“Almost 50 years ago, Bill France Sr. and John and Peggy
Bishop laid a foundation that today supports one of the
most prominent auto racing organizations in the world,”
said IMSA President Scott Atherton. “The story of IMSA
over the past ve decades is truly fascinating and will be
told throughout our 2019 50th Anniversary celebration in
several ways by a variety of stakeholders.
“From historic race car liveries and commemorative logos
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to many other surprises throughout the season for
fans at-track and watching through our new-for-2019
partnership with NBC Sports, it will be a year-long celebration
for all to enjoy.”
During this year’s 67th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve
Hours of Sebring, traces of IMSA’s golden anniversary
can be spotted throughout the paddock as the series has
collaborated with teams, drivers, partners and manufacturers
in a season-long campaign to commemorate IMSA’s
rich history.
Among the prominent display of 50th celebrations, teams
have wrapped their racecars in historic liveries as a tribute
to their own history in the series. Fans will have the
opportunity to see and take photos of the liveries during
the traditional fan grid walk on race day.
Drivers and crew also will be sporting the golden IMSA
50th anniversary logo on resuits, and decals will be
placed on each of the racecars. IMSA’s merchandise
trailers will also carry fan gear specic to
the 50th anniversary, as well as the the recently
released book, “IMSA: Celebrating 50 Years.”
The 216-page book follows the history and experiences
of IMSA from the story of its formation
between John and Peggy Bishop and Bill France,
Sr., to the rst race at Pocono in 1969, to its current
standing as a highly regarded sanctioning
body that will lead seven motorsport platforms
in 2019 including its flagship – the IMSA WeatherTech
SportsCar Championship.
The list of contributors to the book read like a
who’s who of motorsports journalists that have
traveled around the world to cover the sport. This
group, which has over 150 years of either writing
about, driving in or participating in sports car
racing, includes David Phillips, Jonathan Ingram,
George Levy, Gary Watkins, Jim Mullen, Matt Cleary and
George Tamayo.
The foreword is written by IMSA Chairman Jim France
and the publication also includes a list of winners including
drivers, teams and manufacturers, of every IMSA race
through the middle of the 2018 season.
“To understand and appreciate where IMSA is today, you
must know its history,” said Atherton said. “This extraordinary
book will be a must-have for any fan of sports car
racing, as it captures the spirit of everyone that has been
involved with IMSA. The stories and photography promise
to keep a reader turning the pages as they will have
the opportunity to experience the many storylines that
have contributed to IMSA’s colorful past, its current success
and bright future.”
Throughout the season, fans can keep up with IMSA
news and updates via IMSA.com and IMSA social media
on Twitter (@IMSA), Facebook (IMSA) and Instagram
(IMSA_Racing).
For more information on IMSA’s 50th anniversary celebrations,
please visit IMSA.com/50.
John Greenwood’s Spirt of Sebring Corvettes were among the most
popular cars of the 1970s in IMSA’s rst decade.
/IMSA.com
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