teeth in the series.^[20] Meetings usually attracts over ninety entries and are often televised and duration of the race varies from one 2 hour and a helf event to one 24 hour race. The series would solder on until 1998, by then known as 'Speedvision Cup'.
There are three classes, sorted in order from the highest

★ Grand Sport Class

★
★ Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Trans Am, Nissan 300ZX (twin-turbo), BMW M3, Ford Thunderbird,

★ Sport Class

★
★ Pontiac Sunbird Turbo, Volkswagen Corrado, Mazda RX-7 (FC3S)

★ Touring Class,

★
★ Honda Civic Si, Audi 100 Quattro, Pontiac Grand Am

IMSA Bridgestone Supercar Championship

IMSA also hosted the 'Bridgestone Supercar Championship', sponsored by the sister brand of Firestone, Bridgestone, which was for medium to higher end sports cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 911 Turbo, Nissan 300ZX or Lotus Esprit and was run between 1991 up until 1995. Usually a support race to the GT races, running at 30 minutes which were televised, the series attracted some of the well known professional drivers such as Hans Joachim Stuck, Hurley Haywood, Elliot Forbes-Robinson and Paul Newman. ^[21]with a total prize fund of $555,555 for the 1992 season. All cars had to run on roadgoing Bridgestone Potenza RE71 tires which are trimmed to semi-racing depth and during a wet race, cars race on full depth.^[20]
The series was not without controversy, mainly for the all composite Consulier GTP as it was bordering on the showroom stock ethos as well as being criticised for having little common with cars that the general public see on public road. ^[20]
The GTP, debuted with just four silver Consulier Series II GTP at Lime Rock in 1991, despite having a 2.2 liter turbo with about 195 hp connected to a 5 speed gearbox, weighing at 2100 lbs, the car took a pole to chequered flag finish easily outpaced the other more powerful but heavier cars, especially if they were piloted by talented and more experienced drivers such as Hurley Haywood in a factory Porsche, Boris Said's Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette, and Jim Minnaker in a factory ZR1 Corvette. It was subsequently announced by IMSA felt that it was not in the best interests of the series to allow the Consulier to win, so as a result they added a 300 lb weight penalty to the GTP before being barred from the series at the end of the season despite taking a runner up spot.^[24].

World Sports Racer

References

1. Contact details ''imsaracing.net'', retrieved on August 15 2007.
2. http://alex62.typepad.com/imsablog/2006/01/index.html
3. http://alex62.typepad.com/imsablog/2006/01/index.html
4. http://www.imsaracing.net/2007/lites/bulletins/IMSA%20Lites1%20Tech%20Regs%20_attachment%201_.pdf
5. http://www.westracecars.com/index.cfm?template=catalog&form_product=654
6. http://www.imsaracing.net/2007/lites/bulletins/IMSA%20Lites2%20Tech%20Regs%20_attachment%202_.pdf
7. http://www.imsaracing.net/2007/lites/bulletins/IMSA%20Lites%203%20Tech%20Regs%20(attachment%203).pdf
8. http://www.f1rejects.com/drivers/amati/biography.html
9. http://sumagazine.syr.edu/summer01/features/sportinglife/sportingpg2.html
10. http://www.f1rejects.com/drivers/amati/biography.html
11. http://members.aol.com/autoracg/
12. http://www.bsedan.com/hist25.html
13. http://www.grmotorsports.com/news/012005/potent-pintos-these-drivers-have-no-worries-about-being-hit-from-behind.php
14. http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=mazdaSpeedMotorsportsRacingHeritageCommon§ionParameter=heritage01
15. http://www.pbase.com/mwphoto/87mors
16. http://members.aol.com/autoracg/
17. http://www.wspr-racing.com/wspr/results/imsa/nf_imsa_home.html WSPR-Racing.com
18. http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/6402/mrrh.htm
19. http://www.michronicleonline.com/articlelive/articles/352/1/Charles-Downes-still-fast-and-furious-at-60/Page1.html
20. Showroom Stock Race Car Preparation, Nigel McKnight, Motorbooks, ISBN 0-87938-652-5
21. http://www.wspr-racing.com/wspr/results/imsa/nf_imsa_home.html
22. Showroom Stock Race Car Preparation, Nigel McKnight, Motorbooks, ISBN 0-87938-652-5
23. Showroom Stock Race Car Preparation, Nigel McKnight, Motorbooks, ISBN 0-87938-652-5
24. http://matt_yapit.tripod.com/American-auto.html

External links

★ IMSA Racing - Official website