Editing IMSA (section)

==History==
{{anchor|John Bishop}}

===John Bishop and SCCA===
John Bishop, a [[Sikorsky Aircraft|Sikorsky]] 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.<ref name="IMSAblog Apr 06">{{cite web|url=http://alex62.typepad.com/imsablog/2006/04/index.html|title=IMSAblog: A tribute to John Bishop|access-date=21 January 2008|date=23 April 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724075858/http://alex62.typepad.com/imsablog/2006/04/index.html|archive-date=2011-07-24|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref name="prototypes, p14">{{cite book
 | first1 = J. A. | last1 = Martin
 | first2 = Ken | last2 = Wells
 | title = [[Prototypes: The History of the IMSA GTP Series]]
 | edition = 1st
 |date= January 2001
 | publisher = [[David Bull Publishing]]
 | location = United States
 | isbn = 1-893618-01-3
 | pages = 13–14
 }}</ref> He became well known in the motorsport scene and enjoyed a good relationship with the organization's president and [[Kimberly-Clark]] heir, James H. Kimberly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.journaltimes.com/news/national/article_1cf5aebc-1b3c-5dd7-983f-de6c744a43a2.html|title=James Kimberly, Kleenex heir, dies|last=By|date=2 February 1994 |access-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141201184552/http://journaltimes.com/news/national/article_1cf5aebc-1b3c-5dd7-983f-de6c744a43a2.html|archive-date=2014-12-01|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="IMSAblog Feb 06">{{cite web|url=http://alex62.typepad.com/imsablog/2006/01/index.html|title=IMSAblog: Do you want to know about GT racing in the 70s|access-date=21 January 2008|date=January 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930224952/http://alex62.typepad.com/imsablog/2006/01/index.html|archive-date=2011-09-30|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1958, things changed for Bishop as the SCCA experienced internal changes. A new executive director position was created, to which each regional executive reported. 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.<ref name="IMSAblog Apr 06"/>

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.<ref name="IMSAblog Apr 06"/>

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 International Speedway|Daytona]], [[Sebring International Raceway|Sebring]], [[Bridgehampton Race Circuit|Bridgehampton]] and [[Watkins Glen International|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 (racing)|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/[[Canadian Auto Sport Clubs|CASC]] [[Can-Am]] series.<ref name="IMSAblog Apr 06"/>

In 1969, the tension and in-fighting caused Bishop to resign.<ref name="IMSAblog Apr 06"/>

===Beginnings===
[[File:Logo IMSA.svg|thumb|Original logo, used from 1969 to 2013]]
[[Bill France Sr.]] was instrumental in the creation of the International Motor Sports Association.  France founded [[NASCAR]] 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 articles of incorporation were filed in [[Connecticut]] on June 23, 1969.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/06/25/imsa-at-50-part-one-overview-and-the-1970s.html|title=IMSA At 50: Part One, Overview & The 1970s – dailysportscar.com|website=www.dailysportscar.com|access-date=2019-06-28}}</ref>

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.<ref name=":0" />

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.

===GT era===
{{Further|IMSA GT Championship}}
[[File:Gtp sports cars.jpg|thumb|300px|(front to rear) [[Tommy Kendall]] and [[Wayne Taylor]] (both driving an [[Intrepid RM-1]]) leads eventual winner [[Davy Jones (racing driver)|Davy Jones]] ([[Jaguar XJR-16]]) and [[Chip Robinson]], followed by [[Geoff Brabham]] (both in [[Nissan NPT-91]]), [[Raul Boesel]] (XJR-16) and [[James Weaver (racing driver)|James Weaver]] ([[Porsche 962]]) in the [[Nissan]] Grand Prix of Ohio, at [[Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course]], 1991<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wsrp.ic.cz/imsa1991.html#10 |title=IMSA GT 1991 season |publisher=WSRP |access-date=2014-06-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922201406/http://wsrp.ic.cz/imsa1991.html |archive-date=2008-09-22 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Mid-Ohio-1991-06-02-photo.html |title=Racing Sports Cars |publisher=Racing Sports Cars |date=1991-02-06 |access-date=2014-06-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183937/http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Mid-Ohio-1991-06-02-photo.html |archive-date=2016-03-03 |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
At the end of the 1970 season, Bishop helped to establish the foundations of the FIA ([[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile]]) "J appendix" for [[World Championship for Makes]] sports cars. For the end of the 1970 season, he advertised a new championship for [[Group 2 (racing)|Group 2]] and [[Group 4 (racing)|Group 4]] cars with equity between competitors.<ref name="IMSAblog Apr 06"/>

