The Thursday notebook from Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta (MRRA) covers the latest happenings from the paddock as teams and drivers prepare for Saturday’s 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans, the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season finale. With championship battles, special liveries, driver news, and plenty of activity throughout the paddock, here are some of the notable stories from Thursday at Road Atlanta.

Thursday Notebook

  • Day No. 2 of the Motul Petit Le Mans weekend got underway on Thursday, highlighted by three practice sessions for IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, supported with the first races for VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup, and Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
  • It was announced yesterday that IndyCar stars Alex Palou & Marcus Ericsson will compete in next weekend’s Indy 8 Hour to conclude the Intercontinental GT Challenge & GT World Challenge America seasons.
  • Palou, the four-time IndyCar Series champion is set to join Mercedes-AMG GT3 outfit Lone Star Racing in their No. 80 effort. Palou compliments the lineup alongside Lin Hodenius and Luca Stolz.
  • Additionally, the Spanish driver helps in sending off the Acura ARX-06 this weekend in the No. 93 for Meyer Shank Racing with full-season drivers Nick Yelloly & Renger van der Zande.
  • Former F1 star turned 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson reunites with his brother, Hampus Ericsson, and Derek DeBoer, for the eight-hour run at the Yard of Bricks in Random Vandals Racing’s No. 99 BMW M4 GT3.
  • Marcus Ericsson was tapped in as Wayne Taylor Racing’s Rolex 24-only driver back in January for the IMSA season opener, along with an additional start for the program’s Acura GTP program in 2024’s Rolex 24.
  • Longtime Mazda MX-5 Cup stalwart, Jared Thomas, plans to step back from full-time competition in the single-make series following the conclusion of this weekend’s final pair of rounds.
  • Thomas, team owner & driver for JTR Motorsports Engineering, prepares to take on a larger driver development role entering 2027 within the organization, while also competing full-time in Michelin Pilot Challenge.
  • Ford Racing confirmed the successful completion of an expanded third testing session at Silverstone for its incoming Hypercar program.
  • “Silverstone was a positive two-day test – we had sunshine, rain and a drying track giving us a useful range of conditions,” Dan Sayers, Ford Hypercar Program Manager, stated. “We also ran longer stints for the first time and everything went well. Nick Yelloly, Sebastian Priaulx and Logan Sargeant shared driving duties on day one, with Logan continuing day two. This was our third test, and we’re continuing to make good progress as we prepare for Monza later this month.”
  • Nick Yelloly posted the fastest numeral for the opening IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice aboard the Meyer Shank Racing No. 93 Acura ARX-06, 1:11.506. Tom Blomqvist, Yelloly’s stablemate in the No. 60 Acura ARX-06, finished the session just shy of the top time, 1:11.509.
  • LMP2 championship leaders, Inter Europol, started the weekend on a strong note with Tom Dillman claiming the quickest lap in the No. 43 Oreca, 1:12.628, while Jack Hawksworth paced the GTD Pro class in his Vasser Sullivan No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3, 1:19.530. Tom Sargent led the way in GTD, setting the pace with a 1:19.632.
  • IMSA President John Doonan, along with NBC broadcaster Leigh Diffey, addressed the industry Thursday afternoon for the sanctioning body’s annual “State of The Sport” address.
  • IMSA announced the 2027-28 recipient of the 3D Scholarship, awarded to Rafa Racing’s Westin Workman. Workman, the GSX champion piloting the No. 8 Toyota Supra GT4 EVO2 in VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, receives benefits worth up to $300,000 to compete in one of four IMSA-sanctioned championships in 2027.
  • Workman has chosen to apply his benefits towards a full-season Michelin Pilot Challenge program, where he will continue his driving for RAFA Racing.
  • Sebring International Raceway unveiled an all-new Alec Ulmann Perpetual Trophy in the lead up towards the 12-hour race’s 75th
  • Furthermore, IMSA extended its partnership with Motul as the “Official Motor Oil” and “Official Lubricant Partner” for the sanctioning body’s various championships. The relationship also sees Motul continue as the title sponsor of Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
  • Jules Caratana converted his pole position to score the P3 victory aboard the Forbush Performance No. 18 Duqueine D09 in Race No. 1 for VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. Westin Workman solidified his GSX title quest in the race, collecting the class win piloting the No. 8 Toyota Supra GT4 EVO2 for Rafa Racing.
