McLaren Trophy America is delighted to confirm that it will be sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) from the start of the 2027 season after the signing of a long-term deal. The move reflects the continued growth of McLaren’s high-performance racing platform, McLaren Trophy.
IMSA, founded in 1969 to run open-wheel racing in North America has sanctioned sports car endurance racing in the region since 1971. IMSA has since developed into the premier sports car & GT racing platform in North America, and one of the leading motorsport organisations in the world. It has run top-level endurance racing through the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship since 2014.
Conceived to encourage and nurture the desires of road car customers to race, McLaren Trophy allows McLaren enthusiast amateur racers to compete in bespoke McLaren Automotive racing cars. Free from regulation, the engineers are allowed to enhance the aerodynamics, performance and handling of the successful GT4 platform racers. The most recent iteration of this formula was revealed in 2024, with the McLaren Artura Trophy Evo race car.
Coinciding with the expansion of the McLaren Trophy one-make racing platform into the North American market, the introduction of the Artura Trophy Evo also brought in regulation changes allowing professional driver line-ups to compete – a strategic move to broaden the talent pool for McLaren Motorsport’s burgeoning factory driver programme.
This summer, selected drivers from both Trophy Europe and America will be invited to the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking to take part in a driver assessment programme, that could see successful candidates join the 2027 McLaren Motorsport factory driver programme. This commitment clearly demonstrates the strategic important of the McLaren Trophy platform as an integral element of the McLaren Motorsport ladder, taking drivers and teams to the top of the endurance racing ladder.
“The prospect of racing on the IMSA package is a very exciting one for McLaren Trophy America. IMSA, like McLaren, has a long and storied racing history. It is for that reason that we feel this is an exciting opportunity to work together, as we continue to develop and strengthen the McLaren Trophy package globally.”
Giorgio Sanna, Head of Motorsport, McLaren Automotive
“We are honoured that McLaren has chosen to expand the partnership between our companies and selected IMSA as the sanctioning body for McLaren Trophy America beginning in 2027. We pride ourselves on delivering unparalleled value to our automotive partners and operating professional motorsports events at the highest level. By selecting IMSA to sanction McLaren Trophy America, McLaren is reinforcing the value we provide and trusting us with one of its prized possessions. We cannot wait to welcome McLaren Trophy America into the IMSA paddock beginning next year and for many years to come.”
John Doonan, President, IMSA