The {{IMSA|1971}} ''Grand Touring'' (GT) season introduced international [[Endurance racing (motorsport)|endurance racing]] to [[North America]]. In {{IMSA|1972}}, [[Camel (cigarette)|Camel Cigarettes]] became the new sponsor of the GT series and the sedan series became known as the [[BFGoodrich|B.F. Goodrich]] Radial Challenge. In {{IMSA|1973}}, the [[12 Hours of Sebring]] joined the IMSA GT Championship's schedule.<ref>[https://www.racingarchives.org/blogpost/how-sebring-was-saved-from-oblivion-in-1973/ How Sebring Was Saved From Oblivion in 1973] - International Motor Racing Research Center / IMSA 1969-1989</ref> Later that year, the organization gained recognition from the [[Automobile Competition Committee for the United States|ACCUS]] and the FIA. IMSA was scheduled to sanction the 1974 [[24 Hours of Daytona]], but the race was cancelled because of the oil crisis.<ref>[https://www.racingarchives.org/blogpost/1975-the-first-24-hours-of-daytona-sanctioned-by-imsa/ 1975 – The First 24 Hours of Daytona Sanctioned by IMSA] - International Motor Racing Research Center</ref>

Bishop did not believe that [[Factory-backed|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 (motorsports)|privateer teams]] and helping them to become competitive.  As European cars began to dominate, a new series was formed in {{IMSA|1975}} called ''All American Grand Touring'' (AAGT) to give equal latitude to foreign cars.  [[Turbocharger|Turbocharged]] cars were permitted in {{IMSA|1977}}.

In the same year, Bishop invited a pair of [[Jean Rondeau (racing driver)|Jean Rondeau]]-built [[Inaltera]]'s to compete as "special prototypes".  They became the foundation of the newly formed Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) category in {{IMSA|1981}}, with separate rules similar to [[Group C]] (Bishop was unhappy with the fuel consumption formula of the latter).<ref name="Endurance">{{cite book
 | last = Briggs
 | first = Ian
 | author-link = Ian Briggs
 | title = Endurance Racing 1981&ndash;1991
 | edition = 1st
 | year = 1991
 | publisher= Osprey Automotive
 | location = United Kingdom
 | isbn = 1-85532-228-5
 | pages = 24&21
 }}</ref>

In {{IMSA|1984}}, [[Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile]] (FISA), the organizers of the [[World Sportscar Championship|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 [[1984 24 Hours of Le Mans|that year]]. FISA responded by abandoning the rule change for the time being.<ref name="Endurance"/>

In {{IMSA|1987}}, 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 engine]]s 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.<ref name="Endurance"/>

IMSA continued to have success with its own Camel GT series.<ref name="Endurance"/>

====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-backed teams and less to the privateers as Bishop originally intended. Rules were modified to accommodate the factory teams, which wanted to get into the series, despite Bishop's belief that such changes would be unfavorable to the series in the long run, especially if they failed to meet their objectives.<ref name="prototypes, p14"/>

In January 1989, the Bishops sold the company to Mike Cone and Jeff Parker, owners of the [[Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg#IMSA .28fairgrounds.29|IMSA Grand Prix of St. Petersburg]].<ref name="prototypes, p14"/> 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.<ref name="Endurance"/> Cone and Parker in turn sold the organization to businessman Charles Slater by the early 1990s.<ref name="tampa 20dec96">{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/1997/01/20/daily2.html|title=IMSA wheels some of its people to NY, Indy dmyauthor=|date=January 20, 1997|work=Tampa Bay Business Journal|access-date=2008-01-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101209060018/http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/1997/01/20/daily2.html|archive-date=2010-12-09|url-status=live}}</ref>

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 (racing driver)|Andy Evans]], who also was an IndyCar owner and owner/driver of the [[Team Scandia|Scandia]] World Sports Car team. These changes would lead to the departure of many of the executive board members.<ref name="tampa 20dec96"/> Evans was responsible for the name change to '''Professional Sports Car Racing''' (PSCR).<ref name="Smotherman">{{cite web|url=http://www.cs.clemson.edu/~mark/racing.html#imsa|title=Selected Sports Car Racing History:1997 shakeup in US|access-date=21 January 2008|last=Smotherman|first=Mark|date=24 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013114645/http://www.cs.clemson.edu/~mark/racing.html#imsa|archive-date=2008-10-13|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1998 the [[United States Road Racing Championship]] was revived as an alternative to Professional Sports Car Racing, 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.  When this initially failed, as a result [[Don Panoz]] and Barber departed to affiliate themselves with PSCR.<ref name="Smotherman"/>

===American Le Mans Series era===
{{Further|American Le Mans Series}}
[[File:American Le Mans Series at Road America 2007.jpg|thumb|American Le Mans Series at Road America, 2007]]
In the spring of 1998, Don Panoz created a partnership with the [[Automobile Club de L'Ouest]] (ACO), the organizers of the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]], to begin a 10-hour race in the spirit of Le Mans, dubbed the [[Petit Le Mans]] to be held at Panoz's [[Road Atlanta]] facility. After the success of the [[1998 Petit Le Mans|inaugural Petit Le Mans]] as a part of the [[1998 IMSA GT Championship|1998 Professional SportsCar Racing Championship season]], Panoz announced a new full season championship for [[1999 American Le Mans Series|1999]], to be known as the [[American Le Mans Series]] (ALMS) which adopted the ACO's rulebook under PSCR sanction.  The new series replaced the Professional Sports Car Racing championship as PSCR's headline series.

