Editing IMSA

{{Short description|North American auto racing sanctioning body}}
{{About|the International Motor Sports Association}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox Sport governing body
| assocname     = International Motor Sports Association
|abbrev         = IMSA
| logo          = International Motor Sports Association logo (2014-present).svg
| logosize      =
| sport         = [[Motorsport]]
| founded       = {{Start date and age|1969}}
| aff           = [[Automobile Competition Committee for the United States|ACCUS]]-[[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile|FIA]]
| affdate       =
| region        =
| regionyear    =
| image         =
| size          =
| caption       =
| category      =
| jurisdiction  = North America; United States and Canada
| year closed   =
| headquarters  = [[Daytona Beach]], Florida
| Owner         = [[NASCAR]]
| Parent company = [[NASCAR]]
| chiefexec     = Ed Bennett
| chairman      = Jim France
| president     = John Doonan
| vicepresident = {{ubl|Simon Hodgson<br>{{small|(Competition)}}|David Pettit<br>{{small|(Marketing)}}}}
| replaced      =
| prevfounded   =
| url           = www.imsa.com
| countryflag   = USA
| countryflag2  = CAN
}}
The '''International Motor Sports Association''' ('''IMSA''') is a North American [[sports car racing]] sanctioning body based in [[Daytona Beach, Florida]], under the jurisdiction of the [[Automobile Competition Committee for the United States|ACCUS]] arm of the [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile|FIA]]. It was started by John Bishop, a former executive director of [[SCCA]] (Sports Car Club of America), and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from [[William France Sr.|Bill France Sr.]] of [[NASCAR]]. Beginning in 2014,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imsa.com/|title=IMSA|website=IMSA|access-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704012457/https://www.imsa.com/|archive-date=2017-07-04|url-status=live}}</ref> IMSA is the sanctioning body of the [[WeatherTech SportsCar Championship]], the premier series resulting from the merger of [[Rolex Sports Car Series|Grand-Am Road Racing]] and the [[American Le Mans Series]].  IMSA is owned by NASCAR, as a division of the company.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1185897395009282049|user=bobpockrass|title=@DrewPalmquist IMSA Holdings is a division of NASCAR.<!-- full text of tweet that Twitter returned to the bot (excluding links) added by TweetCiteBot. This may be better truncated or may need expanding (TW limits responses to 140 characters) or case changes. --> |date=20 October 2019}}</ref>

==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>

==Circuits==
{{main|List of IMSA SportsCar Championship circuits}}

==Current sanctioned series==
These are the series that are currently sanctioned and managed by the IMSA organization.

=== IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship ===
{{main|IMSA SportsCar Championship}}
[[File:BMW Mazda Pack (50316287601).jpg|thumb|Cars during the 2020 TireRack.com Grand Prix at Road Atlanta]]
The [[WeatherTech SportsCar Championship]] was created in 2014 through the merger of [[Rolex Sports Car Series|Grand-Am Road Racing]] and the [[American Le Mans Series]]. It debuted under the name ''Tudor United SportsCar Championship'' on January 25–26, 2014 at [[Daytona International Speedway]]. For the 2016 season title sponsorship changed from Tudor to WeatherTech. This series currently features [[LMDh]], [[LMP2]], and [[Group GT3|GT3]] cars.

=== IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge ===
{{main|Michelin Pilot Challenge}}

The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is a [[grand tourer|grand touring]] and [[touring car racing]] series run by the International Motor Sports Association. The [[Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge]] was the support series for GRAND-AM's premier offering, the [[Rolex Sports Car Series]]. In 2014 it became the support series for the [[United SportsCar Championship]] series upon the merger of the Rolex Series and the [[American Le Mans Series]]. The series branded as the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, with [[Continental Tire]] having been title sponsor since the 2010 season until 2018. In 2019 [[Michelin]] replaced Continental Tire as supplier and title sponsor. This series uses [[TCR Touring Car]]s and [[SRO GT4|GT4]] cars.

===IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge===
{{main|IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge}}

The IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge is a development series featuring [[Le Mans Prototype#LMP3|LMP3]] and [[Group GT4|GT4]] cars. The series was introduced in 2023 as a replacement for the [[IMSA Prototype Challenge]] series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.autoweek.com/racing/more-racing/a40486558/imsa-to-replace-prototype-challenge-with-new-sprint-racing-class-in-2023/|title=IMSA to Replace Prototype Challenge with New Sprint Racing Class in 2023|date=July 1, 2022|accessdate=January 21, 2023|website=autoweek.com|publisher=Hearst Autos, Inc}}</ref> Races in this series are usually run in support of events for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Events consist of two 45-minute sprint races with no pit stops or driver changes. Unlike its predecessor series, the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge features multi-class racing with prototypes and GTs on track at the same time. As the series is a development series for higher tier series among IMSA's championships, drivers are required to hold either a Silver or Bronze categorization from the [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile|FIA]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sportscar365.com/imsa/ipc/imsa-confirms-vp-racing-sportscar-challenge-for-2023/|title=IMSA Confirms VP Racing SportsCar Challenge for 2023|date=July 1, 2022|accessdate=January 21, 2023|website=sportscar365.com|publisher=John Dagys Media, LLC}}</ref>

=== Porsche Carrera Cup North America ===
{{main|IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge}}
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama is a one-make series dedicated to the [[Porsche 911 GT3]], similar in concept to the [[Porsche Carrera Cup]], held since 2005. Drivers are allowed to race in two different classes, Platinum and Gold. The entries were allowed in the American Le Mans Series starting in [[2009 American Le Mans Series season|2009]], in the GTC Class. The series became the [[Porsche Carrera Cup North America]] beginning in the 2021 season.

=== Ferrari Challenge ===
{{main|Ferrari Challenge}}
The Ferrari Challenge is a one-make series dedicated currently to the [[Ferrari 488]], which was previously sanctioned by Grand-Am prior to the merger.

=== Lamborghini Super Trofeo ===
{{main|Lamborghini Super Trofeo}}
The Lamborghini Super Trofeo is a one-make series dedicated currently to multi-class racing, showcasing both the new [[Huracán LP 620-2 Super Trofeo]] and the [[Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo]] that was the exclusive car for the first two seasons of the North America championship in 2013 and 2014.  The series debuted in North America under IMSA sanction in 2013.

=== Mazda MX-5 Cup ===
{{Main|Mazda MX-5 Cup}}
The Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by [[BFGoodrich|BFGoodrich Tires]] is the signature spec series for the Mazda Road to 24.

The MX-5 Cup race cars start as complete [[Mazda MX-5|MX-5 road cars]] from the [[Mazda]] [[Hiroshima|Hiroshima, Japan]] factory before being transported to engineering development partner Flis Performance in [[Daytona Beach, Florida]], where they are transformed into a race car.

The series entered a sanctioning agreement with IMSA beginning with the 2021 season.

=== Ford Mustang Challenge ===
{{Main|IMSA Ford Mustang Challenge}}
In July 27, 2023, Ford and IMSA announced that the [[Ford Mustang (seventh generation)|7th Generation Mustang]] would have its own spec-racing series called Mustang Challenge, IMSA will sanction the championship with the organization of Ford themselves via the Ford Performance Racing School.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gauthier |first=Michael |date=2023-07-27 |title=Whoa, Nellie! Ford Mustang Dark Horse R Introduced For One-Make Racing Series |url=https://www.carscoops.com/2023/07/whoa-nellie-ford-mustang-dark-horse-r-introduced-for-one-make-racing-series/ |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=Carscoops |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-27 |title=IMSA-Sanctioned Mustang Challenge Ready to Launch in 2024 |url=https://www.imsa.com/news/2023/07/27/imsa-sanctioned-mustang-challenge-ready-to-launch-in-2024/ |access-date=2023-07-27 |website=IMSA Official Website}}</ref>

