1997 IMSA GT Championship

The 1997 Exxon World Sports Car Championship and Supreme GT Series seasons were the 27th season of the IMSA GT Championship. It consisted of open-cockpit prototypes referred to as World Sports Car (WSC) and Grand Tourer-style racing cars divided into GTS-1, GTS-2, and GTS-3 classes.

It began February 1, 1997, and ended October 26, 1997, after eleven rounds. 1997 would mark the final year in IMSA GT for the 24 Hours of Daytona and the Six Hours of Watkins Glen. In 1998, the SCCA's revived United States Road Racing Championship would acquire the events.

Schedule edit

Most races on the schedule ran with the GTS and WSC classes running separate races, sometimes with different lengths. Races marked with Both had both classes on track at the same time for the whole race.

Rnd Race Length Class Circuit Date
1 Rolex 24 at Daytona 24 Hours Both Daytona International Speedway February 1
February 2
2 Superflo 12 Hours of Sebring 12 Hours Both Sebring International Raceway March 15
3 NAPA Grand Prix of Atlanta 2 Hours GTS Road Atlanta April 19
WSC April 20
4 Dodge Dealers Grand Prix 1 Hour 45 Minutes GTS Lime Rock Park May 26
WSC
5 First Union Six Hours at the Glen 6 Hours Both Watkins Glen International June 1
6 California Grand Prix 1 Hour 45 Minutes GTS Sears Point Raceway July 13
2 Hours WSC
7 Mosport Festival 1 Hour 45 Minutes GTS Mosport International Raceway August 31
2 Hours WSC
8 Sportscar Grand Prix 1 Hour 45 Minutes GTS Las Vegas Motor Speedway September 20
2 Hours WSC
9 Festival of Road Racing 2 Hours WSC Pikes Peak International Raceway September 28
1 Hour 45 Minutes GTS
10 NAPA Sebring Octoberfest 2 Hours WSC Sebring International Raceway October 18
1 Hour 45 Minutes GTS
11 Visa Sports Car Championship 1 Hour 45 Minutes GTS Laguna Seca Raceway October 26
WSC

Season results edit

Rnd Circuit WSC Winning Team GTS-1 Winning Team GTS-2 Winning Team GTS-3 Winning Team Results
WSC Winning Drivers GTS-1 Winning Drivers GTS-2 Winning Drivers GTS-3 Winning Drivers
1 Daytona   #20 Dyson Racing   #01 Rohr Corp.   #99 Roock Racing   #10 PTG Results
  Elliott Forbes-Robinson
  John Schneider
  Rob Dyson
  John Paul Jr.
  Butch Leitzinger
  Andy Wallace
  James Weaver
  Jochen Rohr
  Andy Pilgrim
  Harald Grohs
  Arnd Meier
  Ralf Kelleners
  Patrice Goueslard
  Claudia Hürtgen
  André Ahrlé
  Javier Quiros
  Derek Hill
  Boris Said
  Bill Auberlen
  Tom Hessert
2 Sebring   #3 Team Scandia   #11 Robinson Racing   #61 Konrad Motorsport   #10 PTG Results
  Yannick Dalmas
  Stefan Johansson
  Fermín Vélez
  Andy Evans
  Irv Hoerr
  Jack Baldwin
  George Robinson
  Bob Wollek
  Franz Konrad
  Wido Rössler
  Javier Quiros
  Bill Auberlen
  Derek Hill
  Tom Hessert
3 Road Atlanta   #16 Dyson Racing   #66 Panoz Motorsports   #99 Schumacher Racing   #39 Jim Matthews Results
  Butch Leitzinger
  James Weaver
  Doc Bundy
  Andy Wallace
  Larry Schumacher
  John O'Steen
  Jim Matthews
  David Murry
4 Lime Rock   #30 Moretti Racing   #91 Rock Valley   #99 Schumacher Racing   #6 PTG Results
  Antônio Hermann
  Andrea Montermini
  Stu Hayner
  Roger Schramm
  Larry Schumacher
  John O'Steen
  Javier Quiros
  Derek Hill
5 Watkins Glen   #16 Dyson Racing   #66 Panoz Motorsports   #61 Konrad Motorsport   #77 Mattco Racing Results
  Elliott Forbes-Robinson
  Butch Leitzinger
  James Weaver
  Doc Bundy
  Andy Wallace
  David Brabham
  Franz Konrad
  Nick Ham
  Michel Ligonnet
  Pete Halsmer
  John Morton
6 Sears Point   #16 Dyson Racing   #66 Panoz Motorsports   #61 Konrad Motorsport   #10 PTG Results
  Andy Wallace
  James Weaver
  Doc Bundy
  Andy Wallace
  Franz Konrad
  Nick Ham
  Bill Auberlen
  Boris Said
7 Mosport   #43 Central Arkansas Racing   #01 Rohr Motorsport   #61 Konrad Motorsport   #6 PTG Results
  Ron Fellows
  Rob Morgan
  Jochen Rohr
  Dorsey Schroeder
  Andy Pilgrim
  Franz Konrad
  Nick Ham
  Javier Quiros
  Derek Hill
8 Las Vegas   #20 Dyson Racing   #01 Rohr Motosport   #99 Schumacher Racing   #39 Jim Matthews Results
  John Paul Jr.
  Butch Leitzinger
  Andy Pilgrim
  Allan McNish
  Larry Schumacher
  Price Cobb
  Jim Matthews
  David Murry
9 Pikes Peak   #30 Moretti Racing   #00 Rohr Motorsport   #61 Konrad Motorsport   #10 PTG Results
  Antônio Hermann
  Andrea Montermini
  Andy Pilgrim
  Allan McNish
  Franz Konrad
  Nick Ham
  Bill Auberlen
  Boris Said
10 Sebring   #30 Moretti Racing   #01 Rohr Motorsport   #99 Schumacher Racing   #10 PTG Results
  Antônio Hermann
  Andrea Montermini
  Andy Pilgrim
  Allan McNish
  Larry Schumacher
  Price Cobb
  Bill Auberlen
  Butch Leitzinger
  Marc Duez
11 Laguna Seca   #20 Dyson Racing   #96 Panoz Motorsports   #61 Konrad Motorsport   #7 PTG Results
  John Paul Jr.
  Butch Leitzinger
  Éric Bernard
  David Brabham
  Franz Konrad
  Nick Ham
  Dieter Quester
  Marc Duez

