1997 IMSA GT Championship


The 1997 Exxon World Sports Car Championship and Supreme GT Series seasons were the 27th season of the IMSA GT Championship. It consisted of open-cockpit prototypes referred to as World Sports Car and Grand Tourer-style racing cars divided into GTS-1, GTS-2, and GTS-3 classes.
It began February 1, 1997, and ended October 26, 1997, after eleven rounds. 1997 would mark the final year in IMSA GT for the 24 Hours of Daytona and the Six Hours of Watkins Glen. In 1998, the SCCA's revived United States Road Racing Championship would acquire the events.

Schedule

Most races on the schedule ran with the GTS and WSC classes running separate races, sometimes with different lengths. Races marked with Both had both classes on track at the same time for the whole race.
RndRaceLengthClassCircuitDate
1Rolex 24 at Daytona24 HoursBothDaytona International SpeedwayFebruary 1
February 2
2Superflo 12 Hours of Sebring12 HoursBothSebring International RacewayMarch 15
3NAPA Grand Prix of Atlanta2 HoursGTSRoad AtlantaApril 19
3NAPA Grand Prix of Atlanta2 HoursWSCRoad AtlantaApril 20
4Dodge Dealers Grand Prix1 Hour 45 MinutesGTSLime Rock ParkMay 26
4Dodge Dealers Grand Prix1 Hour 45 MinutesWSCLime Rock ParkMay 26
5First Union Six Hours at the Glen6 HoursBothWatkins Glen InternationalJune 1
6California Grand Prix1 Hour 45 MinutesGTSSears Point RacewayJuly 13
6California Grand Prix2 HoursWSCSears Point RacewayJuly 13
7Mosport Festival1 Hour 45 MinutesGTSMosport International RacewayAugust 31
7Mosport Festival2 HoursWSCMosport International RacewayAugust 31
8Sportscar Grand Prix1 Hour 45 MinutesGTSLas Vegas Motor SpeedwaySeptember 20
8Sportscar Grand Prix2 HoursWSCLas Vegas Motor SpeedwaySeptember 20
9Festival of Road Racing2 HoursWSCPikes Peak International RacewaySeptember 28
9Festival of Road Racing1 Hour 45 MinutesGTSPikes Peak International RacewaySeptember 28
10NAPA Sebring Octoberfest2 HoursWSCSebring International RacewayOctober 18
10NAPA Sebring Octoberfest1 Hour 45 MinutesGTSSebring International RacewayOctober 18
11Visa Sports Car Championship1 Hour 45 MinutesGTSLaguna Seca RacewayOctober 26
11Visa Sports Car Championship1 Hour 45 MinutesWSCLaguna Seca RacewayOctober 26

Teams Championship

Points are awarded to the finishers in the following order:
  • 25-21-19-17-15-14-13-12-11-10-...
Exception however for the 12 Hours of Sebring, which awarded in the following order:
  • 30-26-24-22-20-19-18-17-16-15-...
And the 24 Hours of Daytona, which is awarded in the following order:
  • 33-29-27-25-23-22-21-20-19-18-...
Teams only score the points of their highest finishing entry in each race.