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. GTP sports cars racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 1991 Sports car racing is a form of circuit racing, with cars that have two seats and enclosed wheel wells. ... The International Motor Sports Association (generally referred to as IMSA) is an American auto racing sanctioning body. ...

History

The series debuted in 1971. It was originally aimed at two of FIA's stock car categories running at two different classes, the GT (Group 3 and 4) and Touring (Group 1 and 2) cars. The first race held in Virginia International Raceway, was an unexpected hit with both the drivers and a handful of spectators who attended. ^[1] The Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile, commonly referred to as the FIA, is a non-profit association established in 1904 to represent the interest of motoring organisations and motor car users. ... A grand tourer (Italian: Gran Turismo), (initialised GT), is a high-performance automobile designed for long-distance driving. ... The Group 3 racing class, referred to a set of regulations for cars competing in sportscar racing and rallying events regulated by the FIA. These regulations were introduced in the class structure changes for the 1966 motor racing season. ... Group 4 Lancia Stratos HF. The Stratos helped Lancia win the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975 and 1976. ... Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct automobile racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. ... The Virginia International Raceway is a road course located near Danville, Virginia. ...

For the following year, Bishop brought in sponsor R.J. Reynolds and in 1975, introduced a new category called All American Grand Touring (AAGT). In 1977, the series would go through a series of major changes. IMSA permitted turbocharged cars for the first time as well as introducing a new category called GTX for cars based on the Group 5 rules. In 1981, after Bishop decided to not follow FIA's newly introduced Group C rules, so he introduced the GTP class for sports prototypes. In 1989, Bishop sold off his organization. After a period of decline in the early 1990s, the Worlds Sports car category was introduced in 1993 to replace the GTP category in 1994. Richard Joshua R.J. Reynolds (1850-1918) was an American businessman and founder of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. ... Air foil bearing-supported turbocharger cutaway made by Mohawk Innovative Technology Inc. ... Group 5 is a FIA classification for cars in sportscar racing. ... Group C was a category of auto racing, and was introduced into sports car racing by the FIA (the governing body of World motor racing) during the early 1980s. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

After a period of multiple ownerships and under its new owners, the organization was renamed Professional Sports Car Racing (PSCR). In 1999, PSCR decided to drop their own championship in order to sanction a new American Le Mans Series. Despite various names, the GT series was known commonly as "the IMSA series" as it had been the organization's dominant series. The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) is a series of automobile races. ...

Initial divisions

The 1971 season was the first racing season to feature six races. GT cars, similar to the European classes Group 2 and Group 4, were competing in the early seasons. They were divided into four groups. Group 4 Lancia Stratos HF. The Stratos helped Lancia win the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975 and 1976. ...

• GTO cars were Grand Touring type cars with an engine of 2.5 L displacement or more. ^[1] This category was dominated by the Porsche RSR series cars.

• GTU cars were Grand Touring type cars with engines of 2.5 L displacement or less. This series was dominated by the Porsche 911 series cars, then the Datsun/Nissan 280 ZX series, and finally by the Mazda RX7 series cars.

• TO were a touring- type car such as Camaro with an engine of 2.5 L or more displacement.

• TU were a touring-type car with an engine of 2.5 L or less displacement.

Porsche 911 in hillclimb The Porsche 911 (pronounced as nine eleven) is a sports car made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. ... The Mazda RX-7 (also called the Ẽfini RX-7) is a sports car produced by the Japanese automaker Mazda since 1978. ...

History of the top series in the GT championship

The Camel GT era

The first champions were Peter H. Gregg and Hurley Haywood, in a Porsche 914/6 GTU. Common winners in these early years of IMSA were the Porsche 911 Carrera RSR and Chevrolet Corvette. Camel became the title sponsor during the second season, and the series became known as "Camel GT Challenge Series". The sponsor's corporate decal had to be displayed in a visible manner on the left and right side of the car, and its patch on the Nomex driver's uniform's breast area, featuring Joe the Camel smiling and smoking a cigarette while driving a race car. Peter Holden Gregg (May 4, 1940–December 15, 1980) was a racecar driver during the golden age of the Trans-Am series and a 3 time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona. ... Hurley Haywood (born May 4, 1948 in Chicago) is an American who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1977 (Porsche 936), 1983 (Porsche 956)and 1994 (Dauer-Porsche 962). ... The Porsche 914 was a sports car built and sold collaboratively by Volkswagen and Porsche from 1969 through 1976. ... The Chevrolet Corvette is the sports car that has been manufactured by Chevrolet since 1953. ... Camel is a brand of cigarettes that was introduced by U.S. company R.J. Reynolds Tobacco (RJR) in 1913. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Starting fields of 30 or more competitors were not unusual during this era. One of the premiere race events was the "Paul Revere 250" which started at the stroke of midnight of the 4th of July. The race was conducted entirely during the night from start to finish.^{[citation needed]}

