IMSA at Road Atlanta today: How to watch, schedules, TV, stream info

By Sep 5, 2020, 12:01 AM EDT
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More than seven months after the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the IMSA WeatherTech Championship will return today at Road Atlanta to a schedule more associated with endurance racing.

The TireRack.com Grand Prix will run six hours, the second-longest event of 2020 so far for IMSA since four “sprint” races of less than three hours followed Daytona in a season disrupted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Saturday’s event is being dubbed by some as the “Petit Petit” — a reference to the annual 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans that will be held at the track next month.

The schedule originally would have included two endurance races by now (Road Atlanta will replace Watkins Glen and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring has been moved to November), and many teams are adding third drivers for the first time since the Rolex 24.

Ryan Hunter-Reay, Filipe Albuquerque, Tristan Vautier and Colin Braun are among the notables who have been added to the entry list for Road Atlanta.

Here are the details for IMSA this weekend at Road Atlanta (all times are ET):

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Road Atlanta

WHEN: Saturday, 11:35 a.m.

TV:  11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. NBCSN (streaming link); 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. NBC Sports App (streaming link) / TrackPass; 2:30 -6 p.m. NBCSN (streaming link)

IMSA Radio: All sessions live on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com; SiriusXM live race coverage begins Saturday at 11:30 a.m. (Sirius channel 217, XM 202, Internet 972)

STREAM: NBC Sports App, NBCSports.com and TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold (live flag to flag starting at 11:30)

RADIO: IMSA Radio will have live radio coverage throughout the weekend on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com, as well as Sirius Channel 216, XM 210, Internet 970

RACE DISTANCE: Six hours around the 12-turn, 2.54-mile road course in Braselton, Georgia.

FORECAST: According to Wunderground.com, it’s expected to be 80 degrees with a 0% chance of rain at the green flag.

ENTRY LIST: Click here to see the 28 cars entered in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race Saturday at Road Atlanta

IMSA Road Atlanta weekend schedule

Friday

10-11 a.m. — WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice

2:25-3:40 p.m. — WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice

6:30-7:40 p.m. — WeatherTech SportsCar Championship qualifying (IMSA.com/TVLive Live Qualifying Stream)

Saturday

11:35 a.m. — IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship TireRack.com Grand Prix at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

Last year’s Petit Le Mans (IMSA).

NTT re-signs as IndyCar title sponsor in multiyear deal starting with the 2024 season

By Mar 27, 2023, 12:15 PM EDT
James Black/Penske Entertainment
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The IndyCar Series has re-signed NTT as its title sponsor in a multiyear agreement starting in 2024.

NTT, a global information technology and communications company based in Japan, became the series’ title sponsor before the 2019 season after starting as a sponsor of the No. 10 Dallara-Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.

NTT Data (a subsidiary of parent company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.) will remain the official technology partner of IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indy 500 and the NASCAR Brickyard weekend.

With the extension, an IndyCar spokesman said NTT would become the second-longest title sponsor in series history. The longest title sponsor was PPG from 1980-97 (under the CART sanction of the Champ Car Series).

NTT replaced Verizon, which was IndyCar’s title sponsor from 2014-18 after IZOD from 2010-13.

“NTT is an excellent partner across our enterprise with strong expertise and a deep commitment to our sport,” Penske Corp. chairman and IndyCar owner Roger Penske said in a release. “From Smart Venue technology at the Racing Capital of the World to the reimagined Series mobile application, NTT is transforming the fan experience in new and innovative ways. We look forward to a bright future together.”

NTT has used artificial intelligence-enabled optical detection technology at IMS to provide information to the track’s operations and security teams, helping improve fan traffic flow and safety, the track said.

“IndyCar is a great partner for NTT Data because of our shared commitment to driving innovation, increasing sustainability and delivering amazing experiences,” NTT Data CEO Kaz Nishihata said in a release. “We also appreciate how IndyCar is so diverse, with drivers from 15 different countries, and races that range from short ovals and superspeedways to road and street courses. It’s both an incredible sport and a wonderful example for our world.”

NTT also has been instrumental in helping redesign the IndyCar app and providing more race and driver data for use in NBC Sports’ broadcasts by utilizing 140 data points from every car in the field.

“NTT is fully invested in the development and growth of our sport and has already established a terrific track record in our industry with problem-solving capabilities and access to top talent and tools,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said.

Said NTT Data Services CEO Bob Pryor: “We’re thrilled to continue our collaborations that enhance and expand the fan experience for motorsports and serve as proof points for data analytics, AI, and other innovative digital technologies. For more than a century, this racing series has pioneered innovations making driving safer for everyone, and by continuing this relationship, we will accelerate the pace of innovations and new technologies, particularly related to sustainability that ultimately can benefit organizations, communities and individuals around the world.”

Starting as a Japanese telephone company, NTT grew into a $100 billion-plus tech services giant with U.S. operations based in Plano, Texas.