Under tremendous pressure from team owners and management, Evans sold Professional Sports Car Racing to [[Don Panoz]] in 2001,<ref name="Smotherman"/> to solidify the American Le Mans Series. Don Panoz renamed the sanctioning organization back to the International Motor Sports Association and was the official sanctioning body of the ALMS, as well as its support series, the [[Mazda Prototype Lites|Prototype Lites]], the [[Pro Mazda Championship|Star Mazda]] series, [[IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge|GT3 Cup Challenge]] and the [[Panoz]] GT Pro series. IMSA became part of Panoz Motorsports Group, which included the ALMS, Elan Motorsports Technology and Mosport, Sebring and Road Atlanta race tracks. Scott Atherton was appointed President of Panoz Motorsports Group and he appointed [[Tim Mayer]] to manage IMSA. IMSA's main series, the ALMS focused on manufacturer entries along with top privateers with the worldwide prestige of championship greatly increasing.

After the [[1999 United States Road Racing Championship|1999 USRRC season]] was cancelled halfway through its schedule due to a lack of competitors, a second attempt at a new sports car sanction body known as the [[Grand American Road Racing Association]] was created with full support of NASCAR's [[France family]] and other motorsports notables and had its inaugural season in [[2000 Grand American Road Racing Championship|2000]]. Grand-Am struggled early on, but proved to be a formidable competitor to the ALMS in later years with a different philosophy based on lower-tech cars, most notably its prototype category [[Daytona Prototype]], giving larger fields and closer competition. Much like the split between [[Champ Car]] and the [[IndyCar Series|IRL]], this split was seen by many as being detrimental to the sport as a whole.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Olson |first1=Jeff |title=Decade after ALMS/GRAND AM merger, IMSA still arcing higher |url=https://racer.com/2022/09/02/decade-after-alms-grand-am-merger-imsa-still-arcing-higher/ |website=[[Racer (magazine)|Racer.com]] |access-date=September 2, 2024 |date=September 2, 2022}}</ref>

===Purchase by NASCAR and reunification===
{{Further|IMSA SportsCar Championship}}
[[File:2014 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona (12178633616).jpg|thumb|[[2014 24 Hours of Daytona]], first race of reunified IMSA SportsCar Championship]]
In 2012, Don Panoz sold the Braselton, Georgia-based ALMS to [[Grand-Am Road Racing]], in turn owned directly by [[NASCAR]] and helped organize a merger between the ALMS and the [[Rolex Sports Car Series]]. In 2013 the unified series was announced as the Tudor United SportsCar Championship (now [[IMSA SportsCar Championship]]). The announcement also confirmed that IMSA will manage and sanction the new series, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of NASCAR.

On September 19, 2019, Scott Atherton announced retirement from his position as the President of the International Motor Sports Association at the end of 2019. He had held that role since the merger of IMSA's [[American Le Mans Series]] with the Grand-Am [[Rolex Sports Car Series]] in 2014.<ref name="Atherton">{{cite web|url=https://racer.com/2019/09/19/atherton-to-leave-imsa-after-2019-season/|title=Atherton to leave IMSA after 2019 season|last=Pruett|first=Marshall|date=September 19, 2019|work=racer.com|publisher=Racer Media & Marketing, Inc|access-date=September 20, 2019}}</ref> One month following that announcement, then-director of [[Mazda]]'s motorsports program in North America, John Doonan, was confirmed to be Atherton's replacement.<ref name="DoonanPresident">{{cite web|url=https://racer.com/2019/10/15/doonan-named-new-imsa-president/|title=Doonan named new IMSA president|last=Pruett|first=Marshall|date=October 15, 2019|work=racer.com|publisher=Racer Media & Marketing Inc.|access-date=October 30, 2019}}</ref>  Ed Bennett, longtime NASCAR executive, was also President and CEO of Grand-Am Road Racing from August 2011 to December 2013 during the merger period and has continued as CEO of the modern era IMSA since January 2014.<ref name=":1" />

At the 2021 Daytona 24 Hours, IMSA and the ACO announced the historic alignment of the technical regulations for sportscar racing, which was further detailed in June of that year, which brought about the convergence of all sportscar regulations between the FIA, IMSA and the ACO.<ref>{{cite web |date=18 June 2013 |title=IMSA Senior Leadership Team Organizational Structure Finalized |url=https://www.automobilsport.com/race-categories--24,112459,IMSA-Senior-Leadership-Team-Organizational-Structure-Finalized,news.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527152127/https://www.automobilsport.com/race-categories--24,112459,IMSA-Senior-Leadership-Team-Organizational-Structure-Finalized,news.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=May 27, 2023}}</ref>

In January 2022, IMSA bought [[Historic Sportscar Racing]], whose events include the Classic 24 Hours of Daytona, the Classic 12 Hours of Sebring  and the [[Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imsa.com/news/2022/01/27/imsa-acquires-historic-sportscar-racing/|title=IMSA Acquires Historic Sportscar Racing &#124; IMSA}}</ref>