Beyond convergence: How IMSA is raising sports car racing’s profile

Sitting in the press conference room at Daytona back in January of 2020, when IMSA and the ACO first revealed the global LMDh concept, paving the way for the “convergence” of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance …

Sitting in the press conference room at Daytona back in January of 2020, when IMSA and the ACO first revealed the global LMDh concept, paving the way for the “convergence” of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship’s top categories, it was hard to imagine how it would play out. It all sounded great, but would it work?

That day, senior representatives from the sport’s governing bodies and manufacturers described the LMDh reveal as a “game changer,” “a sensible approach,” “enormous,” “huge” and “historic.” Yet nobody truly knew where things would lead, or whether manufacturers would come in numbers when when the ruleset debuted globally.

Fast forward four years and we have a growing IMSA GTP field that will feature six factories next year and a WEC Hypercar grid with almost 20 full-season cars from nine manufacturers. It’s taken off and the task at hand is now very different.

Before, the focus of the rule-makers was to build the grids, attract new manufacturers and encourage investment for the future. Now, it’s about sustaining what we have and building an audience for on-track products that have never looked better.

Looking specifically at IMSA, it’s fair to say that within the castle walls the level of growth that the WeatherTech Championship is experiencing is currently exceeding all expectations. IMSA President John Doonan is buoyed by recent progress, yet remains far from complacent.

This astonishing era of convergence in sports car racing is peaking, and fast. Crowds are attending races in record numbers on almost a weekly basis and broadcast viewing figures are on an upward curve globally.

But Doonan knows as well as anyone that it can all change in a heartbeat. This is an area of motorsport which is cyclical by nature, with manufacturers coming and going as rulesets evolve. Right now we are in the midst of an era that will be looked back on fondly for decades to come, yet champagne celebrations are not a weekly feature at head offices. Nobody at IMSA is under the illusion that it will last forever.

As a result, the hard work hasn’t stopped and is ongoing behind the scenes to build the audience for IMSA’s WeatherTech Championship and its support series. The foundations are important — they need to be as strong as possible so any and all future storms can be weathered.

IMSA’s revitalization in the LMDh era has gone hand in hand with a concerted push into digital media. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

A great example of IMSA’s forward thinking came back in March, when it began streaming races for free on YouTube at Sebring for fans outside the U.S. IMSA didn’t promote this addition to its broadcast offering that week; instead, it was a soft launch. The powers that be wanted to see what would happen if broadcasts were placed on its channel — which has a following of more than 350,000 people and potential for growth via “the algorithm” — with no promotion.

It was, quite literally, an overnight success. The live race broadcast for the 12 Hours now sits on the IMSA Channel with 542 thousand views and prompted the decision to add YouTube as a permanent home for race broadcasts alongside its desktop platform and app.

With moves like this, IMSA is seizing the moment. The WeatherTech Championship may be based in the U.S. (with the exception of the annual race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park), but the “I” in IMSA stands for “International” and as time goes on, growing and servicing the championship’s global fan base is becoming more of a priority.

“With convergence, sports car racing is in the spotlight more than at any point we’ve seen in our careers,” Doonan explains to RACER. “When we moved to YouTube at Sebring, for the oldest endurance race in America, we had about 500,000 viewers live at the peak during that broadcast. We had high hopes, but that was beyond what we thought was possible.

“The North American market is incredibly important to our OEMs, our drivers, and our partners. IMSA is the largest ‘international’ racing series in North America. Those two points, coupled with the fact that we have 18 manufacturers choosing to compete with us and dozens of drivers from all around the world on our grid, means that getting our IMSA product and broadcasts in front of a growing international audience is incredibly important.”

Balancing the needs and expectations of fans alongside those of OEM principals like GM’s Todd Christensen (right) is critical to the growth strategy being executed by IMSA President John Doonan. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Post-Sebring, the data has continued to provide encouraging signs. The audience outside the USA didn’t just tune in for the race with the highest profile and bolt. Instead, Doonan revealed, fans have stayed put, making for a remarkable statistical jump year on year.

