IMSA imposes a gag order: President John Doonan explains why BoP can no longer be discussed publicly and what the organization hopes to achieve by doing so.
Similar to the World Endurance Championship (WEC), where teams have not been allowed to publicly criticize the Balance of Performance (BoP) for some time now, a similar gag order was imposed in the IMSA SportsCar Championship this year.
IMSA President John Doonan spoke about the background to this decision before the start of the 24 Hours of Daytona. “I’m talking about the BoP and trying to put the issue into context for everyone,” said the American when asked by Motorsport.com.
“It’s a necessary part of our sport. We have 18 car manufacturers competing in this series—with all the different platforms, drive concepts, and aerodynamic solutions,“ Doonan emphasized. ”The BoP is incredibly important in delivering the great show we want to put on.“
IMSA president explains the ”overarching goal”
In his view, the tool for bringing all participants to a similar performance level is absolutely essential. “I actually love our BoP meetings,” grins the IMSA president. “Some might say I should see a doctor, but at the end of the day, that’s the product we bring to the track. That’s why we have a very clear process.”
“We have worked very intensively with the manufacturers to create a common understanding and a good line of communication about how the BoP should work. The goal is to present a level playing field at the end of the race, where everyone is competing against each other and everyone has a chance.”
“That is our overarching goal at IMSA,” emphasizes Doonan. “And I am convinced that this is also what the manufacturers want. It was what I wanted when I was working on the manufacturer side myself.” Before taking up his position as IMSA boss, the American was head of North American motorsports at Mazda.
IMSA to have sole responsibility for communication
Doonan explains why teams should no longer comment publicly on BoP as follows: “Good communication is essential for a good process. And I think that communication should remain with us.” After all, he says, everyone involved is part of the same business.
“We are all in the business of growing the sport, not damaging it,” adds the IMSA president. “Endurance sports car racing is complex enough as it is, so we want to explain to people what BoP is and how it works.”
“So it’s up to us to communicate this better. But in short, we shouldn’t air our problems in public. That’s the goal.” For this reason, a corresponding passage regulating communication has been added to the sporting regulations this season.
IMSA follows the WEC’s example of gagging
A similar regulation has already been in place in the WEC for several years. “Of course, we have our strategic alliance with the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest), with Pierre Fillon and his team,” adds Doonan. “We looked at that and adapted it in a similar way. However, the intention is the same.”
“We don’t want to prevent anyone from talking to the media. On the contrary, we want to tell our story. The fact that you are all here is extremely important to us. But there’s nothing more to it than that. That’s exactly what we want to achieve.”