IMSA Insider: Race-Tested, Road-Ready: Michelin’s Edge

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

With just 15 minutes remaining at Sebring, the GTD class is on a knife’s edge. Phillip Ellis makes a decisive move around Jack Hawksworth to take the lead—and ultimately the win. It’s a thrilling moment, but just a sliver of the 198,603 miles raced across Florida during IMSA’s iconic Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Every one of those miles matters and in turn provides a vast amount of data to engineers.

For some perspective, people in the U.S. drive on average 37 miles a day or 13,596 miles a year according to the Federal Highway Administration. That means it would take 15 people driving for an entire year to get the same data Michelin receives in just two IMSA races.

Photo: Michelin

Track-Proven Technology for the Street

Motorsport pushes Michelin’s tire technology to the edge, exposing it to a spectrum of extreme conditions. And that pressure pays off. It helps Michelin create safer, longer-lasting street tires and allows car manufacturers to deliver vehicles with superior handling and performance.

“People think a tire is just round and black, but there’s more than 200 ingredients in them,” Raymond Cotton, Director of Motorsports, Michelin North America, said. “The abundance of data from motorsports helps our developers get the right mix to match a specific car’s needs.”

Cotton knows what he’s talking about here. He was a test driver for Michelin and tuned OEM tires for performance more than ten years.

“When we talk about how a tire impacts vehicle dynamics, and how to tweak it for a particular characteristic, those are areas where Michelin excels —tuning is a key attribute to create a tire someone loves to drive,” said Cotton.

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

Real Drivers, Real Results

IMSA Radio’s John Hindhaugh is one of those people that loves to drive, just give his Real World Road Tests a listen. During the Sebring broadcast, he highlighted the positive impact he experienced after switching his Porsche to Michelin tires.

“I’ve got Pilot Sport 4Ss on my Porsche back at home, which didn’t originally come with them,” Hindhaugh said. “The difference in handling, the road noise—it was all noticeable. I even got a little better fuel economy.”

Photo: Michelin

It Starts with DNA

According to Cotton, the process begins with understanding the automaker’s intent.

“For Porsche, you’re looking for crisp handling, but also comfort and low noise,” Cotton said. “Tires are always a compromise, but Michelin excels at delivering performance that lasts—and compromises that are actually livable.”

Behind that precision lies more than laps around a track. Simulation technology like car models and driver-in-the-loop simulators play a major role in refining tire performance.
“It helps us make race cars faster and helps manufacturers build better road cars,” said Cotton.

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Racing with Purpose

IMSA gives Michelin a unique opportunity to collaborate directly with automakers and target high-performance fitments. Many of the same cars racing in the GTD class are the ones Michelin targets on the road.

“It’s a direct connection to the consumers we design our tires for,” said Cotton.

Manufacturer connections will be strong again in California. The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach features an entry list of 27, with 11 manufacturers represented.