The stage is set for a dramatic conclusion to the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, as teams and drivers prepare for the 28th annual Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. With championship titles and the coveted Michelin Endurance Cup on the line, the tension in the paddock is palpable. Practice sessions have already delivered surprises, and every class is brimming with storylines as the season finale approaches.
Nighttime at Road Atlanta brought a historic moment for Aston Martin’s THOR Team Valkyrie, as Ross Gunn piloted the No. 23 V12-powered Hypercar to the fastest lap in Practice 3—a first for the team in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition. Gunn’s lap of 1 minute 11.985 seconds, set about halfway through the session, held strong against a late charge from Renger van der Zande in the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing ARX-06, who clocked a 1 minute 11.994 seconds lap with less than 15 minutes remaining. The No. 93 Acura had been sidelined for most of the session due to an electrical issue in Practice 2, only joining the fray with under 20 minutes to go. Despite the setback, van der Zande’s performance sent a clear message that the Acura squad remains a threat.
The GTP field is fiercely competitive, with Matt Campbell in the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 posting the third-fastest time at 1 minute 12.048 seconds. Ricky Taylor in the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R and Robin Frijns in the No. 25 Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8 rounded out the top five, clocking 1 minute 12.150 seconds and 1 minute 12.185 seconds, respectively. These times underscore just how tight the margins are at the front of the grid.
Earlier in the day, Jack Aitken put Cadillac Whelen atop the timesheets in Practice 1, setting a blistering lap of 1 minute 11.260 seconds in the No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R under mild, overcast skies. Tom Blomqvist was second quickest in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing ARX-06 with a 1 minute 11.671 seconds lap, followed by Ross Gunn in the Aston Martin, who continued to impress with a 1 minute 11.959 seconds effort. The top five was completed by Nick Yelloly in the No. 93 MSR Acura and Louis Delétraz in the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac.
Practice sessions weren’t without drama. The first session saw two red flags: John Potter spun and beached his No. 44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo at Turn 5, while a collision between James Roe and Robert Megennis brought out another stoppage. Both incidents resulted in penalties, with the respective teams losing their fastest laps in qualifying.
In the LMP2 class, Mikkel Jensen set the pace for TDS Racing in Practice 3, stopping the clock at 1 minute 12.697 seconds in the No. 11 ORECA 07-Gibson. Tom Dillmann in the No. 43 Inter Europol Competition and Ben Hanley in the No. 2 United Autosports USA were close behind, signaling a fierce battle for class honors. Dane Cameron, the championship leader in LMP2, had already made a statement in Practice 1 with a 1 minute 12.859 seconds lap in the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA 07-Gibson.
GT racing continues to deliver nail-biting action. Vasser Sullivan Racing’s Lexus RC F GT3s topped their respective categories in Practice 3, with Ben Barnicoat leading GTD PRO (1 minute 19.407 seconds) and Jack Hawksworth setting the pace in GTD (1 minute 19.322 seconds) despite a suspension issue that was swiftly resolved. Seven manufacturers found themselves inside the top five in GTD PRO, a testament to the depth and competitiveness of the field. Notably, Sebastian Priaulx in the No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3 and Nico Varrone in the No. 4 Corvette Racing Z06 GT3.R were among those challenging for top honors.
As the points race heats up, the championship scenarios are as complex as ever. In Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet in the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 hold a 131-point lead over Nick Tandy and Felipe Nasr in the No. 7 Porsche 963. A top-seven finish in Saturday’s race would clinch the title for Campbell and Jaminet, regardless of what their rivals achieve. Philipp Eng and Dries Vanthoor in the No. 24 BMW M Team RLL are third, 145 points adrift and needing a near-perfect weekend to mount a challenge.
The manufacturer title in GTP is even more precarious, with Porsche just seven points ahead of Acura. As the rules dictate, whichever manufacturer’s first car finishes higher will take the crown—a razor-thin margin that could swing with even the smallest misstep in qualifying or the race.
LMP2 sees PJ Hyett and Dane Cameron in the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA leading by 85 points over Daniel Goldburg in the No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA. A podium finish would secure the title for Hyett and Cameron, capping a season of consistency and speed. In the Michelin Endurance Cup, Tom Dillmann and Bijoy Garg in the No. 43 Inter Europol ORECA lead by five points over their closest challengers, setting up a tense multi-team battle for the cup at the critical four-, eight-, and ten-hour race intervals.
GTD PRO is a duel between Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims in the No. 3 Corvette Racing Chevrolet, who lead by just 18 points over Albert Costa in the No. 81 DragonSpeed Ferrari. With the points so close, the champion is likely to be whoever finishes ahead on track. Chevrolet enjoys a solid lead in the manufacturer standings, but nothing is guaranteed until the checkered flag falls.
In GTD, Russell Ward and Philip Ellis in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 are in a commanding position, leading by over 220 points. Their rivals, Casper Stevenson and Kenton Koch, would need a perfect race and a stumble from the leaders to have any shot at the title. Mercedes-AMG, too, holds a comfortable 114-point advantage among manufacturers.
The Michelin Endurance Cup, which awards points at key intervals during the five longest races of the season, remains up for grabs in most classes. Current leaders include the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 in GTP, No. 43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA in LMP2, No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO in GTD PRO, and No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 in GTD. While Paul Miller Racing’s GTD PRO title is all but secured, the other classes are wide open, promising plenty of intrigue as the race unfolds.
With qualifying set for Friday afternoon and the green flag for the 10-hour endurance classic waving at noon ET on Saturday, the 2025 Motul Petit Le Mans is shaping up to be a fitting finale for a season marked by unpredictability, speed, and fierce competition. Fans can expect edge-of-the-seat action as championships are decided not just on outright pace, but on strategy, teamwork, and perhaps a little bit of luck. The only certainty? Road Atlanta will witness motorsport drama at its finest.
