Ten hours at Road Atlanta will decide titles across all IMSA classes as teams vie for season-ending glory.
After a punishing IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season packed with record penalties and nail-biting finishes, the spotlight turns to 10 hours at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The Motul Petit Le Mans will crown champions in every class—GTP, LMP2, GTD Pro, and GTD—in a season defined by close competition, persistence, and plenty of door-to-door action. Factory squads from Porsche, Acura, and BMW are still battling for titles, while privateers and seasoned veterans aim to finish the year with one last flourish under the lights in Braselton, where drama is always guaranteed.
GTP Manufacturer’s Championship Race
IMSA’s points system ensures that several WeatherTech series championships will be decided at Petit Le Mans. The headline battle is the GTP manufacturers’ championship, pitting Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Porsche 963s against Meyer Shank Racing’s Acura ARX-06s. Acura trails by just seven points, so the team that finishes ahead will likely take the title—assuming qualifying goes smoothly, as it also awards points.
Porsche Penske’s Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell are on course to secure the drivers’ crown over teammates Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy, but the manufacturer’s title remains up for grabs. Meyer Shank Racing, whose Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun won Petit Le Mans in 2023, fields two Acuras this year, including one run by Honda Racing Corp. USA.
“Two years ago, Nick Tandy and I were taken out while battling for a championship in the early hours,” Jaminet recalled. “Anything can happen. The key is staying out of trouble.”
Rahal’s Last Ride
RLL Racing’s final weekend with BMW could produce a surprise for the M Hybrid V8 squad. Team principal Bobby Rahal, who helped launch the original GTP era with March-BMW, has been tied to BMW for 17 seasons. Dries Vanthoor, who captured four straight poles early in the campaign, says this weekend is both emotional and an opportunity to redeem a season with just one win.
Direct collaboration between RLL and the WRT squad in the World Endurance Championship yielded some progress, but overall results fell short, prompting WRT to take over IMSA duties next year.
“We’re going all out,” Vanthoor said. “If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t. I’m not here to finish second or third—we’re going for the win. It’ll be tough, but it should be exciting.”
Corvette Racing vs. DragonSpeed in GTD Pro
Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims of Corvette Racing will face Albert Costa in the DragonSpeed Ferrari for the GTD Pro championship, separated by just 18 points. DragonSpeed, in its debut GTD Pro season, brought in free agent Costa and partnered with Risi Competizione to strengthen the effort.
Costa, who won the GTD class with Conquest Racing in last year’s Petit finale, learned that morning he wouldn’t retain his contract for 2025, yet stayed to race.
“All I had was to give it my best and win if I could,” Costa said. “The race is long, and strategy, luck, and positioning all have to align—but everything went my way, and I took the victory.”
Will penalties play a part?
Penalties for aggressive driving were rampant at Indy—will that carry over to Road Atlanta? A record 38 infractions in the six-hour Indy race may make drivers more cautious during the 10-hour Petit, though the challenge is steep.
Dane Cameron, seeking his fifth title since 2014 co-driving in LMP2 with PJ Hyett at AO Racing, noted that the penalty surge stems from the tight lap times across IMSA’s four classes.
“There’s a lot of overlap in lap times and corners, making interactions tricky,” Cameron explained. “It would be good to see some adjustments.”
Cameron, competing in his 164th IMSA race, added that desperation for wins late in the season heightens on-track tensions. “Everyone wants that elusive victory, and contact over the year can boil over, especially at Petit.”
Ferrari finally living up to expectations
The Ferrari 296 GT3 teams in GTD are making waves, capturing five of the last nine podiums and two wins in the last three races. AF Corse, Triarsi Competizione, Inception Racing, and Conquest Racing are leading the charge.
With improved weight distribution, braking, and easier maintenance, Ferrari’s latest GT3 car is finally fulfilling its potential under the universal GT3 regulations.
“Seeing where you place compared to the other Ferraris pushes you,” said Ollie Milroy of Inception. “Having multiple strong teams with the same car really elevates everyone’s performance.”
Third drivers
Keep an eye on several added third drivers at Petit.
- In GTP, multi-time endurance winner and six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon and French veteran Tristan Vautier join Meyer Shank’s Acura effort, with Vautier behind the wheel of an ARX-06 for the first time. Kevin Magnussen returns to RLL’s No. 24 BMW after a fast but ill-fated Daytona run.
- In LMP2, former American F1 driver Logan Sargent joins PRI Mathiasen Motorsports to reignite his racing career.
- In GTD Pro, Connor de Phillippi drives both Paul Miller Motorsports BMWs (No. 1 and No. 48). Joey Hand, longtime Ford factory driver and major endurance winner, competes in a Mustang GT3 with Gradient Racing.
Sunset
The sun setting signals the critical transition into night racing. Drivers face direct glare on the back straight while dropping temperatures affect tires and chassis balance.
Sunset is nerve-wracking because teams must trust their daytime setup will perform in the night hours.
“You have to compromise and endure a tricky car in the day to make it right for the night,” said Corvette Racing’s Alexander Sims. “It’s a bold call to go through five or six hours without pace, trusting it’ll pay off later.”
As the season finale approaches, these storylines promise a mix of strategy, skill, and high-stakes drama, highlighting why the Petit Le Mans remains one of IMSA’s most thrilling events.
