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2019 IMSA Sporting Regulations Released
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The introduction of the LMP2 class and forthcoming changes to the GT Daytona (GTD) class in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship were the driving forces for refinements to the 2019 IMSA Sporting Regulations released today.
Announced in August, the WeatherTech Championship will expand to four classes in 2019 with Daytona Prototype international (DPi) cars racing exclusively in the top class and LMP2 moving to its own, Pro-Am class, alongside the longstanding GT Le Mans (GTLM) class designed for Pro racers and the Pro-Am GTD class.
That expansion, as well as the August announcement of the new IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup created the need for new regulations. Among them:
• LMP2 and GTD teams both will be required to have a Silver- or Bronze-rated driver in the lineup for each car.
• Any Silver-rated driver that is new to the WeatherTech Championship will be subject to approval by the IMSA Driver Evaluation Committee before a team’s entry will be accepted.
• On each event weekend, there will be an exclusive practice session prior to qualifying for Bronze- and Silver-rated drivers in the GTD class.
• Bronze- or Silver-rated drivers will be required to qualify and start the race in the LMP2 and GTD classes.
• The season-ending Jim Trueman and Bob Akin Awards for the top Pro-Am driver in the LMP2 (Trueman) and GTD (Akin) classes will be awarded to the highest-placed eligible driver in the season-ending point standings. In previous years, Trueman and Akin award winners were determined by a formula that included laps and miles driven in addition to overall finishing positions.
• IMSA will specify the number of drivers required in each LMP2 and GTD entry in 2019. For all sprint races, each entry will be required to have two drivers with a maximum of one Platinum- or Gold-rated driver. For the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts, Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and Motul Petit Le Mans, each LMP2 and GTD car will be required to use a three-driver combination with a maximum of one Platinum- or Gold-rated driver. For the Rolex 24 At Daytona, LMP2 and GTD teams may use four-or five-driver combinations, with a maximum of one Platinum- and one Gold-rated driver or a maximum of two Gold-rated drivers.
• LMP2 and GTD entries will be limited to four days of private testing per entry in 2019.
• The GTD class will only participate in the first two days of the Roar Before The Rolex 24 At Daytona test on Jan. 4-5, 2019. The Roar will be the only IMSA-sanctioned test in 2019.
More details, including changes to key modifications for the IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge and the tire changes for 2019, can be found here.
Announced in August, the WeatherTech Championship will expand to four classes in 2019 with Daytona Prototype international (DPi) cars racing exclusively in the top class and LMP2 moving to its own, Pro-Am class, alongside the longstanding GT Le Mans (GTLM) class designed for Pro racers and the Pro-Am GTD class.
That expansion, as well as the August announcement of the new IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup created the need for new regulations. Among them:
• LMP2 and GTD teams both will be required to have a Silver- or Bronze-rated driver in the lineup for each car.
• Any Silver-rated driver that is new to the WeatherTech Championship will be subject to approval by the IMSA Driver Evaluation Committee before a team’s entry will be accepted.
• On each event weekend, there will be an exclusive practice session prior to qualifying for Bronze- and Silver-rated drivers in the GTD class.
• Bronze- or Silver-rated drivers will be required to qualify and start the race in the LMP2 and GTD classes.
• The season-ending Jim Trueman and Bob Akin Awards for the top Pro-Am driver in the LMP2 (Trueman) and GTD (Akin) classes will be awarded to the highest-placed eligible driver in the season-ending point standings. In previous years, Trueman and Akin award winners were determined by a formula that included laps and miles driven in addition to overall finishing positions.
• IMSA will specify the number of drivers required in each LMP2 and GTD entry in 2019. For all sprint races, each entry will be required to have two drivers with a maximum of one Platinum- or Gold-rated driver. For the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts, Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and Motul Petit Le Mans, each LMP2 and GTD car will be required to use a three-driver combination with a maximum of one Platinum- or Gold-rated driver. For the Rolex 24 At Daytona, LMP2 and GTD teams may use four-or five-driver combinations, with a maximum of one Platinum- and one Gold-rated driver or a maximum of two Gold-rated drivers.
• LMP2 and GTD entries will be limited to four days of private testing per entry in 2019.
• The GTD class will only participate in the first two days of the Roar Before The Rolex 24 At Daytona test on Jan. 4-5, 2019. The Roar will be the only IMSA-sanctioned test in 2019.
More details, including changes to key modifications for the IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge and the tire changes for 2019, can be found here.
