When Did The Weathertech Sportscar Championship Start?

A sports car racing series located in the United States and Canada and run by the International Motor Sports Association, the IMSA SportsCar Championship is presently known as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship under the sponsorship (IMSA). The American Le Mans Series and Rolex Sports Car Series, two current North American sports car racing series, merged to create it. United SportsCar Championship was the original name before becoming WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA) in 2016. In 2014 and 2015, the Tudor brand of Rolex SA served as the championship’s title sponsor. As of 2016, WeatherTech has held that position.

The Rolex 24 at Daytona, the season’s biggest event, kicks off the final weekend of January, while the Petit Le Mans, another North American Endurance Cup race, concludes it in early October.

The commencement of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

The Rolex Sports Car Series and the American Le Mans Series, respectively, will be combined by the Grand-Am Road Racing sanctioning body and the International Motor Sports Association, both of which are located in Braselton, and will make their debuts in 2014. The merger committee stated on November 20, 2012, SME Branding had chosen create the name, logo, and character of new show.

The two series released a draught class structure for the newly combined series on January 8, 2013. A new concept class would replace Grand-Daytona Am’s Prototype division and IMSA’s P2, with room for the distinctive DeltaWing to also race in the new division.

Although the vehicles were to transition to Grand-Continental Am’s Tires, the Le Mans Prototype Challenge class of single spec cars from the American Le Mans Series would continue in its current form. The Grand-Am GT class will join with the American Le Mans GTC category to establish another GT class, while the GT class of the American Le Mans Series will stay untouched. The P1 class of the American Le Mans Series is the only vehicle category absent from the new series.

Afterward, Tudor revealed as the United SportsCar Championship series’ headline sponsor on September 12, 2013. The series will only covered by NBC Sports in the US starting with the 2019 season. Nine hours coverage will run on the NBC broadcast network each year, with the remainder of that broadcasting on NBCSN. The NBC Sports app and CNBC will also offer supplementary coverage. With the start of 2022, USA Network will take over as the show’s cable home from NBCSN.

2022 and 2017 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) GT Championship, which can trace its origins back to the 1971 IMSA GT Championship, entered its 47th season with the 2017 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. It was the WTSC Championship’s second season and the fourth overall for the United SportsCar Championship. The 24 Hours Daytona race kicked things on January 28 the Petit Le Man’s race took place on October 7.

In addition, this is the fifth year that WeatherTech has sponsored the IMSA SportsCar Championship since the American Le Mans Series and the Rolex Sports Car Series merged in 2014. There will be 12 races in the series, which will begin on January 27, 2022, with the 24 Hours of Daytona, and end on October 1, 2022, with the Petit Le Mans.

There isn’t much activity on the first day of the racing weekend, Friday, June 24, since there is only one practice session that begins at 4:30 PM ET. The qualifying session begins at 1:20 PM ET on the second day after Practice 2.