Yahoo Autos IMSA Is Racing Tomorrow
Traditionally, American racing begins its season every year with a 24 hour race at Daytona. This is a very strange year, however, and IMSA is starting a new tradition: Beginning one week earlier, with a 100-minute qualifying race before the 24 hour classic.
This event, the Pole Award 100, mirrors the two-race qualifying format for the Daytona 500, but it serves a different purpose here: To ensure teams participating in next weekend's race are not using the traditional Roar Before the 24 test to convince race organizers that their car is slower than it is and earn some additional balance-of-performance breaks before the main event. IMSA and its predecessors have made some major balance mistakes in the past, but forcing the cars to race for something worthwhile will theoretically eliminate their opportunity to do that.
