| Porsche GT3 Cup Sebring November Fest, Two-Day Weekend Among Enhancements Added to 2019 Encore Schedule June 28, 2019 Staff Report IMSA Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 28, 2019) – As IMSA approaches the summer stretch and halfway point of its 2019 season, details are coming into focus for the second annual Michelin IMSA SportsCar Encore at Sebring on Nov. 9-10. The inaugural Encore – run at Sebring International Raceway last November – was deemed a success by both IMSA newcomers and existing competitors alike. LMP3, GT4 and TCR specification machines are again eligible to compete in 2019, along with the addition of GT3 cars which were eligible in the inaugural Encore but did not compete. “Last year’s Michelin Encore was fantastic,” IMSA CEO Ed Bennett said. “It featured great racing, significant track time and served as an opportunity for newcomers to the IMSA paddock to see what Michelin, Sebring and IMSA are all about in a special event after the traditional race seasons are completed. We listened to those involved and have made a few changes to the weekend that we believe will make this year’s event even bigger and better.” The second edition of the Michelin IMSA SportsCar Encore at Sebring will be a two-day event. Load-in will now take place on Friday, Nov. 8 with on-track activities taking place on Saturday and Sunday. This will decrease the resources teams need to participate. Similar to the inaugural Michelin IMSA SportsCar Encore at Sebring in 2018, teams will be required to field a minimum of two drivers per car and a maximum of three. No Platinum-rated drivers will be allowed to compete and no driver lineup may have more than one Gold-rated driver. Driver lineups will be subject to IMSA approval. Refueling, tire and driver changes all will be allowed to take place at the same time during pit stops (no timed stops). A maximum of three crew members will be permitted over the wall to provide any service, and only the exiting driver will be allowed to assist during driver changes. The purse includes $10,000 for the winner in each class, as well as three sets of MICHELIN® Pilot Sport GT tires. Second place in each class will receive two sets of tires while third place finishers will receive one set. Should any class have less than five cars, IMSA will reserve the right to modify or exclude the class before the event.Entries for the 2019 Michelin IMSA SportsCar Encore at Sebring and Porsche GT3 Cup events open on Sept. 18 and will close Oct. 22. The event will be streamed live on IMSA.com and schedule and ticket information will be made available in the near future. |
