International Motor Sports Association
Encyclopedia
The International Motor Sports Association (generally referred to as IMSA) is an American
sports car
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, Sr.
of NASCAR
.
employee, first became involved in motorsport in the 1950s when he met Dave Allen, a Sports Car Club of America
(SCCA) staff member. Allen offered Bishop a management position on the SCCA Contest Board, which Bishop quickly accepted. Bishop moved to Westport, Connecticut
shortly thereafter. Bishop's duties consisted of defining technical rules and general administration of SCCA competition, as well as providing artwork for many of the club's magazines and event programmes. He became well-known in the motorsport scene and enjoyed a good relationship with the organization's president, Jim Kimberly
In 1958, things would change for Bishop as the SCCA experienced internal changes. A new Executive Director position was created, to which each Regional Executive reported to. This position was taken by Hugo Rush, who later became instrumental in Allen's departure. Although Bishop's relationship with Rush was not good, Bishop gained a vast amount of experience and began to show his qualities as a manager.
Rush would later depart due to his disagreement with the club as it moved to promote professional motor sports. Bishop took his place as Executive Director and was now responsible for both amateur and professional programs. To ensure a more serious level of competition, he was tasked with rewriting the technical rules for the newly formed Pro Racing program.
The SCCA had now taken the big step up to professional racing. By 1962, the SCCA was tasked with managing major World Championship for Makes rounds, particularly at Daytona
, Sebring, Bridgehampton
and Watkins Glen
. The club was also involved in the US Grand Prix. Bishop helped to create the USRRC (United States Road Racing Championship
) series for Group 7 sports cars to recover races that had been taken by rival United States Automobile Club
(USAC). Bishop was also instrumental in founding the SCCA Trans-Am series and the SCCA/CASC Can-Am series.
In 1969, the tension and in-fighting caused Bishop to resign.
as a professional oval track series and wanted to do the same for road racing. After discussions with Bishop, IMSA was born and Bishop was given the sole control of the organization (like NASCAR, there was no board of directors). France financed the majority of the organization and owned 75% of the stock; Bishop owned the remaining 25%.
The first race to be organized by IMSA was a Formula Vee
and Formula Ford
event at Pocono Raceway
in October 1969. The SCCA threatened the circuit management and asked them to block IMSA from racing there. The event was held, although IMSA had to pay an additional $10,000 in rental fees. The race had an attendance of 328 spectators.
The organization soldiered on despite the small crowds, and another ten races were planned. Bill France, suffering from financial setbacks, brought on new investors to take over part of his stake in the series.
) "J appendix" for World Championship for Makes sports cars. For the end of the 1970 season, he advertised a new championship for Group 2
and Group 4
cars with equity between competitors.
The Grand Touring (GT) season introduced international endurance racing to North America
. In , Camel Cigarettes
became the new sponsor of the GT series and the sedan series became known as the B.F. Goodrich Radial Challenge. By , the organization gained recognition from the FIA and sanctioned the 12 hours of Sebring
for the first time.
Bishop did not believe that factory teams would stick with the new series, so he tried to ensure that the rules were not biased in their favor. He was in favor of looking after privateer teams and helping them to become competitive. As European cars began to dominate, a new series was formed in called All American Grand Touring (AAGT) to give equal latitude to foreign cars. Turbocharged cars were permitted in .
In the same year, Bishop invited a pair of Jean Rondeau
-built Inaltera's to compete as "special prototypes". They became the foundation of the newly formed Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) category in , with separate rules similar to Group C
(Bishop was unhappy with the fuel consumption formula of the latter).
In , Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile
(FISA), the organizers of the World Endurance Championship (WEC), attempted to unite the two organizations by scrapping the existing formula and adopting IMSA rules. This did not please Porsche
, which was spending vast sums of money on engine development at the time. Porsche responded by boycotting the 24 Hours of Le Mans
of that year
. FISA responded by abandoning the rule change for the time being.
In , FISA president Jean-Marie Balestre
almost made a successful attempt to settle the dispute by announcing that turbocharger
s and fuel restrictions would be phased out by 1989 (excepting naturally aspirated engines below 3.5 liters). This attempt failed, as did another in 1991, in which with chassis ballast penalties for turbocharged cars rendered them uncompetitive, except at Le Mans.
IMSA continued to have success with its own Camel GT series.
teams and less to the privateer
s as Bishop originally intended. Rules were modified to accommodate the factory teams, which wanted to get into the series, despite Bishop's belief that would be unlikely to the series on the long run, especially if they failed to meet their objectives.
In January 1989, the Bishops sold the company to Mike Cone and Jeff Parker, owners of the IMSA Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Bishop shortly stepped down as the organisation's president in favor of Mark Raffauf, his deputy president and the organisation's representative on the ACCUS (Automobile Competition Committee for the United States), an FIA recognised sporting body. Cone and Parker in turn sold the organization to businessman Charles Slater by the early 1990s.
In 1996 Slater sold the organization with previously accumulated debt to Roberto Muller (ex-CEO of Reebok
) and Wall Street
based portfolio manager
for Bill Gates
, Andy Evans
, who also was an IndyCar owner and owner/driver of the Scandia
World Sports Car team. These changes would lead to the departure of many of the executive board members. Evans and Vice-President of Marketing Kurtis Eide were responsible for the name change to Professional Sports Car Racing (PSCR).
A breakaway series formed by the USRRC in 1998 involving the Sports Car Club of America and headed by a group of competitors and ex IMSA personnel including John Bishop, Bill France Jr., Rob Dyson
, Roger Penske
, Skip Barber
, and Ralph Sanchez. They wanted to keep rules within the United States initially failed, as a result, Don Panoz
and Barber departed to affiliate themselves with PSCR. 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 a different philosophy based on lower-tech cars -the Daytona Prototypes- giving larger fields and 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.
Under tremendous pressure from team owners and management Evans sold the organisation 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
.
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 three classes of Le Mans Prototypes (LMP) and two classes of Grand Touring (GT) cars.
