Citing the economic fallout of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Porsche has announced that it will pull out of the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship Series at the end of 2020.
Porsche’s 911 RSRs have been racing in the GTLM class with CORE Autosports since the WeatherTech Series began in 2014. In those seven years, they have earned 18 GTLM class wins, 3 GTLM Manufacturer’s Championships, and 2 GTLM Driver’s Championships.
The announcement comes from Fritz Enzinger, Vice President Porsche Motorsport, who wrote:
“The decision to halt our factory involvement in the IMSA series was not an easy one for us. With a view to the current corporate situation in connection with the Coronavirus pandemic, it is only logical for Porsche Motorsport to make a contribution to coping with the economic fallout. Porsche belongs in endurance racing. We will work hard to ensure that this is only a temporary Auf Wiedersehen.”
CORE autosport issued a thank you message to Porsche on their website. In the statement, owner Jon Bennett said, “CORE’s partnership with Porsche has always been a dream for me. Not just because I love the brand, but because partnering with Porsche’s history and reputation raised the visibility of the exceptional work we do at CORE. I thank Porsche for an incredible seven years and I thank our employees who are the best in the business. I am honored we shared this journey together.”
CORE Autosport COO Morgan Brady reacted to the news by offering this statement:
“This has been an amazing seven-year partnership. I’m extremely proud of everything we’ve accomplished. While we continue to prepare for the remaining 10 rounds of the IMSA Championship, we’re sensitive to how this departure will affect our team members and their families.”
This is particularly bad news for the IMSA WeatherTech’s GTLM class which has seen recent departures from Ford Motorsports and reduced entries from Ferrari. With Porsche now calling it quits, it’s quite possible that Corvette Racing and the Rahal Letterman Lanigan BMW team will be fielding the only cars in the GT manufacturers’ class for the 2021 season.
Racing returns to the IMSA WeatherTech Championship Series with the addition of the IMSA WeatherTech 240 at Daytona on Saturday, July 4th.
Source:
thecheckeredflag.co.uk
Related:
IMSA to Restart Revised 2020 Schedule with a Nighttime Race on July 4th at Daytona International Speedway
Corvette Racing’s Doug Fehan Offers Update at the Virtual NCM Bash
Corvette Racing Crew Chief Dan Binks Retires
-
Very sad to say but Motorsports as we know it is dying. Take a look at the age of the folks that are attending. The BOP is also a joke and the #1 reason I no longer take the time or spend the money to travel to the various races. 🙁
Not good (despite the fact they ran away with the championship last year), but I have two ideas:
1. Incentivize Audi or Lamborghini (I know both part of Volkswagen AG) to bump up into GTLM. The R8 and or the Aventador deserve to be there.
2. GM allow customer C8.Rs in both GTLM or GTD, to include WEC teams.
We can dream, right?
Watching IMSA races without Porsches chasing Corvettes or vice versa is like eating brauts without an ice cold beer…it’s just not the same. My personal experience goes back to the mid-seventies with these two manufacturers going at each other door-to-door and rubbing or ripping off fenders making it some of the best racing ever. That’s what I’ll miss most, the competition!!!
Now that’s Ford’s gone, Porsche’s gone…damn who’s next?!?!!
Hurry back Porsche and Ford, cold beer is in the fridge…?
JB
That’s too bad, I love the brand and its history as well. I’ll miss seeing them burning up the track.
What I think porche is seeing in the near future is if they stay they will get a lot less podium time with the new Corvette kid on the block who really is just getting started. Unfortunately for Porsche they need to spend some dow rae me to keep in the hunt . I agree ho hartedly regardings with JB comment. It was real racing watching Vet ; Ford; Porche & the remaining field go at it. I truly hope they return. KEEP SMILIN
Clearly, motorsport of all countries is going to be more local with the virus rearing its ugly head with the help of the ever adamant Chinese, making and releasing the plague upon us, according to some sources. However, all is not lost. I predict that coming back from the virus will be a robust economy and that racing will be big in the United States. We have all kinds of tracks for all kinds of racing. BMW actually builds cars here. Ford seems to be engaging in mixed signals and perhaps that is due to a lot of companies moving towards EV’s, Porsche included. That can be Ford. I’d like to say the C8 is responsible for Porsche’s run but I’m pretty sure some of the other rain clouds are more responsible. Porsche has shown no fear of the likes of Audi, McLaren, Ferrari or Lambo in the past. I don’t think Ford frightens them because no one frightens off the Giant Killer.
Brian L
There is no use in bumping anyone up to GTLM / GTE at this point. GT3 / GTD cars have won out and IMSA, the ACO and Corvette should all consider 1 unified GT regulation
Comments are closed.