2018 IMSA Prototype Challenge

The 2018 IMSA Prototype Challenge presented by Mazda is the thirteenth season of the IMSA Lites series and its successors and the second season as the IMSA Prototype Challenge. The season features 6 races across 6 weekends.

Series news 2018 is the final season Fox Sports will televise the series, NBC Sports Group becomes the series' broadcaster, starting in 2019. 2018 is also the final season that Continental Tire will be the tire supplier, Michelin will take over that role for the 2019 season. 2018 will be the final season of the Mazda Prototype Challenge (MPC) class, with LMP3 to become to sole class from 2019 onwards.

Classes Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) Mazda Prototype Challenge (MPC)

Calendar Race schedule The 2018 schedule was released on 24 August 2017 and features six rounds.

Circuit Location Date Duration Supporting 1 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida January 6 1 hour 45 mins WeatherTech SportsCar Championship 2 Sebring International Raceway Sebring, Florida March 16 1 hour 45 mins 12 Hours of Sebring 3 Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, Alabama April 22 1 hour 45 mins Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama 4 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Bowmanville, Ontario July 8 1 hour 45 mins WeatherTech SportsCar Championship 5 Virginia International Raceway Alton, Virginia August 18 1 hour 45 mins WeatherTech SportsCar Championship 6 Road Atlanta Braselton, Georgia October 12 1 hour 45 mins Petit Le Mans NC Sebring International Raceway Sebring, Florida November 9 4 hours IMSA Michelin Encore1

1 LMP3 will participate in this race with the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's GT Daytona class and the Grand Sport and TCR cars from the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge as one single four-hour race. This race will preview the 2019 IMSA rules package and new tyre supplier Michelin.

Calendar Changes The race weekend format has been changed to feature a single 1 hour 45-minute race instead of two 45 minute races as was the case in 2017. The rounds at Watkins Glen International, Lime Rock Park and Circuit Trois-Rivières were removed from the calendar and replaced by rounds at Daytona International Speedway and Virginia International Raceway, this reduced the number of events from seven down to six.

Entry list

LMP3 All teams use Nissan VK50VE 5.0L V8 engines. Team Car Drivers Rounds Extreme Speed Motorsports Ligier JS P3 3 Max Hanratty All Michael Whelden 1 Benjamin Waddell 2–3, 5 Garett Grist 4 Harry Gottsacker 6 30 Kris Wright All Daniel Morad 1 Michael Whelden 2 Yann Clairay 3–4 Stephen Simpson 5 Niclas Jönsson 6 33 Lance Willsey (M) 1–4, 6 ANSA Motorsports Ligier JS P3 4 Roman De Angelis 1 Dean Baker (M) 2–6 Zacharie Robichon Charles Wicht Racing Ligier JS P3 7 Charles Wicht (M) 1 Leo Lamelas All Patricio O'Ward 2 Will Owen 3 Roman De Angelis 4 Andrew Evans 5–6 Mazzoni Ginetta-Juno P3-15 12 Bill Mazzoni 2 P1 Motorsports Ligier JS P3 17 Corey Lewis All Matt Dicken 25 Kenton Koch All Joel Janco (M) 42 Jim Garrett (M) All Robby Foley Baker Racing Ligier JS P3 19 Brad Baker (M) 2–4 Jan Heylen Gilbert LMP3 Racing Ligier JS P3 23 Henry Gilbert (M) 1 Andy Pilgrim (M) 1 Mike Skeen 2 Shane Lewis 2 K2R Motorsports Ligier JS P3 26 James McGuire Jr (M) 2 Matthew Bell 51 Rob Hodes (M) All Sean Rayhall 1–4 Scott Andrews 5 Garett Grist 6 Polestar Motor Racing Inc. Ligier JS P3 40 Keith Grant 3–6 David Grant Ave Motorsports Riley-Ave AR-2 44 Josh Hurley 1–3 Gary Gibson (M) Forty 7 Motorsports Norma M30 47 Austin McCusker All David Droux 1 TJ Fischer 2–6 74 Anthony Simone 2–4, 6 Rodrigo Pflucker JDC Motorsports Ligier JS P3 55 Gerry Kraut (M) 2, 6 Scott Andrews Wulver Racing Ligier JS P3 60 Bruce Hamilton 5–6 Tõnis Kasemets Performance Tech Motorsports Ligier JS P3 75 Cameron Cassels (M) All Trent Hindman 4 Five Miles Out Racing Norma M30 87 Nicholas Colyvas (M) 3 Jay Howard 3–4 Hanna Zellers 4–6 Daniel Swanbeck 5 Nicholas Colyvas 6 88 Charles Chi (M) 3–6 Memo Gidley Source:

Note: A driver with a (M) is participating in the Amateur Masters Category.

