Stopwatch

When IMSA first published the initial Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) rulebook in 1980, it set off a flurry of activity with car builders and race teams. But who became the first to field a GTP machine in an IMSA race? This question isn't as simple to answer as you might think.

When the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) started in 1969, it focused on running formula car races on a mixture of fast ovals and road courses. That idea produced fantastic racing but proved to be quite dangerous. It was also not a commercial success. These factors led to a shift in focus to GT cars in 1971. And the rest, as they say, is history.

April 12th marks the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest sports car endurance drives of all time. In horrible conditions at Brands Hatch, Pedro Rodriguez stomped the competition in his Gulf Porsche 917. Read about how it happened from world-renowned 917 author Jay Gillotti.

The IMSA All-American GT (AAGT) class was dreamed up in response to Porsche domination of the Camel GT Series in 1973 and 1974. By then, Porsche was mass-producing race-ready Carrera RSRs that private teams could purchase and be immediately competitive. John Bishop wanted to offer teams an American alternative utilizing proven, off-the-shelf engines and parts. Thus, the AAGT era in IMSA began in earnest in 1975.

John Andretti was every bit the racer as his more famous uncle Mario and cousin Michael. But he was also instrumental in raising awareness of colon cancer prevention and treatment. Renowned motorsport journalist and author Jonathan Ingram remembers his friend's legacy in this touching post.

Ryan Newman's recent horrific crash on the last lap of this year's Daytona 500 reminded all of us that motorsports can be a dangerous game. Jonathan Ingram, author of the recently released book "Crash," sees Newman's survival as a natural result of the positive steps that have been taken over the past 30 years to ensure driver safety.

Peter Sachs recalls the very first Ferrari sports car, unveiled in 1947 at the Ferrari factory in Maranello. [Originally posted on www.klemcoll.com]

It was 45 years ago on February 1-2, 1975 that IMSA began sanctioning the 24 Hours of Daytona, an event that Bill France Sr. had built into international prominence starting in 1962 with a 3-hour Daytona Continental. With excerpts from "IMSA 1969-1989," Mitch Bishop recalls the 1975 event and how it propelled Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood to stardom.

Much of the development of the now-iconic Porsche 917 was conducted in secret before running its first few races in 1969. What was not a secret was the car had significant handling issues, especially at high speed. Porsche engineers worked on the issue throughout the 1969 season, but it was a hunch and a bit of aerodynamic patchwork that solved the problem. In this post from noted Porsche 917 author Jay Gillotti, he recounts the top-secret test at the end of 1969 at Daytona that would ultimately determine the fate of the 917.

The 24 Hours of Daytona is one of the most prestigious sports car endurance races on the international racing calendar today. But it wasn't always run as a "once around the clock" event. Find out why in this story from contributor Martin Raffauf, who has attended a fair number of these events himself in the last 50 years.