  • Workman’s season success allowed Toyota to earn the GSX Manufacturers’ championship in VP Racing SportsCar Challenge.
  • Additionally, Oscar Tunjo completed his pursuit for the P3 championship in Race No. 1 in Gebhardt Motorsports No. 1 Duqueine D09. Both Tunjo & Workman were able to earn their respective class titles one race earlier.
  • Bobby Gossett held off Justin Adakonis on the final lap to earn his fourth win of the season in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup in the BSI Racing No. 44 MX-5 and expand on his championship lead. Adakonis held on to second in No. 23 for McCumbee McAleer Racing, while Jared Thomas completed the podium in third piloting his self-owned No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering effort.
  • GTP championship suitor, Laurin Heinrich, piloted his Porsche Penske Motorsport No. 6 Porsche 963 to the top of the charts in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice No. 2, 1:10.639. Inter Europol kept their strong pace into the second session, this time Jeremy Clarke posting the fastest run, 1:12.732.
  • Daniel Serra shot his No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO to the top of the GTD Pro class with a 1:19.271, while Aaron Telitz kept Vasser Sullivan at the head of the GTs by earning the best time in GTD aboard his No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3, 1:18.930.
  • Three red flags would come out during the session, as Daniel Goldburg had a premature end to the session for United Autosports No. 22 Oreca during the Bronze-only period, colliding with the Turn 5 tire barrier and enduring extensive damage.
  • Thomas Prenning spun out at Turn 4 aboard his No. 911 Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R later on in the session to bring out the second stoppage, while Chris Cumming encountered troubles at Turn 6 to bring out the final red flag with under 10 minutes remaining in the Pratt Miller Racing No. 73 Oreca.
  • Tyler Maxson campaigned his Topp Racing No. 77 Porsche 911 Cup to a formidable Overall & Pro class victory in Race No. 1 for Porsche Carrera Cup North America. Marco Cirone would finish on top of the Masters category aboard his ACI Motorsports No. 88 Porsche 911 Cup, while Patrick Mulcahy earned top honors in the Pro-Am class, albeit as the only contestant in the group aboard his No. 54 ACI Motorsports Porsche 911 Cup effort.
  • Jaxon Bell set the Koch-Copeland Motorsports No. 23 Toyota Supra GT4 Evo2 on the pole in the Grand Sport (GS) division for tomorrow’s Michelin Pilot Challenge season finale, 1:25.500, while Karl Wittmer takes the MMG No. 93 Honda Civic FL5 to the top of the TCR class, 1:26.369.
  • Porsche Penske Motorsport & Laurin Heinrich retained their pace in the No. 7 Porsche 963 in the final practice session of the weekend, placing highest overall & among the GTP class, 1:11.643. Julien Andlauer, Heinrich’s co-driver this weekend, set the second-fastest benchmark among the GTP stalwarts, 1:11.745.
  • AO Racing’s Jonny Edgar powered past Inter Europol in the night-running to secure the fastest pace of the session aboard the “Rockie” inspired No. 99 Oreca, 1:13.145.
  • Nico Varrone placed his Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports No. 4 Z06 GT3.R on the top of the charts in GTD Pro, 1:19.527, while championship contender Robby Foley led the way in GTD in the No. 96 BMW M4 EVO, prepared by Turner Motorsports.
  • Porsche Penske Motorsport’s No. 6 Porsche 963 gives up its fastest qualifying time for Friday’s session due to Kevin Estre causing a red-flag incident involving the Pratt Miller Racing No. 73 Oreca.
  • On-track action continues Friday afternoon with the final races of the season for VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, Mazda MX-5 Cup, and Michelin Pilot Challenge, while Porsche Carrera Cup North America concludes its penultimate rounds of their campaign. Additionally, IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship takes to the circuit for series’ qualifying.