IMSA News: McLaren Trophy America Joins IMSA for 2027 Season in Long-Term Deal McLaren Trophy America will race under the sanction of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) starting in 2027, following the signing of a long-term agreement. The move underscores the continued expansion of McLarenâs high-performance one-make racing platform and positions the series within North Americaâs premier sports-car environment. –by Mark Cipolloni– Founded in 1969 to organize open-wheel racing, IMSA has sanctioned sports-car endurance events across the region since 1971. Today it stands as the leading sportscar and GT racing organization in North America and one of the most respected motorsport bodies worldwide. Since 2014 it has delivered top-level endurance racing through the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. McLaren Trophy was created to give McLaren road-car customers a direct route into competitive racing. Amateur enthusiasts compete in purpose-built McLaren Automotive race cars derived from the successful GT4 platform. Freed from restrictive regulations, McLaren engineers have enhanced the carsâ aerodynamics, performance, and handling. The latest evolution, the Artura Trophy Evo, was unveiled in 2024 and coincided with rule changes that opened the series to professional driver line-upsâan intentional step designed to widen the talent pool feeding McLaren Motorsportâs growing factory driver program. This summer, selected drivers from both the European and American Trophy series will be invited to the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking for a formal driver-assessment program. Successful candidates could earn places in the 2027 McLaren Motorsport factory driver lineup. The initiative highlights the strategic role McLaren Trophy now plays as a key rung on the manufacturerâs motorsport ladder, guiding both drivers and teams toward the highest levels of endurance racing. Giorgio Sanna, Head of Motorsport at McLaren Automotive, said: âThe prospect of racing on the IMSA package is a very exciting one for McLaren Trophy America. IMSA, like McLaren,