metadata

license: mit
tags:
  - racing
  - imsa
  - motorsport
  - lap-times
  - weather
  - automotive
configs:
  - config_name: laps
    data_files: laps.csv
    default: true
  - config_name: drivers
    data_files: drivers.csv

IMSA WeatherTech Championship Racing Dataset

This dataset contains comprehensive lap-by-lap data from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, including detailed timing information, driver data, and weather conditions for each lap.

Dataset Details

Dataset Description

The IMSA Racing Dataset provides detailed lap-by-lap telemetry and contextual data from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races from 2021-2025. The primary table contains individual lap records with integrated driver information and weather conditions, making it ideal for motorsport performance analysis, weather impact studies, and racing strategy research.

Curated by: IMSA Data Scraper Project
Language(s): English (driver names, team names, location names)
License: MIT

Dataset Sources

Repository: IMSA Data Scraper
Data Source: Official IMSA WeatherTech Championship results website ( https://imsa.results.alkamelcloud.com/Results/ )

This currently only includes IMSA WeatherTech Challange, and not the other IMSA events

Uses

Direct Use

This dataset is suitable for:

Motorsport Performance Analysis: Analyze lap times, driver performance, and team strategies
Weather Impact Studies: Examine how weather conditions affect racing performance
Machine Learning: Predict lap times, race outcomes, or optimal strategies
Sports Analytics: Compare driver and team performance across different conditions
Educational Research: Study motorsport data science and racing dynamics

Out-of-Scope Use

Personal identification of drivers beyond publicly available racing information
Commercial use without proper attribution to IMSA and data sources
Analysis requiring real-time or live timing data

Dataset Structure

The primary table is laps, where each row represents a single lap completed by a driver during a racing session.

Key Columns

Event & Session Information:

session_id: Unique identifier for each racing session
year: Race year (2021-2025)
event: Event name (e.g., "daytona-international-speedway")
session: Session type ("race", "qualifying", "practice")
start_date: Session start date and time

Lap Performance Data:

lap: Lap number within the session
car: Car number
lap_time: Individual lap time (TIME format)
session_time: Elapsed time from session start
pit_time: Time spent in pit stops
class: Racing class (GTD, GTP, LMP2, etc.)

Driver Information:

driver_name: Driver name
license: FIA license level (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze)
driver_country: Driver's country
team_name: Team name
stint_number: Sequential stint number for driver/car

Weather Conditions:

air_temp_f: Air temperature (Fahrenheit)
track_temp_f: Track surface temperature (Fahrenheit)
humidity_percent: Relative humidity
pressure_inhg: Atmospheric pressure
wind_speed_mph: Wind speed
wind_direction_degrees: Wind direction
raining: Boolean flag for rain conditions

Data Statistics

The dataset typically contains:

~50,000+ laps across all years and sessions
200+ drivers from various countries and license levels
100+ teams competing across different classes
40+ events per year across multiple racing venues
Weather data matched to each lap for environmental analysis

Dataset Creation

Curation Rationale

This dataset was created to provide comprehensive, structured access to IMSA racing data for research and analysis purposes. The integration of lap times with weather conditions and driver information enables sophisticated motorsport analytics that would otherwise require manual data correlation.

Source Data

Data Collection and Processing

Data is collected from the official IMSA WeatherTech Championship results website using automated scraping tools. The processing pipeline:

Event Discovery: Identifies all racing events for specified years
Data Extraction: Downloads race results, lap times, and weather data
Data Integration: Matches weather conditions to individual laps using temporal correlation
Driver Enrichment: Adds driver license levels, countries, and team information
Quality Assurance: Validates data consistency and handles missing values

Who are the source data producers?

The source data is produced by:

IMSA (International Motor Sports Association): Official race timing and results
Racing teams and drivers: Performance data during competition
Weather monitoring systems: Environmental conditions at racing venues

Technical Implementation

The dataset is generated using:

Ruby-based scraper: Collects data from official sources
DuckDB database: Stores and processes the integrated dataset
SQL transformations: Creates the final analytical tables