The anticipation was palpable at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta as the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season hurtled toward its dramatic conclusion with the Motul Petit Le Mans. The ten-hour enduro, which began at 12:10 p.m. ET on October 11, has already delivered a flurry of action, high stakes, and strategic intrigue, with Tom Blomqvist and the Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 making headlines by securing pole position in record-breaking fashion.
Blomqvist’s qualifying lap was nothing short of spectacular. Clocking in at 1 minute, 9.628 seconds (131.326 mph) in the No. 60 ARX-06, he not only shattered the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) qualifying record at Road Atlanta but also delivered Acura its tenth pole in the premier hybrid prototype category since the class launched in 2023. "It's one of those laps where it rewards a little bit of commitment and bravery," Blomqvist said, reflecting on his performance. "Yeah, I just really enjoy driving it. Thankfully, the guys gave me a good car, a good enough car to get the job done. It's only one small portion of the job we need to do this weekend. It's more a nice thing for our egos in the team. We're going to sleep a bit better than if we were down the back. (Saturday) is when we need to get the job done."
Blomqvist’s pole position offered a sense of redemption after his fastest lap at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last month was disallowed due to a technical infraction. This time, there was no controversy—just pure speed. He edged out Jack Aitken in the No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R by 0.119 seconds, with Nick Yelloly in the No. 93 Acura close behind. All three drivers dipped under the 70-second barrier, a testament to the relentless pace of the current GTP field.
"You kind of just have to trust that the car's going to stick," Blomqvist laughed when describing the treacherous Turn 1 at Road Atlanta. "You just got to carry a lot of speed into the corner and kind of hope you come out the other side. My car was kind of good enough to take that speed. Yeah, it's definitely a fun place to send it." Blomqvist will share driving duties with Colin Braun and six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, forming a formidable team for the season finale.
The stage is set for a fierce Acura vs. Cadillac vs. Porsche showdown. Blomqvist himself acknowledged the looming threat from his rivals, remarking, "We've also got a really fast car, especially in the night. It's difficult to get a read on what everyone was doing in practice but I think it's going to be a good fight tomorrow." The No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, piloted by Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy, qualified fourth, while the No. 6 Porsche—currently leading the GTP points standings with Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell—will start sixth. Porsche leads Acura by a razor-thin two points in the GTP manufacturer’s championship, adding yet another layer of tension to the proceedings.
The No. 23 Aston Martin Thor Valkyrie, which qualified fifth, celebrated its best starting position since joining the GTP category earlier this season. Meanwhile, the GTP field’s depth and competitiveness have been underscored by the fact that the top three cars all broke the 70-second qualifying barrier, with the rest of the field not far behind.
Other classes have their own stories of triumph and heartbreak. In LMP2, Jeremy Clarke put the No. 43 Inter Europol Competition LMP2 07 on pole with a time of 1 minute, 13.397 seconds, while PJ Hyett’s third-place qualifying run extended his and AO Racing co-driver Dane Cameron’s points lead to 87 over Daniel Goldburg of United Autosports. The LMP2 battle remains wide open, with every stint and pit stop carrying championship implications.
The GTD Pro championship is even tighter. Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia, driving the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, cut their deficit to just 13 points behind Albert Costa and the No. 81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3 after qualifying. Garcia was candid about their struggles: "Not great. I would say that we did another test session in qualifying. We changed the car drastically in order to have more performance but it didn't work." The GTD Pro title fight is the closest of any full-season class heading into the ten-hour marathon.
In GTD, Philip Ellis qualified fifth, and together with co-driver Russell Ward, needs only to finish 18th or better in the 19-car field to clinch back-to-back class championships for Winward Racing. Ward shared his excitement about the team’s future plans, revealing, "We've been trying to figure out a good time on when we're going to do it, and we finally made the decision to do it," referencing Winward’s intention to field a second Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in both the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring next season. "Maybe there’s a potential to do something more in the future," Ward added, hinting at a possible full-season two-car effort.
The paddock at Road Atlanta is buzzing with additional storylines. Steven Thomas, a six-time LMP2 class winner since 2021, announced his retirement from WeatherTech Championship competition after this weekend, possibly eyeing a move to the European Le Mans Series. Era Motorsport, meanwhile, is actively seeking a Bronze-rated driver for 2026, with team owner Kyle Tilley stating, "We already have everything in place, the entry, the mechanics, the cars, and the infrastructure, so we can give the right Bronze driver a real shot at their dream season."
There are also changes afoot in the manufacturer ranks. Porsche Penske Motorsport plans to reduce its driver lineup for next year as it withdraws from the FIA World Endurance Championship, with Penske Racing President Jonathan Diuguid explaining, "We can’t carry eight [drivers] for a four-driver IMSA lineup. There are going to be some reductions." Porsche Motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach added, "Since it’s very fresh information and decision, of course we are in dialogue with our drivers. We talk to them and look at their situation and we look at what they want to do." The transition may see some WEC staff move over to support the WeatherTech Championship effort.
The broadcast teams are primed for a marathon as well. NBC Sports is carrying the first three hours live, with the full ten hours available on Peacock, while IMSA Radio’s international coverage is led by John Hindhaugh and a seasoned crew.
As the green flag waves and the hours tick by, every lap at Road Atlanta could prove decisive in crowning new champions. With Acura, Cadillac, and Porsche locked in a high-stakes duel, and title races in every class going down to the wire, fans are in for a classic Petit Le Mans. The action is ongoing, and with so much on the line, anything can still happen before the checkered flag falls.
