IMSA Explains Watkins Glen Adjusted Drive Time Calculations

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

IMSA has clarified the revised drive time calculations used to determine post-race penalties in Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, following numerous inquiries from competitors.

Released to stakeholders on Tuesday, the sanctioning body has outlined the timeline and procedure implemented during the race’s red flag period for severe weather in the area, which led to adjusted drive times that had caught out nearly ten teams, including both the first-place finishing GTD Pro and GTD cars.

According to the data (pictured below), IMSA reduced the minimum drive time requirement for LMP2, LMP3, GTD Pro and GTD from 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 17 minutes after taking into account the 14 percent of the race time that was lost due to the red flag. 

DPi competitors’ drive time was reduced from 30 to 25 minutes, although it did not play a factor in any post-race penalties. 

Per the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship sporting regulations, drive time is not accrued during red flags, which led to teams that had backloaded the drive time for a single driver to the final scheduled two hours to not be able to meet the adjusted minimum time.

A total of 51 minutes and 10 seconds of the race was officially under red flag conditions when taking into account the 9 minute and 34-second clock hold, which was made to take into consideration the required pass around and full course yellow process timeline as well as television.

It has also been revealed that IMSA first issued a Stage 1 weather advisory at 2:22 p.m. ET, nearly one hour prior to the red flag, followed by a second advisory some 27 minutes later.

As confirmed on Monday, nine drivers failed to meet the adjusted minimum drive time of 1:17.12.455, with each car moved to the back of its class, with the shortest time missed ranked highest.

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