. The L1 class features Elan Motorsports Technologies DP02 cars powered by a Mazda MP2 engine, and the L2 consists of West Racing WX10 and WR1000 chassis with either a Kawasaki ZX-10R or Suzuki GSXR engine. Each class has an overall championship, a master’s championship for drivers at least 40 years of age and a team championship.
, similar in concept to the Porsche Supercup
, held since 2005. The series is more cost effective then the Supercup in that drivers are allowed to race either newer 997
-generation 911s or older 996
s in two different classes, Platinum and Gold. The entries are allowed in selected races of the American Le Mans Series starting in 2009
, due to the decline of the ALMS' GT1 class.
IMSA added a 3-round IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Canada in 2011, with one of the races supporting the Formula One
Canadian Grand Prix
.
The next year, 1971, the Series was revamped and became the Radial Sedan Series with the revolutionary innovation of requiring DOT radial tires. New rules allowed for cars over 1.6 L divided between two classes. Class A for Sedans under 2 L., except for overhead cam engines which were limited to 1.6 L. Class B was for larger engines up to whatever IMSA decided appropriate for the Class which was the AMC Gremlin's 232 c.i. for the duration of the 'original' RS Series.
As an aside, the Baby Grand moniker frequently applied to these IMSA Series was just that, a nickname. Around this same time a Series that was officially designated Baby Grand was sanctioned by NASCAR and consisted of 4 cly. cars purpose built to run NASCAR ovals. A few RS regulars are known to have run both Series with the same car making minimal changes to accommodate the difference in rules. Carson Baird, driving a Dodge Colt, was one of these 'crossover' competitors.
(becoming the Goodyear Radial Challenge), and later as Champion Spark Plug Challenge.
The initial race held was in 1969 at Talladega Superspeedway
Road Course. Racey Frizzell was first overall in an Alfa Romeo
sedan. The Series' first year was actually 1970 with only two races, the inaugural race was at the newly constructed Summit Point Motorsports Park
on Memorial Day weekend, Racey Frizzell was first overall in an Alfa Romeo
Sedan; the second race was held at the Montgomery Speedway, Alabama, Red Farmer
won in a specially prepared Datsun 510
. Racey didn't fare too well having to drive against the local 4 Cylinder "beater class" cars brought in to fill out the field, with their protruding wheels rubbing Racey's "immaculate" Alfa Romeo
, infuriated, he quit and never ran another IMSA RS race after that. Steve Coleman, who competed in both 1970 races, was the only driver that ran both of these races and then continuously in the Series throughout the early years; 1970–1977
The idea was 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
and the Opel Manta
. There were two classes from 1970 through 1973: Class A for under two liters and under 1.6 liters with overhead cam and Class B for over 1.6 L with overhead cam and over two liters up to the largest permitted engine being the 232 cubic inches (3.8 l) AMC Gremlin
. In 1974 all cars were placed in one class, with the only parity for the smaller engines being free carburetion
for under 1.6 liters. Limited preparation was permitted, and since the entrants were meant to be street-driven race cars, the original 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. Later rules regarding headlights, seats, upholstery, window cranks, original springs, and other stock elements were loosened up somewhat. From the beginning, engine modifications similar to Sports Car Club of America
B Sedan were permitted, with the main difference being that over-boring cylinders was not allowed, and stock carburetors being required, but modifications allowed. In addition, springs and alignment were free. The series was loosely based on rival SCCA Trans-Am's Two-Five Challenge rules.
The series became dominated mostly by Mazda
's rotary powered
RX-2
and RX-3
prompting IMSA
to specify heavier weights than piston-engined cars and prohibited any modifications to the rotors and more importantly to intake and exhaust ports. Datsun
also had a fair share of success within the series with cars such as the 510
and 200SX
. Many drivers would cut their teeth in this 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 IMSA Showroom Stock class the following year, while retaining its sponsor until 1988. As with most now-defunct racing classes, there are revival races run for this category and the SCCA sanctions events for mostly stock and all stock, cars.
, Clay Young
, Lyn St. James
and Paul Gentilozzi
.
Cup is a one-make
racing series that ran between 1982 to 1985. There was an East Coast (1982–1985) and West Coast series (1983–1985) as well as an overall championship. The series began with the Renault Le Car
for two seasons on the East Coast until the its discontinuation in the US. The last two seasons, the East Coast Series ran the Renault Encore. The West Coast Series started after the first successful year on the East Coast, but ran the Renault Alliance
which had just been introduced.
The genesis of the series was an association of drivers, Associated Road Racers (ARR), founded by Steve Coleman of Raleigh, North Carolina. The association's objective was to start an inexpensive, but competitive series with large car counts. The main prerequisite requirement was a series that would allow drivers who had regular jobs and a life, to compete with at least a chance to win the championship without having to travel coast to coast, as was the case with other series such as the VW Bilstein Cup. The preference was to have a roughly ten race schedule, with each driver's best six finishes counting toward the Championship.
ARR's members were mostly Showroom Stock racers from the Southeast and Northeast Sports Car Club of America
(SCCA) regions. All members put up a bond to ensure they would participate if it came to fruition so that a sanctioning body and a sponsor would be assured success from the start. In the beginning an outline of series rules was drawn up to attract like minded drivers to join in the effort. Once the association was formed, a final version was drafted with all the members input. The Rules along with the association's proposed plan to organize and launch the series was sent to several manufacturers soliciting sponsorship, including Mazda
, Toyota, Nissan
, and of course Renault. All except Renault either rejected the proposal or did not respond.
Renault not only responded, it jumped at the chance, since it was quite familiar with the concept of a one-make series. ARR and Renault negotiated to finalize a format competing with the Le Car R5. Due to classic concerns of track owners and sanctioning bodies, Renault was reluctant to agree to the drivers' points system. Their counter proposal was to run an East Coast series in lieu of nationwide. Since most of the interested drivers were from the East Coast, and the amount of travel required was somewhat limited, this was accepted by the drivers.
