During the closing moments of a race, most participants are on edge, counting down the laps, then seconds, until the checkered flag falls. Everyone is trying to anticipate what could unfold with last-minute strategy calls, the impact of well-worn tires, and unrelenting drivers. For all watching in that moment, nothing else matters. Yet, what makes up those final seconds goes far beyond decisions made on race day. There are many facets to getting a race car and team to the starting grid; art and science require careful planning, and nothing can be left to chance in a sport of such fine margins. The green flag and checkered flag will drop at specific times and everyone must be ready.
Greetings from Daytona Beach, everyone! All of us at IMSA are doing our best to take “TIME” to re-charge after the Sebring event. Key word “TIME”.
Once again, at the 72nd running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Cadillac, we witnessed incredible racing, with critical strategy calls, daring moves on restarts and in traffic, and jaw-dropping race craft taking us to the wire with 1st and 2nd (in EVERY class) separated by less than a second after a grueling 333 laps.
It’s no accident that IMSA’s advanced GTP sports cars (and their GT counterparts) with state-of-the-art hybrid technology, increasingly sustainable tires, and more environment-friendly fuels can complete such a feat of endurance on the notorious bumps of Sebring International Raceway. In the end, however, it comes down to the long-term planning, preparation, and persistence of everyone involved that makes it all possible
With capacity grids, record crowds, and added complexity, we at IMSA felt it necessary to bring long-term predictability. To that end, last weekend, I had the opportunity to announce the 2025 schedule for the WeatherTech Championship, Michelin Pilot Challenge, several months earlier than the traditional date during our August visit to Road America.
The significance of the early schedule announcement is that we want to stabilize the schedule for fans, competitors, and stakeholders so they can plan confidently. In short, we wanted to give everyone a longer planning runway.
As with any stable and sustainable business, long-term planning horizons are critical to success; they bring structure to manage through competing and complex demands. Crews are faced with preparing for the next race, often less than a month away. While back at their home bases, designers and engineers are busy striving to find incremental adjustments, conducting countless simulations and season-transcending work to test emerging ideas and innovations within the sporting regulations.
My IMSA teammates and I are working diligently to create a structure to foster future growth while maintaining present performance and stability.
Our sport is moving quickly, execution of our operations continues at record pace, and nobody wants the race to pass them by.
See you at the track,
John