2016 IMSA SportsCar Championship


The 2016 IMSA SportsCar Championship was the third season of the United SportsCar Championship and first to be under the name as the IMSA SportsCar Championship organized by the International Motor Sports Association. It was the 46th season of IMSA-sanctioned GT Championship sportscar racing tracing its lineage to the 1971 IMSA Camel GT season. It began on January 30 with the 24 Hours of Daytona and ended on October 1 at Petit Le Mans.

Classes

The class structure remained largely unchanged from 2015, with the major change coming in GTD which was now run full GT3 spec machinery.

Race schedule

The 2016 schedule was released on August 8, 2015 and features twelve rounds.
There were also two test sessions before the beginning of the season. They were held on November 17–18 at Daytona International Speedway, as well as The Roar Before the 24, also at Daytona, January 8–10.
RndRaceLengthClassesCircuitLocationDate
1Rolex 24 at Daytona24 hoursAllDaytona International SpeedwayDaytona Beach, FloridaJanuary 30–31
2Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring12 hoursAllSebring International RacewaySebring, FloridaMarch 19
3BUBBA Burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach1 hour 40 minutesP, PC, GTLMLong Beach Street CircuitLong Beach, CaliforniaApril 16
4Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix2 hoursP, GTLMMazda Raceway Laguna SecaMonterey, CaliforniaMay 1
4Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix2 hoursPC, GTDMazda Raceway Laguna SecaMonterey, CaliforniaMay 1
5Chevrolet Sports Car Classic1 hour 40 minutesP, PC, GTDThe Raceway on Belle IsleDetroit, MichiganJune 4
6Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen6 hoursAllWatkins Glen InternationalWatkins Glen, New YorkJuly 3
7Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix2 hours 40 minutesAllCanadian Tire Motorsport ParkBowmanville, OntarioJuly 10
8Northeast Grand Prix2 hours 40 minutesPC, GTLM, GTDLime Rock ParkLakeville, ConnecticutJuly 23
9Continental Tire Road Race Showcase2 hours 40 minutesAllRoad AmericaElkhart Lake, WisconsinAugust 7
10Michelin GT Challenge2 hours 40 minutesGTLM, GTDVirginia International RacewayAlton, VirginiaAugust 28
11Lone Star Le Mans2 hours 40 minutesAllCircuit of the AmericasAustin, TexasSeptember 17
12Petit Le Mans presented by Harrah's Cherokee10 hoursAllRoad AtlantaBraselton, GeorgiaOctober 1

''NOTE: Because of a high car count for the Mazda Raceway event, there will be two separate two-hour races with two categories racing in each race.''

Calendar changes

  • PC has been added to the lineup at Long Beach.
  • GTD has been added to the lineup at the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix, having the race feature all four classes.
  • The round at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will return to a split race format because of field size.
  • GTLM will join PC and GTD at Lime Rock Park.

    Entries

Prototype

TeamChassisEngineDriversRounds

Prototype Challenge

All entries use an Oreca FLM09 chassis powered by a Chevrolet LS3 6.2 L V8.
TeamDriversRounds

GT Le Mans

TeamChassisEngineDriversRounds

GT Daytona

TeamChassisEngineDriversRounds

Team changes

Bold indicates overall winner.
RndCircuitPrototype Winning TeamPC Winning TeamGTLM Winning TeamGTD Winning TeamReport
RndCircuitPrototype Winning DriversPC Winning DriversGTLM Winning DriversGTD Winning DriversReport
1Daytona

Championship standings

Points systems

Championship points are awarded in each class at the finish of each event. Points are awarded based on finishing positions as shown in the chart below.
Position123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930
Race353230282625242322212019181716151413121110987654321

Drivers points

Points are awarded in each class at the finish of each event. Drivers must complete a minimum driving time in order to score points. A driver does not score points if the minimum drive time is not met.
In addition, for each car credited with a race start, each driver nominated in that car also receives one additional “starting point.”

Team points

Team points are calculated in exactly the same way as driver points, using the point distribution chart and “starting points.” Each car entered is considered its own “team” regardless if it is a single entry or part of a two-car team.

Manufacturer points

There are also a number of manufacturer championships which utilize the same season-long point distribution chart, minus the “starting points” used for the driver and team championships. The manufacturer championships recognized by IMSA are as follows:
Each manufacturer receives finishing points for its highest finishing car in each class. The positions of subsequent finishing cars from the same manufacturer are not taken into consideration, and all other manufacturers move up in the order.
The points system for the 2016 season is the same as in 2015.

North American Endurance Cup

The points system for the North American Endurance Cup is different from the normal points system. Points are awarded on a 5-4-3-2 basis for drivers, teams and manufacturers. The first finishing position at each interval earns five points, four points for second position, three points for third, with two points awarded for fourth and each subsequent finishing position.
Position123Other Classified
Race5432

At Daytona, points are awarded at six hours, 12 hours, 18 hours and at the finish. At the Sebring, points are awarded at four hours, eight hours and at the finish. At Watkins Glen, points are awarded at three hours and at the finish. At Road Atlanta, points are awarded at four hours, eight hours and at the finish.
Like the season-long team championship, North American Endurance Cup team points are awarded for each car and drivers get points in any car that they drive, in which they are entered for points. The manufacturer points go to the highest placed car from that manufacturer, just like the season-long manufacturer championship.
For example: in any particular segment manufacturer A finishes 1st and 2nd and manufacturer B finishes 3rd. Manufacturer A only receives first-place points for that segment. Manufacturer B receives the second-place points.

Drivers' championships

Prototype

Prototype Challenge

;Notes:
  • 1 – Jack Hawksworth did not drive any laps during the race and therefore did not receive the one "starting point".
  • Drivers denoted by † did not complete sufficient laps in order to score points.

    GT Le Mans

GT Daytona

;Notes:
  • 1 – All drivers using Lamborghini Huracán GT3-cars were penalized with five minutes added to their total time due to BoP-regulations.
  • 2 – Bret Curtis, Ashley Freiberg, Jens Klingmann and Marco Wittmann were put to the back of their class for exceeding the maximum drive-time limitation.
  • 3 – Andy Lally, John Potter and Marco Seefried were put to second to last in their class for a minimum drive-time violation.
  • 4 – Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Lindsey and Matt McMurry were put to last in their class for a minimum drive-time violation.
  • Drivers denoted by † did not complete sufficient laps in order to score points.

    Teams' championships

Prototype

Prototype Challenge

GT Le Mans

GT Daytona

;Notes:
  • 1 – All teams using Lamborghini Huracán GT3-cars were penalized with five minutes added to their total time due to BoP-regulations.
  • 2 – Car No. 96 of Turner Motorsport was put to the back of its class for exceeding the maximum drive-time limitation.
  • 3 – Car No. 44 of Magnus Racing was put to second to last in its class for a minimum drive-time violation.
  • 4 – Car No. 73 of Park Place Motorsports was put to last in its class for a minimum drive-time violation.