ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — The Continental Sports Car Challenge (CSCC) will morph into the Michelin Pilot Challenge next year when Michelin Motorsports takes over as the spec tire supplier for the International Motor Sports Association's various racing series.
The series covers four classes of what are considered close-to-showroom spec sports cars, coupes and sedans, modified for safety and on-track competition performance. The classes are designed to group cars of similar performance profiles together.
Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C. has supplied race tires for and sponsored the series for the past nine years.
During that time, the series has attracted entries from dozens of renowned car marques, both domestic and international — think Ferrari, Porsche or BMW vs. Ford and/or Chevrolet.
IMSA selected Michelin North America Inc. last September to be the designated race tire supplier for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and its major challenge series starting with the 2019 season.
Michelin said taking on this role presents an "excellent opportunity" to be aligned with a wealth of high-caliber marques and teams.
"Many of the auto makers currently competing in IMSA have chosen tires from our Michelin Pilot family for aspirational vehicles in their respective lineups," Chris Baker, director of motorsport, Michelin North America, said. "So, it is a natural fit as we seek to promote our brands through IMSA competition."
Michelin has been allied with IMSA since the 2014 merger that brought together the former American Le Mans Series and GRAND-AM Rolex Series, working with competitors in the "GT LeMans" class.