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The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship rolls into one of its most iconic stops this weekend: Road America. Tucked into the lush, rolling hills of Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, this 4.048-mile circuit is turning 70 years old—but don’t let the age fool you. The old beast still bites.
This weekend’s Motul SportsCar Grand Prix will be the last time, for the foreseeable future, that all four WeatherTech Championship classes will race together at Road America under the 2-hour, 40-minute format. Starting in 2026, this event grows into a six-hour enduro.
Why Road America Still Rules
Let’s be honest: there’s nothing quite like this track. It’s wide open. It’s fast. It’s got blind apexes and punishing elevation changes. It demands everything from a car and even more from the driver. Some of the fastest sports cars in the world will approach 180 mph not once, not twice, but three times per lap. From the sweeping Moraine Sweep to the no-lift bravery of The Kink, there’s nowhere to hide and no time to relax.
Felipe Nasr compared the intensity to Spa. Louis Deletraz called it rewarding and relentless. And for fans, it’s heaven on earth. You’ve got world-class racing, legendary track food, and a location that feels more like a state park than a racetrack. If you're there in person, you're living right.
Packed grid, tight quarters, high stakes
This year’s race has a massive entry list: 49 cars. All four classes—GTP, LMP2, GTD PRO, and GTD—will share the same 14-turn battlefield. With varying speeds and performance levels, traffic will shape the race more than any tire strategy ever could. Long straights help with passing, but with nearly 50 cars on track, someone is always in someone else's way.
Green-flag pit stops could turn into demolition derbies on pit lane. The new “grasscrete” runoff at The Kink might offer a little forgiveness but it’ll still hurt if you go too far. Strategy won’t be optional; it’ll be everything.
Fuel games and the uphill climb to the finish
At Road America, energy management is just as critical as raw pace. The track’s long lap and uphill main straight punish poor fuel calculations. Unlike other venues where you can coast downhill into pit lane, here it’s a brutal climb out of the final corner. If your tank runs dry a few hundred yards short, you’re out. Full stop.
Tom Blomqvist put it bluntly: 'It’s one where you need more energy to get to the line.' Crew chiefs and race engineers will be sweating over the telemetry the entire race.
Championships in flux
The title fights across every class are heating up. No leader is safe heading into this weekend.
In GTP, the #6 Porsche Penske duo of Campbell and Jaminet leads by just 12 points over their teammates in the #7. A small misstep or bad stint in traffic could flip that standing instantly.
LMP2 is a dogfight. AO Racing’s “Spike” grabbed its first win at CTMP and jumped to second in the standings. But it’s a three-way fight with United Autosports and Riley Motorsports both firmly in striking distance.
In GTD PRO, just 53 points separate the top three. Corvette, Porsche, and Ferrari are all gunning for glory and it’s anyone’s guess who gets it.
And in GTD, Winward Racing’s Mercedes leads the Lexus of Vasser Sullivan by 93 points, but that cushion isn’t safe. Both cars have shown speed; consistency may decide this one.
All signs point to a race that could be beautiful, brutal, and completely unpredictable. Buckle up. Road America is never just another stop on the tour. It’s a test. And this weekend, nearly 50 teams are about to find out whether they pass—or crash.
Feature image: Meyer Shank Racing
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