The entry process has begun for teams planning to compete in next year's IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
What to look forward to for 2016
Next season, beyond the debut of WeatherTech as the new title sponsor of the championship, the highly anticipated season will see the introduction of full FIA GT3 specifications for the GT Daytona category as well as new cars in the GTLM class - including the brand-new Ford GT.
Next year will see 10 races for the Prototype class in its final year under its current technical configuration before shifting to new regulations for the 2017 season. The GTLM, GTD and PC classes, meanwhile, have 11-round seasons ahead of them in 2016, combining with the Prototype category for a total of 12 WeatherTech Championship rounds.
On-track action for the 2016 WeatherTech Championship will get underway this fall, with the first test to be held on November 17-18 at Daytona International Speedway. The annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 test will be held January 8-10, 2016 followed weeks later by the 54th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, set for January 30-31.
As the season-opening event for the series under the new name and sponsor, the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic will be the first event at Daytona upon the completion of the $400 million Daytona Rising project.
Green flag waved for entry process
Entry forms have been distributed to current TUDOR United SportsCar Championship teams and also are available for download by new WeatherTech Championship participants within the competitor section of IMSA.com.
Entries will be accepted for review through 5:00 pm ET on October 30, 2015. IMSA will review and confirm the selection of entries based on established criteria for the 2016 season.
Follow @VAVELSportsCar on Twitter for comprehensive coverage of the TUDOR Championship and next year's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Aaron Durant is the editor of the VAVEL USA Racing section. Follow him on Twitter at @DoubleA291.