Mazda Prototype Challenge (MPC) All teams use Elan DP02 chassis and Mazda MZR 2.0L 4 cylinder engines. Team Drivers Rounds Performance Tech Motorsports 11 Robert Masson All Kyle Masson 4–6 18 Wyatt Schwab 1–3 John DeAngelis 6 22 Stephen Dawes All 77 Howard Jacobs All James French 4–6 ODU Motorsports 21 Stuart Rettie 1 46 Jay Salmon 1 Eurosport Racing 24 Tim George 1–2 31 Michal Chlumecky 1, 3–6 34 Jon Brownson All Wolf Motorsports 28 Bart Wolf All Tazio Ottis ONE Motorsports 32 Gerhard Watzinger 6 36 Paul LaHaye All 86 Dave House All Mikel Miller 1, 5–6 Source:

Results Race results

Bold indicates overall winner.

Round Circuit LMP3 Winning Car MPC Winning Car LMP3 Winning Drivers MPC Winning Drivers 1 Daytona No. 4 ANSA Motorsports No. 11 Performance Tech Motorsports Roman De Angelis Robert Masson 2 Sebring No. 7 CWR No. 86 ONE Motorsports Leo Lamelas Patricio O'Ward Dave House 3 Barber No. 30 Extreme Speed Motorsports No. 31 Eurosport Racing Yann Clairay Kris Wright Michal Chlumecky 4 Mosport No. 47 Forty 7 Motorsports No. 77 Performance Tech Motorsports TJ Fischer Austin McCusker James French Howard Jacobs 5 Virginia No. 30 Extreme Speed Motorsports No. 77 Performance Tech Motorsports Stephen Simpson Kris Wright James French Howard Jacobs 6 Road Atlanta No. 47 Forty 7 Motorsports No. 34 Eurosport Racing TJ Fischer Austin McCusker Jon Brownson

Points system Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Race 35 32 30 28 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Drivers' Championships LMP3 Driver DAY SEB BAR MOS VIR ATL Points 1 Kris Wright 3 3 1 2 1 2 194 2 Austin McCusker 2 2 16 1 6 1 174 3 Max Hanratty 4 8 4 3 5 4 163 4 Leo Lamelas 7 1 3 16 4 13 150 5 TJ Fischer 2 16 1 6 1 142 6 Matt Dicken Corey Lewis 12 5 6 6 8 9 140 7 Cameron Cassels 8 11 13 7 9 5 133 8 Rob Hodes 11 16 7 5 3 16 130 9 Robby Foley Jim Garrett 9 6 9 8 13 12 129 10 Zacharie Robichon Dean Baker 13 8 4 2 8 124 11 Kenton Koch Joel Janco 6 14 11 13 7 17 118 12 Keith Grant David Grant 5 10 11 3 97 13 Lance Willsey 13 10 12 14 10 96 14 Sean Rayhall 11 16 7 5 85 15 Rodrigo Pflucker Anthony Simone 17 2 15 15 78 16 Benjamin Waddell 8 4 5 77 17 Charles Chi Memo Gidley 10 12 14 11 77 18 Scott Andrews 12 3 7 73 19 Yann Clairay 1 2 67 20 Gary Gibson Josh Hurley 5 7 17 64 21 Michael Whelden 4 3 58 22 Hanna Zellers 9 12 14 58 23 Brad Baker Jan Heylen 15 14 11 53 24 Roman De Angelis 1 16 50 25 Andrew Evans 4 13 46 26 Bruce Hamilton Tõnis Kasemets 10 6 46 27 Garett Grist 3 16 45 28 Gerry Kraut 12 7 43 29 Jay Howard 15 9 38 30 Patricio O'Ward 1 35 31 Stephen Simpson 1 35 32 Nicholas Colyvas 15 14 33 33 David Droux 2 32 35 Daniel Morad 3 30 36 Will Owen 3 30 37 Matthew Bell James McGuire Jr 4 28 38 Harry Gottsacker 4 28 39 Charles Wicht 7 24 40 Trent Hindman 7 24 41 Shane Lewis Mike Skeen 9 22 42 Henry Gilbert Andy Pilgrim 10 21 43 Daniel Swanbeck 12 19 Driver DAY SEB BAR MOS VIR ATL PointsBold - Pole position Italics - Fastest lap

