Why two names for the same thing could cloud sportscar racing's new golden era
OPINION: The adoption by IMSA of the GTP name for its forthcoming LMDh versus Le Mans Hypercar era in 2023 appeals to fans of nostalgia - but it undermines the commonality achieved by bringing its rulebook into line with the World Endurance Championship. GTP or Hypercar, both sides should settle on a single name
Sportscar utopia appeared to be within touching distance. The i's were dotted and the t's crossed last summer in the arduous process that had become known as convergence. There would, finally, be common prototype rules across the World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship from 2023.
It was a dream come true for many of us, only now we learn that Le Mans Hypercars and LMDh machinery are going to come together in the two series next year under different banners. The top category in the WEC has been called Hypercar since the arrival of LMH last year, and now it has been announced that in North America the class will be known as GTP, a revival of the name used by the original IMSA series in its 1980s heyday.
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