In 1975 a new category called All American Grand Touring (AAGT) was introduced to counteract the Porsche dominance in GTO. ^[2]

This category did not run without controversy. In 1981, Bob Sharp Racing team used a loophole in the rules to build a Datsun 280ZX inside the U.S. with a V8 engine from a Nissan President. This car was not a success and became obsolete when the new GTP category was created. ^[3] The TU would be phased out in 1976 along with the TO for the following year to be replaced by the RS category with its own separate races. The Nissan 280ZX was a sporty coupe from the 1980s. ... The Nissan President is a Japanese luxury limousine introduced by Nissan in the 1960s and sold only in the Japanese market. ...

Turbochargers were not permitted until the mid-1977 season. They became permitted after protests by Porsche's motorsport department after inspecting Al Holbert's AAGT winning Chevrolet Monza, which had won two titles. Prior to 1977, Porsche privateers struggled with obsolete 911 Carrera RSRs against the AAGT cars. ^[4] Al Holbert (born November 11, 1946 at Abington, Pennsylvania, died September 30, 1988) was an American automobile racing driver who was a five-time champion of the IMSA Camel GT series. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ...

As a result, the new premier class known as GTX (Grand Touring Experimental, which was based on FIA's Group 5), brought on the absolute dominance of the Porsche 935. The 935 became the most successful car in the series.^{[citation needed]} The most successful driver of the seventies was Peter Gregg, who won championships in 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, and 1979. Twin turbos were eliminated at the end of the 1982 season after John Paul's and John Paul, Jr. dominated in a modified 935. The Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile, commonly referred to as the FIA, is a non-profit association established on June 20, 1904 to represent the interest of motoring organisations and motor car users. ... Group 5 is a FIA classification for cars in sportscar racing. ... The Porsche 935 was introduced in 1976, as the racing version of the Porsche 930 (911 Turbo), prepared for FIA-Group 5 rules (similar to the Porsche 934 which was built for the more standard Group 4). ... Peter Gregg Peter Gregg, (born March 6, 1951, Kent, Ohio), musician. ... John Paul, Jr. ...

Another manufacturer to experience a run of wins was Mazda. After some success by the Mazda RX-2 and Mazda RX-3, the Mazda RX-7 won its class in the IMSA 24 Hours of Daytona race ten years in a row, starting in 1982, and won the IMSA Grand Touring Under 2.0 Litre (GTU) championship each year from 1980 through 1987. The car went on to win more IMSA races in its class than any other model of automobile, with its one hundredth victory on September 2, 1990.^{[citation needed]} Mazda Motor Corporation ) (TYO: 7261 ) is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan. ... The Mazda RX-2 was a midsize car introduced in 1970 and sold through 1978. ... The Mazda RX-3 was an automobile sold in the 1970s. ... The Mazda RX-7 (also called the Ẽfini RX-7) is a sports car produced by the Japanese automaker Mazda from 1978 to 2002. ... The Rolex 24 1/2 at Daytona (also frequently referred to as the 24 Hours of Daytona) is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ...

