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Michelin Laguna Seca Notebook

Pre-event news and notes ahead of IMSA’s penultimate round of season…

Photo: Michelin

Ahead of the Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, here are Michelin’s pre-race statistics, notes and data.

Tire Allocations:
WeatherTech Championship
DPi: 9 sets – IMSA Hard
LMP2: 9 sets – IMSA Hard
GTLM: 9 sets – GTLM Range
GTD: 6 sets – Michelin Pilot Sport GT S8M

Michelin Pilot Challenge
GS: 5 sets – Michelin Pilot Sport GT S9M
TCR: 4 sets – Michelin Pilot Sport GT S9M

Compound Switch: Three of the four WeatherTech Championship classes switch compounds from the last race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta to this race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The DPi and LMP2 classes shift from the IMSA Medium to IMSA Hard, while the GTD class goes the other way: from the harder S9M in Braselton to the medium S8M in Monterey.

The Michelin Pilot Challenge series remains on the same S9M compound in both GS and TCR as at Braselton.

Another Monterey Date Swap: IMSA returns to racing in Monterey in October for the first time since 2009, with the WeatherTech Championship race on Sunday, November 1. The 2009 four-hour race featured the legendary door-banging final lap GT class win battle between Jorg Bergmeister’s Flying Lizard Porsche and Jan Magnussen’s Corvette, which ultimately ended in contact with Bergmeister winning and Magnussen spearing across the road into the outside retaining wall. Since the IMSA merger in 2014, the race has run in either May (2014-2016) or September (2017-2019).

Lap Record Update: Through the last race at Michelin Raceway, IMSA teams and drivers in Michelin’s three race series have set 32 new qualifying or race lap records in 2020 to bring the total to 122 since Michelin was named the Official Tire of IMSA in 2019.

Manufacturer Win Tracking: Through Michelin Raceway, 14 of the 17 automotive brands entered in IMSA have won at least once in WeatherTech Championship or Pilot Challenge. As Porsche and Ferrari achieved their first wins last race, the remaining three still seeking their first 2020 win are Alfa Romeo, Ford, and Honda.

A Single Monterey Trip for Michelin: In most years, Michelin visits Monterey at least twice, with Monterey Car Week joining the annual IMSA race trip. As recently as two years ago there were three major Monterey trips, with Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI. The nature of the adjusted 2020 calendar with a number of major event postponements or cancellations means one event that highlights Michelin’s experiences aspect isn’t happening this year, but will return again in the future.

The Torque Show: The Torque Show, presented by Michelin, will return to Jackson, a top brand marketing and motorsport marketing agency, in Simpsonville, S.C. for this weekend’s shows. Hosts Justin Bell and Tommy Kendall broadcasted the Charlotte shows from Jackson’s headquarters before returning to the track last race. Stay tuned to its social media channels (@TorqueShowLive) for air times.

Social Media Handles: Follow Michelin at VIR with these handles:
Facebook: @MichelinUSA
Twitter: @MichelinUSA and @MichelinRaceUSA
Instagram: @MichelinUSA
Web: michelinracingusa.com

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