IMSA Petit Le Mans Preview: The End of the Road (Atlanta)

America’s premier sportscar racing championship concludes its 2025 season and crowns it champions at Motul Petit Le Mans (PLM) at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

It has been quite a ride. A journey that began at Daytona in late January has winded across America, even venturing into Canada. After over 7,000 miles (11,000 km) of multi-class racing, the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship arrives at its final chapter. The final 10 hours of the season, to cap off nearly 75 hours of competitive action, will take place on one of America’s most scenic and challenging venues. 53 cars are set to take on Saturday’s 28th running of Motul Petit Le Mans.

GTP: Crawling to glory…

The headline of the 12-car GTP class will be without question Porsche Penske Motorsport. You all have heard the story already. They dominated the first half of the season winning four in a row. However, they have struggled to find a good day since. Only one podium for the factory Porsche outfit since their hot start is not up to their lofty standards. Despite the lackluster second half, the Captain’s army looks set to successfully defend their IMSA GTP title.

The #7 duo of Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy, that won three straight to start the season, had an abysmal summer in particular. Their crash at Watkins Glen and last in class the last two races have dug the hole they now must climb out of. The sister car, aka Team Matt, of Matt Jaminet and Matt Campbell now look set to finish the job and capture the crown. The #6 just needs a solid day, not a spectacular day, to clinch the championship.

Still Hope in Bavaria

And yet, there is an outside chance that Porsche can lose this championship. With only 12 cars running at PLM, the only other team that can catch them this weekend is BMW. The #24 duo of Phillip Eng and Dries Vanthoor come into the weekend 145 points behind the #6 Porsche duo. With a maximum 176 point swing possible, that means BMW Team RLL essentially will have to be perfect out the gate Thursday. Furthermore, Friday’s qualifying will be pivotol with 35 points on the line and a potential 16 point swing. Qualifying will go a long way to setting up BMW’s strategy for Saturday. In either scenario, it will be a longshot but this is why we run the race.

Thankfully, BoP has given both manufacturers favorable scenarios. Both manufacturers will see weight reductions and power increases. While Porsche gets a higher weight break and a power increase, BMW will still have a lighter car. Porsche, although, will have more power which will come in handy with Road Atlanta’s fast and flowing nature.

A Manufacturer’s Crown for Acura and Meyer Shank?

Beyond Porsche and BMW, Acura may be out of the driver and team title race. But in terms of the manufacturers crown, their back-to-back wins in the summer have them neck-and-neck with Porsche. Separated by only 7 points going into this weekend, Petit Le Mans is a heads up winner-take-all showdown. Unfortunately, for Acura, the BoP saw the ARX-06 receive a weight increase and power reduction. With Acura still having a higher second stage power than Porsche, the slight increase in weight could still play to their advantage. Can Meyer Shank Racing cap off their return to IMSA with a championship?

A strong finish for Caddy, Aston and Lambo?

Wayne Taylor Racing and Action Express Racing will be looking to end the season strong for themselves and Cadillac. A 1-2 finish for the GM brand at Indianapolis will give them confidence and momentum heading to MRRA. Cadillac is also the defending race champions, albeit with Chip Ganassi Racing. Unfortunately for Cadillac, they did receive power decreases in BoP, which will not help because of the circuit’s nature. Aston Martin and Lamborghini look to finish their season off strong with a top-5 or even a podium finish. Both manufacturers saw no changes from BoP and that bodes well to give them a fighting chance this weekend. For Lamborghini, this will be the last race before taking (hopefully) a one-year sabatical to re-evaluate and re-launch the program.

Driver Headlines

On the driver front, all teams will bring on three drivers for this 10-hour showdown. Notable drivers returning for Petit Le Mans include Will Stevens (Wayne Taylor Racing), Laurens Vanthoor (Penske Porsche), Kevin Magnussen (BMW Team RLL) and Scott Dixon (Meyer Shank). Within the last week, some surprise announcements were made. American F3 driver Max Esterton was drafted into the #85 JDC Miller Motorsports Porsche. Another surprise is Tristian Vautier getting the call-up to replace IndyCar champion Alex Palou in the #93 Meyer Shank Acura.

