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MICHELIN CLOSES ITS FIRST SEASON IN THE IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP ON ITS MICHELIN RACEWAY ROAD ATLANTA CIRCUIT

It was a festive weekend for Michelin in Georgia (United States), in the small town of Braselton (11,800 inhabitants), which became the capital of motor sport in the United States on Saturday, October 12. The final of the most important American endurance championship, organised by the International Motorsport Association (IMSA), took place on a course whose myth has been continually reinforced over its 50 years of existence.

Petit Le Mans is a 10-hour race created in 1998 by Don Panoz, in the tradition of the Le Mans 24 Hours. It is certainly the most French motorsport event in North America, during which the Marseillaise has resounded several times.

Hilly, technical and fast, the Road Atlanta circuit was recently renamed Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, driven by Michelin North America. But the French manufacturer not only added its name to the site, but also built the “Michelin Tower”, a four-story building that houses the offices, press room and guest lounges, plus a rooftop that offers a breathtaking view of the track. Inaugurated one hour before the start of the race by Alexis Garcin, Michelin’s Chariman and President in North America, as well as Geoff Lee, Circuit Director, Jim France and Scott Atherton, respectively Chairman and President of the IMSA, the building symbolizes the French manufacturer’s investment in the United States.

Like the “Michelin Tower”, Michelin’s commitment to the IMSA championship represents both a success and a great opportunity for the Clermont-based company. Strengthening an already strong link with the American public, as well as forging links with the many car manufacturers involved in the various series organised and promoted by IMSA, are two important objectives for the brand in one of the major automotive markets.

Equipping up to 137 cars per week-end during the season, Michelin also mobilizes a large workforce in the IMSA championship. Engineers, technicians, assemblers, but also marketing and communication managers. For Petit Le Mans, Michelin North American executives also made the trip from the headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina, about two hours away.

“Our first year as exclusive technical partner of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship was a real success,” said Matthieu Bonardel, Michelin Motorsport Director. “We set records in all categories in all races, while our tyres were praised by the drivers for their consistency. The extraordinary diversity of the circuits on which the championship is held is a real asset that has already enabled us to send a large amount of technical data to France. The Daytona and Sebring races, as well as Petit Le Mans, also gave us the opportunity to build day and night running strategies. FIA WEC and IMSA championships are indeed complementary and coherent within the framework of our commitment in Endurance. We find common partners, manufacturers and teams. In fact, the range of tyres we supply in the IMSA championship is the same as the one we use for the Le Mans 24 Hours and the FIA WEC. In this respect, I would like to highlight the success of Super Sebring, a great weekend where IMSA and FIA WEC put on a show and during which Michelin brought 16,000 tyres: another great success, this time in terms of logistics.”

“Finally, I would like to thank Scott Atherton, who will soon leave his position as President of the IMSA. Together we have built a partnership that creates value for the series, for Michelin and for fans.”

 

The 2019 season champions crowned after the Motul Petit Le Mans

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship final awarded titles to drivers, teams and manufacturers.

After an intense race, during which a new distance record was set with the help of Michelin tyres (1,181 miles covered in 10 hours, i.e. 22 laps and 56 miles more than the previous record), the category champions are:

  • DPi: Juan Pablo Montoya, Dane Cameron/Acura Team Penske (Driver/Team), Acura (Manufacturer)
  • GT Le Mans: Earl Bamber, Laurens Vanthor/Porsche GT Team (Driver/Team), Porsche (Manufacturer)
  • GT Daytona: Trent Hindman, Mario Farnbacher/Meyer Shank Racing (Driver/Team), Lamborghini (Manufacturer)
  • LMP2: Matt McMurry/PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports

To celebrate these champions, Michelin organized a post-race event called “The Torque Show”.

 

 
 
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Alessandro Barlozzi - alessandro.barlozzi@michelin.com - Phone: +33 6 42 23 55 93