The roar of engines, the smell of burning rubber, and the sight of fireworks lighting up the Georgia sky—Petit Le Mans 2025 at Road Atlanta delivered an unforgettable finale to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. On October 12, the 28th running of this legendary 10-hour endurance race saw Cadillac’s No. 31 Whelen Action Express V-Series.R, piloted by Earl Bamber, Jack Aitken, and Frederik Vesti, cross the finish line just 5.182 seconds ahead of the relentless No. 23 Aston Martin Valkyrie from THOR Team. For Cadillac, it marked a fifth Petit Le Mans victory and the second consecutive win for Action Express Racing, hot on the heels of their Indianapolis triumph last month.
Yet, the story of the weekend was far from a simple Cadillac parade. The drama began early, as a chaotic first-lap crash eliminated several contenders—including Ferraris, a Ford Mustang, and a Lamborghini—setting the tone for a race packed with tension and unpredictability. The field, boasting a rich mix of manufacturers like Acura, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Porsche, Lamborghini, and more, reflected the golden era that IMSA fans are living through right now. The diversity of sounds, from the boomy Cadillac V8 to the wailing Aston Martin V12, reverberated through the tree-lined hills of the 2.54-mile Road Atlanta circuit, thrilling a crowd that was 20% larger than last year’s, according to IMSA officials.
The weather couldn’t have been better for racing—crisp autumn air and temperatures never climbing above 75 degrees made for ideal conditions as teams and fans alike settled in for the day-long battle. Despite the race’s grueling length, the leaders were separated by mere seconds as the clock wound down, a testament to the quality of competition and the relentless pace set by the front-runners. “It’s been a true pleasure the last couple of weekends,” said Jack Aitken, who entered Petit Le Mans sixth in the GTP standings but soared to second with the win. “We were knocking at the door all season. Everything finally came together.”
The Cadillac squad, however, didn’t have it all their own way. Early in the race, Aitken and Bamber went toe-to-toe with Tom Blomqvist’s pole-sitting Acura ARX-06. A mid-race puncture dropped the Cadillac to 12th, but sharp pit work and a relentless pace brought the team back into contention by the six-hour mark. From there, they controlled the race during an unusually long four-hour stretch of green-flag running to the finish. “That was a true IMSA race,” said Bamber. “We had to dig deep after the puncture, but the team timed everything perfectly. Just a phenomenal job by everyone at Cadillac.”
The closing stages were a masterclass in strategy and nerve. With just over 13 minutes left, both the leading No. 31 Cadillac and the No. 6 Porsche 963 of Porsche Penske Motorsport darted into the pits for a splash of fuel, briefly handing the lead to Romain Grosjean’s No. 63 Lamborghini SC63. Grosjean, in what could be Lamborghini’s final outing in the series for a while, tried to stretch his fuel, but was forced to pit again with five minutes remaining. That twist opened the door for Aston Martin’s Valkyrie LMH, driven by Roman De Angelis, Ross Gunn, and Alex Riberas, to secure a historic first global endurance racing podium for the iconic British brand.
While Cadillac celebrated on the top step, Porsche Penske Motorsport had reason to pop the champagne as well. The trio of Mathieu Jaminet, Matt Campbell, and Laurens Vanthoor brought the No. 6 Porsche 963 home in third place, clinching the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) championship for both drivers and manufacturers. Vanthoor, pulling double duty to cover for the injured Julien Andlauer in the No. 7 Porsche, was only allowed to score points in his original entry, but his efforts sealed a 42-point championship margin over Acura. This marks Porsche’s second IMSA GTP Manufacturer’s title in three years and comes as the team announced its withdrawal from the World Endurance Championship to focus entirely on IMSA. “We had to be perfect all season, and the team delivered,” said Vanthoor. “It’s a fantastic feeling to bring home another championship for Porsche Penske.”
The action wasn’t limited to the prototypes. In LMP2, TDS Racing’s Steven Thomas, Mikkel Jensen, and Hunter McElrea pulled off a commanding win despite starting from the rear due to a technical penalty. For Thomas, it was a bittersweet farewell, as he confirmed this was his final IMSA race. AO Racing’s No. 99 ORECA 07 Gibson—affectionately known as Spike—finished sixth but secured the class championship and the Michelin Endurance Cup on a tiebreaker. PJ Hyett, Dane Cameron, and Jonny Edgar overcame early contact and setbacks to claim the crown, with Hyett earning the Jim Trueman Award and a guaranteed entry into the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The GTD PRO class saw a dramatic late charge as the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO, based just minutes from Road Atlanta, took a popular home win. Dan Harper’s closing stint, which saw him overtake Corvette’s Nicky Catsburg in the final hour, sealed not just the race victory but also the Michelin Endurance Cup title for the team. Despite finishing third in the race, Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports clinched the GTD PRO driver, team, and manufacturer titles with their No. 3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R, extending Chevrolet’s storied legacy with its 16th IMSA title and sixth for Corvette Racing in the modern GT era.
In the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class, the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 locked in its second consecutive championship with drivers Russell Ward, Philip Ellis, and Indy Dontje. But it was Af Corse’s No. 21 Ferrari 296 GT3, piloted by Simon Mann, Alessandro Pier Guidi, and Lilou Wadoux, that stole the spotlight on race day, crossing the line just over four seconds ahead of the Triarsi Competizione Ferrari. Wadoux made history as the first woman in 20 years to win Petit Le Mans, a landmark achievement that added a special chapter to the event’s storied history. Af Corse also wrapped up the Michelin Endurance Cup in GTD, while Vasser Sullivan’s No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 rounded out the podium.
As the checkered flag fell and fireworks erupted above a sellout crowd, there was a sense that IMSA and Petit Le Mans are enjoying a renaissance—one fueled by manufacturer diversity, passionate fans, and on-track drama. With the 2025 season in the books, teams now turn their attention to 2026, with homologation testing at Daytona International Speedway just around the corner and the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona looming large on the horizon. For now, though, the echoes of a classic Petit Le Mans linger, a reminder that endurance racing’s magic is alive and well in Georgia’s rolling hills.
