IMSA: Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge sets 10-race schedule for 2016

IMSA has unveiled a 10-race schedule for the 2016 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.

The schedule features a return to every venue that hosted the Continental Tire Challenge in 2015, and all events will be run as a companion to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Every race will be two hours, 30 minutes in length and will include both the Grand Sport (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) classes.

"The consistency from year to year in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge schedule speaks to the depth and quality of the racing in the series," said IMSA President Scott Atherton. "The Continental Tire Challenge plays an important role in many of our event weekends as the featured race on the day before our IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship headliner. IMSA fans love the nonstop action provided by the Continental Tire Challenge."

The 2016 Continental Tire Challenge schedule follows its traditional configuration and opens with a race at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, Jan. 29 as part of the Rolex 24 At Daytona weekend. The 2016 event takes on added significance as it will be the showcase for the debut of the new Daytona International Speedway motorsports stadium after the completion of the $400 million DAYTONA Rising project.

From Daytona, the Continental Tire Challenge moves to Sebring International Raceway on Friday, March 18 as part of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida event weekend. The series then heads west for its lone California race of the season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday, April 30.

Watkins Glen International again will host the Continental Tire Challenge on Saturday, July 2, followed by the lone trip north of the border for the series to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park one week later on Saturday, July 9. Lime Rock Park hosts the series on July 22-23, followed by Road America on Aug. 6 and VIRginia International Raceway on Aug. 20.

Circuit of The Americas will host the penultimate round of the Continental Tire Challenge on Sept. 16, and the 2016 season wraps up at Road Atlanta on Friday, Sept. 30. As has been the case for the past several years, the Continental Tire Challenge also will participate in the annual three-day Roar Before The Rolex 24 At Daytona test session, scheduled for Jan. 8-10, 2016.

Every race in 2016 again will be televised by FOX Sports on a tape-delayed basis, and will be streamed live on IMSA.com and the IMSA mobile app.

2016 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Schedule

Jan. 29 Daytona International Speedway

March 18 Sebring International Raceway

April 30 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

July 2 Watkins Glen International

July 9 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

July 22-23 Lime Rock Park

Aug. 6 Road America

Aug. 20 VIRginia International Raceway

Sept. 16 Circuit of The Americas

Oct. 1 Road Atlanta