Once Renault was on board, John Bishop, President of IMSA, was approached to sanction the series. He was very skeptical at first. A meeting was held on at Road Atlanta
between Bishop, B Clar, the US Competition Director of Renault, and Coleman representing the drivers. Renault offered a major support program and ARR would guarantee a minimum of twenty-five entrants for the first race. Bishop, still skeptical, agreed to sanction the series. Coleman even suggested there might be as many as fifty, if Renault and IMSA didn't revise the proposed series rules to a point the majority of drivers would pull out before then. Still skeptical he agreed, convinced by Renault's commitment and the driver's assurances of a full field for the inaugural race. Exactly one year to the date on April 4, 1982 the inaugural race was held at Road Atlanta
. 51 Le Cars started the race.
One notable driver to come from the series was Parker Johnstone
, he took runner-up spot on his debut season in 1984 and would virtually dominate the series following that.
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. 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
, which was for medium to higher end sports cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette
, Porsche 911 Turbo, Mazda RX-7
, 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
. 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.
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.
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 lb (952.5 kg), 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 (136.1 kg) weight penalty to the GTP before being barred from the series at the end of the season despite taking a runner up spot..
. 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.
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. 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. 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
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sports car
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
sanctioning body based in Braselton, Georgia
Braselton, Georgia
Braselton is a town in Barrow, Gwinnett, Hall, and Jackson Counties in the U.S. state of Georgia, about 40 miles northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 7,511....
. 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, Sr.
William France Sr.
William Henry Getty France Sr. , also known by Bill France Sr. or Big Bill, was an American race car driver. He is best known for co-founding and managing NASCAR, a sanctioning body of United States-based stock car racing.-Early life:France was born in Washington, D. C...
of NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
.
John Bishop and SCCA
John Bishop, a SikorskySikorsky Aircraft
The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. Its parent company is United Technologies Corporation.-History:...
employee, first became involved in motorsport in the 1950s when he met Dave Allen, a Sports Car Club of America
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
(SCCA) staff member. Allen offered Bishop a management position on the SCCA Contest Board, which Bishop quickly accepted. Bishop moved to Westport, Connecticut
Westport, Connecticut
-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
shortly thereafter. Bishop's duties consisted of defining technical rules and general administration of SCCA competition, as well as providing artwork for many of the club's magazines and event programmes. He became well-known in the motorsport scene and enjoyed a good relationship with the organization's president, Jim Kimberly
In 1958, things would change for Bishop as the SCCA experienced internal changes. A new Executive Director position was created, to which each Regional Executive reported to. This position was taken by Hugo Rush, who later became instrumental in Allen's departure. Although Bishop's relationship with Rush was not good, Bishop gained a vast amount of experience and began to show his qualities as a manager.
Rush would later depart due to his disagreement with the club as it moved to promote professional motor sports. Bishop took his place as Executive Director and was now responsible for both amateur and professional programs. To ensure a more serious level of competition, he was tasked with rewriting the technical rules for the newly formed Pro Racing program.
The SCCA had now taken the big step up to professional racing. By 1962, the SCCA was tasked with managing major World Championship for Makes rounds, particularly at Daytona
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...
, Sebring, Bridgehampton
Bridgehampton Race Circuit
Bridgehampton Race Circuit was a race track located near Sag Harbor, New York, United States. The circuit opened in 1957, following a series of road races held from 1949 until 1953...
and Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International is an auto race track located near Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The facility is owned by International Speedway Corporation...
. The club was also involved in the US Grand Prix. Bishop helped to create the USRRC (United States Road Racing Championship
United States Road Racing Championship
The United States Road Racing Championship was created by the Sports Car Club of America in 1962. It was the first SCCA series for professional racing drivers. SCCA Executive Director John Bishop helped to create the series to recover races that had been taken by rival USAC Road Racing...
) series for Group 7 sports cars to recover races that had been taken by rival United States Automobile Club
United States Automobile Club
The United States Auto Club is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, the USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500...
(USAC). Bishop was also instrumental in founding the SCCA Trans-Am series and the SCCA/CASC Can-Am series.
In 1969, the tension and in-fighting caused Bishop to resign.
Beginnings
Bill France, Sr. was instrumental in the creation of the International Motor Sports Association. France founded NASCARNASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
as a professional oval track series and wanted to do the same for road racing. After discussions with Bishop, IMSA was born and Bishop was given the sole control of the organization (like NASCAR, there was no board of directors). France financed the majority of the organization and owned 75% of the stock; Bishop owned the remaining 25%.
The first race to be organized by IMSA was a Formula Vee
Formula Vee
Formula Vee is a popular open wheel, single seater junior motor racing formula, with relatively low costs in comparison to Formula Ford or Formula BMW....
and Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....
event at Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond...
in October 1969. The SCCA threatened the circuit management and asked them to block IMSA from racing there. The event was held, although IMSA had to pay an additional $10,000 in rental fees. The race had an attendance of 328 spectators.
The organization soldiered on despite the small crowds, and another ten races were planned. Bill France, suffering from financial setbacks, brought on new investors to take over part of his stake in the series.
The GT era
By the end of the 1970 season, Bishop realized that single-seaters were not capable of attracting large crowds. So he helped to establish the foundations of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'AutomobileFédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
) "J appendix" for World Championship for Makes sports cars. For the end of the 1970 season, he advertised a new championship for Group 2
Group 2 (racing)
The Group 2 racing class referred to regulations for cars in touring car racing and rallying, as regulated by the FIA. Group 2 was replaced by Group A in 1982....
and Group 4
Group 4 (racing)
The Group 4 racing class referred to regulations for cars in sportscar racing, GT racing and rallying, as regulated by the FIA. The Group 4 class was replaced by Group B for the 1983 season.-Production requirements:...
cars with equity between competitors.
