Written by: Glen Smale. Images by: Octane Press
From this title, one might be led to assume that sports car racing in America was characterised by chaos and mayhem. That would be true to some extent, but out of those turbulent years would emerge a highly competitive and massively exciting period in the sport’s history.
This book’s predecessor, IMSA 1969-1989: The Inside Story Of How John Bishop Built The World’s Greatest Sports Car Racing Series, sets the scene by covering IMSA’s first twenty years. Where those two decades gave the impression of a successful and well-run racing series, the decade that followed after John Bishop sold the business,saw the series with four different owners. The period from 1990 to 1999, saw as many series name changes and ‘new visions’ for the series, as you could shake a stick at. If it was difficult for the teams and personnel to unravel the complexities as each new series was introduced, spare a thought for the spectators.
As the 1990s unfolded, there was some serious players on the grid. The long term dominance of the Porsche 962s was fading, the Toyotas and Nissans had their problems, while Jaguar seemed to be rising to the top. The crowds would pour into the race circuits thanks to the spectacle of the unrivalled competition of these top teams. But just as it was happening in Europe, the Group C class was by the end of ’92 at an end, and this also impacted the support of the Porsche teams in America, for so long a major drawcard.
But if motor racing was having a hard time internally, it was also suffering from significant external pressures in the form of conflict in the Middle East which impacted car sales in the US. Rising oil prices as a result of the Middle East conflicts, saw US car sales tumble by 25%, all of which had a negative effect on racing. Adding insult to injury, IMSA’s new owner, Mike Cone, was not a racing enthusiast which left many wondering why he had ventured into the sport at all, and his absence from races was a telling sign.
As the GTP and Group C cars started to fade, so the popularity of the GT class began to soar, mirroring a similar scene in the European theatre. In the IMSA series, while the GT cars resembled their roadgoing cousins externally, under the skin they were quite different. Built from the ground up as tube-framed powerful racers, they brought new life to the series. In a move that fostered excellent co-operation between IMSA and the Japan Automobile Federation, the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship was formed. This in turn fed into the growth of the GT class in both IMSA and in Japan, leading to the likes of Nissan, Toyota and Mazda developing cars that raced on both sides of the Pacific.
The 1990s rolled on and another change of ownership took shape when Charles Slater took ownership of the IMSA series. A longstanding commercial sponsorship with a familiar tobacco brand came to an end, a development which had a far-reaching impact on the sport. Besides new ownership, for the 1994 season GT cars continued their climb in popularity, but it also saw the introduction of a new premier class for IMSA, the World Sports Car Championship (WSC).
Introduced in 1994, the Ferrari 333 SP was one of the most rewarding cars to drive in period according to the drivers lucky enough to get behind the wheel. With a Ferrari on the grid, spectator interest shot up. And where there is a Ferrari on the grid, others are sure to follow which is how the Riley & Scott name shot to prominence. An old name, Kremer Racing, produced the K8, and all of a sudden the WSC was alive and kicking again. The intriguing saga of the TWR-Porsche WSC 95 has its origins here, but that shall remain a surprise for the reader to uncover in this fine book.
The names of drivers who rose to prominence during the turbulent years of the ‘90s is too long to list here, for fear of omitting several from that esteemed list. Suffice it to say that several names stand out, adding to the IMSA legend. But just as things were going swimmingly, a change of ownership in 1997 stuck another spanner in the works. New owner, Andy Evans, was by all accounts not well liked by the staff and despite some worthwhile initiatives, IMSA HQ was not a happy place. By the end of that season Evans was in talks to hand over to the new owners who had been in discussion during the year.
But on track the GT1 class was booming, resulting in a fine contest with numerous top manufacturers signing up. While not the most beautiful creation to turn a wheel on any race track, the Panoz Esperante GTS-1 was very successful, taking the fight to the new Porsche GT1. The race victory at the 1998 Daytona 24 Hour for Gianpiero Moretti is well covered in the book, and was celebrated by the popular Italian and most punters alike on the day.
For the final season of the decade, two new names arrived on the scene, one of which would rewrite the future of the sport through its dominance. The new Audi and BMW LMP1 cars were rolled out for the Sebring race in ’99, cars that would also run in the ACO-sanctioned Le Mans 24 Hours. But once again, there were rumblings and storm clouds on the horizon, as Don Panoz wanted to take control of the PSR/IMSA events, but there was strong opposition to that.
What do you get
The authors and contributors to this follow-up edition of the IMSA story, have produced as fascinating an account as they did with the first book. From the men who were right there at the coalface, it lays bare the behind-the-scenes happenings, as much as it does the on-track action. You couldn’t wish for more, to be honest. The story behind the story is for sure gripping, and told by those best qualified to do so.
Conclusion
To put it simply, this edition is a fine piece of work, charting a difficult period in American sports car racing. But wrapped up in that brief statement, is a story that unfolds into a most interesting read in motor sport history, technical development and human involvement. In short, I would not be caught without this edition on my bookshelf. It completes the story that commenced with the previous edition, and together they make a valuable set.
Key information
- Title: IMSA 1990-1999
- Sub-Title: The Turbulent Years Of AmericanSports Car Racing
- Authors: Mark Raffauf, Martin Raffauf, George Silbermann & Jonathan Ingram
- Foreword: Rob Dyson, Team Owner
- Publisher: Octane Press
- Published: 1 February 2025
- Edition: First Edition
- ISBN: 978-1-64234-050-1
- Format: 275 x 225 mm (portrait), hardback with dust jacket
- Page count: 256 pages
- Images: 370 photographs, including colour
- Price: US$75.00, £55.00 UK, $100.00 Canada
- Available from: Octane Press or good bookshops
- URL: https://octanepress.com/book/imsa-1990-1999_Daytona_Rolex_24_Hour
