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Could this also be IMSA playing to the PWC market by offering endurance races as opposed to sprints?
And if the costs are similar, why not run GTLM aside from the fact that a true pro-am line up has little to no chance against factory teams? Or run DPI if the costs are similar.
Short term, I don't think there's a problem. Longer term, GTD is subject to what the market will bear. And that market can change depending on supply and demand.
If GT3s are about as expensive to buy and run and GTE Pro/GTLM cars, and if they can perform about the same, why not combine the classes? I believe that ACO and SRO hubris/stubbornness/my toys are bigger and better than your toys mentality/not invented here mentality has a lot to speak for here.
Maybe IMSA should go to running two classes, one prototype and one GT, or make a class for touring cars or lesser powerful GT cars for true pro-am line ups. The latter has been a point of contention in LMP2 as well in the WEC, with rookie drivers being rated on age/experience rather than ability IMO.
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