Teams Championship edit

Points are awarded to the finishers in the following order:

  • 25-21-19-17-15-14-13-12-11-10-...

Exception however for the 12 Hours of Sebring, which awarded in the following order:

  • 30-26-24-22-20-19-18-17-16-15-...

And the 24 Hours of Daytona, which is awarded in the following order:

  • 33-29-27-25-23-22-21-20-19-18-...

Teams only score the points of their highest finishing entry in each race.

WSC Standings edit

Pos Team Chassis Engine Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 4 Rd 5 Rd 6 Rd 7 Rd 8 Rd 9 Rd 10 Rd 11 Total
1   Dyson Racing Riley & Scott Mk III Ford 5.0 L V8 33 26 25 21 25 25 21 25 19 19 25 264
2   Moretti Racing Ferrari 333 SP Ferrari F310E 4.0 L V12 25 14 19 25 6 14 17 19 25 25 21 210
3   Dibos Racing Riley & Scott Mk III
Ferrari 333 SP
Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0 L V8
Ferrari F310E 4.0 L V12
27 24
10
19 13
19

15
15 14
17

17
190
4   Doyle/Riley & Scott Riley & Scott Mk III Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0 L V8 20 13 14 10 7 11 19 21 21 5 19 160
5   Central Arkansas Racing Ferrari 333 SP Ferrari F310E 4.0 L V12 15 14 21 17 25 17 13 13 10 145
6   Downing Atlanta Racing Kudzu DLM Mazda 2.0 L 3-Rotor 23 22 13 7 15 10 12 11 10 10 8 141
7   FAB Factory Motorsport Spice SC95
Kudzu DG-2
Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0 L V8
Buick 4.5 L V6
15 17
8

11
19 9 13 4 11 9 4 120
8   MSI Racing Riley & Scott Mk III Chevrolet 6.0 L V8 12 19 17 8 12 14 8 7 14 111
9   Support Net Racing Hawk C-8
Riley & Scott Mk III
Chevrolet 6.0 L V8
Ford 5.0 L V8
21 16 3 12 12 6 2
12
96
10   Screaming Eagles Racing Riley & Scott Mk III Ford 5.0 L V8 14 18 9 13 13 12 79
11   Davin Racing Argo P
Kudzu DLM
BMW 4.0 L V8
Buick 4.5 L V6
17 4 6 5 2 7
10

8

8

2
69
12   Courage Compétition Courage C41 Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0 L V8 11 2 9 10 12 6 11 6 67
13   Team Scandia Ferrari 333 SP Ferrari F310E 4.0 L V12 29 30 59
14=   Kopf Precision Products Keiler KII Ford 5.0 L V8 18 11 8 3 5 11 56
14=   TRV Motorsports Kudzu DL-4 Chevrolet 6.0 L V8 13 11 8 7 12 5 56
16   URD Rennwagenbau USA URD WSC95 BMW 4.0 L V8 13 10 4 9 36
17   Target 24 Riley & Scott Mk III Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0 L V8 19 14 33
18   Team South Carolina Hawk MD3R Mazda 2.0 L 3-Rotor 6 17 23
19   Graham Williams ProSport 3000 Ford 5.0 L V8 22 22
20   Fantasy Junction Cannibal Chevrolet 6.0L V8 4 9 4 3 20
21   John Christie X-250 Ferrari F310E 4.0 L V12 10 10
22   Bill Dollahite Spice BDG-02 Chevrolet 6.0 L V8 5 5
23   Wheel Works Bennett Special MkII Pontiac 5.0 L V8 3 1 4

External links edit