IMSA Preview: SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix

Credit: Dominic Loyer

The IMSA SportsCar Championship heads to one of North America's most iconic circuits this weekend for the SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix at Road America.

This year's event carries extra significance after being expanded from its traditional two hours and 40 minutes into a six-hour endurance race as part of the IMSA Endurance Cup. The longer format brings a larger grid, more strategy and greater opportunities for teams to make their mark across one of the most demanding road courses on the calendar.

A total of 54 cars will compete across the GTP, LMP2, GTD PRO and GTD classes, with all four categories sharing the circuit for the first time since the Six Hours of The Glen in June. As the penultimate round of the Endurance Cup season, every championship contender knows a strong result could prove decisive heading into the finale.

Entry List

The six-hour format sees several familiar Endurance Cup entries return across the field.

There is little change at the front of the GTP grid, with the only driver change seeing Kaku Ohta absent from the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06. The car will instead run with a two-driver line-up for the weekend.

LMP2 grows to a 12-car field with the return of Era Motorsport's No. 18 ORECA-07 Gibson, driven by Naveen Rao, Ferdinand Habsburg and Jacob Abel. Intersport Racing also returns after missing the previous round at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, with Jon Field and Oliver Jarvis joined by the No. 79 JDC-Miller MotorSports ORECA of Gerry Kraut, Sennan Fielding, and Josh Burdon.

GTD PRO welcomes back several endurance specialists. Manthey returns with its Porsche 911 GT3 R for Klaus Bachler and Thomas Preining, while Ferrari entries from Triarsi Competizione and Risi Competizione strengthen the 12-car class. Their task will be stopping Vasser Sullivan Racing, whose pairing of Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat arrive on the back of victories at Watkins Glen and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

The 19-car GTD field also receives a boost. Manthey 1st Phorm returns with its No. 912 Porsche after claiming victory at Watkins Glen, although Morris Schuring replaces Richard Lietz alongside Ryan Hardwick and Riccardo Pera. Car Blanche also returns to GTD after its recent GTD PRO outing, while Lone Star Racing, RS1, AF Corse USA and defending class winners Triarsi Competizione complete another competitive field.

Championship Standings

Credit: Dominic Loyer

GTP

The overall GTP championship remains in the hands of Jack Aitken, whose No. 31 Whelen Cadillac leads the standings with 2,145 points, 203 clear of Laurin Heinrich. He arrives at Road America chasing another win in the No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963, having already claimed victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring this season.

Aitken arrives in Wisconsin after consecutive victories in Detroit and at Watkins Glen, while the No. 31 Cadillac has won four of the last eight Championship races. The team has not missed the podium since last year's visit to Road America, where Aitken and Earl Bamber finished fourth.

The GTP lap record remains with Pipo Derani, who set a 1:47.730 in the Cadillac V-Series R during qualifying in 2023.

LMP2

In LMP2, George Kurtz and Alex Quinn continue to lead the standings aboard the No. 04 CrowdStrike by APR ORECA with 1,355 points, holding a 70-point advantage. Tom Dillmann and Jeremy Clarke head into the weekend second in the championship on 1,285 points, carrying momentum from their victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Momentum is firmly with both CrowdStrike by APR and AO Racing after each secured podium finishes at Watkins Glen and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. AO Racing also returns as the defending Road America winner after PJ Hyett and Dane Cameron claimed victory here last season.

Ben Hanley's qualifying lap of 1:51.846, set in 2023, remains the class lap record.

GTD Pro

The GTD PRO championship is equally competitive. Paul Miller Racing teammates Connor De Phillippi and Neil Verhagen lead the standings on 1,910 points, with Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports duo Nicky Catsburg and Tommy Milner trailing by just over 100 points. Verhagen and De Phillippi will hope to build on their victories at Daytona and Watkins Glen with another strong result this weekend.

Verhagen also arrives as the defending Road America class winner after sharing victory with Madison Snow in 2025. Catsburg, meanwhile, holds the GTD PRO qualifying record with a 2:02.198 lap set in the Corvette Z06 GT3.R last year.

GTD

In GTD, Dudu Barrichello leads the championship aboard the No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo with 1,825 points. Vasser Sullivan Racing's Benjamin Pedersen and Aaron Telitz remain within striking distance on 1,733 points as the title fight enters its closing stages. Barrichello heads to Road America in search of his first career victory.

Madison Snow's 2:03.291 qualifying lap from 2023 remains the GTD benchmark, while Onofrio Triarsi and Kenton Koch return looking to defend last year's class victory for Triarsi Competizione.

Track

Credit: IMSA

Located in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, Road America is widely regarded as one of the finest permanent road courses in North America.

The 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit blends long straights, heavy braking zones, sweeping corners and dramatic elevation changes, creating plenty of overtaking opportunities while demanding precision from drivers across every class.

The venue attracts around 800,000 visitors annually and generates more than $100 million in economic impact each year, with over 500 events taking place across the circuit and surrounding facilities.

BMW claimed overall victory in 2025 as Dries Vanthoor and Philipp Eng guided the No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 to the chequered flag. Nick Yelloly and Renger van der Zande secured pole position in the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 with a lap of 1:48.628.

Weekend schedule

Track action begins on Friday with the opening practice session at 11:25 local time (17:25 BST).

Practice Two follows on Saturday at 09:50 local time (15:50 BST), before qualifying gets underway at 15:20 local time (21:20 BST). The 80-minute session will decide the grid across all four classes.

The SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix begins at 10:35 local time (16:35 BST) on Sunday.

International viewers can watch live coverage on IMSA TV and YouTube, while Peacock will broadcast the race in the United States.

Support race fans will also enjoy a busy weekend featuring Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Pilot Challenge and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America.