IMSA announces BoP changes
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| Ligier gets a 22 pound rate reduction |
Several cars across the Prototype, GT Le Mans and GT Daytona classes of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship have been issued Balance of Performance adjustments for the upcoming Lone Star Le Mans weekend in Texas.
Prototype
Three cars that compete in the flagship Prototype division have received BoP changes for the round at Circuit of The Americas.
The Ligier JS P2, campaigned only by Michael Shank Racing, will enjoy a 10-kilogram decrease in minimum weight. With the change, the car must now weigh a minimum of 940 kg but remains the third heaviest machine contesting the full season in the class behind the DeltaWing and Mazda’s LMP2-style car.
Beyond the changes to the Onroak Automotive-engineered car, the Lola-based Mazda Prototype has had its refueling restrictor increased by 1 millimeter.
Additionally, Panoz DeltaWing Racing’s machine will run at COTA with an increased turbo boost pressure over its previous configuration.
GT Le Mans
Three cars from the GTLM grid have also received updates for COTA.
The BMW Team RLL-run BMW M6 GTLM has had its minimum weight dropped 10 kg and its refueling restrictor bumped up by 0.5 mm.
A turbo boost increase will join a 1-liter larger fuel tank and a 0.5-mm larger refueling restrictor for the Ferrari 488 GTE while Chip Ganassi Racing’s pair of Ford GTs have had their refueling restrictors decreased by 1 mm.
GT Daytona
The largest story to come out of the BoP updates for the GTD class is a 2-mm air restrictor increase for the Porsche 911 GT3 R as well as 1-L larger fuel tank and 1-mm larger refueling restrictor.
The changes for the Porsche come after one of Alex Job Racing’s cars dropped its program in the class over BoP frustration, instead moving to Pirelli World Challenge for the final two rounds of the year. Park Place Motorsports also skipped the most recent round at Virginia International Raceway but the team’s No. 73 car is expected to return to action at COTA.
Similar to the manufacturer’s GTE-spec car, the Ferrari 488 GT3 heads to COTA with not only the class points lead but also an increased turbo boost pressure and fuel tank capacity, but will see a 0.5-mm decrease in its refueling restrictor.
The BMW M6 GT3 and Lamborghini Huracán GT3 will race in Texas with 1-mm larger refueling restrictors while the Dodge Viper GT3-R has had its refueling restrictor dropped by 0.5 mm.
The Prototype Challenge field will join these three classes on Sept. 14–17 at COTA for the penultimate round of the 2016 WeatherTech Championship season.