IMSA expanding VP Racing SportsCar Challenge to 10 weekends in 2026
IMSA's VP Racing SportsCar Challenge will expand from six to 10 race weekends in 2026, adding four LMP3 endurance races to the calendar next season.
With the latest specification of 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6-powered LMP3 cars set to make their VP Racing SportsCar Challenge debut in 2026, these additional two-hour LMP3 endurance races will take place during four United States Auto Club (USAC)-sanctioned race weekends.
Sebring will host the first of these LMP3 endurance races on the weekend of March 6–8, two weeks before the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
The second LMP3 endurance race to Circuit of the Americas (COTA) follows on May 7–9, then VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) on June 19–21. The endurance portion of the calendar finishes at Road America on August 14–16, one week later than previously announced by IMSA.
The LMP3 class will compete on nine out of the 10 total VP Racing SportsCar Challenge race weekends, including five sprint weekends, which will all count towards the overall LMP3 championship. A separate LMP3 endurance championship, similar to the Michelin Endurance Cup featured in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, will also be established next year.
Further details about the standalone endurance races will be revealed at a later date, according to IMSA.
The 2026 VP Challenge season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway during the Roar Before The 24 weekend on January 16–19. It is the first of six sprint race weekends, which also feature the GTDX (late-model GT3) and GSX (GT4) classes.
COTA will host the second sprint weekend on February 27–28 during the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course hosts the third sprint round on June 5–7, followed by Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) on July 10–12.
In addition to the LMP3 endurance race, VIR will also host a GT-only sprint round on August 21-23 for the GTDX and GSX classes. The season concludes with a sprint weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on October 1–3, supporting the 29th annual Motul Petit Le Mans.
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