The 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season reaches its climax next Saturday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with the 29th running of the Motul Petit Le Mans. Official entry lists reveal a packed 54-car grid for the 10-hour endurance classic, setting the stage for down-to-the-wire championship showdowns and several notable program farewells.
GTP Title Fight and Premier Class Swansongs
An 11-car GTP class leads the field into the finale, headlined by a tight championship duel between Jack Aitken in the #31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R and Laurin Heinrich, who returns to the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 for the season closer.
The premier class will also bid farewell to Acura Meyer Shank Racing’s current GTP program and its present stint in IMSA. MSR and Acura look to mirror their 2023 exit—and Chip Ganassi Racing’s 2024 departure – by aiming to close their chapter with a victory at Road Atlanta.
As the final leg of the Michelin Endurance Cup, the GTP entry list sees the return of several high-profile endurance drivers:
- Porsche Penske Motorsport: Matt Campbell makes his final start for the factory squad alongside Laurens Vanthoor, who returns after stepping down for Indianapolis.
- Cadillac Racing: Frederik Vesti joins the #31 Cadillac Whelen squad, while Will Stevens (#10) and Colton Herta (#40) anchor Wayne Taylor Racing.
- BMW M Team WRT: Robin Frijns (#24) and Kevin Magnussen (#25) rejoin the lineup.
- Acura MSR: IndyCar stars Scott Dixon (#60) and Álex Palou (#93) bolster the garage.
- Customer & Factory Entries: Alex Riberas represents Aston Martin THOR Team, while Kaylen Frederick slots into the JDC-Miller MotorSports entry.
#31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R: Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, Frederik Vesti
Photo by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen via Getty Images
GTD Pro: Stacked Roster and Changing Eras
The 14-car GTD Pro grid features a stacked driver lineup alongside significant team transitions. Pfaff Motorsports enters its final IMSA race seeking an improbable championship comeback, while Paul Miller Racing faces an uncertain future beyond 2026. Meanwhile, Vasser Sullivan Racing bids farewell to its long-serving Lexus RC F GT3 platform in both GTD Pro and GTD ahead of a planned program shift for 2027.
Several key driver changes highlight the GTD Pro field:
- DragonSpeed: The #74 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R steps up from GTD to close out its IMSA stint with Sébastien Bourdais behind the wheel.
- Car Blanche: Mattia Drudi joins the No. 68 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo.
- Manthey Porsche: 2025 IMSA GTP champion Mathieu Jaminet steps into the #911 Porsche 911 GT3 R in place of Ricardo Feller.
- RLL Team McLaren: Factory driver Benji Goethe makes his series debut in the #59 McLaren.
- Paul Miller Racing: Dan Harper returns to the squad for the first time since their season-opening victory at the Rolex 24.
Endurance Cup regulars Triarsi Competizione (#033 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo) and Risi Competizione (#62 Ferrari) also rejoin the GTD Pro ranks for the finale.
#59 RLL Team McLaren McLaren 720S GT3 EVO: Max Esterson, Nikita Johnson
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Lumen via Getty Images
LMP2 and GTD Complete Packed Grid
In LMP2, an 11-car field welcomes back Intersport Racing. The trio of Jon Field, Oliver Jarvis, and Max van der Snel look to bounce back from two difficult outings in the #37. Era Motorsport’s #18 ORECA sees the return of Naveen Rao, Ferdinand Habsburg, and Jacob Abel following a victory by teammates Nick Boulle and Christian Rasmussen at Indianapolis.
The 18-car GTD class receives a boost from returning Endurance Cup entries, including AF Corse, Triarsi Competizione (#023), RS1, Manthey 1st Phorm, Lone Star Racing, and Magnus Racing. Late roster adjustments see Luca Stolz join Lone Star Racing, Fran Rueda transition to Inception Racing in place of Ollie Millroy, and Alec Udell step into Conquest Racing to fill the open seat.
Green flag action for the 29th Motul Petit Le Mans begins next Saturday morning, closing out 10 hours of multi-class competition at Road Atlanta.
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