=== IMSA HSR Prototype Challenge ===
On October 24, 2023, it was announced that [[Historic Sportscar Racing|HSR]] (owned by IMSA since January 2022) and IMSA were forming a new prototype-only series for both [[Le Mans Prototype|LMP3]] Gen 1 and Gen 2 cars called the IMSA HSR Prototype Challenge. A minimum 20-car grid was announced as the requirement for standalone races to be held, if not incorporated into races with other prototypes. The six-event calendar will follow HSR's usual events, including the Classic 24 Hour at Daytona and the Classic 12 Hour at Sebring.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sportscar365.com/imsa/hsr-prototype-challenge-presented-by-imsa-set-to-launch-in-2024/|title=HSR Prototype Challenge by IMSA Set to Launch in 2024|date=October 24, 2023|work=sportscar365.com|publisher=John Dagys Media|accessdate=October 24, 2023}}</ref>

==Defunct series==
These are the series that were formerly run by the IMSA organization.

=== IMSA GT Championship ===
{{main|IMSA GT Championship}}

=== American Le Mans Series ===
{{main|American Le Mans Series}}

=== 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{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}}.  That being the only race held in 1969 details are sketchy{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}}, but over the winter of 1969&ndash;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 was 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'' (better and later known as the [[Goody's Dash Series]]) was sanctioned by NASCAR and consisted of 4-cylinder 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.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

=== IMSA RS ===
The ''IMSA RS Series'' (for ''radial sedan'') began as the ''Baby Grand Series'', in 1971. Originally sponsored by [[BFGoodrich|B.F. Goodrich]] (therefore known as ''Goodrich Radial Challenge'') until they dropped sponsorship midway through 1975 (or 1976) and then by [[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company|Goodyear]] (becoming the ''Goodyear Radial Challenge''), and later as ''Champion Spark Plug Challenge''.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}}

The initial race held was in 1969 at [[Talladega Superspeedway]] Road Course. Gaston Andrey was first overall in an [[Alfa Romeo Giulia Super]] sedan.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://touringcarracing.net/Races/1969%20Talladega.html |title=1969 IMSA - round 1 |access-date=2014-12-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228000229/http://touringcarracing.net/Races/1969%20Talladega.html |archive-date=2014-12-28 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=17325|title=IMSA International Sedan race|website=www.ultimateracinghistory.com|access-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304095103/http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=17325|archive-date=2016-03-04|url-status=live}}</ref>  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; Rasey Feezell was first overall in an [[Alfa Romeo Giulia TI Super]] sedan;<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://touringcarracing.net/Races/1970%20Summit%20Point.html |title=1970 IMSA - round 2 |access-date=2014-12-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230853/http://touringcarracing.net/Races/1970%20Summit%20Point.html |archive-date=2016-03-03 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/sedan-1962-1977/47867-autodelta-ti-super.html#post417895|title=Autodelta Ti Super - Alfa Romeo Bulletin Board & Forums|website=www.alfabb.com|access-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510074242/http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/sedan-1962-1977/47867-autodelta-ti-super.html#post417895|archive-date=2017-05-10|url-status=live}}</ref> the second race was held at the [[Montgomery Speedway]], Alabama, [[Red Farmer]] won in a specially prepared [[Datsun 510]].  Feezell didn't fare too well having to drive against the local four-cylinder "beater class" cars brought in to fill out the field, with their protruding wheels rubbing Racey's "immaculate" [[Alfa Romeo]]. Infuriated, Feezell quit and never ran another IMSA RS race after that.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

