– IMSA President John Doonan has stated that there are no plans to follow the example of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and hide the Balance of Performance (BoP) tables from the public in the future. (Comment: This will backfire)
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Although the ACO and IMSA maintain a strategic alliance and the North American series introduced a code of conduct for BoP before the 2026 season – to prevent negative public comments from participants and manufacturers in the paddock (a step the WEC had already taken years ago) – hiding the BoP tables from the public is not on IMSA’s agenda.
“First of all, IMSA and the ACO have a strategic alliance agreement, but we run our championships independently,” Doonan explained to Motorsport.com USA, the English-language sister publication of Motorsport-Total.com in the Motorsport Network, during the Long Beach race weekend.
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“There are things we collaborate on, such as the LMDh regulations and the constant exchange of ideas on all elements of the sport, not just the competition. But we run our championship as we see fit. Just because another organization has made an announcement doesn’t mean we will immediately adapt to it.”
Doonan adds that keeping BoP secret “is not necessarily something we have discussed for this year or 2027.”
Fan Education in Focus
One of the points Doonan particularly emphasized is fan education. New initiatives like “IMSA Labs,” introduced earlier this year at the IMSA Technology Symposium during the Rolex 24 at Daytona, could help with this.
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“I think it’s about educating people on what BoP actually is. As with the IMSA Technology Symposium, we will continue to examine every possible tool to ensure that the end result is equal and fair competition and the best possible entertainment for the fans,” Doonan said.
“If AI is involved – great. If it’s the simulator – great. If it’s the wind tunnel – great. If it’s on-track BoP tests – great. Whatever the tools in the toolbox are that deliver the best result – and in my opinion, that’s the best and most entertaining racing – we will consistently do that.”
He concluded: “Publishing the BoP tables so people understand the differences in weight, power, energy, and aerodynamics, I don’t think that’s bad for our championship. That way, we can continue to educate people.”
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“There are hundreds of engineers who have invested in the development of these cars. Why shouldn’t we tell the stories about the different ideas and approaches they have pursued within the regulations? There are tight regulations designed to keep costs in check, but why shouldn’t we celebrate the amazing creations of these people?”
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