IMSA 1990–1999

Pre-order for January Delivery!

The International Motorsports Association (IMSA), developed from nothing into the biggest and most successful sports car racing sanctioning authority in the world in just under twenty years. Documented first in IMSA 1969–1989: The Inside Story of How John Bishop Built the World’s Greatest Sports Car Racing Series, this new volume covers the turbulent 1990s and all that changed in that time.

IMSA 1990–1999: The Turbulent Years of American Sports Car Racing covers the next decade of constant change in ownership, sponsorship, racing car design, and virtually everything else that was envisioned and created by founder John Bishop. Despite the turmoil and ownership changes, the organization flourished, brought in new corporate sponsorships, created an entirely new category of top-tier prototype sports cars that eventually became accepted worldwide, and most importantly survived, though in a completely different configuration from what it once was. So strong were its integrity and strength of staff that initially, despite what many in the industry thought, the organization grew and created value to many as it went through four different ownership and management changes in six years.

Throughout all that, IMSA racing remained influential and strong, competition was good, and opportunity was high for numerous brands, companies, and competitors to showcase their products and abilities on a world motorsports stage.

The authors and main contributors, Mark Raffauf, Martin Raffauf, and George Silbermann share their personal experiences and comments from being there through all of it, along with the experiences of many individuals with different perspectives who also made their way through it all.

This is the behind-the-scenes story of all that happened in the decade of change that sowed the seeds for two diversely different organizations, both of which would carry the IMSA legacy into the next century.

Firsthand accounts from IMSA insiders are paired with stunning period photography.

Each chapter breaks down a high-speed year from one of the most tumultuous decades in IMSA history.

Treat yourself to a no-holds-barred saga of how one organization impacted North American sports car racing for better or for worse.

Table of Contents

• Foreword by Rob Dyson
• Preface by Jonathan Ingram
• Introduction by Mark Raffauf
• Chapter One 1990: The Momentum Continues
• Chapter Two 1991: Factories Level the Playing Field
• Chapter Three 1992: Storm Clouds at the Peak of GTP
• Chapter Four 1993: GTP Chapter Comes to a Close
• Chapter Five 1994: World Sports Cars Take Over
• Chapter Six 1995: WSC Hits Full Speed
• Chapter Seven 1996: Close Finishes Highlight WSC
• Chapter Eight 1997: A PSR Season Full of Change
• Chapter Nine 1998: The Split Begins
• Chapter Ten 1999: The Split Continues
• Epilogue
• Acknowledgments
• Index