The Grand Touring (GT) season introduced international endurance racing to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. In , Camel Cigarettes
Camel (cigarette)
Camel is a brand of cigarettes that was introduced by American company R.J. Reynolds Tobacco in the summer of 1913. Most current Camel cigarettes contain a blend of Turkish tobacco and Virginia tobacco. Early in 2008 the blend was changed as was the package design.-History:In 1913, R.J...
became the new sponsor of the GT series and the sedan series became known as the B.F. Goodrich Radial Challenge. By , the organization gained recognition from the FIA and sanctioned the 12 hours of Sebring
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida...
for the first time.
Bishop did not believe that factory teams would stick with the new series, so he tried to ensure that the rules were not biased in their favor. He was in favor of looking after privateer teams and helping them to become competitive. As European cars began to dominate, a new series was formed in called All American Grand Touring (AAGT) to give equal latitude to foreign cars. Turbocharged cars were permitted in .
In the same year, Bishop invited a pair of Jean Rondeau
Jean Rondeau
Jean Rondeau was a French race car driver and constructor, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1980, in a car bearing his own name, an achievement which remains unique in the history of the race.-Early career:Rondeau drove briefly in Formula Renault before moving to saloon cars...
-built Inaltera's to compete as "special prototypes". They became the foundation of the newly formed Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) category in , with separate rules similar to Group C
Group C
Group C was a category of motorsport, introduced by the FIA in 1982 for sports car racing, along with Group A for touring cars and Group B for GTs....
(Bishop was unhappy with the fuel consumption formula of the latter).
In , Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile
Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile
The Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile was the governing body for motor racing events. The organisation's origins date from 1922, when the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile delegated the organisation of automobile racing to the CSI , an autonomous committee that would later...
(FISA), the organizers of the World Endurance Championship (WEC), attempted to unite the two organizations by scrapping the existing formula and adopting IMSA rules. This did not please Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
, which was spending vast sums of money on engine development at the time. Porsche responded by boycotting the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
of that year
1984 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 52nd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 16 – 17 June 1984. It was also the third round of the World Endurance Championship....
. FISA responded by abandoning the rule change for the time being.
In , FISA president Jean-Marie Balestre
Jean-Marie Balestre
Jean-Marie Balestre was a French auto racing executive, who was president of FISA from 1978 to 1991 and of the FIA from 1985 to 1993.-Biography:Balestre was born at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône....
almost made a successful attempt to settle the dispute by announcing that turbocharger
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
s and fuel restrictions would be phased out by 1989 (excepting naturally aspirated engines below 3.5 liters). This attempt failed, as did another in 1991, in which with chassis ballast penalties for turbocharged cars rendered them uncompetitive, except at Le Mans.
IMSA continued to have success with its own Camel GT series.
New ownership
In 1987, John Bishop had to undergo a heart bypass surgery, forcing him to rethink his priorities. He began to realise that the Camel GT series was in danger of becoming oriented toward the factory-backedFactory-backed
Factory-backed is a term commonly used in motorsports to describe a sponsored racing team, car, motorcycle or driver that competes with official sanction and financial support, or "backing" from a manufacturer. As motorsports competition is an expensive endeavor, some degree of factory support is...
teams and less to the privateer
Privateer (motorsport)
In motor sport, a privateer is usually an entrant into a racing event that is not directly supported by an automobile manufacturer. Privateers teams are often found competing in rally and circuit racing events, and often include competitors who build and maintain their own vehicles...
s as Bishop originally intended. Rules were modified to accommodate the factory teams, which wanted to get into the series, despite Bishop's belief that would be unlikely to the series on the long run, especially if they failed to meet their objectives.
In January 1989, the Bishops sold the company to Mike Cone and Jeff Parker, owners of the IMSA Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Bishop shortly stepped down as the organisation's president in favor of Mark Raffauf, his deputy president and the organisation's representative on the ACCUS (Automobile Competition Committee for the United States), an FIA recognised sporting body. Cone and Parker in turn sold the organization to businessman Charles Slater by the early 1990s.
In 1996 Slater sold the organization with previously accumulated debt to Roberto Muller (ex-CEO of Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
) and Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
based portfolio manager
Portfolio manager
A portfolio manager is either a person who makes investment decisions using money other people have placed under his or her control or a person who manages a financial institution's asset and liability portfolios....
for Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
, Andy Evans
Andy Evans
David Andrew "Andy" Evans , is Welsh former professional footballer who currently plays for Welsh Premier League side Carmarthen Town....
, who also was an IndyCar owner and owner/driver of the Scandia
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andrew L. Evans that fielded a record 7 cars in the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Evans bought the team from Dick Simon during the 1996 season and Simon was listed as the owners of some of Scandia's cars in the 1996 "500"...
World Sports Car team. These changes would lead to the departure of many of the executive board members. Evans and Vice-President of Marketing Kurtis Eide were responsible for the name change to Professional Sports Car Racing (PSCR).
A breakaway series formed by the USRRC in 1998 involving the Sports Car Club of America and headed by a group of competitors and ex IMSA personnel including John Bishop, Bill France Jr., Rob Dyson
Rob Dyson
Rob Dyson is a retired American sports car racing driver and current team owner.Dyson began competing in amateur SCCA competition in 1974 and began racing professionally in IMSA GTO and the Trans-Am Series in 1982. In 1985 be purchased a Porsche 962 from Bruce Leven and began racing in IMSA GTP...
, Roger Penske
Roger Penske
Roger S. Penske is the owner of the automobile racing team Penske Racing, the Penske Corporation, and other automotive related businesses. A winning racer in the late 1950s, Penske was named 1961's Sports Car Club of America Driver of the Year by Sports Illustrated...
, Skip Barber
Skip Barber
John "Skip" Barber III is a retired racecar driver who is most famous for his Skip Barber Racing Schools.- Driving career :...
