Doonan says IMSA ‘just scratching the surface’ of popularity growth

Momentum, energy, stability. Those were the key themes of IMSA President John Doonan’s 2026 State of the Sport Address at Road Atlanta.

There were no bombshell announcements. The 2027 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar has been set in stone since March, the entry list for the next campaign will be revealed gradually to spread the news across the off-season, and the ruleset and class structure are firmly in place for the foreseeable future.

Nevertheless, the press conference served as an important temperature check, allowing Doonan to take the floor and give a general overview of sports car racing’s trajectory in North America. The short answer is that it remains healthy, with packed grids up and down IMSA’s ladder and an increase in the number of sanctioned series on its books with the addition of McLaren Trophy America coming in 2027.

Next year’s full-season entry for the WeatherTech Championship is set to be oversubscribed again, with Rolex 24 At Daytona grid space still at a premium and the fan base continuing to grow substantially year on year in response. The numbers quoted were staggering and will surely have been music to the ears of the partner and manufacturer representatives in the room.

IMSA’s social media following has now hit 4.4 million users across all platforms, with Doonan noting specifically that almost two million people now subscribe to IMSA’s YouTube channel. Four events have attracted more than 100,000 fans across the weekend this season, and NBCSN has averaged over 700,000 viewers per broadcast this season too.

“Nielsen Scarborough (a market research and consumer analytics service) put out a report saying that IMSA in 2026 is the fastest-growing form of motorsport in the United States,” Leigh Diffey, who co-presented the presser with Doonan, said.

“I feel like we’re just scratching the surface,” Doonan added.

A key question on the lips of the reporters in the room concerned the recent news concerning the future of the FIA and ACO’s relationship, and the impact of the 10-year extension to the partnership that underpins the FIA World Endurance Championship has on IMSA’s future. 

“Our relationship with the ACO is strong and is going to get stronger. So more to come on an extension of that relationship, I think,” he explained. “We announced convergence with the ACO back in 2020. That will continue, and so in terms of the process of homologation, the FIA is a homologating authority, and IMSA will absolutely be involved in that process. ACO is our partner and will be long-term, and the ACO, as the homologating authority, will be focused on that process.

“I think we have focused on stability over the last six to seven years with partnerships and relationships with the ACO. And, for me, stability for the sport is a good thing, and I think it just makes the overall sport stronger, gives participants, OEMs, tire companies, members of the press the knowledge that this is going to be here for a long time to come, and gives all of us hope for the future and a longer runway for planning.”

At a time when the automotive industry is in flux, and manufacturers are under increasing pressure to cut costs and get creative with marketing to adapt to the changing political and economic climate, Doonan remains confident that IMSA as a platform remains relevant and valuable. Whether through factory or customer racing on track, the IMSA Labs program, or its increased visibility with the general public via esports and merchandise, he made it clear that he feels bullish.

There are, of course, still question marks over the medium-term effect of the rising cost to go racing, and the size of its top class, GTP, in the short term. Saturday’s season finale is the final race for Acura’s LMDh program – for now at least – and there’s no word yet on whether new prospects Ford, Genesis or McLaren will join the fun and boost the field. 

Grids remain at capacity, despite ever-present concerns over the rising cost of going racing. Jake Galstad/Lumen via Getty Images

The 2030 ruleset, though, is on the horizon, and crucial meetings are set to take place in the coming weeks as a draft of the regulations is prepared for publication. Any momentum generated from that could prove vital in the push to ensure that the GTP remains competitive and a viable home for manufacturers keen to showcase their brand in North America through to the next decade.

“Just a few months ago we announced a framework in collaboration with Pierre (Fillon, ACO president) and his team for what the 2030 top category regulations would look like. That framework, if I were to paraphrase, would be an LMDh evolution,” Doonan said. “It has the same philosophy of cost-effective racing – the ability for brands to come and style the car, bring hybrid technology, the ICE engine – is at the heart of their brand and we’re working together with them.

“There have been a couple of technical working groups. That’s going to ramp up significantly over the next few months to get those regulations in the hands of the current participants and hopefully some new ones, such that we can continue this momentum for the sport here in the U.S. and globally. We’re really excited about what’s happened so far, but I think the future is only brighter.”

Beyond the bigger picture, Doonan also included a few smaller reveals. The Michelin Man is set to be the grand marshal for Petit Le Mans this weekend; Westin Workman was named the latest recipient of the IMSA 3D Scholarship; a new perpetual Alec Ulmann trophy for the Sebring 12 Hours ahead of its 75th anniversary in 2027 was unveiled; and an extension of IMSA’s entitlement partnership with Motul was announced.

Doonan also spoke more about his vision for the schedule in the future, once again making it clear that he is targeting a future visit to the Pacific Northwest –“looking at opportunities there with the Amazons, Boeings, Microsofts and Starbucks of the world” – and remains open to following NASCAR’s lead to race in racing in new and interesting places like the streets of Chicago and the Naval Base in San Diego.

“The interest is there to keep the schedule fresh and exciting. We’re trying to be really smart with the cost of driving out to venues and adding something. We would have to take it all into consideration,” he noted.