IMSA (International Motor Sports Association) is one of the leading motorsport organisations in the US and promoter of various race series. With the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, founded in 2013, the organisation continues the long tradition of prestigious sports car races in North America.

Next to its spearhead, the IMSA portfolio also includes the Michelin Pilot Challenge (MPC) and the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge (VPRC), running as support categories of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (WTSC). In both race series, we are represented on the grid with the Mercedes-AMG GT4. 

Further information about IMSA can be found on the homepage of the promoter.

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race calendar for the 2024 season once again included a varied mix of sprint and endurance events in the US and Canada. The programme also features three endurance racing classics of the highest international significance: the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and Motul Petit Le Mans.

WINWARD Racing secured four GTD class victories at Daytona, Sebring, Laguna Seca and Watkins Glen to take the GTD drivers' and teams' championships for the first time – both in the overall standings and in the Michelin Endurance Cup. Korthoff/Preston Motorsports took their maiden GTD win at Virginia International Raceway and finished the season in third place. Our most successful IMSA season to date was rounded off by winning both GTD manufacturers' championships early.

The Motul Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta once again marked the end of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season in 2024. Already having clinched the GTD manufacturers' championship in the Endurance Cup and in the combined standings, we were still in the running for four more titles in the 27th edition of the iconic 10-hour race on 12 October. After being set back by a puncture, Indy Dontje, Philip Ellis and Russell Ward finished the Petit Le Mans with the #57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 from WINWARD Racing in eighth place in their class after 410 laps. This result secured them the GTD drivers' and teams' championships in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. Philip, Russell and WINWARD also clinched the GTD drivers‘ and teams’ titles for the first time in the overall classification.

The #80 Mercedes-AMG GT3 from Lone Star Racing that was sensationally qualified on pole position by Scott Andrews, finished tenth in its class. Korthoff/Preston Motorsports initially crossed the finish line in fourth place in class, but was subsequently demoted to the back of the field due to incorrect tyre pressures.

 After the Rolex 24 At Daytona, we achieved the next prestigious success at the 72nd edition of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring: Customer Racing Team WINWARD RACING also won the second US endurance classic of the year in the GTD class. For Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing, it is the second success at Sebring after the GTD victory of Riley Motorsports - Team AMG in 2017.

This year, the #57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 prevailed against 21 other competitors. Indy Dontje, Philip Ellis and Russell Ward lapped the six-kilometre airfield circuit with its notorious bumps 314 times in total, covering almost 1,900 kilometres. 

The Michelin Pilot Challenge held a two-hour race as part of the supporting programme. JMF Motorsports placed their Mercedes-AMG GT4 in the top 10: Michai Stephens and Jesse Webb finished seventh.

For us, the 62th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona was crowned with great success in the form of a class win. In the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener, a total of 59 competitors in four classes raced during the weekend from 25th till 28th January. Our four Mercedes-AMG GT3s with high-quality line-ups raced in the GTD and GTD PRO categories.

WINWARD RACING secured victory in the GTD class with Indy Dontje, Philip Ellis, Daniel Morad and Russell Ward. During the race, the quartet completed a total of 731 laps of the 5.729 kilometres long Daytona International Speedway with its infamous banked corners, racking up a total distance of 4,188 kilometres in the process. It was the team’s second success in the endurance racing classic in Florida after its victory in 2021.

The Korthoff/Preston Motorsports team was classified fifth in the GTD category and collected 13 points for the Michelin Endurance Cup. With this success, we started the season as the leaders in the endurance championship. For Lone Star Racing, the Daytona debut resulted in an eighth-place finish. In the GTD PRO category, SunEnergy1 Racing had to drop out of the race while battling for victory due to a technical issue.

The Michelin Pilot Challenge that served as a support category was successful for us as well. In the first race of the season over a distance of four hours, Daniel Morad and Bryce Ward ended up in second place with the Mercedes-AMG GT4 from WINWARD RACING.

*subject to changes.