1996 IMSA GT Championship

{{short description|26th season of the racing series organized by IMSA}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Motorsport season |series = IMSA GT Championship |year = 1996 }} The '''1996 [[Exxon]] World Sports Car Championship and Supreme GT Series seasons''' were the 26th season of the [[IMSA GT Championship]]. It consisted of open-cockpit [[Le Mans Prototype|prototypes]] referred to as World Sports Car (WSC) and [[Grand Tourer]]-style racing cars divided into GTS-1 and GTS-2 classes. It began February 3, 1996, and ended October 6, 1996, after ten rounds.

==Schedule== Most races on the schedule had WSC and GTS-1 classes running together, while the GTS-2 class ran separate races, sometimes with different lengths. Races marked with ''All'' had all classes on track at the same time for the whole race.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" |- ! Rnd ! Race ! Length ! Class ! Circuit ! Date |- ! 1 | [[Rolex 24 at Daytona]] | 24 Hours | align="center" | All | [[Daytona International Speedway]] | February 3 February 4 |- ! 2 | [[Exxon|Exxon Superflo]] [[12 Hours of Sebring]] | 12 Hours | align="center" | All | [[Sebring International Raceway]] | March 17 |- ! rowspan=2 | 3 | rowspan=2 | [[Advance Auto Parts]] [[Grand Prix of Atlanta]] | 40 Minutes | align="center" | GTS-2 | rowspan=2 | [[Road Atlanta]] | rowspan=2 | April 21 |- | 3 Hours | align="center" | WSC/GTS-1 |- ! 4 | [[Exxon|Exxon Superflo]] 500 at Texas | 500 Miles | align="center" | All | [[Texas World Speedway]] | May 5 |- ! rowspan=2 | 5 | rowspan=2 | The [[Dodge|Dodge Dealers]] [[Lime Rock Grand Prix|Grand Prix]] | 1 Hour | align="center" | GTS-2 | rowspan=2 | [[Lime Rock Park]] | rowspan=2 | May 27 |- | 1 Hour 45 Minutes | align="center" | WSC/GTS-1 |- ! 6 | [[First Union]] [[Six Hours at the Glen]] | 6 Hours | align="center" | All | [[Watkins Glen International]] | June 9 |- ! rowspan=2 | 7 | rowspan=2 | [[Toshiba]] [[Grand Prix of Sonoma|California Grand Prix]] | 45 Minutes | align="center" | GTS-2 | rowspan=2 | [[Sonoma Raceway|Sears Point Raceway]] | rowspan=2 | July 14 |- | 3 Hours | align="center" | WSC/GTS-1 |- ! 8 | [[Chrysler]] [[Grand Prix of Mosport|Mosport 500]] | 3 Hours | align="center" | All | [[Canadian Tire Motorsport Park|Mosport International Raceway]] | August 25 |- ! rowspan=2 | 9 | rowspan=2 | [[Sprint Nextel|Sprint]] Grand Prix of Dallas | 45 Minutes | align="center" | GTS-2 | rowspan=2 | [[Reunion Arena#Motor racing|Dallas Street Circuit]] | rowspan=2 | September 1 |- | 2 Hours | align="center" | WSC/GTS-1 |- ! 10 | [[Daytona Finale|Daytona IMSA Finale]] | 3 Hours | align="center" | All | [[Daytona International Speedway]] | October 6 |}