The GTP Era

Toyota Eagle Mk.III GTP class car

In 1981, purpose-built GTP prototypes, similar to the new FIA Group C, were introduced in the World Endurance Championship. The main difference between the two categories was the former had no emphasis on fuel consumption which was highlighted by Derek Bell quoting "race fans do not come to races to watch an economy run!". ^[2] Brian Redman was the first champion of the GTPs, driving a Lola T600. March also fielded prototypes, in which Al Holbert won the 1983 championship, and Randy Lanier a year later. 1984 also saw the introduction of the Porsche 962, which dominated the series from 1985 to 1987. Nissan then took control of the series in 1988, but faced challenges from Jaguar, Porsche, and Toyota throughout the proceeding three years. Toyota was quickest in 1992 and 1993 at the end of GTP era. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Toyota Motor Corporation ), or Toyota is a Japanese automaker and the worlds second largest automaker by sales revenue. ... Anglo American Racers (Eagle) was a Formula One constructor from the USA. They participated in 25 Grands Prix, entering a total of 34 cars. ... Group C was a category of auto racing, and was introduced into sports car racing by the FIA (the governing body of World motor racing) during the early 1980s. ... The World Sportscar Championship was a series run by the FIA from 1953 to 1992. ... Derek Reginald Bell MBE (born October 31, 1941 in Middlesex, England) is a former Formula One driver who raced for the Ferrari, McLaren, Brabham, Surtees and Tecno teams. ... Brian Redman (born March 9, 1937 in Colne, Lancashire, United Kingdom) was a Formula One driver from England. ... Lola Racing Cars (also Lola Cars International) is a racing car engineering company founded in 1961 by Eric Broadley and based in Huntingdon, United Kingdom. ... March Engineering was a Formula One constructor from Britain. ... Al Holbert (born November 11, 1946 at Abington, Pennsylvania, died September 30, 1988) was an American automobile racing driver who was a five-time champion of the IMSA Camel GT series. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Porsche 956 was a sports car built by Porsche. ... Nissan Motor Co. ... Jaguar Cars Limited is a British luxury car manufacturer, with headquarters in Browns Lane, Coventry, England. ... This article is about the auto company. ... Toyota Motor Corporation ), or Toyota is a Japanese automaker and the worlds second largest automaker by sales revenue. ... Toyota Motor Corporation ), or Toyota is a Japanese automaker and the worlds second largest automaker by sales revenue. ...

There were many other manufacturers in the GTP class, such as URD, Spice, Intrepid or Gebhardt, and in the early 1990s, Mazda. Along with the GTP cars, the Camel Lights lightweight, low horsepower prototype category was introduced in 1985. Argo were the first Lights champions, followed by Spice. Well known were also Tiga, Royale, Alba, Fabcar, and Kudzu. Urd can refer to any of the following: Urd (Norse mythology) (Old Norse: Urðr), one of the three Norns (fates) in Norse mythology Urd (Oh My Goddess!), character in the manga and anime series Oh My Goddess! Urd (Dungeons & Dragons) Urd bean, type of bean (Vigna mungo) grown in... Spice Engineering was a British racing car manufacturer founded by Gordon Spice in the late 1980s, but struggled when sportscar racing ran into difficulties. ... Mazda Motor Corporation ) (TYO: 7261 ) is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan. ... Spice Engineering was a British racing car manufacturer founded by Gordon Spice in the late 1980s, but struggled when sportscar racing ran into difficulties. ... The soul patch is a small patch of facial hair just below the lower lip and above the chin. ... Alba is the ancient and modern Gaelic name (IPA: ) for the country of Scotland (also Alba in Irish, and in Old Gaelic Albu). ...

Fall of GTP

Following a successful heart surgery in 1987, Bishop began to rethink his priorities. He was approached by Mike Cone and Jeff Parker, owner of Tampa Race Circuit. In January 1989 Bishop and France sold the series to Cone and Parker. The new owners relocated the IMSA headquarters from Connecticut to Tampa Bay. ^[2] Cone and Parker sold it to businessman Charles Slater. Both lost millions attempting to revive the sagging TV ratings. ^[2] Jeff Parker can refer to more than one person: Jeff Parker (hockey player), a professional ice hockey player. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... Landsat image of Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the western coast of Florida, made up of Old Tampa Bay, Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, and the New Tampa Bay. ...

