IMSA Prototype challenge introduces LMp3 chassis in 2017

The development of Prototype sports car drivers in International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) competition will take an intriguing new direction in 2017 with the introduction of LM P3 race cars and the repositioning of IMSA’s Mazda Prototype Lites Presented by Cooper Tires platform into IMSA Prototype Challenge presented by Mazda. The new championship will race a 13-round schedule at seven premier North American circuits..

IMSA PROTOTYPE CHALLENGE INTRODUCES LM P3 CHASSIS IN 2017

Thirteen rounds of competition will take place in IMSA Prototype Challenge presented by Mazda in 2017, starting in mid-March and ending in early October. Nine rounds will take place during WeatherTech Championship weekends, putting drivers and teams into the brightest sports car racing spotlight in North America. Most event weekends will include a pair of 45-minute sprint races.

“Mazda is committed to providing development opportunities for drivers, teams and crews,” said Mazda Motorsports Director John Doonan. “The IMSA Prototype Challenge presented by Mazda is a perfect step for those wanting to move up the ladder in our Mazda Road to 24 program. The #MRT24 is designed to help sports car racers go from grassroots racing all the way to the top level of North American road racing.

The first two rounds of the series will take place at one of the most prestigious events in the WeatherTech Championship, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida on March 17-18 at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida. The next two rounds will be held on the weekend of April 21-23 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

From there, the series heads for Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, on July 21-22 for a single, 45-minute race as part of the IMSA WeatherTech Northeast Grand Prix weekend.