Mazda Prototype Challenge Driver DAY SEB BAR MOS VIR ATL Points 1 Jon Brownson 5 9 2 2 6 1 172 2 Tazio Ottis Bart Wolf 3 4 4 7 4 2 170 3 Stephen Dawes 4 3 8 4 3 3 169 4 Howard Jacobs 11 5 7 1 1 5 166 5 Dave House 6 1 5 6 2 10 164 6 Paul LaHaye 9 2 6 3 5 4 163 7 Robert Masson 1 8 3 8 8 9 156 8 Michal Chlumecky 12 1 5 7 8 104 9 James French 1 1 5 96 10 Mikel Miller 6 2 10 78 11 Wyatt Schwab 7 6 9 71 12 Kyle Masson 8 8 9 68 13 Tim George 8 7 47 14 Stuart Rettie 2 32 15 Gerhard Watzinger 6 25 16 John DeAngelis 7 24 17 Jay Salmon 10 21 Driver DAY SEB BAR MOS VIR ATL Points

Team's Championships LMP3 Team DAY SEB BAR MOS VIR ATL Points 1 No. 30 Extreme Speed Motorsports 3 3 1 2 1 2 194 2 No. 47 Forty 7 Motorsports 2 2 16 1 6 1 174 3 No. 3 Extreme Speed Motorsports 4 8 4 3 5 4 163 4 No. 4 ANSA Motorsports 1 13 8 4 2 8 159 5 No. 7 CWR 7 1 3 16 4 13 150 6 No. 17 P1 Motorsports 12 5 6 6 8 9 140 7 No. 75 Performance Tech Motorsports 8 11 13 7 9 5 133 8 No. 51 K2R Motorsports 9 16 7 5 3 16 130 9 No. 42 P1 Motorsports 9 6 9 8 13 12 129 10 No. 25 P1 Motorsports 6 14 11 13 7 17 118 11 No. 40 Polestar Motor Racing Inc. 5 10 11 3 97 12 No. 33 Extreme Speed Motorsports 13 10 12 14 10 96 13 No. 74 Forty 7 Motorsports 17 2 15 15 78 14 No. 87 Five Miles Out Racing 15 9 12 14 77 15 No. 88 Five Miles Out Racing 10 12 14 11 74 16 No. 44 Ave Motorsports 5 7 17 64 17 No. 19 Baker Racing 15 14 11 53 18 No. 60 Wulver Racing 10 6 46 19 No. 55 JDC Motorsports 12 7 43 20 No. 23 Gilbert LMP3 Racing 10 9 43 21 No. 26 K2R Motorsports 4 28 Team DAY SEB BAR MOS VIR ATL Points

Mazda Prototype Challenge Team DAY SEB BAR MOS VIR ATL Points 1 No. 34 Eurosport Racing 5 9 2 2 6 1 172 2 No. 28 Wolf Motorsports 3 4 4 7 4 2 170 3 No. 22 Performance Tech Motorsports 4 3 8 4 3 3 169 4 No. 77 Performance Tech Motorsports 11 5 7 1 1 5 166 5 No. 86 ONE Motorsports 6 1 5 6 2 10 164 6 No. 36 ONE Motorsports 9 2 6 3 5 4 163 7 No. 11 Performance Tech Motorsports 1 8 3 8 8 9 156 8 No. 31 Eurosport Racing 12 1 5 7 8 127 9 No. 18 Performance Tech Motorsports 7 6 9 7 95 10 No. 24 Eurosport Racing 8 7 47 11 No. 21 ODU Motorsports 2 32 12 No. 32 ONE Motorsports 6 25 13 No. 46 ODU Motorsports 10 21 Team DAY SEB BAR MOS VIR ATL Points

References

External links Prototype Challenge Website IMSA Website