LMP2: Back-to-Back?

Dane Cameron and AO Racing are looking to accomplish back-to-back championships in separate classes. Dane Cameron won the IMSA GTP drivers title on his way out of Porsche Penske Motorsport last season. Meanwhile, AO Racing (also with Porsche) secured GTD PRO to win the team’s first IMSA title in 2024. For 2025, the two parties united in LMP2 hoping to step up AO’s performance stateside. After a championship in the European Le Mans Series in 2024, the team was looking to duplicate their success in IMSA. We now stand one race away from the team accomplishing their goal. The team cleared a big hurdle with their first LMP2 IMSA win in Canada in July. Repeating their success at Road America is a major part in their slight 85 point advantage going into this Petit Le Mans finale. Can Dane Cameron and PJ Hyett (alongside Jonny Edgar) finish the job and score the title?

The Spoiler

The only combination that can disrupt AO Racing’s plan is Daniel Goldburg and United Autosports. The Bronze-rated American scored wins at Daytona and Watkins Glen alongside his regular pro partner, Paul di Resta. But when the Scot was called to WEC duty for CTMP round, Tom Blomqvist deputized to help give the team a runner-up finish. That finish, critically, minimized the point damage after AO’s victory. But Road America is the race that put the #22 team behind the 8 Ball. The Turn 1, Lap 1 crash for Goldburg saw the team finish last in class. With the United #22 finishing ahead of AO Racing at Indianapolis, that sets us up for Road Atlanta. A third endurance win this season would go a long way to turning the championship battle in their favor.

Last Chance for a W

Beyond the championship, there are a lot of teams just hoping to find victory at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Riley has had two strong seasons in LMP2 since their 2023 LMP3 class title. Despite seven podiums and four runner-up finishes over these last two seasons, the team has yet to find victory lane in LMP2. They will be equally hungry to secure victory at PLM considering the future of the team is up in the air. Gar Robinson announced earlier this summer he will not return to LMP2 and turning his focus to other opportunities for 2026. So the 74 Ranch crew of Robinson, his regular partner Felipe Fraga and Josh Burdon will want to finish their run on a high.

Tower Motorsports was first across the line at Daytona in January. But their win was stripped after infractions found in post-race tech. After battling and coming up short in Sebring, the team has since fell flat. The team is looking for their first top-5 since the 12 Hours in March. Crowdstrike by APR would love nothing more than a win, especially after their 6 Hours at Indianapolis went so poorly. The other 6 hour race of the season at Watkins Glen saw the #04 team score their only podium of the season to date. PR1 Mathiasen inherited a podium at Daytona and the team also has a top-5 finish at CTMP. The team has a lot to look forward to as they will team up Bryan Herta Autosport for 2026. A win in the 10-hour finale would go a long way to building momentum for next year.

Unpredictability Reigns

LMP2 is usually the class that you can never call because all teams are choosing to use the Oreca chassis. It is also hard to determine a winner because of the high amount of attrition. The 12-car Pro-Am prototype field could be a survival of the fittest or it could be a battle that could go down to the last corner of the last lap. Everyone has a chance to win LMP2…until they do not.

From AF Corse and Pratt Miller Motorsports to InterEuropol and TDS, when the cars take to the track on Thursday everyone is equal. That is when the teams and drivers will make the difference. The further into the weekend we go, the more this truth becomes evident and the field begins to separate themselves. But to keep it simple, the biggest thought on everyone’s mind is to just keep it clean on Saturday until the checkered flag flies.

