IMSA isn’t allowing Jim Glickenhaus‘ SCG 007 LMH car from racing in the GTP class. IMSA rules require a manufacturer to produce and sell 2,500 road cars to the public per year to be eligible to race. According to Autosport, during a recent online press call, Glickenhaus called IMSA’s decision “idiotic.”
The Drive reached out to IMSA for a comment and will update this story when we get a statement.
Glickenhaus can race his 007 car in the WEC (World Endurance Championship) Hypercar class but not in IMSA. However, racing in WEC is obviously quite expensive and Glickenhaus’ budget is a tenth of other manufacturers’, with only around $12 million for the season.
If Glickenhaus were able to race in IMSA, he would be able to secure U.S. sponsorships, which would drastically help fund teams in both IMSA and WEC. Glickenhaus was reportedly given assurances by IMSA back in 2020 that his 007 car would be eligible to race this year, which is why he even began his WEC program to begin with. Glickenhaus claims that, had IMSA stated from the beginning that the 007 car would be ineligible, he wouldn’t have gone forward with the program at all.
While it doesn’t seem like Glickenhaus wants a legal battle, he hasn’t shut the door on one just yet. “I’m not looking to file a lawsuit just for the sake of it, but I find it incredible,” he reportedly told Autosport, saying that IMSA is taking an illegal position on the matter, breaking U.S. antitrust laws.
Glickenhaus plans on running one car in the 2023 WEC season, with a potential second car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Despite its small budget, Glickenhaus was able to perform well in WEC last year, taking the podium at the Sebring 1000 and Le Mans, while taking fourth overall at Spa. However, continuing to race in WEC will prove to be financially difficult if his team can’t race in IMSA.
“We have suffered huge financial damages. I race because I love to race, I can afford to race. I do it personally. It’s not a business thing. But at some point, my shareholders are going to say, ‘Jim, enough’, and they are not going to let me keep racing.” he said during the press call. “When that day happens, it will happen. But if I could race in IMSA, I would have a much better chance of being able to continue in the WEC.”
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