The idea was to attract racers who did not have the budgets that were required in the GT category as well as an emphasis on compact sedans such as the [[AMC Gremlin]] and the [[Opel Manta]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} 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 {{convert|232|cuin|L}} AMC Gremlin. In 1974 all cars were placed in one class, with the only parity for the smaller engines being free [[carburetor|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. The series was loosely based on rival SCCA [[Trans-Am]]'s Two-Five Challenge rules.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bsedan.com/hist25.html|title=The history of the Trans-AM 2.5 Challenge |website=www.bsedan.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224132453/http://www.bsedan.com/hist25.html|archive-date=February 24, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grmotorsports.com/news/012005/potent-pintos-these-drivers-have-no-worries-about-being-hit-from-behind.php|title=Grassroots Motorsports » Potent Pintos: These Drivers Have No Worries About Being Hit from Behind<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221080035/http://www.grmotorsports.com/news/012005/potent-pintos-these-drivers-have-no-worries-about-being-hit-from-behind.php|archive-date=2007-02-21|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The series became dominated mostly by [[Mazda]]'s [[Mazda Wankel engine|rotary-powered]] [[Mazda RX-2|RX-2]] and [[Mazda RX-3|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=mazdaSpeedMotorsportsRacingHeritageCommon&sectionParameter=heritage01|title=Mazda Motorsports – Mazda Motorsports Development|website=MazdaUSA.com|access-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304112742/http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=mazdaSpeedMotorsportsRacingHeritageCommon&sectionParameter=heritage01|archive-date=2016-03-04|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Datsun]] also had a fair share of success within the series with cars such as the [[Datsun 510|510]] and [[Nissan 200SX|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.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}} 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.
{{Expand section|date=May 2008}}

=== American Challenge ===
The ''American Challenge'' (in full, ''Kelly American Challenge''), otherwise abbreviated as ''AAC'' was a category for US-built cars and throughout the series, it was always run as a support race to the premier GT series. Starting in 1977, the series ran until 1989.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://members.aol.com/autoracg/|title=AIM|website=members.aol.com|access-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070318012821/http://members.aol.com/autoracg/|archive-date=2007-03-18|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1992, the premier GTO category was renamed to GTS due to sponsor reasons, and 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 Moise]], [[Clay Young]], [[Lyn St. James]] and [[Paul Gentilozzi]].<ref>http://www.wspr-racing.com/wspr/results/imsa/nf_imsa_home.html WSPR-Racing.com</ref>
{{Expand section|date=May 2008}}

=== IMSA Renault Cup ===
{{Essay-like|section|date=March 2009}}

The [[Renault]] Cup was a [[one-design|one-make]] racing series that ran between 1982 and 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 5|Renault Le Car]] for two seasons on the East Coast until 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.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000304191621/http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/6402/mrrh.htm My Renault Racing History<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://michronicleonline.com/2014/01/15/reflections-life-is-for-living/page-d-1/|title=Page D-1|date=15 January 2014|access-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912024949/http://michronicleonline.com/2014/01/15/reflections-life-is-for-living/page-d-1/|archive-date=2016-09-12|url-status=live}}</ref>

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 similar 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 to be drafted with all the members' input. The rules along with the association's proposed plan to organize and launch the series, were sent to several manufacturers soliciting sponsorship, including [[Mazda]], [[Toyota]], [[Nissan Motors|Nissan]], and 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 counterproposal 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 {{#dateformat:April 4, 1981}} 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.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ktsmotorsportsgarage.com/quiz/quiz16.html|title=Parker Johnstone - A Sponsors Dream Driver<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022014147/http://www.ktsmotorsportsgarage.com/quiz/quiz16.html|archive-date=2007-10-22|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theautochannel.com/news/date/19980419/news011530.html|title=INDYLIGHTS: Parker Johnstone Teams With Dorricott Racing|website=www.theautochannel.com|access-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190933/http://www.theautochannel.com/news/date/19980419/news011530.html|archive-date=2016-03-03|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{Expand section|date=May 2008}}

=== IMSA Showroom Stock ===
In 1985, IMSA would undergo a major rules reformat while still retaining its sponsor, therefore it was still known by its [[Champion (spark plug)|sponsor's]] moniker. This time, the series was more restricted to current models, that is to say models then currently available for retail sale in dealerships throughout the US. Other than that, the series had rules and race formats 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'', commonly known as the ''Firehawk Series'', after the Firehawk performance tire brand. Total prize purses, year-end point funds and manufacturer contingency awards in 1991 amounted up to $1 million. As required by the sponsor, all cars were required to use its own Firehawk SZ or Firehawk SV tires which could be shaved to racing depth, or the all-season Firehawk GTX. [[Robert Bosch GmbH|Bosch]] and Kendall Oil were also associate sponsors.

