IMSA Sets Michelin Tire Allocations

Photo: Michelin

IMSA has set the tire allocations for WeatherTech SportsCar Championship classes next year, including the Michelin-specific compound and maximum number of tires permitted during each event.

Released in a competition bulletin to competitors on Wednesday, the allocations will come into effect beginning with next month’s Roar Before the Rolex 24 and through the entire 12-event season.

As revealed by Sportscar365 last week, the French tire giant and IMSA were working to finalize the declarations in advance of the season start.

DPi and LMP2 cars will run on identical semi-confidential tires throughout the season, alternating between IMSA-specific medium and hard compounds. 

Medium compounds are set to be used for the first five races of the season, as well as the Motul Petit Le Mans, with the hard compound for the summer-time rounds at Watkins Glen International, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Road America, as well as at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

The same season-split will be used for GT Daytona, with the exception of Laguna Seca, which will use the softer S8 compound, with the S9 declared for the GT-only races at Lime Rock Park and Virginia International Raceway.

The GT Le Mans class, which remains an open-tire category although set to remain Michelin-only next year, will have options of three different compounds per manufacturer, which have been declared following Michelin On-Track Opportunities at multiple venues this year.

Typical WeatherTech Championship weekends with two-hour and 40-minute races will see teams permitted to use up to ten sets of tires for DPi/LMP2 and between 7-8 for GTD, with a higher allocation for the Michelin Endurance Cup rounds and fewer for the street races at Long Beach and Detroit.

Per IMSA, the tire allocations and specifications remain provisional, allowing both the series and official tire partner to make adjustments if deemed necessary.

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