Record Manufacturer Participation
Highlights Sebring 2019
A record total of 19 manufacturers are eligible for competition at
Sebring this year, marking a new record in participation within the
International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), the sports car racing
sanctioning body at Sebring. It comes as IMSA kicks off its 50th
anniversary celebration.
“As our 50th Anniversary season begins, having a record number
of manufacturers in our championships speaks volumes to the global
relevance IMSA has confirmed as we look forward to the start of
2019 and beyond,” IMSA CEO Ed Bennett said.
“Our strategy of providing dynamic, cost-effective platforms to
showcase a wide variety of manufacturer technical specifications is
rewarding for all involved, but race fans are the main beneficiary. It’s
a fantastic time to be an IMSA fan.”
Manufacturers eligible at Sebring to compete in either the 67th
Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Advance Auto Parts
on Saturday, March 16th, or the Friday Michelin Pilot Challenge
race, include:
Acura – Fields two ARX-05 DPis with Acura Team Penske and also
is represented by two Acura NSX GT3 entries in the GTD class
from Meyer Shank Racing.
Alfa Romeo – Joins Pilot Challenge TCR class with the Alfa
Romeo Giulietta.
Aston Martin – Participates in the Pilot Challenge GS class.
Audi – Competes in both the WeatherTech Championship and
Pilot Challenge with entries in three different classes.
BMW – A longtime IMSA competitor with entries in both the
WeatherTech Championship and Pilot Challenge. Two BMW M8
GTEs in GT Le Mans, one BMW M6 GT3 in GTD and five BMW
M4 GT4 entries in Pilot Challenge GS class.
Cadillac – The premium brand from General Motors has the most
entries of any DPi-class manufacturer, with six Cadillac DPi-V.R
entries likely to compete at Sebring.
Chevrolet – Race cars in both the WeatherTech Championship
and Pilot Challenge. Its pair of Corvette C7.R race cars fielded by
Corvette Racing have yielded the past three consecutive GTLM
driver and team titles. Chevrolet is represented in Pilot Challenge
by a Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R in the GS class.
Ferrari – A staple of sports car racing, the premium Italian brand is
represented in two different WeatherTech Championship classes.
The No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE is the lone car with
the prancing horse in GTLM, but there are three 488 GT3 entries in
GTD. IMSA also sanctions the single-make Ferrari Challenge series
in the United States which will come to Sebring in April.
Ford – The “Blue Oval” is also represented in both the WeatherTech
Championship and Pilot Challenge. Its pair of Ford Chip Ganassi
Racing Ford GTs return to the GTLM class in 2019, while there are
several Ford Mustang GT4s expected on the grid at Sebring in the
GS class.
Honda – Returns to Pilot Challenge in 2019 with the Honda Civic
TCR.
Hyundai – A newcomer to IMSA competition in 2019, Hyundai
enters the Pilot Challenge TCR class. Bryan Herta Autosport with
Curb-Agajanian will field two brand-new Hyundai Veloster N TCR
machines.
Lamborghini – The Italian manufacturer picked up its first
WeatherTech Championship GTD manufacturer championship
in 2018. This year, at least three Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo
entries are expected in the GTD class at Sebring.
Lexus – The WeatherTech Championship GTD class has included
a pair of Lexus RC F GT3s since 2017. This year, the pair of GTD
entries will be fielded by AIM Vasser Sullivan.
Mazda – Recognized for its rich motorsport heritage, Mazda’s
2019 IMSA representation comes via the pair of Mazda RT24-P
DPis fielded by Mazda Team Joest.
McLaren – The British manufacturer will continue its Pilot Challenge
program in 2019, with a pair of McLaren 570S GT4 entries in the
GS class at Daytona.
Mercedes-AMG – Since joining IMSA for the first time in 2017,
the premium German brand has steadily grown its presence with
customer programs in both the WeatherTech Championship and
Pilot Challenge. There will be two Mercedes-AMG GT3s in the
GTD class at Sebring, with several Mercedes-AMG GT4 entries in
the GS class.
Nissan – The manufacturer is the defending Sebring champion
and will be represented in the IMSA 50th Anniversary season by
the No. 54 CORE autosport Nissan Onroak DPi entry.
Porsche – The winningest manufacturer ever at Sebring, Porsche
will be well represented once again in 2019. There are two
Porsche 911 RSRs in the WeatherTech Championship GTLM
class, with three Porsche 911 GT3 Rs slated to compete in GTD.
The Pilot Challenge entry list contains eight Porsche Cayman GT4
Clubsports in the GS class. Porsche will also have several entries
in Friday’s WEC race at Sebring.
Volkswagen – The German manufacturer continues its IMSA relationship
with race cars eligible to compete in the Pilot Challenge
TCR class.
During the 2018 season, 11 of the 13 manufacturers who competed
in the WeatherTech Championship won at least one race, and
every manufacturer had at least one podium. At Sebring’s 12-hour
classic last year, every car the qualified in the top ten was within one
second of the pole position time.
THE FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) also brings a
stellar list of manufacturers for the 1,000 Miles of Sebring race
on Friday, March 15th, the day before the IMSA 12-hour classic.
The entry list will be highlighted by the appearance of the Le Mans
winning Toyota LMP1.
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