IMSA Performance

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title: "IMSA Performance" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["french-auto-racing-teams", "auto-racing-teams-established-in-2001", "2001-establishments-in-france", "24-hours-of-le-mans-teams", "european-le-mans-series-teams", "international-gt-open-teams", "fia-world-endurance-championship-teams", "gt-world-challenge-europe-endurance-cup-teams", "fia-gt-championship-teams", "24h-series-teams", "gt4-european-series-teams", "intercontinental-gt-challenge-teams"] description: "French auto racing team" topic_path: "geography/france" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMSA_Performance" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary French auto racing team ::

| name = FRA IMSA LS Group Performance | logo = | founded = 2001 | principal = Raymond Narac Franck Rava | current series = Porsche Carrera Cup France | former series = European Le Mans Series FIA World Endurance Championship International GT Open FFSA GT Championship | drivers = FRA Raymond Narac FRA Nicolas Armindo FRA Anthony Pons | driver titles = 5 (FFSA GT 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 GT2, LMS 2011 GTE-Am) | team titles = 7 (FFSA GT 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 GT2, PCCF 2007, FIA GT2 2010, LMS 2011 GTE-Am) | folded = |website=https://www.imsa-performance.com/en/}}

IMSA LS Group Performance (also known as IMSA Performance Matmut or simply IMSA Performance) is a French auto racing team founded by Raymond Narac. The team is based in Saint-Jean-du-Cardonnay, Upper Normandy. IMSA stands for Innovation Mécanique Service Automobile. They currently operate a Porsche 911 GT3-RSR sports car in the European Le Mans Series and International GT Open. They are currently a Porsche Factory Team

History

Beginnings

The team was founded in 2001 by Raymond Narac. The team did not start racing until 2004 when Narac entered the team into the Porsche Carrera Cup France and FFSA GT Championship. The team entered three cars in the FFSA GT Championship, all of the Porsche 996 GT3 Cup chassis' in the Cup1 class. Narac drove the first of the cars, No. 76 along with Yannick David under the name IMSA - Challenge 86. The team had a successful début at Nogaro winning in the Cup1 class. They finished third in the championship. In the Porsche Carrera Cup France, the team's only highlight was a win at Magny-Cours.

2005 - 2006

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Paris_2006_-_Porsche_911_matmut.JPG" caption="IMSA Performance [[Porsche 996 GT3]]-RSR being displayed at the [[2006 Paris Motor Show]]."] ::

After an impressive début in the FFSA GT Championship, IMSA Performance decided to enter one car into the GT2 class while the other two cars remained in Cup1. The team purchased a GT2-spec Porsche 996 GT3-RSR with Narac being joined by Sébastien Dumez for the season. The duo won twelve of the sixteen races and won the first of four drivers and teams championships.

The team were also successful in the French Porsche Carrera Cup finishing fifth overall in the standings and winning in the B class with Raymond Narac. 2005 also saw the teams début at the infamous 24 Hours of Le Mans. The FFSA duo of Narac and Dumez were joined by Porsche factory driver Romain Dumas for the 2005 edition using the same Porsche used in FFSA. The car finished in a respectable fourth place in the GT2 class and fifteenth overall.

The team expanded once again in 2006 by entering into the Le Mans Series. Narac entered a 996 along with veteran Christophe Bouchut in the 2006 season finishing fifth in the standings. Narac and IMSA continued to dominate in the GT2 class in FFSA GT alongside Michel Lecourt taking a second consecutive championship.

The team were looking forward to a GT2 victory at the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans taking pole in the class, more than a second faster than second place starter Scuderia Ecosse. Unfortunately, an engine failure after 211 laps put an end to the teams hope of Le Mans victory. The trio of drivers were Narac, Dumas and Luca Riccitelli.

2007

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Mans2007n°76.jpg" caption="IMSA Performance Matmut Le Mans winning [[Porsche 997 GT3]]-RSR at the [[2007 24 Hours of Le Mans"] ::

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::