, and Ralph Sanchez. They wanted to keep rules within the United States initially failed, as a result, Don Panoz
Don Panoz
Dr. h.c. Donald Panoz is an American entrepreneur who made his name in pharmaceuticals and has since become a successful owner of various motorsport ventures.- Early life :...
and Barber departed to affiliate themselves with PSCR. A second attempt with full support of NASCAR's France family and other motorsports notables known as Grand-Am
Grand American Road Racing Association
GRAND-AM Road Racing or GRAND-AM is an auto racing sanctioning body that was established in 1999 to organize road racing competitions in North America...
began in 1999. Grand-Am struggled early on, but has proven to be a formidable competitor to the ALMS in recent years with a different philosophy based on lower-tech cars -the Daytona Prototypes- giving larger fields and closer competition. Much like the split between Champ Car
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
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.
Under tremendous pressure from team owners and management Evans sold the organisation to Don Panoz
Don Panoz
Dr. h.c. Donald Panoz is an American entrepreneur who made his name in pharmaceuticals and has since become a successful owner of various motorsport ventures.- Early life :...
in 2001, to solidify the sanction for Panoz's American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
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
Panoz
Panoz Auto Development is an American manufacturer of high-performance automobiles founded in 1989 by Dan Panoz, son of pharmaceutical and motorsport mogul Don Panoz. The company is located in Braselton, GA. Panoz products have included the Panoz Roadster and AIV Roadster, and the Panoz Esperante...
GT Pro series. The ALMS uses regulations based on those of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
.
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was launched in 1999 by Dr. Don PanozDon Panoz
Dr. h.c. Donald Panoz is an American entrepreneur who made his name in pharmaceuticals and has since become a successful owner of various motorsport ventures.- Early life :...
as a replacement for the dwindling IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:...
. With keystone races such as the 12 Hours of Sebring
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida...
and Petit Le Mans
Petit Le Mans
The Petit Le Mans is a sports car endurance race held annually at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, USA. It uses the rules established for the 24 hours of Le Mans by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest , which are slightly modified if necessary, mainly to allow additional cars to compete.The race was...
, the series serves as qualifier for the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
. The Automobile Club de l'Ouest
Automobile Club de l'Ouest
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest , sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organising entity behind the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race...
(ACO) who runs the 24 Hours of Le Mans has given their full backing of the American Le Mans Series, which currently runs three classes of Le Mans Prototypes (LMP) and two classes of Grand Touring (GT) cars.
Prototype Lites
Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship (formerly IMSA Lites) is a 15 race series featuring three classes of single seat prototype cars racing simultaneously. Most races are held in support of the American Le Mans SeriesAmerican Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
. The L1 class features Elan Motorsports Technologies DP02 cars powered by a Mazda MP2 engine, and the L2 consists of West Racing WX10 and WR1000 chassis with either a Kawasaki ZX-10R or Suzuki GSXR engine. Each class has an overall championship, a master’s championship for drivers at least 40 years of age and a team championship.
GT3 Cup
The IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge is a one-make series dedicated to the Porsche 911 GT3Porsche 911 GT3
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a higher performance version of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is the latest in a line of high performance models, beginning with the 1973 911 RS...
, similar in concept to the Porsche Supercup
Porsche Supercup
The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup is the international motor racing series supporting the FIA Formula One World Championship organized by Porsche AG....
, held since 2005. The series is more cost effective then the Supercup in that drivers are allowed to race either newer 997
Porsche 997
The Porsche Type 997 , also simply called the 997 is the current version of the 911 family sports car built by German manufacturer Porsche in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen...
-generation 911s or older 996
Porsche 996
The Porsche 996 is the internal designation for the Porsche 911 model manufactured and sold between 1998 and 2005. It has since been replaced by the Type 997...
s in two different classes, Platinum and Gold. The entries are allowed in selected races of the American Le Mans Series starting in 2009
2009 American Le Mans Series season
The 2009 American Le Mans Series season was the eleventh season for the International Motor Sports Association's American Le Mans Series. It began on March 21, 2009, and ended on October 10, 2009 after ten events. The series was composed of Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Tourer race cars divided...
, due to the decline of the ALMS' GT1 class.
IMSA added a 3-round IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Canada in 2011, with one of the races supporting the Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
Canadian Grand Prix
Canadian Grand Prix
The Canadian Grand Prix , abbreviated as gpc, is an annual auto race held in Canada starting in 1961. It has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967...
.
IMSA IS
The International Sedan Series was short lived and the genesis of the Radial Sedan Series. It is unclear if the 1969 inaugural IMSA Sedan race held at the Talladega Superspeedway Road Course was designated International Sedan Series or not. That being the only race held in 1969 details are sketchy, but over the winter of 1969-70 rules were officially promulgated for this Series. It was initially to be known as the International 100 Series as it was intended for sedans up to 100 c.i. or 1600 cc., however was revised prior to the start of the 1970 season to include larger engines and presumably the name change to International Sedan Series.The next year, 1971, the Series was revamped and became the Radial Sedan Series with the revolutionary innovation of requiring DOT radial tires. New rules allowed for cars over 1.6 L divided between two classes. Class A for Sedans under 2 L., except for overhead cam engines which were limited to 1.6 L. Class B was for larger engines up to whatever IMSA decided appropriate for the Class which was the AMC Gremlin's 232 c.i. for the duration of the 'original' RS Series.
As an aside, the Baby Grand moniker frequently applied to these IMSA Series was just that, a nickname. Around this same time a Series that was officially designated Baby Grand was sanctioned by NASCAR and consisted of 4 cly. cars purpose built to run NASCAR ovals. A few RS regulars are known to have run both Series with the same car making minimal changes to accommodate the difference in rules. Carson Baird, driving a Dodge Colt, was one of these 'crossover' competitors.
IMSA RS
The IMSA RS Series (abbreviation for Radial Sedan) began as the Baby Grand Series, in 1971. Originally sponsored by B.F. Goodrich (therefore known as Goodrich Radial Challenge) until they dropped sponsorship midway through 1975 (or 1976) and then by GoodyearGoodyear Tire and Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
(becoming the Goodyear Radial Challenge), and later as Champion Spark Plug Challenge.
The initial race held was in 1969 at Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...