Driver News

Coming from Indianapolis, there are very few driver changes. One notable driver change is Alex Quinn listed at Crowdstrike by APR. The Gold-rated Brit will replace Dane Malthe Jacobsken in the #04 Oreca. Logan Sargeant, who made his IMSA debut at Indy, is back for the #52 PR1/Mathiasen team while Oliver Jarvis returns at the Era #18 (hopefully he gets to drive in the race this time).

GTD PRO: David vs Goliath going down to the Wire

If you told anyone at DragonSpeed they would be going into the final round of the season with a chance at winning a championship, you would have gotten a lot of crazy looks. Elton Julian’s squad does not have finances and resources like other teams in the class. And yet, with Platinum-rated Albert Costa, this team has put in a season for the ages. They scored their first IMSA GT win at CTMP in July. They have scored a series-leading six podiums on the season. The team is a current streak of five consecutive podiums going into PLM. DragonSpeed could cap off a season for the ages Saturday night if they have one more stellar performance. That very well could happen as Costa won PLM in GTD last year. Standing in the way of DragonSpeed, however, is a team that has been here and accustomed to championship success.

Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports, going back to the days as just Corvette Racing in the GTLM/GTE/GT1 days, have been the standard of GT racing in the US. Going back to the American Le Mans Series, the team has secured 29 drivers and teams championships. Their title winning pedigree is unmatched in top-flight North American sports car racing. This weekend, the team looks to add another championship to their list. This one would be significant as it would be their first since moving to GT3 machinery. Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia have been carrying the lofty standard of Corvette this season. Yes, they only have one win this season but they only have one finish outside the top-4 as well. Going into the Petit Le Mans decider, that is literally the difference between them and DragonSpeed.

No Room for Error

All that separates the two teams is 18 points. First to second is a 30 point swing. Every position from second to fifth is a 20 point swing. If both of these cars finish in the top-5, which is very likely, it is literally going to come down to who gets to the line first. And we can’t get ahead of ourselves because qualifying also pays points. Suffice to say, every point is  going to matter between these two cars. And that’s just the drivers and team championships.

Four Cars…One Winner

The manufacturers championship in GTD PRO is even wilder. The good news for Corvette is they have a little more breathing room over Ferrari. By a little, I mean 46 points. The bad news for Corvette (and Ferrari) is that Ford and BMW are also in the mix to take the crown. Going into Atlanta, these four manufacturers are separated by only 80 points. Multimatic Motorsports is fresh off their third win of the season at Indy putting Ford 62 points behind Corvette. Paul Miller Racing with their two wins have BMW in position to strike as well if the cards fall their way. In other words, do not expect these two teams to layover especially with their own bragging rights at stake.

When talking BoP, Ford got the worst hand as they were given a weight increase. BMW and Ferrari also received weight increases, but power increases should help balance them out. As for Corvette, they also received a power increase ahead of the title decider.

Unfamiliar Territory

Wait a minute, did I miss somebody? Yes and No. Yes I did not mention Porsche and No they are not in contention. I know that is hard to fathom that the Stuggart brand is nowhere to be found especially after clinching GTD PRO in 2024. Porsche are always in the conversation for championships, especially in the GT categories. This season was not the title defense AO Racing had expected, but they can still finish on a high with a second win on Saturday night.

Familiar Third Drivers

On the driver front, guests returning for the finale include James Hinchcliffe (Pfaff #9), IndyCar’s Kyle Kirkwood (Vasser Sullivan #14), Daniel Juncadella (Corvette #3) and Ford factory driver Dennis Olson (Multimatic #65). One interesting note on the entry list has Connor de Philippi listed on both the #1 and #48. If true, the young American BMW factory driver is in for a busy afternoon.

GTD: The Coronation

Every year this is one class that even though it is not official, there is essentially no hope for everyone else. This year, that class is GTD. Winward Racing have been the class of the field all season long. 3 wins, 4 podiums and only one finish outside the top-10 all season. Barring a complete catastrophe in the lead up to the race, Phillip Ellis and Russell Ward have earned this title. Look no further than Indianapolis as proof of their season in a nutshell. The team was leading late again, but was issued a drive thru penalty. Despite getting knocked out the top-10, Ellis recovered to a fifth place finish. Even when you face a setback, keep your head and keep fighting. That is a championship mentality. And we have seen that from Winward all season.

