Opinion: Why a Bronze Mandate Would Ensure GTD's Long-Term Future

John Dagys on IMSA's decision to remain largely status quo on its Pro-Am GT3-based class for 2023...

IMSA’s decision not to enforce a Bronze driver mandate in the GTD class of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship beginning next year came as one of the sanctioning body’s toughest calls in recent years.

Just weeks before its annual ‘State of the Sport’ address at Road America, plans were understood to have been in place to overhaul the GTD ranks, in an attempt to rid the so-called ‘Super Silvers’ that had taken control of the Pro-Am-enforced category.

There were plenty of good reasons to make the move for 2023.

The launch of the GTD Pro class, which has seen modest full-season participation, would offer an avenue for competitive Silver-Platinum or Silver-Gold lineups to migrate to, with some Silvers set to get bumped up to Gold next year anyways via the FIA’s revised driver rating system.

Aligning GTD with the worldwide standard of GT3’s Pro-Am class structure also would have brought back several Bronze drivers that have either departed or scaled back their WeatherTech Championship programs in recent years.