2015 United SportsCar Championship
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The 2015 United SportsCar Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2015 Tudor United SportsCar Championship) was the second season of the International Motor Sports Association's United SportsCar Championship and last to be held under that name. It was also the 45th overall season of the IMSA GT championship tracing its lineage to the 1971 IMSA season. It began January 24 with the 24 Hours of Daytona.[1] and ended on October 3 at Petit Le Mans.
Classes[edit]
The class structure remained largely unchanged from 2014.
- Prototype (P) (DP and LMP2)
- Prototype Challenge (PC)
- GT Le Mans (GTLM)
- GT Daytona (GTD)
2015 will see the introduction of two awards for the top-finishing Pro-Am drivers in Prototype (P) and GT Le Mans (GTLM). The Jim Trueman Award will be given to the top finishing Pro-Am pairing in Prototype, while the Bob Akin Award will be for the top GTLM pairing. The top Pro-Am pairings from these classes at the end of the year will be given automatic entries to the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the Trueman award winner eligible for the LMP2 class, while the Akin Award winner would be for the LM GTE Am class. To be eligible for these awards, the drivers must at a minimum contest the North American Endurance Cup events.[2][3]
Schedule[edit]
Race schedule[edit]
The 2015 schedule was released on August 10, 2014 and features twelve rounds.[4] One major change to the rules for 2015 was a slight reduction of race time to fit television constraints. Two and three hour races, which were 15 minutes shorter than their times, will have their race times reduced five more minutes, so that they would be 1:40 and 2:40, respectively, instead of 1:45 and 2:45, as was the case in the previous years. The races set for 6, 10, 12, and 24 hours will remain at the respective lengths.
Calendar changes[edit]
- The events at Kansas Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been discontinued.
- A round at Lime Rock Park was added for PC and GTD.
- The round at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park will see PC replace GTD alongside P and GTLM.
- The IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge support series follows the same schedule as above in 2015 except for the street circuits of Long Beach and Detroit Belle Isle for a ten-round season.
- On October 31, 2014, the calendar was modified removing PC from the Virginia International Raceway round and adding the class to the round at Detroit Belle Isle alongside P and GTD.[9]
- The Monterey round would feature all four classes in a single event.[10]
Entries[edit]
Prototype[edit]
Prototype Challenge[edit]
All entries use an Oreca FLM09 chassis powered by a Chevrolet LS3 6.2 L V8.
| Team | No. | Drivers | Rounds |
|---|---|---|---|
 Starworks Motorsport[21] | 8 |  Renger van der Zande | All |
 Mirco Schultis | 1–2, 4–5, 7–9, 12 | ||
 Alex Popow | 1–2, 6, 12 | ||
| Mike Hedlund | 1, 6, 11–12 | ||
 Filipe Albuquerque | 1 | ||
| 88 | Alex Popow | 11–12 | |
| Sean Rayhall | 11–12 | ||
| John Falb | 12 | ||
| RSR Racing[22] | 11 |  Chris Cumming | All |
 Bruno Junqueira | All | ||
| Gustavo Menezes | 1–2, 12 | ||
 Jack Hawksworth | 1, 12 | ||
| BAR1 Motorsports[23] | 16 | Tomy Drissi | 1–2, 12 |
| Martin Plowman | 1–2, 6 | ||
| Johnny Mowlem | 1, 12 | ||
| Brian Alder | 1 | ||
| Tom Papadopoulos | 1 | ||
| Marc Drumwright | 2, 12 | ||
| David Cheng | 2 | ||
| John Falb | 4, 7, 11 | ||
| Todd Slusher | 4, 8, 11 | ||
| Daniel Burkett | 6, 9 | ||
| Matt McMurry | 6, 9 | ||
| Sean Rayhall | 7–8 | ||
| Don Yount | 12 | ||
| 61 | Shelby Blackstock | 1 | |
| Ivo Breukers | 1 | ||
| Marc Drumwright | 1 | ||
| Martin Plowman | 1 | ||
| Remo Ruscitti | 1 | ||
| Ryan Lewis | 11 | ||
| Don Yount | 11 | ||
| Performance Tech Motorsports[11] | 38 | James French | All |
| Jerome Mee | 1–2, 6, 12 | ||
| James Vance | 1, 5 | ||
| Sean Johnston | 1 | ||
| Conor Daly | 2, 6–9, 11–12 | ||
| Mike Hedlund | 4 | ||
| PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports | 52 | Mike Guasch | All |
| Tom Kimber-Smith | All | ||
| Andrew Palmer | 1–2, 6, 12 | ||
| Andrew Novich | 1 | ||
| CORE Autosport[11] | 54 | Jon Bennett | All |
| Colin Braun | All | ||
| James Gue | 1–2, 6 | ||
| Mark Wilkins | 1 | ||
| Anthony Lazzaro | 12 | ||
| JDC-Miller MotorSports | 85 | Mikhail Goikhberg | All |
| Chris Miller | 1–2, 6, 9, 12 | ||
| Rusty Mitchell | 1–2, 6, 12 | ||
 Stephen Simpson | 1, 5, 8 | ||
 Tristan Vautier | 1 | ||
| Gerry Kraut | 2 | ||
| Zach Veach | 4 | ||
| Matt McMurry | 7, 11 |
GT Le Mans[edit]
GT Daytona[edit]
Results[edit]
Bold indicates overall winner.
