IMSA Parks Two GTD Cars on Sandbagging Allegations

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

IMSA threw down the hammer to two GT Daytona teams in Saturday evening’s test session at the Roar Before the 24, having parked entries from P1 Motorsports and Michael Shank Racing on allegations of sandbagging.

Both the No. 71 Mercedes, driven by Loris Spinelli at the time, and the Mario Farnbacher-driven No. 93 Michael Shank Racing Acura were shown to have exhibited “performance management” at times during the night-time running, according to an IMSA spokesperson.

The cars, along with its team managers and manufacturer representatives were called to IMSA’s impound lot and then not allowed to take any further part in the 90-minute session.

The pair of GTD entries completed five and nine laps, respectively, before their premature ends, having posted the 18th and 12th quickest times in class.

Sportscar365 understands that IMSA communicated at the drivers’ meeting that any car that was under the belief or found to have managed its performance in the test would be subject to a range of penalties.

IMSA has a range of data, including real-time telemetry, to monitor a car’s performance at all times during an official session, including at the Roar.

Multiple lines in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship sporting regulations, meanwhile, are related to its so-called ‘anti-sangbagging’ rule, which was first introduced in 2014.

Both the P1 and MSR entires have been allowed to take part in all of Sunday’s track activities, including the first-ever qualifying for garage and pit box locations this afternoon.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John