2008 Sebring International Raceway

In 2006, the International Motor Sport Association (IMSA) introduced IMSA Lites. The series was created to provide an opportunity for drivers competing at the amateur level to advance to a professional series or to prepare for a category such as the American Le Mans (ALMS). The mission is to develop future drivers and teams for the ALMS. Three years later, the series was exceeding IMSA's expectations.

IMSA Lites features three classes of purpose-built sports racing prototypes – Lites 1, Lites 2 and Lites 3. The primary factor determining the categorization of a car is engine displacement.

Lites 1 (L1) – This is the fastest category. The most common vehicle in this group is the Elan DP-02 manufactured by Elan Van Diemen. The DP-02 features a carbon fiber monocoque fitted with an aerodynamic package that includes a front splitter, diffuser and rear wing. The car is powered by a 2.3-liter four-cylinder Mazda MZR motor mounted to a six-speed sequential transmission.
Lites 2 (L2) – This group includes several chassis and engine combinations. The West WR1000 is a popular choice powered by a 1000-cc Kawasaki ZX engine. The car also uses an electronic paddle-shift system.
Lites 3 (L3) – Only one car competes in this category. The Van Diemen DP-06, introduced by the Sports Car Club of America in 2002, is powered by a 2.3-liter Mazda MZR engine.

2008 IMSA Lites Championship consisted of six race weekends, with doubleheaders at each event.

March 13-14 – Sebring International Raceway
May 17-18 – Miller Motorsports Park
July 11-12 - Lime Rock Park
August 23-24 – Mosport International Raceway
October 2-3 - Road Atlanta
October 18-19 – Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

In addition to a driver’s championship, there are also titles for Teams and Constructors.

The opening rounds of the 2008 IMSA Lites Championship presented by Hankook Performance Tires were held at Sebring International Raceway during the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring event. Drivers would compete in two races around the seventeen-turn 3.74-mile road course.

Series newcomer Jonathan Goring won the opening two rounds of the L1 IMSA Lites Championship at Sebring International Raceway in the No. 14 Inspire Motorsports Elan DP-02. Sports cars were a new challenge for Goring, whose experience was in open-wheel competition. He won the 2005 Skip Barber Championship with four victories in fourteen races and finished fifth in last year's Star Mazda Championship.

Another driver sweeping the opening weekend's races was Australian Tom Drewer. Drewer competed in the L2 category driving one of the four West WR1000 prepared by PVM Racing. Drewer also started his motorsport career in open-wheelers. But in 2007, he won the AMRS Thunder Sports Championship in a factory-supported West WR1000. The No. 45 West WR1000 started on the class pole both days.

The L1 podium for race one of the 2008 IMSA Lites Championship presented by Hankook. In the center is the winner from Inspire Motorsports, Jonathan Goring. The runner-up, Joel Feinberg, stands to the left, who drove for the Primetime Race Group. Eurosport Racing's Matt Downs completed the rostrum and finished third overall and in class.

Joel Feinberg competed in the inaugural season of the IMSA Lites Championship and finished second in the points chase. He returned to the series in 2008, driving the No. 7 Primetime Race Group prepared Elan DP-02. Feinberg qualified fourth for the weekend's first contest and finished 0.0582-seconds behind the winner, Jonathan Goring. In the finale, he earned another runner-up result by 0.252-seconds.

Grabbing the L3 honours in the opening round at Sebring International Raceway was Sports Car Club of America veteran Chris Funk. 2008 was the former Spec Racer Ford competitor's third season in the IMSA Lites Championship. Driving the No. 5 KC Racing Van Diemen DP-06, he finished second in last season's title chase. In the final race of the event race weekend, Funk retired on the opening lap.

The weekend's first podium for the 2008 L2 IMSA Lites competitors at Sebring International Raceway. In the center is the winner, Tom Drewer, who drove the No. 45 PVM Racing West WR1000. The runner-up, Alain Nadal, stands on the left side of the rostrum. The third-place finisher is Drewer's teammate and the owner of PVM Racing, Eric Vassian.

Alain Nadal drove the No. 44 Ansa Motorsports West WR1000 in the L2 category of the IMSA Lites Championship. This was Nadal's first year in the series. He qualified nineteenth overall and third in class for race one but moved up the order, finished fourteenth and claimed second in L2. Nadal delivered similar results in the finale, finishing in the runner-up position and fifteenth overall.

Tanner Baker was one of the many newcomers joining this year's IMSA Lites Championship. He drove the No. 08 Van Diemen DP-06 in the L3 group. Despite his rookie status, Baker captured the race one pole over Chris Funk by 0.369-seconds. Unfortunately, he fell to a third-place finish. In the weekend's final contest, Baker would redeem himself. Errors by Brian Schofield and Chris Funk gave Baker the win.