“We had 4.3 million hours watched on YouTube in 2023, and through the year to date so far we’ve had 15 million hours watched. It’s a special opportunity for us and we’re really happy,” he says. “It’s making our manufacturers and partners happy too. The North American market has been named by almost every single manufacturer as the most important market for them when it comes to growing a brand.

“But with 18 manufacturers, their global headquarters may not be in the USA — they may be elsewhere. So, giving their executive teams — and people in the boardroom who agree racing is a proper marketing tool and an R&D tool — an easy way to view the races and see their return on investment is critical.

“Alpine (a target for IMSA in GTP going forward) is a tremendous example. They want to come to the U.S. and sell road cars. If you bring the racing program as part of the brand launch, it’s an authentic way to launch a brand. To do that you need lots of elements, retail locations and a distribution network, but you need awareness more than anything else. What better way to get that than via showing the public what you can do on track?”

Lamborghini reveals SC63 LMDh at Goodwood

In it’s 60th year as a car company, sports car manufacturer Lamborghini is taking its first steps into the motorsports world beyond GT racing with the SC63, its hybrid prototype race car built to the LMDh ruleset and destined for GTP in the IMSA …

In it’s 60th year as a car company, sports car manufacturer Lamborghini is taking its first steps into the motorsports world beyond GT racing with the SC63, its hybrid prototype race car built to the LMDh ruleset and destined for GTP in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Hypercar in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The car was fully revealed today at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

“This year marks not only the 60th anniversary of our brand, but also the 10th anniversary of Squadra Corse, Lamborghini’s motorsport division,” said Girogio Sanna, Lamborghini’s head of motorsport. “Over the last decade we have achieved great results. Starting from scratch, we have won some of the most prestigious endurance races in the GT category for our production-based racing cars. These include three class wins at the Daytona 24 Hours and two wins in a row at the Sebring 12 Hours. Now we are ready for what is our biggest step into the future of motorsport, measuring ourselves against the best manufacturers in the world.”

Developed in conjunction with Ligier, the SC63 is the first LMDh car in which the French race car constructor has had a hand. The internal combustion engine is a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 developed specifically for the racing program. It’s a “cold V” configuration with the turbos mounted outside the v-angle of the engine for serviceability as well as a lower center of gravity. As with all LMDh cars, it uses a spec hybrid system with a maximum combined output of 670hp.

With Lamborghini the only manufacturer engaging Ligier for the SC63, there was a certain freedom afforded the car company in the design of the pushrod front suspension, as well as weight distribution and designing the car to be worked on and repaired easily.

The body and aerodynamics follow what has become a familiar pattern with LMDh cars, including a rear wing as the adjustable aerodynamic element that is mated with a central vertical fin. The bodywork was designed by Lamborghini’s Centro Stile department in conjunction with the race design team and feature elements heavily influenced by current Lamborghini road car design, notably the Y-shaped lights front and rear.

Pressure-relief holes in the fenders run lengthwise, blending into louvered rear vents on both the front and rear fenders. Multiple air intakes on both sides of the car feed eight different radiators to handle engine cooling, intercoolers, gearbox, Energy Recovery and Storage System cooling, and the condenser for the air conditioning.

“From the beginning, my personal briefing to the design team was that the car needs to be highly functional, but we wanted to create a car that is immediately recognizable as Lamborghini,” explained Mitja Borkert, head of design at Centro Stile. “The main recognition of the front and rear of the SC63 is driven by the Y-shaped signature light. The size of the cabin and the main character of the car is driven by the sporting rules, but we have also implemented our own brand styling cues throughout the car.

“Integrated into the side panel of the body you can see a NACA duct that was inspired by the air intake of the Countach. When you look at the rear wheel arch, we gave the impression of acceleration towards the front, and this relates to the wheel arch design language of Lamborghini that can also be seen on the Revuelto.”

The Revuelto is the latest supercar from Lamborghini, and the first real production model to feature a hybrid powertrain.

