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IMSA has announced an 11-race schedule for 2023, and while the Indianapolis Motor Speedway street course has been confirmed as the penultimate race of the season, Mid-Ohio and Detroit have lost their dates.
Given the expected increase in IMSA works teams’ participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Detroit’s removal from the WeatherTech Championship calendar comes as no surprise given the close proximity between race dates. However, IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge will be on the supporting race schedule for the Motown date of the NTT IndyCar Series as it moves from Belle Isle to a new downtown circuit.
But the loss of the Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course from the nation’s premier sports car series comes as more of a shock. Laguna Seca takes its place in the schedule order.
Six of the 11 IMSA events will include all five classes – GTP, LMP2, LMP3, GTD Pro and GTD – and the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup will again include all classes for the four traditional endurance events: the Rolex 24 At Daytona (26-29 ), Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Advance Auto Parts (March 15-18), Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen (22-25 11-14). Five class races will also be held at Road America (August 4-6) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (September 15-17).
The new GTP class will feature a total of nine events in 2023, while the GTD Pro and GTD classes will compete in all 11 races of the WeatherTech Championship, including GT-only events at Lime Rock Park (July 21-22) and VIRginia International Raceway (8 25-27). However, the Sprint Cup for GTD has been discontinued.
The LMP2 class will also compete at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and LMP3 will return to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, but the Rolex 24 At Daytona will not count towards the full season WeatherTech Championship points for the LMP2 or LMP3 classes.
In addition to the racing events, the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona returns over the weekend of January 20-22. In preparation for the 2023 season, IMSA sanctioned testing for GTP cars will be held at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on October 3-5 and Daytona International Speedway on December 6-7.
An approved test for all WeatherTech Championship competitors is scheduled for February 2023 at Sebring International Raceway.
2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule
| date | Venue | classes |
|---|---|---|
| 20-22 January | Roar before the 24 Daytona test | GTP, LMP2, LMP3, GTD Pro, GTD |
| 26-29 January | Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona | GTP, LMP2, LMP3, GTD Pro, GTD |
| 15-18 March | Twelve hours of Sebring | GTP, LMP2, LMP3, GTD Pro, GTD |
| 14-15 April | Long Beach | GTP, GTD Pro, GTD |
| 12-14 May | WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca | GTP, LMP2, GTD Pro, GTD |
| 22-25 June | Watkins Glen International | GTP, LMP2, LMP3, GTD Pro, GTD |
| 7th-9th July | Canadian Tire Motorsport Park | GTP, LMP3, GTD Pro, GTD |
| 21-22 July | Lime Rock Park | GTD Pro, GTD |
| August 4th to 6th | street america | GTP, LMP2, LMP3, GTD Pro, GTD |
| August 25-27 | Virginia International Raceway | GTD Pro, GTD |
| September 15-17 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway street course | GTP, LMP2, LMP3, GTD Pro, GTD |
| 11-14 October | Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta (Petit Le Mans) | GTP, LMP2, LMP3, GTD Pro, GTD |