The merger didn’t just save sports car racing, he says. “Not to get sappy, but it was a very emotional meeting for me,” Doonan said. “You had the interest of what’s good for both sides working together, and that eventually led to a category that’s going to be really strong,” said Bobby Rahal, whose team raced in ALMS and continued on with IMSA after the merger. When you come to our races now, you see that the fans are back. Ten years ago, the leaders of sports car racing did just that. Panoz, who died in 2018, left a wide-ranging legacy in sports car racing. It was his work — and France’s — that led to this moment.

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