IMSA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) have announced that chicanes at the Daytona International Speedway and Circuit de La Sarthe in what it calls a ‘symbol of unity’.
The famous ‘Bus Stop’ chicane, which will feature at this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, will be renamed the ‘Le Mans Chicane.’
For its part, the ACO has named the first chicane on the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans to the ‘Daytona chicane’.
“The spirit of partnership between the IMSA and Daytona International Speedway team in Daytona Beach and the ACO in Le Mans has never been stronger,” said John Doonan, IMSA President.
“Between the historic convergence for the top category of prototype racing, the recent 10-year extension of the IMSA-ACO partnership and today’s introduction of the LE MANS and DAYTONA chicanes, together we are embarking on an amazing new era of sports car endurance racing unlike anything we’ve ever seen.”
IMSA and ACO have strongly tightened the bond between the two organisations in recent years. This is most notably visible in the creation of the new joint LMDh regulations, which will debut in 2023 and offer manufacturers the opportunity to race in both IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship with a single car.
“In the two years since our agreement to create a common class on both sides of the Atlantic, we have made many historic announcements, such as the convergence between LMH and LMDh and the renewal of our strategic alliance for the next decade,” said Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.
“This symbolic act illustrates the friendship between ACO and IMSA that is key to the future of endurance.”