All they have to do is keep the car through the weekend. Get the car to Saturday, take the start, keep it clean and get both Ward and Ellis their mandatory drive time. Oh, and don’t come in last place. Even then, it will require absolutely every scenario for their closest rival to turn in their favor for this team to lose the title. While yes this is sports and everything can and sometimes does happen, even this scenario feels like a longshot to become reality. But for Ellis, Ward and enduro driver Indy Dontje, they will be focused on grabbing one more win to cap off what has been a truly magnificent season.

Or is there something left to fight for?

The manufacturers championship in GTD, however, still has a chance of changing hands. Ferrari is 114 points behind Mercedes going into PLM. Joining Winward representing Mercedes is Lone Star Racing. The Endurance Cup squad showed glimpses of competitiveness at Indianapolis before their race went south. On the other hand, Ferrari have strength in numbers. Six 296s will take the grid at MRRA on Saturday. Leading this group are winning squads Triarsi Competizione and Inception Racing. Rounding out the lineup are Conquest Racing, AF Corse and Cetilar Racing. As the highest scored vehicle from each brand earns championship points, Ferrari would do well to use their 6-2 car count to their advantage if possible.

Fittingly, these are the two hottest brands in the class at the moment. Mercedes and Ferrari have combined to win the last three races, but Ferrari has the momentum winning two of the three. Both Triarsi and Inception are feeling confident after both teams took their first IMSA wins this season. Triarsi has seen a complete turn around with the arrival of young Silver-rated American Kenton Koch mid-season. Inception are starting to become endurance specialists. Outside of the Rolex 24, Inception posted top-5s in the other three enduros.

For Vice-Champion…and the Final Race Trophy

While the championship is all but decided, the battle for second is very wide open. Casper Stevenson holds a 29 point advantage over Kenton Koch. Behind Koch, Jack Hawksworth and Parker Thompson for Vasser Sullivan Racing sit forth 31 points behind Koch. Rounding out the top 5 is the Turner Motorsport duo of Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher, 44 points behind Hawksworth and Thompson. Second to fifth in GTD is separated by 106 points.

From these groups is where I likely will pick the winner from on Saturday evening. With too much still to fight for, not to mention one more race win, it will be very hard to see the winner not coming out this group. If there was an outsider (and I say this with no disrespect), look at Wright Motorsports. Adam Adelson, Elliott Skeer and Tom Sargeant earned their first podium since Daytona at Indianapolis. With a favorable Porsche BoP with no weight change and increase in power, there is hope Wright keeps their momentum going.

Driver Updates

There are a couple of notable driver moves in GTD for this final round. Mike Skeen emerges at the third driver at Conquest Racing. Jan Heylen joins John Potter and Spencer Pumpelly at Magnus Racing as they return for the first time since Watkins Glen. As of writing this preview, the third seat at Triarsi’s #021 Ferrari is yet to be filled. We will keep an eye on who occupies that seat in the coming days.

The Most Important Friday of the Season

With so many championships on the line, Friday’s qualifying session will go a long way to setting the trajectory for Saturday. With 35 championship points on line to the polesitter of each class, the margins in points could prove massive. For GTP and LMP2, up to a 16 point swing could occur on Friday. In GTD PRO, that number is only 14. But in GTD, that number is a quite sizeable 23 points. And with so many teams and drivers in contention for second in the points, position will mean everything. Of course in the hindsight of Saturday, starting position is no indication as to where you will finish. But if you are competing for any championship, stepping up to the moment and making no mistakes will be crucial in the run for the pole.

Endurance Cup, we didn’t forget about you…

With all the talk of the season-long championship, we have not neglected the Michelin Endurance Cup. The championship within a championship will also crown its winners on Saturday evening. Here are the top 3 in each class going into Petit Le Mans.

