GT3 Cars to Remain Eligible for Michelin IMSA Encore

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

GT3 machinery will remain eligible for the Michelin IMSA SportsCar Encore, which is set to return with a nearly unchanged format from last year’s inaugural edition.

Scheduled for Nov. 9-10 at Sebring International Raceway, the four-hour enduro will again be open to GT3, LMP3, GT4 and TCR machinery, although no GT3 cars took part in the 2018 event, despite interest from several teams with un-homologated Evo machinery.

A total of 20 cars took part in the race last year.

“Last year’s Michelin Encore was fantastic,” IMSA CEO Ed Bennett said.

“It featured great racing, significant track time and served as an opportunity for newcomers to the IMSA paddock to see what Michelin, Sebring and IMSA are all about in a special event after the traditional race seasons are completed.

“We listened to those involved and have made a few changes to the weekend that we believe will make this year’s event even bigger and better.”

The Encore has become a two-day event, with load-in now taking place on Friday, Nov. 8 and on-track activities starting on Saturday.

Similar to last year, teams will be required to field a minimum of two drivers per car and a maximum of three. No Platinum-rated drivers will be allowed to compete and no driver lineup may have more than one Gold-rated driver. Driver lineups will be subject to IMSA approval.

Refueling, tire and driver changes all will be allowed to take place at the same time during pit stops, with no minimum pit stop time, while a maximum of three crew members will be permitted over the wall to provide any service.

Only the exiting driver will be allowed to assist during driver changes.

The purse includes $10,000 for the winner in each class, as well as three sets of Michelin Pilot Sport GT tires. Second place in each class will receive two sets of tires while third place finishers will receive one set.

Should any class have less than five cars, IMSA will reserve the right to modify or exclude the class before the event.

Entries open on Sept. 18 and will close Oct. 22.

The event will be streamed live on IMSA.com and schedule and ticket information will be made available in the near future.

Porsche GT3 Cup Sebring November Fest to Replace Global MX-5 Cup Challenge on Support Bill

A three-race, two-day event featuring Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars will replace the Global MX-5 Cup Challenge on the Encore support bill, meanwhile.

“The entire weekend was a success last year and the addition of Porsche GT3 Cup promises to make this another memorable event for competitors and spectators,” Bennett added.

“It is an opportunity for current IMSA teams to continue their year at an iconic venue and for others to enjoy the experience of an IMSA weekend and run their cars on Yokohama tires which is done throughout the season.”

The November Fest on-track Saturday schedule will feature a pair of practice sessions, qualifying and Race No. 1. They will finish the weekend with two races on Sunday. All three races will be 45 minutes.

The Porsche GT3 Cup portion of the weekend will be run to IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge sporting and technical regulations and both Gen 1 and Gen 2 Porsche 991 GT3 Cup cars will be eligible to participate.

The field will feature a maximum of 60 cars and cars will be gridded by qualifying time. The qualifying driver must start race 1 on qualifying Yokohama tires.

Those signing up for this event will also have the opportunity to register for the 2020 Porsche GT3 Cup season during the entry process.

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