In tandem with its official U.S. launch this evening in New York, Tudor announced today its affiliation with the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). The expanding brand has entered into a five year relationship with the association as the entitlement partner of what will now be called, the Tudor United SportsCar Championship.
“The 2014 season will feature the rebirth and revitalization of sports car racing in North America, and therefore it’s the ideal time to introduce a premium watch brand like TUDOR to our U.S. fans and partners, as well as further solidify our relationship with the international motorsports community,” IMSA CEO Ed Bennett said. “This is a natural progression of the fantastic relationship we’ve cherished for decades with our partners at Rolex.
“In TUDOR, we have an optimal match for the Championship, as its brand attributes align with ours, specifically its Grantour collection that was created for sports car aficionados.”
Tudor’s connection with motorsports throughout the years has enabled the elevation of its commitment to sports car racing. From 2009-2011, Tudor was partners with Porsche Motorsports as its Timing partners. In addition, Tudor has teamed up with other affiliations including Ducati as a global Timing Partner as well as the FIA World Endurance Championship.
“Not only do Tudor’s brand attributes of performance, prestige and elegance align with the nature and character of endurance sports car racing, but clearly, we are the only form of motorsport in which the race length is determined by time, not distance,” IMSA President Scott Atherton said. “Based on our mutual strengths, a watch and timing partner is a superb match for our series. We’re pleased that Tudor recognizes that our passionate fans are absolutely the right clientele for them.”