IMSA: 55 years of Motorsports Influence and History (Mark Raffauf)

In this episode of The Logbook, our History of Motorsports Series, Mark Raffauf traces IMSA’s nearly 60-year evolution from John Bishop and Bill France’s founding phone call to today’s hybrid era. Raffauf recounts IMSA’s early experiments with Formula Fords/Vees, the shift to closed-wheel GT racing, the creation of Camel GT, RS/“little car” series on street tires, and All American GT, plus innovations like road-racing stock cars, Group 5, and GTP prototypes developed with the ACO to keep cars available to private teams. He highlights major manufacturers and iconic cars (Porsche 935/962, BMW CSL, Greenwood Corvette, Mazda rotary, Audi 90 GTO, Jaguar, Nissan, Toyota, Ferrari 333 SP), the growth of street races and Firestone Firehawk, rising speeds and safety limits, ownership turmoil, the IMSA split into ALMS and Grand-Am, and the eventual merger leading to today’s booming IMSA with strong OEM support and advanced hybrid prototypes. ===== (Oo---x---oO) ===== 00:00 Meet Mark Raffauf 02:14 IMSA Origins Bishop & Bill France 03:55 First Races Open Wheel 04:53 Closed Wheel Camel GT, Small Cars w/ Street Tires 06:32 All American GT Era 10:42 American Challenge Stock Cars 11:39 Group 5 Turbo Monsters 13:48 GTP Arrives Daytona 1978 15:20 935 Evolution And Innovation 18:11 Privateers Payout Philosophy and the Road America Breakthrough 22:29 Lola T600 Ground Effects 26:14 Audi 90 GTO Quattro 28:28 Jaguars Take Over 29:11 Street Races: Miami and the Downtown street racing boom! 29:42 Wild tech experiments 30:13 GTP rules vs Group C 33:06 Firehawk showroom racers 34:47 Night racing survival 36:54 When speed got dangerous 38:46 Ownership turmoil and exports 40:57 GTP peak and aero wars 44:49 World Sports Car era 46:46 Ferrari 333SP dominance 48:11 Split into Grand Am and ALMS 50:57 Merger to modern IMSA 51:49 Hybrids and today’s grid 53:53 Closing remarks and sponsors ==================== The Motoring Podcast Network : Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory #gtmbreakfix - motoringpodcast.net More Information: Visit Our Website Become a VIP at: Patreon Online Magazine: Gran Touring Follow us on Social: Instagram This episode is part of our HISTORY OF MOTORSPORTS SERIES and is sponsored in part by: The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), The Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Argetsinger Family - and was recorded in front of a live studio audience.