IMSA & FIA WEC news

Breaking news from IMSA before their race at Road America, tomorrow, and, from the FIA World Endurance Championship.  This includes the announcement of the 2017 schedule for IMSA, as was announced yesterday.

Keen Released by AJR; Mueller Joins MacNeil for Road America
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/keen-released-by-ajr-mueller-joins-macneil-for-road-america/

Road America Thursday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/road-america-thursday-notebook-4/

Junqueira: "I'm Very Happy to be Back in the Car"
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/junqueira-im-very-happy-to-be-back-in-the-car/

Mazda Sweeps Practice 1 at Road America
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/mazda-sweeps-practice-1-at-road-america/

It's official.  IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship, will not have a joint race weekend at Circuit of the Americas, next year.

IMSA, WEC Split from Combined Event at COTA
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/atherton-cota-imsawec-weekend-a-compromise/

Negri Quickest on Friday at Road America
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/negri-quickest-on-friday-at-road-america/

Road America Friday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/negri-quickest-on-friday-at-road-america/

Mazda Quickest in Practice 3 at Road America
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/mazda-quickest-in-practice-3-at-road-america/

Ford Fights Back on Sandbagging Allegations
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/ford-fights-back-on-sandbagging-allegations/

WEC Links Up with Formula V8 3.5; Details Emerge on 2017 Schedule

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/wec-link-up-with-formula-v8-3-5-announced-details-emerge-on-2017-schedule/

Stevens' WEC Future With Manor Unclear
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/stevens-wec-future-with-manor-unclear/

BMW Rules Out LMP1 Program for New 2018 Regulations
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/bmw-rules-out-lmp1-program-for-new-2018-regulations/

Third Audi Unlikely for 24H Le Mans in 2017
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/third-audi-unlikely-for-24h-le-mans-in-2017/

United Autosports Eyeing IMSA LMP3 Program; 24H Le Mans in 2017
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/united-autosports-eyeing-imsa-lmp3-program-24h-le-mans-in-2017/

IMSA class structure changes for 2018 and beyond

More news from IMSA, and that is, from 2018 onward, the Prototype Challenge class, will be dropped.

WeatherTech Championship Moves to Three-Class Format for 2018
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/three-classes-for-weathertech-championship-in-2018-no-pc/

...and

Prototype Lights will be replaced officially, by LMP3 cars that are currently being run in the European Le Mans Series and will continue to be run there.

LMP3 is IMSA Prototype Lites Replacement for 2017
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/lmp3-in-imsa-prototype-lites-replacement-for-2017/

Positive Reactions to LMP3 in New-Look IMSA Prototype Series
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/positive-reactions-to-lmp3-in-new-look-imsa-prototype-series/

2017 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship Schedule Revealed

The 2017 season schedule for the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, has been announced, and there are some notable changes to it, compared to this year.  For one, the date at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas has moved from September to May.  Secondly, the date has essentially swapped, with Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, which has traditionally held their race on the Monterey peninsula in California, in May.  That event now moves to September.

http://www.imsa.com/news/082016/2017-imsa-weathertech-sportscar-championship-schedule-revealed

IMSA Weathertech Championship races + latest news before Road America

Sorry, folks.  Yours truly has been busy, and will update some of the previous IMSA Weathertech Sports Car Championship races including Laguna Seca, Detroit, and Lime Rock Park, whn possible.  This weekend IWSC is racing at the legendary Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  Here are news stories headed into that event.

