Insight: The "Unwritten Agreement" That Kept CORE autosport Going

An inside look at how Jon Bennett, Colin Braun's driving partnership extended the lifespan of the championship-winning team...

When news came through earlier this month that CORE autosport would be shutting its doors after an illustrious campaign in IMSA competition, it came as a bit of a shock to the sports car racing community.

The Jon Bennett-owned organization, which had claimed the 2022 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship LMP3 title, had been preparing for a championship defense, having come off a private test at Daytona International Speedway just a few weeks ago.

All systems were go for next year. That was until it became apparent that its superstar driver Colin Braun had finally landed what Bennett had called a “magic opportunity” to race a factory-backed LMDh car in the new GTP class.

Braun, highly regarded in the IMSA paddock as one of the sport’s top drivers, completed a successful tryout in Meyer Shank Racing’s Acura ARX-06 at Sebring International Raceway and was given the nod to join the DPi championship-winning organization for 2023.

Within days, Bennett wound down CORE’s operations, in what appeared on the surface to be a surprising move. But as the accomplished businessman turned racer explains, it was his bond with Braun that ultimately kept the team in operation for two additional seasons.