Road Course. Racey Frizzell was first overall in an Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
sedan. The Series' first year was actually 1970 with only two races, the inaugural race was at the newly constructed Summit Point Motorsports Park
Summit Point Motorsports Park
Summit Point Motorsports Park is a road racing and driver training facility located in Jefferson County, West Virginia about two hours west of Washington, D.C...
on Memorial Day weekend, Racey Frizzell was first overall in an Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
Sedan; the second race was held at the Montgomery Speedway, Alabama, Red Farmer
Red Farmer
Charles "Red" Farmer is a former NASCAR racecar driver.-Racing career:His first race was at Opa-locka Speedway near Miami, Florida in a 1934 Ford in 1948. He became famous as a member of the Alabama Gang and he considered his hometown to be Hueytown, Alabama...
won in a specially prepared Datsun 510
Datsun 510
The Datsun 510 was a series of the Datsun Bluebird sold from 1968 to 1974, and offered outside the U.S. and Canada as the Datsun 1600. According to AutoWeek's G.D...
. Racey didn't fare too well having to drive against the local 4 Cylinder "beater class" cars brought in to fill out the field, with their protruding wheels rubbing Racey's "immaculate" Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
, infuriated, he quit and never ran another IMSA RS race after that. Steve Coleman, who competed in both 1970 races, was the only driver that ran both of these races and then continuously in the Series throughout the early years; 1970–1977
The idea was 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
AMC Gremlin
The AMC Gremlin is a two-door subcompact car produced in the United States and Canada by the American Motors Corporation between 1970 and 1978. AMC reduced its development and manufacturing costs by adapting a shortened Hornet platform with a Kammback-type tail...
and the Opel Manta
Opel Manta
The Opel Manta was a rear-wheel-drive sports coupé motor vehicle built by Opel, from 1970 to 1988.-1970–75: Opel Manta A:The Manta A was released in September 1970, two months ahead of the then new Opel Ascona on which it was based...
. There were two classes from 1970 through 1973: Class A for under two liters and under 1.6 liters with overhead cam and Class B for over 1.6 L with overhead cam and over two liters up to the largest permitted engine being the 232 cubic inches (3.8 l) AMC Gremlin
AMC Gremlin
The AMC Gremlin is a two-door subcompact car produced in the United States and Canada by the American Motors Corporation between 1970 and 1978. AMC reduced its development and manufacturing costs by adapting a shortened Hornet platform with a Kammback-type tail...
. In 1974 all cars were placed in one class, with the only parity for the smaller engines being free carburetion
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
for under 1.6 liters. Limited preparation was permitted, and since the entrants were meant to be street-driven race cars, the original 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. Later rules regarding headlights, seats, upholstery, window cranks, original springs, and other stock elements were loosened up somewhat. From the beginning, engine modifications similar to Sports Car Club of America
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
B Sedan were permitted, with the main difference being that over-boring cylinders was not allowed, and stock carburetors being required, but modifications allowed. In addition, springs and alignment were free. The series was loosely based on rival SCCA Trans-Am's Two-Five Challenge rules.
The series became dominated mostly by Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
's rotary powered
Mazda Wankel engine
The Mazda Wankel engines are family of car engines derived from experiments in the early 1960s by Felix Wankel, a German engineer...
RX-2
Mazda RX-2
The Mazda RX-2 was a midsize car introduced in 1970 and sold through 1978. It used a rotary engine and shared a chassis with the piston-engined Mazda Capella/616/618....
and RX-3
Mazda RX-3
The Mazda RX-3 is an automobile sold in the 1970s. It was intended to be smaller and sportier than its brother, the RX-2/Capella Rotary. In 1972 all rotary engines had their die-cast rotor housing coated with a new process: The new Transplant Coating Process featured sprayed-on steel which is...
prompting IMSA
IMSA
IMSA can refer to:* International Management Systems Association, original name of the International Project Management Association * Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, a residential magnet school located in Aurora, Illinois...
to specify heavier weights than piston-engined cars and prohibited any modifications to the rotors and more importantly to intake and exhaust ports. Datsun
Datsun
Datsun was an automobile marque. The name was created in 1931 by the DAT Motorcar Co. for a new car model, spelling it as "Datson" to indicate its smaller size when compared to the existing, larger DAT car. Later, in 1933 after Nissan Motor Co., Ltd...
also had a fair share of success within the series with cars such as the 510
Datsun 510
The Datsun 510 was a series of the Datsun Bluebird sold from 1968 to 1974, and offered outside the U.S. and Canada as the Datsun 1600. According to AutoWeek's G.D...
and 200SX
Nissan 200SX
From 1995 to 1998 Nissan applied the name "200SX" to two different lines of automobiles in different markets these years.In 1995, Nissan reintroduced the 200SX nameplate in United States and Canada to designate a two-door version of the Nissan Sentra , known in Japan and Mexico as Lucino, replacing...
. Many drivers would cut their teeth in this series such as Don Devendorf, of Electramotive fame, Jim Downing
Jim Downing
James "Jim" Downing, born January 4, 1942, in Atlanta, Georgia, is the five-time IMSA Championship winning, owner/driver of , and principal in the development of the HANS Device.-Personal life:...
, of Kudzu, and Bobby Rahal
Bobby Rahal
Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500...
. The final season was run in 1984 before it was replaced by the IMSA Showroom Stock class the following year, while retaining its sponsor until 1988. As with most now-defunct racing classes, there are revival races run for this category and the SCCA sanctions events for mostly stock and all stock, cars.
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. 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 MoisePatty Moise
Patty Moise is a former NASCAR driver. She drove in five Winston Cup races from 1987 to 1989, and 133 Busch Series races from 1986 to 1998. She is the wife of former fellow NASCAR driver Elton Sawyer....
, Clay Young
Clay Young
Claye Michael Young is a former Australian cricket player, who played three First-class cricket matches for Tasmania in the 1987-88 season. Clay Young was a right-arm fast-medium bowler who performed well in the Tasmanian Grade Cricket competition, earning him a call up to the state side in 1987...
, Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James is a retired professional IndyCar driver with 8 CART and 5 Indy Racing League starts to her name. She is just one of seven women who successfully qualified for the Indianapolis 500, and became the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award...
and Paul Gentilozzi
Paul Gentilozzi
Paul Gentilozzi is a race car driver and businessman. His non-racing business interests are real estate development, principally developing store sites for big box retailers....
.
IMSA Renault Cup
The RenaultRenault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
Cup is a one-make
One-design
One-Design is a racing method where all vehicles or boats have identical or very similar designs or models. It is also known as Spec series. It is heavily used in sailboat racing. All competitors in a race are then judged based on a single start time...
racing series that ran between 1982 to 1985. There was an East Coast (1982–1985) and West Coast series (1983–1985) as well as an overall championship. The series began with the Renault Le Car
Renault 5
The Renault 5 was first unveiled on 10 December 1971, being launched at the beginning of 1972.The Renault 5 was styled by Michel Boué, who died before the car's release, the R5 featured a steeply sloping rear hatchback and front dashboard...
for two seasons on the East Coast until the its discontinuation in the US. The last two seasons, the East Coast Series ran the Renault Encore. The West Coast Series started after the first successful year on the East Coast, but ran the Renault Alliance
Renault Alliance
The Renault Alliance is a subcompact automobile manufactured and marketed in North America by American Motors Corporation , with 623,573 examples manufactured for model years 1983-1987, and with a three and five-door hatchback variant, the Renault Encore marketed beginning in 1984.The two models...
which had just been introduced.
The genesis of the series was an association of drivers, Associated Road Racers (ARR), founded by Steve Coleman of Raleigh, North Carolina. The association's objective was to start an inexpensive, but competitive series with large car counts. The main prerequisite requirement was a series that would allow drivers who had regular jobs and a life, to compete with at least a chance to win the championship without having to travel coast to coast, as was the case with other series such as the VW Bilstein Cup. The preference was to have a roughly ten race schedule, with each driver's best six finishes counting toward the Championship.
ARR's members were mostly Showroom Stock racers from the Southeast and Northeast Sports Car Club of America
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
(SCCA) regions. All members put up a bond to ensure they would participate if it came to fruition so that a sanctioning body and a sponsor would be assured success from the start. In the beginning an outline of series rules was drawn up to attract like minded drivers to join in the effort. Once the association was formed, a final version was drafted with all the members input. The Rules along with the association's proposed plan to organize and launch the series was sent to several manufacturers soliciting sponsorship, including Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
, Toyota, Nissan
Nissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
, and of course Renault. All except Renault either rejected the proposal or did not respond.
Renault not only responded, it jumped at the chance, since it was quite familiar with the concept of a one-make series. ARR and Renault negotiated to finalize a format competing with the Le Car R5. Due to classic concerns of track owners and sanctioning bodies, Renault was reluctant to agree to the drivers' points system. Their counter proposal was to run an East Coast series in lieu of nationwide. Since most of the interested drivers were from the East Coast, and the amount of travel required was somewhat limited, this was accepted by the drivers.
Once Renault was on board, John Bishop, President of IMSA, was approached to sanction the series. He was very skeptical at first. A meeting was held on at Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta is a 2.54-mile road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, USA. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams...
between Bishop, B Clar, the US Competition Director of Renault, and Coleman representing the drivers. Renault offered a major support program and ARR would guarantee a minimum of twenty-five entrants for the first race. Bishop, still skeptical, agreed to sanction the series. Coleman even suggested there might be as many as fifty, if Renault and IMSA didn't revise the proposed series rules to a point the majority of drivers would pull out before then. Still skeptical he agreed, convinced by Renault's commitment and the driver's assurances of a full field for the inaugural race. Exactly one year to the date on April 4, 1982 the inaugural race was held at Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta is a 2.54-mile road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, USA. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams...
. 51 Le Cars started the race.
One notable driver to come from the series was Parker Johnstone
Parker Johnstone
Parker Johnstone III is a former race car driver and motorsports announcer from Redmond, Oregon. An accomplished musician, he was the principal trumpet of the International Youth Orchestra, touring Europe, playing with Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic, and famed pianist Van Cliburn...
, he took runner-up spot on his debut season in 1984 and would virtually dominate the series following that.
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'sChampion (spark plug)
Champion is an American brand of spark plugs.Originally Champion was a Fortune 500 Company founded by Robert A. Stranahan and Frank D. Stranahan in 1908 in Boston, MA and then moved to Toledo, OH in 1910 to be close to the Willys-Overland Auto Company....
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
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is an American tire company founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheeled transportation common in the era. Firestone soon saw the huge potential for marketing tires for automobiles. The 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
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
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
Dorsey Schroeder
Dorsey Schroeder is a race car driver born February 5, 1953 in Kirkwood, Missouri. Dorsey currently lives in Florida with his wife Kim and daughter Carissa Schroeder from his second marriage...
and John Andretti
John Andretti
John Andretti is an American race car driver. He has won in CART, IMSA GTP, Rolex Sports Car Series and NASCAR. He was the last NASCAR driver to win a Cup race for the famous Petty Enterprises team.-Andretti family:...
are one of the few drivers that cut their teeth in the series. 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 CamaroChevrolet CamaroThe Chevrolet Camaro is an automobile manufactured by General Motors under the Chevrolet brand, classified as a pony car and some versions also as a muscle car. It went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed as a competing model to the Ford Mustang...
, Pontiac Trans Am, Nissan 300ZXNissan 300ZXThe Z31 chassis designation was first introduced in 1983 as a 1984 Nissan/Datsun 300ZX in the US only. The 300ZX, as its predecessors, was known as a Nissan in other parts of the world. This continued in the US until 1985 model year when Nissan standardized their brand name worldwide and dropped...
(twin-turbo), BMW M3BMW M3The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93 3-series, and sold with coupé, sedan and convertible body styles...
