Doonan: Manufacturers ‘Have Voted for Participation’ in IMSA

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

The world’s leading auto manufacturers ‘have voted for participation’ in IMSA according to the sanctioning body’s president John Doonan, who hinted towards further announcements from OEMs in top-level prototype racing.

Five LMDh manufacturers are set to take part in this weekend’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona, in the third year of the joint platform with the FIA and ACO that races in the GTP class.

Aston Martin will join the WeatherTech Championship grid beginning with March’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with the Valkyrie AMR-LMH car, a first for the series, while Genesis has committed for a 2027 launch in the North American championship.

Speaking with assembled media at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday morning, prior to the start of the Rolex 24, Doonan remained bullish on the future of the top class and its continued partnership with the ACO.

“We had an opportunity yesterday to visit with Pierre Fillon [ACO President], Frederic Lequein [WEC CEO], Thierry Bouvet [ACO sporting director], and talked a lot about what happened five years ago when we got together and announced a global convergence in the top category,” said Doonan.

“An election year just ended. The manufacturers voted and they voted for participation.

“They voted in a big way for the LMDh platform, which we’re so proud of, and they voted to compete with the best of the best, ether here in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship or in the World Endurance Championship.

“For all of us that have the opportunity to help put together the regulations and help set the pathway forward, we’re super proud.”

Doonan hinted that both McLaren and Ford, based on various media reports, could be soon confirming LMDh programs for the future.

Sportscar365 understands that a McLaren program has already been confirmed internally, while an announcement from Ford could come as early as next week.

“As you know, we’re not done yet,” said Doonan. “Genesis, from the Hyundai family, has announced they’re coming.

“I’ve read some stories… that it looks like the ‘papaya army’ plans to join us and maybe even the ‘Blue Oval.’

“I’m super, super excited about what has happened and also what’s to come.”

Doonan said they’re “super proud” of what they’ve been able to achieve in recent years, transforming the top class into a much-desired category for OEMs.

“We’ve tried to take a very methodical approach to introducing the regulations and to introducing new manufacturers to competition,” he said.

“We’re super sensitive to the ebbs and flows of the auto industry.

“Without being ho-hum, we’ve tried to keep the regulations and the platforms stable, that’s number one.

“Clearly there’s BoP discussions but we’ve tried to integrate things like torque sensors and common hybrid in LMDh and things like that to provide stability for the auto makers to enter, to announce they’re coming first, to prepare them to enter and know they have a long runway.

“As you know, at Le Mans, last year, we announced an extension of the regulations (until 2029), which provides stability for those who have already invested and are already here.

“Now you’re seeing it, with a brand like Genesis wanting to come, they know they have an extended runway.

“From that standpoint, we’re super proud.

“We’re also excited, obviously we’ve had LMDh platform cars go to compete in WEC. Now, starting at Sebring, we’ll have the first car built to LMH regulations joining us with the Aston Martin Valkyrie.

“For me, stability is good. We have to take really good care of it, [with] no huge spikes in rules, control costs, make sure we’re very sensitive to that and other pressures that the auto industry sees.

“But [we’re] super, like a kid-in-a-candy-store excited about what’s developed.”