Watkins Glen gains extra IMSA race, Canadian round canceled
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will race twice at Watkins Glen in the space of six days, following the cancelation of the round at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
The series will stay on at the Glen after the Sahlen’s Six Hours race on June 27, to run a 2hr40min event on Friday, July 2.
The WeatherTech 240 at The Glen will start shortly after 6 p.m. ET that Friday evening with TV coverage airing on NBCSN on Saturday, July 3 at 8pm. ET.
The two-hour, 40-minute race will feature all five WeatherTech Championship classes (DPi, LMP2, LMP3, GTLM and GTD). The GTD race will count only toward the eight-race WeatherTech Sprint Cup point standings.
The event replaces the race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, which have again been canceled for 2021 due to quarantine requirements for travelers into Canada. A statement states that “IMSA looks forward to returning to the historic Canadian circuit in 2022.”
IMSA President John Doonan said: “We are grateful to Watkins Glen International president Michael Printup and his team for helping us arrive at a solution when it became apparent that we would be unable to make our planned trip to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this year.
“Likewise, we are thankful that our partners at the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)’s Glen Region are willing to share their previously scheduled event weekend at The Glen with us as well. We sorely missed the opportunity to race at Watkins Glen last year, but we’re delighted to bring those loyal fans two IMSA event schedules in little more than a week in 2021.”
Said Printup: “We are always excited to add another event to The Glen’s calendar. We look forward to celebrating with fans and enjoying the incredible road course action of IMSA.”
Tickets for both the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and the WeatherTech 240 at The Glen event weekends may be purchased at TheGlen.com.
The Michelin Pilot Challenge teams will race both weekends while the IMSA Prototype Challenge moves in on the evening of Wednesday, June 30. All three series will practice and qualify on Thursday, July 1 and racing action kicks off with IMSA Prototype Challenge at 11:45 a.m. ET on Friday, July 2.
The Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen weekend also includes doubleheader races from Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America and Porsche Carrera Cup North America. In total, five of the seven IMSA-sanctioned series will be in action at Watkins Glen in the span of one week.
Related video
About this article
| Series | IMSA |
| Event | Canadian Tire Motorsport Park |
| Author | David Malsher-Lopez |
24 Hours of Daytona Video Recap
24 Hours of Daytona: Fourth Place for Ferrari
Watch the entire Rolex 24 in just over a minute
Why a Mazda IMSA Prototype title would bring bitter joy
Can Mazda win this year’s IMSA Prototype championship? Undoubtedly. But it will be the culmination of an achingly hard struggle, after which the brand has decided to quit. David Malsher-Lopez tells the story of a bizarre blend of heartache and positivity.
The GTE dilemma that IMSA has created for the WEC
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s decision to scrap its GT Le Mans class for 2022 raises the question of whether the FIA World Endurance Championship should phase out GTE cars. But it's a much harder decision than it appears on the surface.
Nine things to watch at the 2021 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona
After a 100-minute sprint race to whet the appetite, the 2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship gets underway properly this weekend. With plenty of significant changes during the winter, here are the key points you need to keep an eye on
Why Magnussen is relishing a fresh start in sportscars
Having gone over seven years without a race win through spells with McLaren, Renault and Haas, Kevin Magnussen's departure from Formula 1 for IMSA with big-hitters Chip Ganassi Racing could give him what he craves most - a chance of success
Oliver Gavin's Corvette Racing highlights
Oliver Gavin has stepped down from the full-time Corvette Racing line-up after a stellar career with the team spanning nearly 20 years. He looks back on a stint that encompassed, among other successes, five Le Mans 24 Hours victories.
How Tandy joined an exclusive club of endurance legends
Victory at last year's Spa 24 Hours meant Nick Tandy had completed the unofficial sextuple crown of the world's six biggest endurance races, becoming the first Briton to do so. Ahead of his fresh start with Corvette Racing, he explains how he did it…
The 12 greatest Sebring 12 Hours ranked
The 2020 edition of the Florida sportscar classic is finally taking place this weekend, eight months after its traditional date in March. That meant there was plenty of time for Motorsport.com to pour over its previous 67 races and select the best.
Tony Kanaan’s top 10 races – in his own words
The 2004 IndyCar champion and 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan probably hasn’t yet driven his final IndyCar race, but we still asked him for the 10 most significant races of his career. He explained his choices to David Malsher-Lopez.
