IMSA Appoints New Race Directors in Development, Single-Make Series
Forbes-Robinson will serve as race director for Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda, Snyder will add race director duties for the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama to his existing role as race director for the Ferrari Challenge North America, and Dale will serve as race director for the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America.
All three race directors will work with senior IMSA officials, including Managing Director of Racing Operations Simon Hodgson, Director of Series Platforms Mark Raffauf, Senior Series Manager of Development & Single-Make Series Randy Hembrey and TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Race Director Beaux Barfield, to continue to develop and execute uniform officiating standards for all IMSA-sanctioned series.
“The experience of Elliott, Todd and Terry will be invaluable to the drivers in our Single-Make and Development Series," Hodgson said. “All three have earned the respect of our competitors and bring additional strength to an outstanding IMSA team in Race Control."
Forbes-Robinson, a native of La Crescenta, California, brings more than four decades of experience as a driver and an official at the highest levels of global sports car racing to his new role with the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda.
A member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, he has won championships and races in an incredible array of series and race cars since the early 1970s, including sports cars with IMSA Camel GT, the American Le Mans Series, GRAND-AM Road Racing and the SCCA Can-Am Challenge, open-wheel cars in Formula Super Vee and SCCA/USAC Formula 5000, and stock cars at the highest level of NASCAR competition. Forbes-Robinson’s driving talent transcended generations, as he won the 1974 Formula Super Vee USA championship in an open-wheel car and also captured the inaugural American Le Mans Series Prototype championship in 1999.
Forbes-Robinson will continue his ties with Mazda as race director. He was a Mazda factory driver in IMSA competition and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans during the late 1980s, including co-driving a Mazda 767B to second place in the GTP class in 1989 at Le Mans.
He assumes his new position after working as a driver advisor for GRAND-AM Road Racing and IMSA in recent years, a role he also will continue in 2015.
Snyder, a native of Anchorage, Alaska, also brings a varied and successful driving and officiating career to his new position with the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama and existing role with the Ferrari Challenge North America. Snyder served in a variety of roles from 1990-2011 with the Skip Barber Racing School, including seven years as vice president of competition and race director of its national and four regional single-make series. He also has served as director of competition for the SCCA Mazda MX-5 Cup series and serves as the chief instructor at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Snyder also enjoyed a successful driving career in sports cars and open-wheel cars. He has competed in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and has raced in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. Snyder’s open-wheel career included finishing second in 1998 and 1999 in the Barber Dodge Pro Series and racing in Indy Lights.
Dale, from Ottawa, Ontario, returns as race director for Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin, a role he held in the 2011-12 seasons, and also will serve in the same role with the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. Dale has extensive experience in officiating IMSA-sanctioned Development and Single-Make Series. He also served as race director for Formula BMW from 2005-07, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama in 2007 and Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda from 2007-14.
Dale has more than 50 years of experience as a race driver, race official and manager at nearly every level of road racing in North America. He started rallying and driving sports cars in his teens and still holds the ASR class lap record at Mont Tremblant, Quebec. He then moved into professional motorsport management and officiating, serving as a driving instructor, race steward, race official, pace car driver and team manager.
The 2015 season for Cooper Tires Prototype Lights Powered by Mazda and Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama starts March 18-20 at Sebring International Raceway. Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin begins its 2015 season May 15-17 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.