IPC Heads to Sebring After Six-Month Hiatus

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

IMSA Prototype Challenge will be back in action this weekend at Sebring International Raceway after more than a six-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A total of 13 cars are on the entry list for the second round of the season after its season kickoff at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 weekend in early January.

Three races — Sebring, Mid-Ohio and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park — were on the initial IPC calendar and due to take place prior to this weekend’s rescheduled round at the famed Florida airfield circuit. 

The cars count is down from the 18 LMP3 cars that took part at Daytona, with a number of teams not present, including Nielsen Racing, CT Motorsports, Conquest/GRS Racing, One Motorsport and Riley Motorports.

However, the field has been given a boost with the return of JDC Motorsports, with the Minnesota-based team set to field a Norma M30 Nissan for Scott Andrews and Gerry Kraut.

The pairing ran five of the six races last year.

Reigning series champions Forty7 Motorsports will be going for its third consecutive win with drivers JJ Jorge and Joel Janco, who were victorious at Daytona as well as last year’s Michelin IMSA SportsCar Encore at Sebring in November.

Unlike the European Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup, which debuts the 2020-spec LMP3 machinery this weekend in Paul Ricard, IPC will run to the current-generation cars this season as previously planned.

Track action begins on Friday, with the 1 hour and 45-minute race set to get underway Saturday at 11:50 a.m. ET, with live coverage on Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold and IMSA Radio.

As is the case for Michelin Pilot Challenge teams, IPC competitors will be utilizing Sebring’s WEC pit lane, located near Turn 16.

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