Two-Day Events for Daytona, Sebring Confirmed

Photo: John Dagys

IMSA has published provisional schedules for its return to racing in July, with races at Daytona International Speedway and Sebring International Raceway being confirmed as two-day events with reduced practice sessions.

The July 3-4 event at Daytona will feature load-in for WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors on Friday morning, with transporter unload to begin at 1 p.m. prior to technical inspection and a one-hour practice session that evening.

A final practice on Saturday morning, split between GTD Silver/Bronze drivers only, DPi/GTLM and all GTD drivers, will be followed by qualifying at 1:55 p.m. ET.

The two-hour and 40-minute race is schedule to get underway at 6:05 p.m. ET, meanwhile.

A similar format has been confirmed for Sebring two weeks later, which sees the return of Michelin Pilot Challenge and IMSA Prototype Challenge on the July 16-18 event.

WeatherTech Championship teams will not load into Sebring until Friday morning, after qualifying has already been completed for Pilot Challenge competitors, which will unload and practice on Thursday.

The two-hour Pilot Challenge race is slated for Friday, June 17 at 2:30 p.m. ET, with first practice for WeatherTech Championship competitors occurring at 5:45 p.m.

A final round of practice is again on tap for Saturday morning, followed by qualifying and the 5:35 p.m. race start.

While IMSA has yet to release its specific safety protocols for its resumption of racing amid the coronavirus pandemic, the provisional schedules for both events indicate to allow “a minimum” of two hours for entry screening processes each day.

Registration will not be held at the track for either races. If an “essential person” needs a credential, it will have to be arranged in advance via mail.

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