By 1992, there were a number of factors that led to the decline of the GTP category. Porsche concentrated on its IndyCar program when critics stated that the Zuffenhausen marque should had built a followup of its 962. ^[2] Back in 1988, Al Holbert realized that the 962 was beginning to feel dated. He proposed a follow up open top Porsche powered racer which would also be sold to customer teams. That project never got off the ground after Holbert's death in a aircraft accident later in the year. ^[2] For some, much of the blame was on organization to allow the Japanese Works teams to dominate the series. Under Bishop's original vision, privateers and Works were able to race equally. Privateer teams to walked away, and the Japanese economy started to go downhill. These factors led Nissan and Mazda to walk away from the series. Critics say that the diminished variety of cars that would disappoint race fans which would finally kill the series off in 1993. ^[2] GTP cars ran their last race on October 2, 1993 at Phoenix International Raceway. ^[5] The term IndyCar has multiple uses: Indycar (sometimes spelled Indy car) is a generic name used in the United States for a type of open wheel race car. ... Stuttgart [], a city located in southern Germany, is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg with a population of approximately 590,000 (as of September 2005) in the city and around 3 million in the metropolitan area. ... The Porsche 956 was a sports car built by Porsche. ... October 2 is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 90 days remaining. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Phoenix International Raceway is a one mile tri-oval race track located in Avondale, AZ. It opened in 1964, but wasnt used by NASCAR until 1988, with the first race won by the late Alan Kulwicki. ...

The GTP category was credited for many innovations in the U.S. including antilock brakes, traction control, and active suspension. ^[2] Dave Cowart and Kemper Miller's Red Lobster sponsored team of the early 1980s would innovate racing team hospitalities which became adopted by virtually every other teams in the future. ^[2]. But for those who competed, it was credited for its camaraderie within drivers, especially rivals. Hans Stuck, commenting in the foreword of the book Prototypes: The History of the IMSA GTP Series, sarcastically compared the series' camaraderie to Formula One's lack of such. ^[2] An anti-lock braking system (commonly known as ABS, from the German name Antiblockiersystem given to it by its inventors at Bosch) is a system on motor vehicles which prevents the wheels from locking while braking. ... Traction control systems, on current production vehicles, are typically (but not necessarily) electro-hydraulic systems designed to prevent loss of traction (and therefore the control of the vehicle) when excessive throttle or steering is applied by the driver. ... Active suspension allows control of the vehicle body motions and therefore virtually eliminates body roll in many driving situations including cornering, accelerating, and braking. ... Red Lobster is a U.S. chain of seafood restaurants. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... Hans Joachim Stuck was a Formula One driver from Germany and son of the legendary Hans Von Stuck. ... A foreword is a literary device that is often found in the beginning of a piece of literature, before the introduction. ... Sarcasm from Greek σαρκασμός (sarkasmos), mockery, sarcasm is sneering, jesting, or mocking a person, situation or thing. ...

World Sports Cars

With rising costs and factory teams walking away from the series which meant diminishing entries, IMSA introduced a new prototype category for in 1993 called World Sport Car (WSC). The WSC replaced the GTP and Lights closed-top cars for the following year. The WSC cars were open-top, flat-bottomed sports-prototypes with production engine as opposed to racing versions of production engines from GTP cars. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Prototyping. ...

The WSC cars made their debut at the Miami Grand Prix with a sole entry of Brent O'Neill. The car finished last among the cars that were still running. After skipping the 12 Hours of Sebring, the category would compete for the remainder of the season as non-championship rounds, with no more than four cars entering. In 1994 Camel would be replaced by Exxon as the title sponsor. However, as the WSC cars took over as the leading category, their reliability would be tested at the opening round at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Two cars started on the front row, with eight WSC cars competing. Two cars finished the race, with the leading WSC car finishing ninth behind GT cars. The WSC cars would score its first podium finish at Sebring with a second and third place behind a Daytona winning GTS category Nissan 300ZX. That led to a rule change for the latter category as they would be barred from using engines that were originally for GTP cars. At the inaugural round for WSC cars at Road Atlanta, the new Ferrari 333 SP would make its debut in a mass media fanfare and win its debut race. The car regularly appearing on the podium on every rounds after that. Oldsmobile won the manufacturer's title over Ferrari by four points. Aston Martin DBR9 at dusk during the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race held at Sebring Raceway, a former Air Force base in Sebring, Florida. ... Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), headquartered in Irving, Texas, is an oil producer and distributor formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Road Atlanta Raceway Road Atlanta is a 2. ... dfsdfdf ... Oldsmobile was a brand of automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. ... Ferrari is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello and Modena, Italy. ...

