After a two-month break (because of the rescheduling of Long Beach and Laguna Seca), the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will return this weekend with a full schedule of racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the Acura Sports Car Challenge.
Practice will begin Friday on the 13-turn, 2.258-mile road course that also will play host to the MX-5 Cup, Michelin Pilot Challenge and Prototype Challenge series.
Sunday will feature the 2-hour, 40-minute race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the DPi, LMP3 and GTD classes. There are 26 cars entered in the event. After winning last year’s race at Team Penske with Helio Castroneves (who has returned to a partial IndyCar schedule this season), Ricky Taylor will be paired with Felipe Albuquerque in the No. 10 Acura of Wayne Taylor Racing. In GTD, Jack Hawksworth and Aaron Telitz return to defend their win in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3
STARING LINEUP: The grid for the Acura Sports Car Challenge
Mid-Ohio marks the beginning of the IMSA Sprint Cup for GTD after endurance races at Daytona and Sebring. Hawksworth and Telitz won the 2020 Sprint Cup title.
Through the first two races in 2021, there have been no repeat winners in any IMSA class.
Here are the start times, schedule and TV info for the IMSA Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (all times are ET):
IMSA Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course start times, schedule, TV info
When: Sunday, 2:40 p.m.
Race distance: Two hours, 40 minutes on the 13-turn, 2.258-mile road course
Forecast: According to Wunderground.com, it’s expected to be 64 degrees with a 39% chance of rain at the green flag.
Entry list: Click here to see the field for the Acura Sports Car Challenge
RACE BROADCAST
TV: 2:30 p.m., NBCSN; NBCSports.com, NBC Sports App. Dave Burns will be on play by play with analysts Calvin Fish and Steve Letarte. Parker Kligerman and Dillon Welch are the pit reporters.
TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold Coverage: Flag to flag beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Race streaming: NBC Sports App, NBCSports.com and TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold
IMSA Radio: All sessions live on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com; SiriusXM live race coverage will begin May 16 at 2:30 p.m. (XM392, Internet 992)
DAILY SCHEDULE
Here’s a rundown of the IMSA Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course schedule:
Friday, May 14
9:15-10:15 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
12:20-12:50 p.m.: MX-5 Cup practice
1:15-2:15 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
2:35-3:20 p.m.: Prototype Challenge practice
3:40-4:10 p.m.: MX-5 Cup practice
4:30-5:30 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
5:50-6:05 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR qualifying
6:10-6:25 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge GS qualifying
Saturday, May 15
8-8:30 a.m.: MX-5 Cup qualifying
8:50-10:05 a.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
10:20-10:55 a.m.: Protoype Challenge practice
11:15 a.m.-noon: MX-5 Cup Race 1
12:20-1:50 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship qualifying
2:10-2:25 p.m.: Prototype Challenge qualifying
3:35-5:35 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge race
Sunday, May 16
9:00-9:20 a.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship warmup
9:40-11:25 a.m.: Prototype Challenge race
11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: MX-5 Cup Race 2
2:40-5:20 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race