GTP

1. 39 – #7 Penske Porsche: Felipe Nasr/Nick Tandy
2. 36 – #60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura: Colin Braun/Tom Blomqvist
3. 33 – #31 Whelen Action Express Cadillac: Jack Aitken/Earl Bamber/Frederik Vesti

LMP2

1. 37 – #43 InterEuropol Competition: Tom Dillmann/Bijoy Garg
2. 32 – #11 TDS Racing: Steven Thomas/Mikkel Jensen/Hunter McElrea
3. 32 – #22 United Autosports: Daniel Goldburg/Rasmus Lindh/Paul di Resta

GTD PRO

1. 41 – #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW: Madison Snow/Neil Verhagen/Connor de Philippi
2. 37 – #48 Paul Miller Racing BMW: Max Hesse/Dan Harper
3. 31 – #77 AO Racing Porsche: Klaus Bachler/Laurin Heinrich

GTD

1. 34 – #70 Inception Racing Ferrari: Brendon Iribe/Frederik Schandorff/Ollie Millroy
2. 31 – #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin: Tom Gamble/Casper Stevenson/Zacharie Robichon
3. 31 – #21 AF Corse Ferrari: Alessandro Pier Guidi/Lilou Wadoux/Simon Mann

For those unfamiliar with the Michelin Endurance Cup, they do operate under a separate points system. points are awarded at stages of each enduro. Points are awarded as follows:

• Leader: 5 points
• 2nd Place: 4 pts
• 3rd Place: 3 pts
• 4th Place on: 2 pts

For Petit Le Mans, points will be awarded at the following stages:

• 4 Hours
• 8 Hours
• 10 Hours (Finish)

With Petit Le Mans, a maximum 15 points are available during the race. With only a 9 point swing due to the points gap, it will be interesting to see how teams will treat the race. Who will claim the crown as the best endurance racers in 2025?

On-Track Activity and Race Coverage

Schedule

IMSA WeatherTech on-track action will kick off with a full day on Thursday. The teams and drivers will have the first of three 90-minute practice sessions at 10:40am. The afternoon session will take place from 3:15-4:45 pm before the night practice ends the day from 7:30-9:00pm. After a full day of practice Thursday, Friday is all about Qualifying. The session kicks off at 3:20pm with GTD followed by GTD PRO at 3:40pm. Following the GT sessions, the prototypes take center stage with LMP2 at 4:00pm followed by GTP at 4:20pm. Finally, Saturday is race day. Green flag on the 28th Motul Petit Le Mans flies at 12:10pm Saturday afternoon for 10 Hours of racing action.

Race Coverage (all times US EDT)

For your listening pleasure, IMSA Radio and the Radio Show Limited team will have coverage of every on-track session starting Thursday morning at 10:35am for Free Practice 1. You can stream every session online at www.imsaradio.com or on . Qualifying coverage on IMSA Radio starts Friday afternoon at 3:15pm. On Saturday, IMSA Radio’s flag-to-flag coverage goes on the air at 12:05pm. The IMSA Radio broadcast will be simulcast on SiriusXM. Catch the race in your car on channel 206 or in the SiriusXM App on channel 996. Coverage goes live at 12:05pm.

In terms of viewing, tune in to coverage of qualifying Friday at 3:15pm. In the United States, stream qualifying on Peacock. Outside the US, stream coverage on IMSA TV or IMSA YouTube channel. For race day coverage on Saturday, tune in to IMSA TV or IMSA’s YouTube channel for flag-to-flag streaming if you are watching outside the United States. The global stream will go live at 12:05pm. For viewers in the United States, the race will be streamed in its entirety on Peacock starting at 12pm. Alongside Peacock, main NBC will broadcast the start of the race and the opening stages from 12-3pm.

Featured Image: Early stages of the 2024 Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Photo Courtesy: Porsche AG/Porsche Newsroom