, Ford ThunderbirdFord ThunderbirdThe Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
, Ford MustangFord MustangThe Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
, Porsche 944Porsche 944The Porsche 944 is a sports car built by Porsche from 1982 to 1991. It was built on the same platform as the 924, although 924 production continued through 1988. The 944 was intended to last into the 1990s, but major revisions planned for a 944 S3 model were eventually rolled into the 968 instead,...
- Chevrolet Camaro
- Sport Class
- Pontiac Sunbird Turbo, Volkswagen CorradoVolkswagen CorradoThe Volkswagen Corrado is a hatchback coupé developed by German automaker Volkswagen and built by Karmann in Osnabrück, Germany, between 1 September 1988 and 31 July 1995....
, Mazda RX-7Mazda RX-7Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980...
(FC3S)
- Pontiac Sunbird Turbo, Volkswagen Corrado
- Touring Class,
- Honda Civic SiHonda Civic SiThe Honda Civic Si is a sport compact / hot hatch version of the Civic built by the Japanese automaker Honda. The Si trim, which stands for "Sport Injected," was introduced for the third generation of Honda Civics in both Japan and North America...
, Audi 100 Quattro, Pontiac Grand AmPontiac Grand AmThe original Grand Am was introduced in the fall of 1972 as a 1973 model. It was based on the GM A platform along with other cars such as the Pontiac LeMans, Pontiac GTO, Chevrolet Chevelle, Buick Century, and the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme...
- Honda Civic Si
IMSA Bridgestone Supercar Championship
IMSA also hosted the Bridgestone Supercar Championship, sponsored by the sister brand of Firestone, BridgestoneBridgestone
The is a multinational rubber conglomerate founded in 1931 by in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of ishibashi, meaning "stone bridge" in Japanese....
, which was for medium to higher end sports cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
, Porsche 911 Turbo, Mazda RX-7
Mazda RX-7
Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980...
, Nissan 300ZX
Nissan 300ZX
The Z31 chassis designation was first introduced in 1983 as a 1984 Nissan/Datsun 300ZX in the US only. The 300ZX, as its predecessors, was known as a Nissan in other parts of the world. This continued in the US until 1985 model year when Nissan standardized their brand name worldwide and dropped...
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
Hans Joachim Stuck
Hans-Joachim Stuck , nicknamed "Strietzel", is a German racing driver who has competed in Formula One and many other categories. He is the son of the legendary Hans Stuck. As a young boy, his father taught him driving on the Nürburgring. In 1969 he started his first ever motor race at the...
, Hurley Haywood
Hurley Haywood
Hurley Haywood is an American race-car driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1977 , 1983 and 1994 and is the most successful driver at the 24 Hours of Daytona with 5 wins . He won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1973 and 1981...
, Elliot Forbes-Robinson and Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
. 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.
The series was not without controversy, mainly for the all composite Consulier GTP
Consulier GTP
The Consulier GTP was a sports car produced by the former Consulier Industries in the early 1990s.Consulier Industries was later renamed Mosler Automotive, which then updated the car as the Mosler Intruder and again as the Raptor before production ended by 2000...
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.
The GTP, debuted with just four silver Consulier Series II GTP at Lime Rock
Lime Rock
Lime Rock may refer to:United States*Lime Rock , a neighborhood in the village of Lakeville, Connecticut*Lime Rock Park, a race track in Lime Rock, Connecticut*Lime Rock, Rhode Island, a village in Lincoln, Rhode Island...
in 1991, despite having a 2.2 liter turbo with about 195 hp connected to a 5 speed gearbox, weighing at 2100 lb (952.5 kg), 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
Boris Said
Boris Said is an American race car driver from Carlsbad, California but considers his hometown to be Stamford, Connecticut. His father, Bob Said, was a Formula One race driver and US Olympic bobsled driver in 1968 and 1972. He drove the #26 Ford Fusion for Latitude 43 Motorsports in the NASCAR...
's Callaway
Callaway Cars Incorporated
Callaway Cars Inc. is an engine design company who is notable for their modification of Chevrolet cars, the Corvette sport cars in particular, especially their twin-turbo kit that became a dealer option and their record breaking Corvette Sledgehammer car....
Twin Turbo Corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
, 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 (136.1 kg) weight penalty to the GTP before being barred from the series at the end of the season despite taking a runner up spot..
Formula BMW USA
The Formula BMW USA series is the North American version of the open-wheel series supported by BMWBMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
. 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.
Atlantic Championship
In June 2008, IMSA began sanction of the Atlantic Championship.Panoz Racing Series
Originally began as Women's Global GT Series, formed by Lyn St. JamesLyn St. James
Lyn St. James is a retired professional IndyCar driver with 8 CART and 5 Indy Racing League starts to her name. She is just one of seven women who successfully qualified for the Indianapolis 500, and became the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award...
in 1999, the series began as a support race to ALMS for women racers, using the race modified version of the Panoz Esperante
Panoz Esperante
The Esperante is a sports car made by Panoz, an American car manufacturer.There are several models of the Esperante: the base model, the GT, the GTLM, the GTS, and the JRD . Additionally, Panoz is more than willing to work with the buyer to make special modifications to any of the stock models...
series of cars. 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. The grid would usually consists of experienced racers such as former Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
drivers, Giovanna Amati
Giovanna Amati
Giovanna Amati is a former professional race car driver from Italy. She is best known as the last female driver to have entered the Formula One World Championship.- Career :...
and Divina Galica
Divina Galica
Divina Mary Galica MBE is an English sportswoman, best known for her Olympics career and her motorsport racing career.-Skiing career:...
, NASCAR's Shawna Robinson
Shawna Robinson
Shawna Robinson is a former NASCAR driver.Robinson began her racing career in 1984 in the GATR Truck Series, winning rookie of the year honors in 1984 as well as a race at Flemington Speedway in 1987. She began racing NASCAR in 1988, when she was named Rookie of the Year in the now-defunct Dash...
, and Italian Audi factory team touring car
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a 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
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
.
External links
- IMSA Racing - Official Website
- American Le Mans Series - Official Website