Sports cars return to IMS fo0r the third consecutive year as the IMSA Weather Tech Championship presents a six hour race on the road course. The3 first event in 2023 was a sprint race- 2 hours, 40 ,imutes in length. In 20924 and this year the race will be a six hour endurance affair. In 2026, the shorter version returns as the six hour race moves to Road America.

I am not upset about the change for next season. I think the 160 minute version works better on this track. I felt the six hour race was a bit too long for the IMS configuration. Endurance races just work better on natural road courses.

The race is the seventh of eight on the IMSA schedule for the series, and the fourth of five endurance events. In addition to the overall champion, an endurance champion is also crowned.

The weekend begins with a single IMSA Weather Tech practice tomorrow at 11:15 am Eastern time. Friday also features the first races for Porsche Carrera Cup and Lamborghini Super Trofeo Cup.

Team Penske Porsches have won four of the previous races. Car 7, driven by Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy, has won at Daytona, Sebring, and Long Beach. Car 6, with Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell sharing the3 cockpit, has a victory at Weather Tech raceway Laguna Seca.

The Acuras of Meyer Shank Racing each have won a race, the 93 winning at Detroit, and the 60 at Watkins Glen.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s BMW number 24 won the last race at Road America. The BMWs finished 1-2 in 2024 at IMS.

Campbell and Jaminet lead the standings with 2214 points, 75 points ahead of Nasr and Tandy.

In LMP2, Dane Cameron and P. J. Hyett in car 99 lead with 1,682 points.

GTD Pro leaders are Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims have 2,254 points in the number 3 Corvette. They have a 30 point lead over the number 81 Ferrari driven by Albert Costa.

Phillip Ellis and Russell Ward in the number 57 Mercedes lead the GTD category with 2,147 points, a 112 point advantage over Jack Hawksworth and Parker Thompson in the number 12 Lexus.

I look for the BMWs to do well again this weekend, but I would keep an eye on the Penske Porsches and the Acuras. All three teams have IndyCar ties.