Invited to join the factory backed Group 44 race team in 1980, he spent time co-driving with Bob Tullius in the Triumph TR8 in the IMSA series and had GTO class victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring, Road Atlanta, Mosport, and Road America, as well as a victory at Daytona where he drove alone.
After his experience in CART, Mead moved onto the popular IMSA Camel GT series where he drove for a variety of different teams from 1983 to 1988 without much success.
Between 1978 and 1988, he regularly placed in the top 10 of the IMSA circuit.
The European Le Mans Series is similar to the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) based in the United States and Canada that has been running with ACO backing since 1999, which is run by IMSA.
In 2009 Mällinen made his debut in the IMSA Atlantic Championship racing for Swan Racing and won the Championship (C2) with 4 wins and 3 pole positions.
He won the IMSA Camel Lights sports car championship 3 years in a row, from 1991 to 1993, setting all-time qualifying and race win records, including winning the 24 Hours of Daytona twice, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and 1000km Suzuka event in Japan.
From 1969 until 1976, Phil participated in 19 races with SCCA and IMSA.
Rhys Millen (born in New Zealand), nephew of IMSA GTS driver Steve Millen, son of Rod and elder brother of Ryan, is one of the America's top competitors in drifting.
Due to Hagan's intense interest in automobile racing, Stratagraph has fielded several race teams of various types through the years, most notably in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now NEXTEL Cup Series), and in IMSA sports car events and endurance racing.
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The series peaked in the early 80s but as the CART Indycar series and IMSA's GTP championship grew in stature it faded.
Sponsored by the Mazda factory for his entire IMSA career, Jim progressed up the competition ladder from the near showroom stock Radial Sedan series Mazda RX-2 & Mazda RX3, to GTU Mazda RX3 & Mazda RX7 and GTO in the Mazda RX7, then up to the ultra-quick purpose-built GTP category prototypes, all powered by two, three, and four rotor versions of the Mazda Wankel engine.
Following years of success building prototypes for Chevrolet in the IMSA GTP series as well as Nissan in the World Sportscar Championship and All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, Lola ended the 1991 season without a major manufacturer to back their sports car effort.
The first racing victory by a Wankel-engined car in the United States was in 1973, when Bedard won an IMSA RS race at Lime Rock Park in a Mazda RX-2.
In March 1990, Pruett was seriously injured in a preseason testing crash at West Palm Beach, Florida, an IMSA street course.