42 Entries for Road America
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/42-entries-for-road-america/

Mazdas Slowed in Latest BoP Changes for Road America
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/mazda-pegged-back-for-road-america/

David MacNeil, Jeannette in Second WeatherTech Entry for Road America

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/second-weathertech-porsche-for-david-mcneil-jeannette-at-road-america/

Michelin GTLM Insider: The Magic of "Single Stint" Tires
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/michelin-gtlm-insider-the-magic-of-single-stint-tires/

Black Swan Suspends GTD Program
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/black-swan-suspends-imsa-program/

BMW DPi "Not on the Radar Right Now" - Marquardt
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/bmw-dpi-not-on-the-radar-right-now-marquardt/

Continental Tire Keys to the Race: Road America
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/continental-tire-keys-to-the-race-road-america-2/

In Memoriam: Chris Amon

We remember Chris Amon, who has passed away, at age 73.  Amon not only was a Formula 1 driver, but, 50 years ago, in 1966, he famously, along with co-driver Bruce McLaren, gave Ford their first overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of the now legendary Ford GT40, the car that has heavily influenced the new Ford GT supercar seen racing in the IMSA WeatherTech championship, and the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Rest In Peace, Chris Amon.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/lemans24/chris-amon-passes-away/

24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps (short highlights video)

Short highlights video from the 2016 Spa 24 Hours.  A full race report, from yours truly, will appear soon.  In the meantime, enjoy this video.  Lots and lots of action in this year's renewal of one of the classic 24 hour endurance races.

Spa 24 Hours news summary (pre-race, race action, and post-race)

Folks, we are waiting, for a full video, to highlight and write a race report on the 2016 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps, and there is lots more to catch up on with race reports etc. from the world of sports car racing.  But, between now, and a possible time to write up a full race report, here is the summary of all the stories throughout the race weekend as covered by Sportscar365 for the remainder of pre-race, the race itself, and post-race coverage.

Pre-Race reports.

Engel: "The Challenge is a Little Bit Different Here"
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/engel-the-challenge-is-a-little-bit-different-here/

Nico Muller: "Audi is the First of the Chasing Group"
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/nico-muller-i-see-audi-as-the-first-of-the-chasing-group/

VIDEO: A Lap of Spa With Gary Paffett
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-a-lap-of-spa-with-gary-paffett/

24h Spa Sporting Regulations 101
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/24h-spa-sporting-regulations-101-2/

Mercedes-AMG Penalized, WRT Audi Inherits 24H Spa Pole
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/mercedes-amg-penalized-wrt-inherits-24h-spa-pole/

Spa Pre-Race Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/spa-pre-race-notebook-6/

Mercedes-AMG Misses Deadline For Protest
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/mercedes-misses-deadline-for-protest/

Race action reports.

Bortolotti Leads Opening Hour at Spa
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bortolotti-leads-opening-hour-at-spa/

Attempto, AF Corse Crash Out in Hour 2 at Spa
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/attempto-af-corse-crash-out-in-hour-2-at-spa/

ROWE BMW Leads after 4 Hours
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/rowe-bmw-leads-after-4-hours/

Sims Out Front at Six-Hour Mark at Spa
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/sims-out-front-at-six-hour-mark/

VIDEO: Spa Hour 6 Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-spa-hour-6-highlights/

ROWE BMW Continues to Lead as Parker Bentley Crashes
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/rowe-bmw-continues-to-lead-as-parker-bentley-crashes/

Bentley Leads at Halfway Mark at Spa
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bentley-leads-at-halfway-mark-at-spa/

Stippler Out Front With 9 Hours To Go
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/stippler-leads-with-9-hours-to-go/

Martin Ahead of Soulet With Six Hours Remaining
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/martin-ahead-of-soulet-with-six-hours-to-go/

Phoenix Audi Catches Fire as Rain Arrives at Spa
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/phoenix-audi-catches-fire-as-rain-arrives-at-spa/

Bentley Chasing BMW With 2 Hours to Go at Spa
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bentley-chasing-bmw-with-2-hours-to-go/

BMW holds on and wins the 24 Hours of Spa, with Rowe Racing and their new BMW M6 GT3!

ROWE BMW Wins Rain-Affected 24H Spa
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/rowe-bmw-wins-rain-affected-24h-spa/

Gush: Spa a "Missed Opportunity" for Bentley
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/gush-spa-a-missed-opportunity-for-bentley/

24H Spa Content Recap
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/spa-content-recap-3/