IMSA: Series reduces WeatherTech Championship test days

Competitors in IMSA's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will have fewer Team test days at their disposal in 2016.

Outside of official IMSA tests like January's Roar Before the 24 at Daytona, teams in all four WeatherTech Championship classes will have fewer private test days to work from starting on Jan. 1.

In Prototype, 2015's 10 days have been reduced to eight. In GT Le Mans, 10 days have become nine. In PC and GT Daytona, six days have been cut to four.

IMSA has removed a loophole in 2015 rules that allowed teams to conduct private tests at the site of an event during the week of the race, and expanded the new testing blackout window at those events to 14 days "prior to the final day of official on-track activity."

A new testing clause has been added to govern incoming 2017 P2 cars that will begin testing at various points next year. Rule 5.6.4 states: "Evaluation of 2017 specification P class prototype cars (not grandfathered cars) may be exempt from the 2016 testing restrictions for maximum number of days, subject exclusively to IMSA approval."