The SC63 has been developed with a lot of Driver-in-the-Loop simulation work by Lamborghini factory drivers Andrea Caldarelli, Mirko Bortolotti, Romain Grosjean and Daniil Kvyat, the latter two having experience with hybrid race cars from their Formula 1 experience. Those four drivers will continue with on-track testing and make up part of the racing lineup as well, with others to be named later.

Lamborghini has committed one car each to WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Michelin Endurance Cup. The cars will be run, as are the company’s factory GT3 programs this season, by new partner Iron Lynx.

“Being involved in such an ambitious project is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Andrea Piccini, Iron Lynx team principal and CEO. “We are honored and extremely excited to be a part of it and start a new chapter for Iron Lynx with Lamborghini. It’s been amazing to see everything finally come together for the reveal of the SC63. Everyone at Iron Lynx is eager for testing to get underway. This undoubtedly is one of the biggest challenges we’ve ever faced as a team, and we are now looking forward to seeing the SC63 on track.”

The SC63 represents Lamborghini’s first foray into non-GT racing (outside the ill-fated Formula 1 attempt in 1991). The LMDh formula, being based around a hybrid powertrain, came at the right time as Lamborghini was developing hybrid road cars. And while Lamborghini has made its name with screaming V12 and V10 engines, the twin-turbo V8 made more sense within the rules; since maximum output is regulated, teh focus was centered more on efficiency. In addition the Lamborghini Urus uses a twin-turbo V8, as likely will the replacement for the Huracán.

“The SC63 is the most advanced racing car ever produced by Lamborghini and it follows our roadmap ‘Direzione Cor Tauri’ laid out by the brand for the electrification of our product range,” said Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini chairman and CEO. “The opportunity to compete in some of the biggest endurance races in the world with a hybrid prototype fits with our vision for the future of high-performance mobility, as demonstrated for road-legal cars with the launch of the Revuelto. The SC63 LMDh is the step into the highest echelons and into the future of motorsports for our Squadra Corse.”

Bortolotti prepping for Lamborghini LMDh program with Prema in LMP2

Lamborghini factory driver Mirko Bortolotti says his campaign with Prema Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship this season is a vital part of the build-up to the debut of the Lamborghini LMDh prototype in 2024. The Italian, who is driving …

Lamborghini factory driver Mirko Bortolotti says his campaign with Prema Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship this season is a vital part of the build-up to the debut of the Lamborghini LMDh prototype in 2024.

The Italian, who is driving the No. 63 Prema Racing ORECA with Doriane Pin and fellow future Lamborghini LMDh driver Daniil Kvyat, is using the WEC program as a chance to get track time in a prototype alongside his development work behind the scenes on the forthcoming Ligier-based car.

While the unnamed Lamborghini LMDh isn’t ready to race yet, Bortolotti says he has already been spending significant chunks of time undergoing simulator work as the team finalizes the concept for the car, which RACER understands will begin testing this summer.

“We are working on the car intensively,” he said. “There will be news soon. I am deeply involved in the car’s development — we are using every free day of the week on it, mainly on the simulator at the moment.

“I am not the only driver involved in development, because my schedule is quite busy I am trying to find a compromise between racing and being involved in the development of the car. I have had to step out of some important races this year to free up time for LMDh development.”

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Alongside that, competing alongside Kvyat — who was confirmed as an LMDh driver for Lamborghini just this month — is very important for him as he prepares to immerse himself in the factory team project. Kvyat is the fourth driver confirmed for the program, following the news from last year that Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli and Romain Grosjean would be part of the team.

Bortolotti told RACER he knew going into the season that Kvyat would be confirmed as a driver for 2024 long before it was made public ahead of the 6 Hours of Portimao and has made a point of getting acquainted with the former F1 racer.

“We want to get to know each other, to start working on procedures, to have a season together. Whatever we do, it doesn’t matter if it’s for Prema or me, what matters is that it’s a winning mentality.

“We haven’t known each other for long. But I knew him obviously from his Formula 1 career — he doesn’t need an introduction, we know how good he is. We are really happy to have him as part of the team, it’s a privilege. We are a strong team together and we are looking at the future.”

