Look, nobody is saying the current WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar is broken. But as Motorsport.com reports, series president John Doonan is already looking ahead to 2028 with some ambitious ideas to shake things up. We are talking about potential new markets, street circuits, and closer ties with NASCAR.
Doonan has made it clear that the sanctioning body wants to tap into the Pacific Northwest. He pointed directly to the heavy-hitting corporate neighbors up there like Amazon, Boeing, Microsoft, and Starbucks, calling the region a true car culture enthusiast marketplace. If something becomes available in that part of the country, they are willing to look at all options. There is even a sensible logistical thought process behind it: any new West Coast stop would ideally align with Long Beach and WeatherTech Raceway, Laguna Seca so teams only have to make one single trip out that way.
Then there is the NASCAR connection. Following successful events like the one at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego and Chicago, IMSA is actively exploring joint weekends, street races, or even specialized events on U.S. military installations. Doonan noted that a Chicago street race sounds particularly appealing to a Chicago boy like himself, though everything hinges on timing, logistics, and what makes sense for the teams.
At the same time, nobody is abandoning the classics. Massive crowds at natural terrain circuits like Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and Road America prove that the traditional tracks still hold serious weight. The goal is simply to find a balance between keeping the roots intact and putting the machines in front of entirely new metropolitan audiences who might have never witnessed a sports car race before.
Of course, adding races is never simple when team budgets are on the line. To keep expenditures under control and avoid an overly bloated schedule, Doonan confirmed that a track rotation system similar to Formula 1 is completely on the table. There is also the possibility of sending support series like the Michelin Pilot Challenge to marquee events where the main WeatherTech Championship cannot go due to conflicts like the 24 Hours of Le Mans or the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen.
Work on these ideas has to start soon if anything is going to materialize. True to tradition, the 2028 calendar is expected to be unveiled around the 75th edition of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March, giving everyone plenty of time to digest whatever the future holds.