Most of the drivers that competed in the series were amateurs or semi-professional, whilst a few made their living out of competing in the series. [[Dorsey Schroeder]] and [[John Andretti]] are among the few full-time professional drivers who cut their teeth in the series.<ref name=showroom>{{cite book
 | last = McKnight
 | first = Nigel
 | title = Showroom Stock Race Car Preparation
 | edition = 1st
 | year = 1991
 | publisher= [[Motorbooks]]
 | isbn = 0-87938-652-5
 }}</ref> Meetings usually attracted over ninety entries and were often televised, the duration of the races varying from one two hour and a half event to one 24 hour race. The series would soldier on until 1998, by then known as ''[[Speedvision]] Cup'', named for the former motosports-oriented television network.

During the sportscar racing "split" from 1998 until 2013, a rival series from Canada, the Motorola Cup, was sanctioned by the SCCA, with Grand-Am taking over in 2001.  This is the other series that led to the modern [[Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge]].

There are three classes, sorted in order from the highest
*Grand Sport Class
**[[Chevrolet Camaro]], [[Pontiac Trans Am]], [[Nissan 300ZX]] (twin-turbo), [[BMW M3]], [[Ford Thunderbird]], [[Ford Mustang]], [[Porsche 944]], [[Mazda RX-7]] (FC3S)
*Sport Class
**[[Pontiac Sunbird Turbo]], [[Dodge Daytona|Dodge Daytona Turbo II]], [[Honda Civic|Honda Civic CRX Si]],  [[Volkswagen Corrado]]
*Touring Class,
**[[Honda Civic Si]], [[Audi 100 Quattro]], [[Pontiac Grand Am]]
{{Expand section|date=May 2008}}

=== IMSA Bridgestone Supercar Championship ===
IMSA also hosted the '''Bridgestone Supercar Championship''', sponsored by the sister brand of Firestone, [[Bridgestone]], which was for higher-end sports cars such as the [[Porsche 911 Turbo]], [[Lotus Esprit#X180R|Lotus Esprit X180R]], [[Chevrolet Corvette]], [[Mazda RX-7]] and [[Nissan 300ZX]] and was run between 1991 up until 1995. Usually a televised support race to the GT races, running at 30 minutes, the series attracted some well-known professional drivers such as [[Hans-Joachim Stuck]], [[Hurley Haywood]], [[Doc Bundy]], [[Elliot Forbes-Robinson]], [[Andy Pilgrim]] and [[Paul Newman]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wspr-racing.com/wspr/results/imsa/nf_imsa_home.html|title=International Motor Sport Association<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=2 July 2017}}</ref> with a total prize fund of $555,555 for the 1992 season. All cars had to run on road-going Bridgestone Potenza RE71 tires which were trimmed to semi-racing depth and during a wet race, cars raced on full depth.<ref name=showroom/>

The series was not without controversy, mainly for the all-composite [[Consulier GTP]], as it was bordering on a departure from the showroom stock ethos, as well as being criticised for having little common with cars that the general public ever saw on a public road.<ref name=showroom/>
The GTP debuted with just four silver Consulier Series II GTP at [[Lime Rock Park|Lime Rock]] in 1991, despite having a 2.2 liter [[Turbocharger|turbo]] with about {{convert|195|hp|abbr=on}} connected to a five-speed gearbox, weighing at {{convert|2100|lb|abbr=on}}. The car took a pole-to-chequered flag finish, easily outpacing the other more powerful but heavier cars, even if they were piloted by talented and more experienced drivers such as Hurley Haywood in a factory Porsche, [[Boris Said]]'s [[Callaway Cars Incorporated|Callaway]] Twin Turbo [[Chevrolet Corvette|Corvette]], and Jim Minnaker in a factory ZR1 Corvette. It was subsequently announced by IMSA that they felt that it was not in the best interests of the series to allow the Consulier to continue with such a massive weight advantage, so as a result they added a {{convert|300|lb|abbr=on}} weight penalty to the GTP, before its being barred from the series altogether at the end of the season, despite taking a runner up spot.
{{Expand section|date=May 2008}}

Despite that, the spirit of that series continues today with the modern GT3-based sportscars.