| Rnd | Circuit | Prototype Winning Team | PC Winning Team | GTLM Winning Team | GTD Winning Team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prototype Winning Drivers | PC Winning Drivers | GTLM Winning Drivers | GTD Winning Drivers | |||
| 1 | Daytona | No. 02 Chip Ganassi Racing | No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports | No. 3 Corvette Racing | No. 93 Riley Motorsports | Report |
 Scott Dixon Tony Kanaan Kyle Larson Jamie McMurray | Michael Guasch Tom Kimber-Smith Andrew Novich Andrew Palmer |  Ryan Briscoe Antonio García Jan Magnussen | Al Carter Dominik Farnbacher Ben Keating Cameron Lawrence Kuno Wittmer | |||
| 2 | Sebring | No. 5 Action Express Racing | No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports | No. 3 Corvette Racing | No. 23 Team Seattle / Alex Job Racing | Report |
| João Barbosa Sébastien Bourdais Christian Fittipaldi | Michael Guasch Tom Kimber-Smith Andrew Palmer | Ryan Briscoe Antonio García Jan Magnussen | Mario Farnbacher Ian James Alex Riberas | |||
| 3 | Long Beach | No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing | did not participate | No. 25 BMW Team RLL | did not participate | Report |
| Jordan Taylor Ricky Taylor | Bill Auberlen Dirk Werner | |||||
| 4 | Laguna Seca | No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Racing | No. 11 RSR Racing | No. 24 BMW Team RLL | No. 73 Park Place Motorsports | Report |
| Michael Valiante Richard Westbrook | Chris Cumming Bruno Junqueira | John Edwards Lucas Luhr | Patrick Lindsey Spencer Pumpelly | |||
| 5 | Belle Isle | No. 31 Action Express Racing | No. 8 Starworks Motorsport | did not participate | No. 23 Team Seattle / Alex Job Racing | Report |
| Dane Cameron Eric Curran | Mirco Schultis Renger van der Zande | Mario Farnbacher Ian James | ||||
| 6 | Watkins Glen | No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Racing | No. 8 Starworks Motorsport | No. 17 Team Falken Racing | No. 93 Riley Motorsports | Report |
| Michael Valiante Richard Westbrook | Mike Hedlund Alex Popow Renger van der Zande | Wolf Henzler Bryan Sellers | Al Carter Marc Goossens Cameron Lawrence | |||
| 7 | Mosport | No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing | No. 54 CORE Autosport | No. 911 Porsche North America | did not participate | Report |
| Jordan Taylor Ricky Taylor | Jon Bennett Colin Braun | Patrick Pilet Nick Tandy | ||||
| 8 | Lime Rock | did not participate | No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports | did not participate | No. 97 Turner Motorsport | Report |
| Michael Guasch Tom Kimber-Smith | Dane Cameron Michael Marsal | |||||
| 9 | Road America | No. 31 Action Express Racing | No. 11 RSR Racing | No. 911 Porsche North America | No. 33 Riley Motorsports | Report |
| Dane Cameron Eric Curran | Chris Cumming Bruno Junqueira | Patrick Pilet Nick Tandy | Jeroen Bleekemolen Ben Keating | |||
| 10 | Virginia | did not participate | did not participate | No. 911 Porsche North America | No. 63 Scuderia Corsa | Report |
| Patrick Pilet Nick Tandy | Townsend Bell Bill Sweedler | |||||
| 11 | Austin | No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing | No. 54 CORE Autosport | No. 25 BMW Team RLL | No. 33 Riley Motorsports | Report |
| Joey Hand Scott Pruett | Jon Bennett Colin Braun | Bill Auberlen Dirk Werner | Jeroen Bleekemolen Ben Keating | |||
| 12 | Road Atlanta | No. 5 Action Express Racing | No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports | No. 911 Porsche North America | No. 73 Park Place Motorsports | Report |
| João Barbosa Sébastien Bourdais Christian Fittipaldi | Michael Guasch Tom Kimber-Smith Andrew Palmer |  Richard Lietz Patrick Pilet Nick Tandy | Patrick Lindsey Spencer Pumpelly Madison Snow |
Championship standings[edit]
Points Systems[edit]
Championship points are awarded in each class at the finish of each event. Points are awarded based on finishing positions as shown in the chart below.[35]
| 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 Points[edit]
