IMSA has announced the calendar for the 2026 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the build-up to the 2025 running of the Sebring 12 Hours. It features no changes in the number of dates and the venues to which it travels. However, there are significant changes in the event formats for two venues.
Road America’s IMSA SportsCar Weekend will become a six-hour race as part of the Michelin Endurance Cup. In exchange, the penultimate round of the campaign at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will revert to a two-hour, 40-minute contest.
These two races will maintain their existing calendar slots – with Road America on 2nd August and Indianapolis’ shorter race to be held on 20th September.
The 64th annual Rolex 24 At Daytona will once again open the season on the 24th/25th January, followed by the 74th annual 12 Hours of Sebring on the 21st of March.
The sprint season begins with IMSA’s visit to the Long Beach on April 18th, followed by the weekend in Laguna Seca on 3rd May, and then a return to the Detroit Grand Prix on May 30th.
After Le Mans, IMSA returns with the Six Hours of Watkins Glen on 28th June. The race moves to the final weekend in June after this year’s running was moved up a week to accommodate NBC’s broadcast window.
That window has now been moved back to the last weekend in June for next year, although in 2025, the 24 Hours of Spa runs on the final weekend in June, opening up the possibility for a clash next year if the Belgian classic retains the same calendar slot.
“My hope is we’re giving everybody a long enough runway that they can plan, and making sure we avoid as many conflicts as possible,” said IMSA president John Doonan, who acknowledged the potential for a clash with the Spa 24.
“This schedule doesn’t happen overnight, or, it happens overnight because there are a lot of all-nighters by our staff, putting together the sanctioning agreements and working with our partners.
“But the conversations with our great partners at the ACO, Pierre Fillon, Frederick Lequien from WEC, our partners in NASCAR no doubt, IndyCar. We’re just making sure that we’re doing all the right things when it comes to not having conflicts as best as we possibly can.”
The series will then visit Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Mosport) on 12th July. The LMP2 class will headline the CTMP round once again next year.
VIRginia International Raceway hosts its annual GT-exclusive sprint on 23rd August, then Indianapolis’ two-hour, 40-minute race in September, and then to close the season, the 28th annual Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on 3rd October.
“The collaboration between IMSA and our event and promoter partners has allowed us to reveal our 2026 calendar at such an early date for a second consecutive season,” concluded Doonan.
“This collective spirit will help our paddock and fans in preparation for next season, even as we have the majority of the 2025 season still to run.”
2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Calendar
- 16-18 January: Roar Before The 24 (Daytona International Speedway)
- 21-25 January: Rolex 24 At Daytona MEC
- 18-21 March: 12 Hours of Sebring MEC
- 17-18 April: Grand Prix of Long Beach (GTP and GTD)
- 1-3 May: Laguna Seca
- 5-7 May: Detroit Sports Car Classic (GTP and GTD PRO)
- 25-28 June: 6 Hours of Watkins Glen MEC
- 10-12 July: CTMP Grand Prix (LMP2, GTD PRO and GTD)
- 30 July-2 August: 6 Hours of Road America MEC
- 21-23 August: VIR GT Challenge (GTD PRO and GTD)
- 18-20 September: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- 30 September-3 October: Petit Le Mans (Road Atlanta) MEC
Michelin Pilot Challenge Maintains Same Schedule, Format
Consistency and date equity carry through to the 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge 10-race calendar for Grand Sport (GS) and Touring Car (TCR) class competitors.
The 2026 Michelin Pilot Challenge runs alongside the WeatherTech Championship at every round aside from street course races in Long Beach and Detroit.
The series also steps into the headliner spotlight at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with a four-hour endurance race on June 5-7. That four-hour race joins the Daytona four-hour race, with the remaining eight rounds continuing at two hours.
The schedule flows from Daytona to Sebring, Monterey to Mid-Ohio, then alongside WeatherTech Championship rounds at Watkins Glen, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Road America, VIR, Indianapolis and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Feature image © Richard Dole / IMSA / LAT