=== Formula BMW USA ===
{{main|Formula BMW}}
The '''Formula BMW USA''' series is the North American version of the open-wheel series supported by [[BMW]]. 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 ===
{{main|Atlantic Championship}}
In June 2008, IMSA began sanction of the Atlantic Championship for two seasons. The series later came under SCCA Pro Racing sanction in 2012.

=== Panoz Racing Series ===
Originally began as '''Women's Global GT Series''', formed by [[Lyn St. James]] 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.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite web|url=http://www.f1rejects.com/drivers/amati/biography.html|title=Giovanna Amati - Biography<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=2 July 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725091350/http://f1rejects.com/drivers/amati/biography.html|archive-date=25 July 2008}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sumagazine.syr.edu/summer01/features/sportinglife/sportingpg2.html|title=A Sporting Life page 2<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813221422/http://sumagazine.syr.edu/summer01/features/sportinglife/sportingpg2.html|archive-date=2007-08-13|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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 racing|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]].<ref name=autogenerated2 />

=== Ultra 94 Porsche Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama ===
{{main|IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Canada}}
In 2011, IMSA created the Ultra 94 Porsche Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama, which races in support of major Canadian motorsports events including, the [[Formula One]] [[Canadian Grand Prix]], the [[Honda Indy Toronto]], the [[Grand Prix of Mosport]] and the [[Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières]]. The series was replaced by the Porsche Carrera Cup North America in 2021.

=== IMSA Prototype Challenge ===
{{main|Mazda Prototype Lites|IMSA Prototype Challenge}}
The [[Mazda]] Prototype Lites presented by [[Cooper Tires]] Championship was a series featuring two classes of single-seat prototype cars racing simultaneously. Most races were held in support of the United SportsCar Championship; prior to 2014 it was the support series for the [[American Le Mans Series]]. The L1 class featured [[Élan Motorsport Technologies]] DP02 cars powered by a [[Mazda L engine|Mazda MP2 engine]], and L2 consists of [[West Racing]] WX10 and WR1000 chassis with either a [[Kawasaki ZX-10R]] or [[Suzuki GSX-R1000]] engine.<ref>{{cite web|title=Prototype Lites: 2011 Season Preview|url=http://www.esportsracer.com/news_info.php?n=109&sid=e37756815803e4d5d16c9fe900c3e1da|publisher=eSportsRacer.com|access-date=30 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326110305/http://www.esportsracer.com/news_info.php?n=109&sid=e37756815803e4d5d16c9fe900c3e1da|archive-date=26 March 2012|date=11 March 2011|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Each class had an overall championship, a master's championship for drivers at least 40 years of age, and a team championship. In 2017 the series became the IMSA Prototype Challenge presented by Mazda, featuring [[Le Mans Prototype|LMP3]] cars and L1 cars re-branded as MPC (Mazda Prototype Challenge). In 2023, the series was replaced by the [[IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge]], which featured [[Le Mans Prototype|LMP3]] and [[Group GT4|GT4]] in their respective classes with shorter race distances.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.imsa.com/ IMSA Racing] - Official Website
{{IMSA GT Championships}}
{{American Le Mans Series}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:International Motor Sports Association| ]]
[[Category:Auto racing organizations in the United States]]
[[Category:Companies based in Volusia County, Florida]]
[[Category:Sports organizations established in 1969]]
[[Category:Sports car racing]]
[[Category:NASCAR]]