Points are awarded in each class at the finish of each event. Drivers must complete a minimum driving time (outlined to teams prior to each event) in order to score points. A driver does not score points if the minimum drive time is not met.[35]
In addition, for each car credited with a race start, each driver nominated in that car also receives one additional “starting point.”[35]
Team Points[edit]
Team points are calculated in exactly the same way as driver points, using the point distribution chart and “starting points.” Each car entered is considered its own “team” regardless if it is a single entry or part of a two-car team.[35]
Manufacturer Points[edit]
There are also a number of manufacturer championships which utilize the same season-long point distribution chart, minus the “starting points” used for the driver and team championships. (The “starting point” is not used in manufacturer championship points.) The manufacturer championships recognized by IMSA are as follows:[35]
- Prototype (P): Engine Manufacturer
- GT Le Mans (GTLM): Car Manufacturer; Tire Manufacturer
- GT Daytona (GTD): Car Manufacturer
Each manufacturer receives finishing points for its highest finishing car in each class. The positions of subsequent finishing cars from the same manufacturer are not taken into consideration, and all other manufacturers move up in the order.[35]
- Example: Manufacturer A finishes 1st and 2nd at an event, and Manufacturer B finishes 3rd. Manufacturer A receives 35 first-place points while Manufacturer B would earn 32 second-place points.[35]
The points system from the 2014 season is the same as in 2015.[36]
North American Endurance Cup[edit]
The points system for the North American Endurance Cup is different from the normal points system. Points are awarded on a 5-4-3-2 basis for drivers, teams and manufacturers. The first finishing position at each interval earns five points, four points for second position, three points for third, with two points awarded for fourth and each subsequent finishing position.[35]
| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | Other Classified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
At Daytona (24 hour race), points are awarded at six hours, 12 hours, 18 hours and at the finish. At the Sebring (12 hour race), points are awarded at four hours, eight hours and at the finish. At Watkins Glen (6 hour race), points are awarded at three hours and at the finish. At Road Atlanta (10-hour race), points are awarded at four hours, eight hours and at the finish.[35]
Like the season-long team championship, North American Endurance Cup team points are awarded for each car and drivers get points in any car that they drive, in which they are entered for points. The manufacturer points go to the highest placed car from that manufacturer (the others from that manufacturer not being counted), just like the season-long manufacturer championship.[35]
For example: in any particular segment manufacturer A finishes 1st and 2nd and manufacturer B finishes 3rd. Manufacturer A only receives first-place points for that segment. Manufacturer B receives the second-place points.[35]
Drivers' Championships[edit]
Prototype[edit]
|
Bold - Pole position |
- Notes
- 1 – All drivers of car #10 were moved to last in class at Daytona for exceeding maximum drive-time limitation.[37]
- 2 – The #7 of Starworks Motorsport withdrew from the 12 Hours of Sebring before Practice with only Scott Mayer and Brendon Hartley confirmed as drivers.
Prototype Challenge[edit]
|
- Notes
- 1 – Three drivers of car #8, Mirco Schultis, Renger van der Zande and Mike Hedlund, only scored one point at Daytona for exceeding maximum drive-time limitation.
- 2 – Two drivers of car #11, Gustavo Menezes and Jack Hawksworth, only scored one point at Daytona for exceeding maximum drive-time limitation.
- 3 – All drivers of car #16 were moved to last in class and only scored one point at Daytona for exceeding maximum drive-time limitation.
- 4 – Two drivers of car #85, Chris Miller and Gerry Kraut, only scored one point at Sebring for exceeding maximum drive-time limitation.
- Drivers denoted by † did not complete sufficient laps in order to score points.
GT Le Mans[edit]
|
GT Daytona[edit]
|