IPC Set to Open IMSA’s 50th Anniversary at Daytona

A total of 19 LMP3 cars are entered for this weekend’s season-opening IMSA Prototype Challenge race at Daytona International Speedway, which will kick off the sanctioning body’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

The three-hour endurance race will go green on Saturday at 12:15 p.m. ET, with the race streamed live on IMSA.tv.

For the second consecutive season, the race at Daytona continues to evolve with a new look for the rapidly growing series and its popular LMP3 platform.

Among the enhancements made is the evolution of the endurance racing format that debuted at Daytona in 2018.

One year after shifting from two 45-minute sprint races per weekend to a single one-hour, 45-minute endurance race, the series will extend to a three-hour race format for select events this season, including Daytona. Teams are required to have two drivers for endurance races with the option of using a third driver.

IPC also moves to Michelin tires and LMP3 cars exclusively with many of the top drivers and teams from the longstanding MPC class moving to the LMP3 class.

Among the teams and drivers moving from MPC to LMP3 is ONE Motorsports – which won at Sebring one year ago with Dave House – and defending MPC driver champion Jon Brownson, who drove for ANSA Motorsports in the offseason IMSA Michelin Encore at Sebring and recently took part in a Michelin on-track opportunity with the team at Daytona.

“IMSA has done such a remarkable job bringing the coming season’s format to the Prototype Challenge series, with the Encore at Sebring and the Michelin on-track opportunity,” said Brownson.

“The depth of experience, professional dedication and enthusiasm in the drivers coming to this series is truly awesome. I think it’ll all look just great from the podium this season.”

Teams making their LMP3 debuts at Daytona include Robillard Racing and a partnership from existing teams Alianza Motorsports and Gilbert Motorsports.

Both teams will campaign Norma M30s, joining a trio of Forty7 Motorsports prototypes as the field’s Norma M30 contingent.

Simraceway Motorsports and Sean Creech Motorsports are also set to make their debuts, as will former IndyCar and American Le Mans Series team Conquest Racing.

They will join a strong field of Ligier JS P3 prototypes fielded by ANSA Motorsports, Performance Tech Motorsports, Polestar Motor Racing, K2R Motorsports, Wulver Racing and P1 Motorsports.

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