IMSA Nearing Full-Field Capacity for 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship - Speedway Digest

With a significant increase in the number of full-time teams confirmed to compete in the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the sanctioning body may need to restrict the number of cars at some events.

At least 37 full-season “premium” entries already have been filed for the 2019 season. With pit lanes at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca able to accommodate maximum fields in the low-40s, restriction protocols may be deployed for the first time since the inaugural WeatherTech Championship season in 2014.

Factors that IMSA may consider in determining priority include teams with season-long premium entries, commitments to participate in all seven WeatherTech Sprint Cup events and/or the four-race IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, and the time stamp on teams filing standard, single-event entries. IMSA also may take into account a team’s history of competing in IMSA-sanctioned series.

IMSA also reserves the right to limit car counts by class, as well as the option to exclude a class from a race if a minimum of three cars has not been entered.

“While we are not yet in a situation where restrictions are needed, we believe it is important that our constituents be made aware of this situation and understand the criteria we will use if it becomes necessary,” said IMSA Vice President, Competition Simon Hodgson. “This is a good problem to have – and the fact that there is a need for us to discuss these contingency plans is a testament to the attractiveness of our WeatherTech Championship platform. Our 50th anniversary season is now confirmed to have one of the largest and highest quality fields of full-season competitors in IMSA’s history.”

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.