Motul, IMSA renew entitlement partnership
During IMSA’s annual State of the Series press conference, the series announced a multi-year extension of its partnership with lubricant supplier Motul. Under this extended partnership, Motul will continue as the “official motor oil” and “official lubricant partner” of IMSA, the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and the Michelin Pilot Challenge.
This also includes a renewal of Motul’s role as title sponsor of the Motul Pole Award in those two top-level series, and fittingly, an extension of Motul’s title sponsorship of the crown jewel Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
“Our partnership with Motul is built on a shared passion for motorsports and a relentless pursuit of excellence,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “Since the beginning of our partnership in 2017, Motul has become an integral part of the IMSA family, supporting our teams, manufacturers and events while helping elevate the fan experience. We are excited to extend this relationship and continue writing the next chapter together.”
New Sebring trophy shown off
The event poster and a brand-new trophy for the 75th anniversary running of the Sebring 12 Hours next year were unveiled during the State of the Sport address at Road Atlanta by IMSA CEO Ed Bennett and Matt Muha.
“For the 75th running of the 12 Hours of Sebring, we’re so excited to be unveiling the new Alec Ulmann trophy,” Muha said.
“What a historical figure in the history of Sebring Raceway. We’re so excited for all the things to come this year; we’ve got so many things on tap with the class of ’75, new additions to the property, new fan amenities.”
Notably, the trophy will be perpetual and will live at Sebring.
RS1 finalises driver line-up
RS1 (Rennsport One) finishes its first IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup campaign this weekend and finalised its driver line-up ahead of Thursday’s running.
Joining the already-announced Jan Heylen in the #28 Porsche 911 GT3 R are young Silver-rated drivers Ryan Yardley and Zachary Vanier, both graduates of Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
It’s Yardley’s second start with RS1, after making his first appearance for the team at Road America. For Vanier, this is his second IMSA WeatherTech series start, his first since stepping in as Pfaff Motorsports’ obligatory Silver driver for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (GTD Pro did not participate). Speaking with IMSA Radio reporter Arjuna Kankipati, Vanier only got the call Tuesday and arrived at the circuit this morning.
Since crashing out early from its first start at Daytona, RS1 has scored top-ten finishes at Sebring, Watkins Glen, and Road America – though none higher than ninth place, their best from Watkins Glen.
IndyCar champion Palou casts doubt over IMSA return in 2027
Ahead of his last race for Acura Meyer Shank Racing, reigning five-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Álex Palou has said it’s doubtful he’ll be back to race in IMSA next year, even in the major endurance races.
This Saturday’s Motul Petit Le Mans will be Palou’s last start in the #93 Acura ARX-06 as the manufacturer and team are due to pause their participation in IMSA, and Palou has said that a combination of calendar clashes between IndyCar and sports cars has played a significant role in his decision.
“It’s a bit tough because there’s a lot of races that collide with IndyCar, right?” Palou said. “I don’t know how we continue to do that to ourselves in IndyCar; hopefully we can avoid it in the future, please.
“I think Sebring, Le Mans, the big races – It kind of puts us in a bad position because you cannot go to a team and be like, ‘oh, I can only do this race and that’s it.’”
Next year the IndyCar Grand Prix of Arlington is due to clash with the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, to go along with a clash between the 24 Hours of Le Mans and IndyCar’s oval race at Gateway Motorsports Park.
Meanwhile, Palou is also set to miss next year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona to welcome the birth of his second child.
“I have a baby coming the first weekend of February, so I cannot do Daytona – even if I had the best ride in the world. And just for that weekend, I cannot risk that. So I don’t think I’ll be doing IMSA next year.”
That said, Palou isn’t shutting the door on his sports car racing activities.
Next week he’ll race in the final SRO Indianapolis 8 Hour Race for Mercedes-AMG Team Lone Star Racing, and if there are races that don’t conflict with his schedule, he’d be on board.
Ford Racing cars, new and old, gather
Ford Racing gathered a stunning selection of machinery, past and present, on the pit straight at Road Atlanta for a pre-event photoshoot as part of its 125-year anniversary celebrations.
From past to present at Petit Le Mans #FordRacing125 pic.twitter.com/Tci0TbV5oK
— Ford Racing (@FordRacing) October 1, 2026
Doonan reports significant audience growth
IMSA President John Doonan hailed his team’s strategy to grow IMSA’s audience in recent years during the State of the Sport conference.
He said IMSA’s social media following is now 4.4 million users across all platforms, noting that almost two million people now subscribe to IMSA YouTube and that NBCSN has averaged over 700,000 viewers per broadcast this season.
“Nielsen Scarborough (a market research and consumer analytics service) put out a report saying that IMSA in 2026 is the fastest-growing form of motorsport in the United States,” Leigh Diffey, who co-presented the presser with Doonan, said.
“I feel like we’re just scratching the surface,” Doonan added.
Michelin Man named grand marshal
John Doonan revealed today that the Michelin Man, Bib, will be the Grand Marshal for Saturday’s Motul Petit Le Mans, as part of IMSA’s long partnership with the French tyre constructor.
“We have so many folks from Michelin here this weekend; we’re so proud of that partnership, so we thought, what better way to celebrate it?” Doonan said. “Now there’s a statue of the Michelin Man when you come through the front gate too!”
Doonan lauds AO Racing’s marketing success
AO Racing’s wildly successful marketing and merchandising approach has seen apparel spread worldwide, with stickers, scale models, plushies, and toys becoming prized possessions for fans of all ages – from $170 Lego Technic ‘Rexy’ to sub-$10 Hot Wheels; there is something for almost everyone.
The team was given the inaugural IMSA Marketing Achievement award back in 2024 and has progressed further since.
The efforts have expanded since, with regular long queues at the team’s merchandise stands at IMSA events, and with similar results as AO have rolled out their presence both at Le Mans and in the ELMS in Europe.
“AO has challenged anybody else in the paddock to join them on that journey, and each brand has a different way to go about it.
“But for us, you know, the Legos, the Hot Wheels, and the cars that you’re seeing, but also the merchandise up on the midway. I feel like we, through the education programmes and through the teams blowing up their activation around the sport and really maximising it, I think the sky’s the limit.
“Go to a Target, go to a Walmart. You walk down the toy aisle, and you’re seeing IMSA, and I hope that just continues to grow and grow and grow.”
State of the Sport images courtesy of IMSA
