The 2026 IMSA championship season is complete, with a fabulous finish at Motul Petit Le Mans this past weekend. The fans at Road Atlanta were treated to warm but beautiful weather for the week, and the racing did not disappoint.
For the final two Mazda MX-5 Cup races, which had a tight points battle on hand after the last round at Indianapolis, the top three in the championship finished 1-2-3 for race one. What are the chances?! Mathematically, that further separated them in the points. Still, the title remained up for grabs heading into the last race.
There was some misfortune for the second-place contender in the championship during race two, and Bobby Gossett then had some clear sailing to take the title and that incredible $250,000 prize payout.
Not only was it Bobby’s second season in the series and his first time winning this highly contested championship, but the series also saw Parker Delong get his first win this season, taking it in the very last race of 2026.
It was an exciting time to see all of these aspiring drivers with bright futures in the sport celebrate at the championship party on Friday night, prior to the highly anticipated Petit Le Mans 10-hour race on Saturday.
We woke up to wet conditions that didn’t dampen the fans’ appetites. They turned out in incredible numbers for the start of the race, which went on to have a record number of full-course cautions, even though most of the race was run in the dry. The race really had its fair share of excitement, and I got to enjoy it all from Michelin hospitality, where I hosted special guests for the tire company.
With just over 100 days before things get started at Daytona, there isn’t much time for an off-season, as the Mazda MX-5 Cup series kicks off again at Daytona in January.