The L3 rostrum for the weekend's opening round of the 2008 IMSA Lites Championship at Sebring International Raceway. In the center from KC Racing is the winner Chris Funk. On the left is Funk's KC Racing teammate and runner-up, Kelly Toombs. Completing the rostrum is race one's category pole-sitter and third-place finisher Tanner Baker.

POS.	CLASS	DRIVERS	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	L1	Jonathan Goring	Elan DP-02	11	-
2	L1	Joel Feinberg	Elan DP-02	11	-
3	L1	Matt Downs	Elan DP-02	11	-
4	L1	Jonathan Gore	Elan DP-02	11	-
5	L1	Charlie Shears	Elan DP-02	11	-
6	L1	Shelby Mershon	Elan DP-02	11	-
7	L1	Gary Gibson	Elan DP-02	11	-
8	L2	Tom Drewer	West WR1000	11	-
9	L1	Jon Brownson	Elan DP-02	11	-
10	L1	Tom Mabey	Elan DP-02	11	-
11	L1	Fred Kaimer	Elan DP-02	11	-
12	L1	Anthony Nicolosi	Elan DP-02	11	-
13	L1	Michael Mallinen	Elan DP-02	11	-
14	L2	Alain Nadal	West WR1000	11	-
15	L1	Antonio Downs	Elan DP-02	11	-
16	L1	Johnny Meriggi(	Elan DP-02	11	-
17	L1	Richard Berry	Elan DP-02	11	-
18	L1	Tommy Thompson	Elan DP-02	11	-
19	L2	Eric Vassian	West WR1000	11	-
20	L2	Alex Gonzalez	West WR1000	11	-
21	L3	Chris Funk	Van Diemen DP-06	11	-
22	L1	Dan Weyland	Elan DP-02	11	-
23	L2	Ray Langston	West WR1000	11	-
24	L3	Kelly Toombs	Van Diemen DP-06	11	-
25	L3	Tanner Baker	Van Diemen DP-06	11	-
26	L1	Lucas Downs	Elan DP-02	11	-
27	L3	Larry Lambert	Van Diemen DP-06	11	-
28	L1	Darryl Shoff	Elan DP-02	9	-
29	L3	Brian Schofield	Van Diemen DP-06	7	Did Not Finish
30	L2	Bill Chapman	West WR1000	7	Did Not Finish
31	L1	Josef Newgarden	Elan DP-02	6	Did Not Finish
32	L2	Jim Garrett	West WR1000	3	Did Not Finish
33	L3	Chris Doyle	Van Diemen DP-06	2	Did Not Finish
34	L3	Ricky Taylor	Elan DP-02	0	Did Not Finish

POS.	CLASS	DRIVERS	CAR / ENTRANT	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	L1	Jonathan Goring	Elan DP-02	12	-
2	L1	Joel Feinberg	Elan DP-02	12	-
3	L1	Josef Newgarden	Elan DP-02	12	-
4	L3	Ricky Taylor	Elan DP-02	12	-
5	L1	Matt Downs	Elan DP-02	12	-
6	L1	Jonathan Gore	Elan DP-02	12	-
7	L1	Shelby Mershon	Elan DP-02	12	-
8	L1	Lucas Downs	Elan DP-02	12	-
9	L1	Jon Brownson	Elan DP-02	12	-
10	L1	Gary Gibson	Elan DP-02	12	-
11	L1	Johnny Meriggi(	Elan DP-02	12	-
12	L2	Tom Drewer	West WR1000	12	-
13	L1	Richard Berry	Elan DP-02	12	-
14	L1	Darryl Shoff	Elan DP-02	12	-
15	L2	Alain Nadal	West WR1000	12	-
16	L1	Michael Mallinen	Elan DP-02	12	-
17	L1	Dan Weyland	Elan DP-02	12	-
18	L1	Fred Kaimer	Elan DP-02	12	-
19	L3	Tanner Baker	Van Diemen DP-06	12	-
20	L2	Alex Gonzalez	West WR1000	12	-
21	L3	Brian Schofield	Van Diemen DP-06	12	-
22	L3	Larry Lambert	Van Diemen DP-06	12	-
23	L1	Tom Mabey	Elan DP-02	12	-
24	L3	Chris Doyle	Van Diemen DP-06	11	-
25	L1	Anthony Nicolosi	Elan DP-02	11	-
26	L1	Charlie Shears	Elan DP-02	9	Did Not Finish
27	L2	Jim Garrett	West WR1000	8	Did Not Finish
28	L2	Ray Langston	West WR1000	6	Did Not Finish
29	L1	Antonio Downs	Elan DP-02	2	Did Not Finish
30	L3	Kelly Toombs	Van Diemen DP-06	2	Did Not Finish
31	L3	Chris Funk	Van Diemen DP-06	1	Did Not Finish
32	L2	Eric Vassian	West WR1000	0	Did Not Finish
33	L1	Tommy Thompson	Elan DP-02	-	Did Not Start
34	L2	Bill Chapman	West WR1000	-	Did Not Start

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