In 1995, a new rival for Ferrari appeared in the Riley & Scott Mk III. The car would make its debut at Daytona, but would retire after the eleventh lap after an engine failure. Ferrari would help the category to score an overall win at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and would take the title for both makes and driver. The Ferrari and the R&S cars were the dominant racers of the series from 1995 to the demise of IMSA at the end of 1998. Riley & Scott is a company providing chassis for sportscar racing. ... Aston Martin DBR9 at dusk during the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race held at Sebring Raceway, a former Air Force base in Sebring, Florida. ...

In 1996 Slater sold the organization to Roberto Muller (ex-CEO of Reebok) and Wall Street financier Andy Evans, who also was an IndyCar owner and owner/driver of the Scandia WSC team. Evans and VP of Marketing Kurtis Eide were responsible for the name change to Professional Sports Car Racing (PSCR). Reebok International Limited is an English producer of athletic footwear, apparel, and accessories and is currently a subsidiary of Adidas AG. The name is the Afrikaans/Dutch spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle. ... Elaborate marble facade of NYSE as seen from the intersection of Broad and Wall Streets For other uses, see Wall Street (disambiguation). ... Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andy Evans that fielded a record 7 cars in the 1996 Indianapolis 500. ...

In 1992, the long running category American Challenge would step into the GT series. It became known as the GTO category when the former GTO category was renamed to GTS (Grand Touring Supreme). The move was prompted by sponsor Exxon, who wanted the series named after its subbrand of fuel. ^[6] In 1995, in a bid to move close to the European BPR Global GT Series, the GT category would undergo another major reformat. GTS became known as GTS-1, and GTU became known as GTS-2. In 1997, there was another category addition. GTS-2 became GTS-3, new GTS-2 category was announced to allow for the existing GT2 cars. Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), headquartered in Irving, Texas, is an oil producer and distributor formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. ... The BPR Global GT Series (sometimes refered to as the BPR Global GT Endurance Series or simply abbreviated as BPR.) was a grand tourer-based sports car racing series which ran from 1994 to 1996 before becoming the FIA GT Championship in 1997. ...

End of an era

Under tremendous pressure from team owners and management Evans sold the series to Don Panoz in 2001. The purchase solidified the sanction for Panoz's American Le Mans Series (ALMS) 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, the Star Mazda series and the Panoz GT Pro series. The ALMS uses regulations based on those of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but in 2005 the relationship between Panoz and the Le Mans organizers, ACO, has become problematic. Dr. Don (Donald) Panoz was born February 13, 1935, in Alliance, Ohio. ... The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) is a series of automobile races. ... Panoz G-Force The Panoz Motor Sports Group is an entity made up of the many motorsports holdings of Don Panoz. ... The 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures du Mans) is the worlds most famous sports car endurance race, held annually at Circuit de la Sarthe near Le Mans, France, in the French Sarthe département. ... The Automobile Club de lOuest (Automobile Club of the West - referring to the western region of France), sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. ...

A breakaway series formed by the USRRC in 1998 involving the Sports Car Club of America. It was headed by a group of competitors wanting to keep rules within the United States. It initially failed. A second attempt was formed in 1999 with the full support of NASCAR's France family and other motorsports notables. It was known as Grand-Am. Grand-Am struggled early on, but has proven to be a formidable competitor to the ALMS in recent years with name drivers, considerably larger fields and much closer competition. Much like the split between Champ Car and the IRL critics say this split has been detrimental to the sport as a whole.^{[citation needed]} Attendance, sponsorships and media coverage have dropped dramatically since the split in 1998. The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rally, and autocross in the United States and was formed in 1944. ... The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ... The Grand American Road Racing Association or Grand-Am is an auto racing sanctioning body that was established in 1999 to organize endurance road racing competitions in North America. ... “CART” redirects here. ... The Indy Racing League, better known as IRL, is the sanctioning body of a predominantly American based open-wheel racing series. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Do you want to know about GT racing in the 70s
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Prototypes: The History of the IMSA GTP Series, J. A. Martin & Ken Wells, David Bull Publishing, ISBN:1893618013
3. ^ Essential Datsun Z 240Z to 280Zx: The Cars and Their Story 1969-83, Colin Shipway, Motorbooks International, ISBN:1870979516
4. ^ 930 to 935: The Turbo Porsches, John Starkey, Renwick & Starkey Ltd. ISBN:0-9665094-1-2
5. ^ Michael Strahan (December 1993). The Last Race. Car Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
6. ^ WSPR-Racing.com

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (136th in leap years). ...

External links

• IMSA History