==Season results== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" |- ! rowspan=2 | Rnd ! rowspan=2 | Circuit ! WSC Winning Team ! GTS-1 Winning Team ! GTS-2 Winning Team ! rowspan=2 | Results |- ! WSC Winning Drivers ! GTS-1 Winning Drivers ! GTS-2 Winning Drivers |- ! rowspan=2 | 1 | rowspan=2 | [[Daytona International Speedway|Daytona]] | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #4 Doyle Racing''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #5 Brix Racing''' | '''{{flagicon|Switzerland}} #55 Stadler Motorsports''' | rowspan=2 | [[1996 24 Hours of Daytona|Results]] |- | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Jim Pace (racing driver)|Jim Pace]] {{flagicon|United States}} [[Scott Sharp]] {{flagicon|South Africa}} [[Wayne Taylor]] | {{flagicon|United States}} Rob Morgan {{flagicon|United States}} Charles Morgan {{flagicon|United States}} Joe Pezza {{flagicon|United States}} Jon Gooding {{flagicon|United States}} [[Irv Hoerr]] | {{flagicon|Switzerland}} [[Enzo Calderari]] {{flagicon|Switzerland}} Lilian Bryner {{flagicon|Germany}} Ulli Richter |- ! rowspan=2 | 2 | rowspan=2 | [[Sebring International Raceway|Sebring]] | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #4 Doyle Racing''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #74 [[Champion Racing|Champion]] [[Porsche]]''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #99 Schumacher Racing''' | rowspan=2 | [[1996 12 Hours of Sebring|Results]] |- | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Jim Pace (racing driver)|Jim Pace]] {{flagicon|South Africa}} [[Wayne Taylor]] {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Eric van der Poele]] | {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Hans-Joachim Stuck]] {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Bill Adam]] | {{flagicon|United States}} Larry Schumacher {{flagicon|United States}} Will Pace {{flagicon|United States}} [[Andy Pilgrim]] |- ! rowspan=2 | 3 | rowspan=2 | [[Road Atlanta]] | '''{{flagicon|ITA|1946}} #30 [[MOMO (company)|Momo Corse]]''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #1 Brix Racing''' | '''{{flagicon|Ecuador}} #93 Ecuador [[Mobil 1]] Racing''' | rowspan=2 | [[1997 Grand Prix of Road Atlanta|Results]] |- | {{flagicon|ITA|1946}} [[Gianpiero Moretti]] {{flagicon|ITA|1946}} [[Max Papis]] | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Irv Hoerr]] {{flagicon|United States}} [[Darin Brassfield]] | {{flagicon|Ecuador}} Henry Taleb |- ! rowspan=2 | 4 | rowspan=2 | [[Texas World Speedway|Texas]] | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #4 Doyle Racing''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #1 Brix Racing''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #99 Schumacher Racing''' | rowspan=2 | [[1997 Texas 500|Results]] |- | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Jim Pace (racing driver)|Jim Pace]] {{flagicon|South Africa}} [[Wayne Taylor]] | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Irv Hoerr]] {{flagicon|United States}} [[Darin Brassfield]] | {{flagicon|United States}} Larry Schumacher {{flagicon|United States}} Andy Pilgrim |- ! rowspan=2 | 5 | rowspan=2 | [[Lime Rock Park|Lime Rock]] | '''{{flagicon|ITA|1946}} #30 [[MOMO (company)|Momo Corse]]''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #1 Brix Racing''' | '''{{flagicon|Ecuador}} #93 Ecuador [[Mobil 1]] Racing''' | rowspan=2 | [[1997 Lime Rock Grand Prix|Results]] |- | {{flagicon|ITA|1946}} [[Gianpiero Moretti]] {{flagicon|ITA|1946}} [[Max Papis]] | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Irv Hoerr]] | {{flagicon|Ecuador}} Henry Taleb |- ! rowspan=2 | 6 | rowspan=2 | [[Watkins Glen International|Watkins Glen]] | '''{{flagicon|ITA|1946}} #30 [[MOMO (company)|Momo Corse]]''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #5 Brix Racing''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #26 [[Alex Job Racing]]''' | rowspan=2 | [[1997 Six Hours at the Glen|Results]] |- | {{flagicon|ITA|1946}} [[Gianpiero Moretti]] {{flagicon|ITA|1946}} [[Max Papis]] | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Irv Hoerr]] {{flagicon|United States}} [[Darin Brassfield]] {{flagicon|United States}} Brian Cunningham {{flagicon|United States}} Brian DeVries | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Hurley Haywood]] {{flagicon|United States}} Charles Slater {{flagicon|United States}} Tom Hessert |- ! rowspan=2 | 7 | rowspan=2 | [[Sonoma Raceway|Sears Point]] | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #4 Doyle Racing''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #5 Brix Racing''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #07 PTG''' | rowspan=2 | [[1997 California Grand Prix|Results]] |- | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Scott Sharp]] {{flagicon|United States}} [[Wayne Taylor]] | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Irv Hoerr]] {{flagicon|United States}} [[Darin Brassfield]] | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Pete Halsmer]] |- ! rowspan=2 | 8 | rowspan=2 | [[Canadian Tire Motorsport Park|Mosport Park]] | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #20 [[Dyson Racing]]''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #1 Brix Racing''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #06 PTG''' | rowspan=2 | [[1997 Mosport 500|Results]] |- | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Butch Leitzinger]] {{flagicon|United States}} [[John Paul Jr. (racing driver)|John Paul Jr.]] | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Irv Hoerr]] | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Boris Said]] {{flagicon|United States}} [[Pete Halsmer]] |- ! rowspan=2 | 9 | rowspan=2 | [[Reunion Arena#Motor racing|Dallas]] | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #20 [[Dyson Racing]]''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #5 Brix Racing''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #07 PTG''' | rowspan=2 | [[1997 Grand Prix of Dallas|Results]] |- | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Butch Leitzinger]] | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Irv Hoerr]] | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Pete Halsmer]] |- ! rowspan=2 | 10 | rowspan=2 | [[Daytona International Raceway|Daytona]] | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #20 [[Dyson Racing]]''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #91 Rock Valley''' | '''{{flagicon|United States}} #06 PTG''' | rowspan=2 | [[1997 Daytona Finale|Results]] |- | {{flagicon|United States}} [[Butch Leitzinger]] {{flagicon|United States}} [[John Paul Jr. (racing driver)|John Paul Jr.]] | {{flagicon|United States}} Stu Hayner {{flagicon|United States}} Roger Schramm | {{flagicon|Costa Rica}} Javier Quiros |}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090408195412/http://wsrp.ic.cz/imsa1996.html World Sports Racing Prototypes] - 1996 IMSA GT Championship standings

[[Category:IMSA GT Championship seasons]] [[Category:1996 in American motorsport|IMSA GT]]