The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) announced that John Doonan had been named the next president of the sanctioning body effective January 1, 2020, with his first day on the job scheduled for Monday, October 21.

Doonan was previously the director of motorsports for Mazda North America Operations, where he developed the overall strategy and managed Mazda’s motorsports programs in North America.

“John is a fantastic choice to become our next president, to build upon the momentum of our just-completed 50th anniversary season and take our sport to the next level,” IMSA Chief Executive Officer Ed Bennett said. “He is respected, well known in our paddock, and brings a strong passion for motorsport that will greatly benefit everyone involved.”

Doonan, who joined Mazda in 2003 as the regional advertising manager in the Midwest region and was promoted to the director of motorsports position in 2011, succeeds Scott Atherton, who last month announced his retirement as IMSA president at the end of the year.

While at Mazda, the program Doonan led was headed by Mazda Team Joest, which competes in the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. 

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime and dream opportunity after attending IMSA races since I was young boy,” Doonan said. “I am very humbled and truly honored to have the opportunity to join the IMSA team, and I’m really looking forward to making a positive impact [on] our sport, our partners, and our industry.”

Doonan earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Business Administration from Augustana College and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Western Illinois University.

IMSA will kick off its 51st season with the 2020 Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway on January 3-5. The 58th running of the season-opening Rolex 24 will take place Saturday and Sunday, January 26-27.

For more information, visit imsa.com.

Image of John Doonan courtesy of IMSA