IMSA: Multiple teams disqualified from Roar qualifying

Multiple IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams have received penalties, disqualifying them from pit lane and garage assignment.

While the Roar Before the 24 mainly serves as a significant testing session, it also serves to assign teams pit lane and garage assignments. This all takes place before the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship hosts its first race of the season, the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The multi-day test session allows teams to get in tune with cars and the high-speed Daytona International Speedway, with sessions taking place during the day and night to give teams ample opportunities to collect data and experience.

In an odd turn of events, all but one team running a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO have been disqualified from the Roar Before the 24 testing. The Lamborghinis from GRT Grasser Racing and partner teams GEAR Racing and Magnus GTR as well as Precision Performance Motorsports were disqualified.

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The only team running a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO that were not penalized were Paul Miller Racing, which are regular participants in IMSA and are understandably very in touch with the various mandates from race to race.

The disqualifications came as a result of the cars failing to run the mandated Daytona specific gearing. They were instead running gear sets allowed during the regular IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

This enforcement of the rules is unlikely a result of the four teams purposely breaking any, as there is little to gain besides pit lane and garage assignments for the main event.

GRT Grasser, the main team supporting GEAR Racing and Magnus GTR, have previously run as partial-season participants and are regular competitors in the Blancpain GT Series. It would seem logical if the mistake came as a result of the team having a primary focus outside the United States.

The LMP2 team of Performance Tech Motorsports will also have their qualifying time removed as they had their Silver-rated driver, Kyle Masson, qualify the car when class rules mandate that the Bronze-rated driver set the qualifying time.

Again, it is unlikely that this rule was broken on purpose, as there are no points or trophies to be gained in this extended testing session. The penalties handed down to the teams will not affect the teams come race time, as they do not affect starting or finishing positions during the race.

Tune into the 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona. Live coverage is scheduled to start on Saturday, January 25 at 1:25 p.m. ET and will be provided by NBC and IMSA.tv for the duration of the 24-hour competition.