Yahoo Autos 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Schedule Includes a Motor City Surprise
There will be no IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at the 2023 Detroit Grand Prix on the streets of Detroit, June 2-4.
The annual race at Mid-Ohio is also off the 2023 IMSA schedule.
Mid-Ohio is effectively being replaced by a race weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
When the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship rolled out its 2023 schedule this past weekend at Road America, there were a few things missing.
There will be no IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at the 2023 Detroit Grand Prix on the streets of Detroit, June 2-4. The Detroit event is a return to the streets of downtown for the first time since CART raced on the streets in 1991.
The annual race at Mid-Ohio is also off the 2023 IMSA schedule. Mid-Ohio is effectively being replaced by a race weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Detroit race will be replaced by a GS category IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race.
The IMSA WeatherTech Series has been a staple of Detroit race weekends since the merger of the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Series in 2014 (with the exception of 2020 when the race weekend was canceled due to the pandemic).
Blame Le Mans for the Detroit switch, as multiple IMSA teams are planning to race at Le Mans in June.
“We took the global racing calendars into account as we planned our 2023 schedules," IMSA president John Doonan told Autoweek. "The Detroit event falls on the same weekend as the Le Mans test day, and with the centenary celebrations taking place at Le Mans, there are even more activities planned next year than usual. Add to that the fact that GTP cars now will be eligible to compete at Le Mans and the commitment that some of our manufacturers have already made to participate led us to forego this event for the WeatherTech Championship next year.
"In its place, we have the highly competitive IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class, which we expect to provide plenty of excitement for Detroit fans. There are eight manufacturers currently competing in the GS class—including Chevrolet and Ford, which are eager to race in front of their hometown fans. We’ll look forward to the Michelin Pilot Challenge race in Detroit next year, and continue to pursue opportunities to potentially bring the WeatherTech Championship back in 2024.”
2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Schedule
January 20-22 - Roar Before the 24 at Daytona
Jan. 26-29 - Daytona International Speedway
March 15-18 - Sebring
April 14-15 - Long Beach
May 12-14 - WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
June 22-25 - Watkins Glen
July 7-9 - Canadian Tire Motorsports Park
July 21-22 - Lime Rock
Aug. 4-6 - Road America
Aug. 25-27 - Virginia International Raceway
Sept. 15-17 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Oct. 11-14 - Road Atlanta