However, Bortolotti doesn’t yet know whether he will share a car with Kvyat in 2024, as Lamborghini hasn’t yet decided on its driver lineups.

The plan is rapidly coming together, though. The Iron Lynx-run effort will compete in the full WEC and in IMSA’s endurance races, both with a single car, with a second car planned for the major races like the Le Mans 24 Hours and Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Customer cars will also be made become available, though the timeline for this hasn’t yet been made clear by the Italian marque. It also isn’t yet entirely clear whether or not the car will be ready to compete at the 2024 Rolex 24 in January. The amount of progress made in the coming weeks will be the deciding factor.

Prema Racing’s LMP2 effort with drivers (left to right) Doriane Pin, Mirko Bortolotti and Daniil Kvyat is laying the groundwork for the forthcoming Lamborghini Hypercar program. Motorsport  Images

Before that, Bortolotti is focused on getting the most out of his 2023 LMP2 program in the WEC. After a podium at Sebring and a fourth-place finish in Portimao, he and his teammates are firmly in championship contention.

“It’s been really good,” he said when asked to assess the season so far. “We have Doriane (Pin), who has a lot to learn, but she is very mature and quick. She is in the perfect environment with us. I look forward to her development this year. We have had a good start to the season so it would be a lie to say we don’t want to do well in the championship. It’s important to build. We will see where we are in the standings at the end of the year.

“We need to be honest that our main target this season is to work together. The best team-building, though, is being successful. It’s a great opportunity.

“I have been with Lamborghini since I was in Super Trofeo in 2014, which was almost a road-legal car. This journey through thick and thin and being successful internationally at big races and championships brought us here now, and we are really proud to make this big step into Hypercar.”

Kvyat lands factory Lamborghini ride

Former Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat has joined Mirko Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli and Romain Grosjean in Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s factory LMDh lineup. Kvyat will be involved in an extensive testing and development program for Lamborghini’s LMDh …

Former Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat has joined Mirko Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli and Romain Grosjean in Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s factory LMDh lineup.

Kvyat will be involved in an extensive testing and development program for Lamborghini’s LMDh prototype this year before making his race debut in 2024 with Iron Lynx in the WEC and IMSA championships. In the meantime, he will race for Prema in LMP2 in this year’s WEC alongside Bortolotti and Doraine Pin.

“I am very happy to have joined Lamborghini Squadra Corse, it is a great honor for me,” Kvyat said. “Lamborghini is a very well-known Italian brand with a great history in automotive world and, having grown up in Italy, this is an additional source of pride for me. We hope to achieve many goals together, I thank you for your trust in me and I look forward to starting work on the LMDh project later this year.”

The deal marks his full-time return to racing after a planned 2022 program with Russian LMP2 team G-Drive was spoiled when the team withdrew from the WEC, a move made in response to restrictions placed on Russian drivers by the FIA following the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Kvyat will race for Lamborghini under an Italian license.

“As a group, we are very excited to welcome Daniil to Lamborghini and believe he will be a strong asset to our LMDh project over the course of the 2023 season,” said Giorgio Sanna, Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s head of motorsport.

“Daniil’s main role with us will be working closely with our engineers and mechanics on the prototype car which will debut next year, and given his vast experience in other racing categories, I have no doubt that he will play a crucial part in us hitting the ground running in 2024.”

Kvyat entered F1 in 2014 with Toro Rosso off the back of a strong junior career as a Red Bull development driver. He was promoted to Red Bull Racing for 2015, but after a challenging couple of years was moved back to Toro Rosso, where he remained until 2017. After a one-year stint as a Ferrari reserve driver he returned for another spell at Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri. He lost his race seat to Yuki Tsunoda ahead of the 2021 season, but stayed on with the team for the year as a reserve.

Following the FIA’s introduction of restrictions on Russian drivers, Kvyat’s racing activities in 2022 were limited to the NASCAR Cup Series, where he made a one-off appearance with Team Hezeberg at IMS.