IMSA president John Doonan says that through rescheduling, the governing body is hoping to deliver “complete” 2020 seasons for all of its sanctioned series after the coronavirus crisis has passed.
Last week, the Mobil 1 12 Hours in Sebring was postponed until November, where it will serve as the 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s finale.
This week, Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the GP Association of Long Beach has restated that he’s still working to find a new date for the IndyCar/IMSA Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and Mid-Ohio has declared IMSA’s Acura Sports Car Challenge is being postponed.
Meanwhile the Detroit Grand Prix – another IndyCar/IMSA double-bill, this year set for May 29-31 – has declared it is proceeding as planned and as scheduled.
Doonan confirmed that the governing body was in regular contact with all its tracks and promoters during what remains a fluid period. In a letter to sportscar fans who are pondering the 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule, he wrote that “guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and safety protocols have led IMSA to postpone all events through May 3.
“You’ve likely seen already that we’ve rescheduled the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts (featuring the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship), as well as the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 and our IMSA Prototype Challenge races at Sebring International Raceway to the weekend of Nov. 11-14, 2020. This will be a spectacular event, and we hope you’re already making plans to join us at Sebring in the fall.
“We continue to work with our promoter partners to reschedule other affected events, and more information will be provided as soon as it is available. Our goal is to conduct complete seasons for all of our sanctioned series.
“Alongside our partners at NASCAR and throughout the professional motorsports industry, this decision was made to ensure the health and safety of our entire community – including fans, competitors, stakeholders, event staff and our IMSA team. As a global community, our number one goal must be to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible. The only way to effectively do that is to join our counterparts in the sports and entertainment industries and postpone our events until it is safe to return…
“Thank you for your unwavering support of IMSA racing. The racing community is a large family and you’re an important part of it. Please stay safe and we will see you back at the racetrack before you know it.”
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