All articles tagged with #imsa
Action Express Racing’s No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R dominated the Sahlen’s Six Hours of Watkins Glen, leading 142 of 182 laps to win and giving Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber and Fred Vesti their first overall Endurance Cup victory; the Cadillac’s performance extended Aitken’s IMSA points lead to 203, while a late contact with an AF Corse Ferrari triggered a restart caution but drew no penalties as teams look ahead to the CTMP round.
Action Express Racing’s No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R, driven by Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber and Fred Vesti, won the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen after a late yellow and a pivotal final tire stop, beating Nick Yelloly’s Meyer Shank Acura and extending Cadillac’s grip on the GTP lead; LMP2 went to AO Racing’s Oreca, GTD Pro to Vasser Sullivan’s Lexus, and GTD to Manthey Porsche, with a dramatic final-lap crash by Christopher Mies and a major Esses pileup shaping the finish.
Jack Aitken topped the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen qualifying in the No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R with a track-record 1:31.284 in GTP, beating Tom Blomqvist by 0.197 seconds. Louis Deletraz and Renger van der Zande complete the top four in class, with Laurin Heinrich fifth. Qualifying was delayed nearly two hours due to curbing issues at the Bus Stop, and the session saw LMP2 and GTD Pro poles claimed by Jeremy Clarke and Jack Hawksworth, respectively, while GTD pole was decided by points after Russell Ward’s crash ended the session early.
Friday at Watkins Glen featured late-entry lineup changes and a slew of practice issues as teams geared up for qualifying: the No. 28 RS1 Porsche added Eric Lux to the lineup with Heylen and Machavern, while GTD and LMP2 cars faced problems including a spin that cost time, a vibration that sidelined the No. 9 Pfaff Lamborghini Temerario GT3, and a transponder issue for the No. 04 Oreca; four cars received five‑minute holds for failing the mandated torque sensor offset test. Loek Hartog led GTD Pro in his debut, Alec Udell debuted AF Corse’s Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo in GTD, and IMSA signaled rule tweaks around driver cooling systems and other regulations, plus a review of Lamborghini Temerario’s rear‑wing adjustment request. The notebook also notes driver moves, track-limit discussions, and Saturday’s schedule for a second practice and qualifying with coverage on Peacock and IMSA YouTube.
Porsche unveils the 911 GT4 R, its first GT4 race car based on the 911 platform, powered by a 4.0-liter flat-six delivering up to 520 PS (BoP-adjusted), designed for global GT4 competition with a 2027 debut and a US price of $375,500 including import and delivery.
Detroit hosts 21 cars for the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic on the 1.645-mile downtown street circuit, with most WeatherTech Championship entrants returning to traditional liveries after Laguna Seca. Highlights include Corvette Racing back in yellow/black, Penske’s Porsche 963s, Pfaff Motorsports’ blue Lamborghini Temerario GT3, and AO Racing’s updated Rexy Porsche; Laurens Vanthoor is in Detroit with McLaren after a recent Imola test. Several drivers will race in both IMSA and other series this weekend, and teams like Meyer Shank Racing and Team Penske will run double-duty in the GTP class. Practice and qualifying are Friday, with Peacock and IMSA YouTube carrying the coverage.
Rainy Spa-Francorchamps sets the stage for the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa as WEC teams prep with driver debuts and schedule-driven shifts: van der Linde and Vanthoor return with BMW Team WRT, Aitken and Barrichello also join after IMSA duties, and Louis Deletraz makes his Hypercar debut in the No. 12 Cadillac. With Qatar’s race timing compressing Le Mans prep, teams emphasize cross-program data between BMW’s GTP and Hypercar efforts, while hydrogen-technology discussions and the FIAWEC+ app expand fan access at Spa.
JDC-Miller Motorsports ended its WeatherTech Championship win drought with a Laguna Seca triumph, the team’s first overall victory since Sebring 2021 and the first by a privateer in the GTP era, thanks to Laurin Heinrich’s late surge in the Porsche 963. The result puts Heinrich atop the GTP standings, with BMW and Porsche Penske runners-up; Ford secured its EVO-era Mustang GT3 win, Corvette Racing moved into the GTD Pro lead, and Zanardi tributes were paid. Detroit hosts the next round, followed by the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.
IMSA President John Doonan issued a tribute mourning the passing of Alex Zanardi, praising his race career—including a memorable last-lap pass at The Corkscrew in WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca—and his inspirational achievements as a Paralympic gold medalist and Ironman record holder, while offering condolences to his family, teammates, and friends.
Porsche Motorsport unveils two Porsche 963 race cars wrapped in a retro Apple-inspired livery to celebrate 75 years of Porsche Motorsport and 50 years of Apple, echoing the 1980 935 design; the No. 6 car driven by Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor and the No. 7 car driven by Julien Andlauer and Felipe Nasr will compete at Laguna Seca in the IMSA weekend, as Porsche also fields a green Rexy dinosaur-themed GTD Pro entry. Porsche leads the manufacturers’ championship after wins at Daytona and Sebring.
Throwback liveries from IMSA's WeatherTech Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge are slated for WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca ahead of the StubHub Monterey SportsCar Championship weekend, featuring Corvette Racing’s 2000 C5-R white scheme, Paul Miller Racing’s 1975 BMW CSL tribute, Apple Computer liveries on the Porsche 963s, and other retro designs across multiple classes.
The No. 89 Lexus RC F GT3 was stripped of its GTD pole at Long Beach due to a ground-clearance violation, promoting Robert Wickens in the Corvette Z06 GT3.R for DXDT Racing to the pole. Frankie Montecalvo’s Lexus will start from the rear, while Danny Formal’s No. 45 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 moves to the front row. The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach starts Saturday at 1:05 p.m. PT with coverage on NBC, Peacock and IMSA’s YouTube channel.
Two Porsche 963 prototypes from Porsche Penske Motorsport race Long Beach in a striking Apple Music livery, continuing their IMSA title bid after wins at Daytona and Sebring. The 100-minute street race features No. 6 (Estre/Vanthoor) and No. 7 (Andlauer/Nasr) with Porsche leading the standings, on the tight, coastal circuit that attracts major attention alongside IndyCar.
IMSA's WeatherTech Championship previews the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, celebrating 20 years at the event with new sponsor placements and liveries on top entries; rookies join the GTP and GTD grids, including Andlauer, Heinrich and Vesti, while teams adjust to increased dry-tire sets (five) and Michelin's Pilot Sport Endurance Soft, plus a rule restricting wet tires in dry practice. The weekend also features strategic talk about added weight on the No. 6 Porsche 963 and potential tire changes, Porsche Penske testing at Laguna Seca, and personnel moves like Fraga's Laguna Seca absence and Mattia Drudi being named Heart of Racing's reserve. Thunder Thursday at the Pike leads into Friday practice.
To mark its 40th anniversary in the U.S., Acura is recreating its original IMSA race car—the number 48 Comptech Integra—as the Integra 40 Racer with a rebuilt D16A1 engine and modern upgrades (coil-on-plug, Monsoon ECU, Borla exhaust, Torsen LSD) while stripping the interior for a race-ready build; it will debut at the 51st Acura Grand Prix in Long Beach, celebrating heritage with a period-correct look and a promise of spirited driving.