Expanded VP Racing Challenge 2026 Schedule Revealed

Photo: Danny Hansen/IMSA

IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge will expand from six to ten total race weekends in 2026, covering both sprint and endurance racing formats.

The series will continue to run two 45-minute races on sprint weekends, while the four new weekends will include a two-hour endurance race component for LMP3 cars only.

The LMP3 class, which will see the introduction of a new car specification in 2026, will compete on nine of the ten total weekends for the VP Racing Challenge. Those will be split between five sprint weekends and four two-hour endurance races sanctioned by IMSA that will take place on four USAC event weekends.

Both sprint and endurance race components will count towards the overall VP Racing Challenge LMP3 championship, with the endurance events comprising an additional championship akin to the Michelin Endurance Cup’s relationship to the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

GTDX and GSX classes will compete only on the six sprint weekends, including the first GTDX/GSX combination appearance at Virginia International Raceway in August. These two class championships will be decided by the sprint races.

LMP3, GTDX, GSX Set to Reprise Most 2025 Races

The series’ three 2025 classes – LMP3, GTDX and GSX – reprise most races and venues next year. The only change is a standalone sprint race at VIR for GTDX and GSX, although VIR still factors in the LMP3 portion of the schedule.

The season kicks off for LMP3, GTDX and GSX at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test weekend at Daytona International Speedway from Jan. 16-19. This race posted a season-high car count for the series in 2025 with eight LMP3, nine GTDX and 16 GSX cars for a total of 33 cars entered.

From there, the trio of classes head to Circuit of The Americas in Austin as part of the NASCAR Cup Series weekend Feb. 27-28 for the second sprint round of the season.

This batch of entries resumes for their third weekend June 5-7 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course as part of the Michelin Pilot Challenge series-headlining weekend.

A trip to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park follows on July 10-12, as part of the WeatherTech Championship-headlining weekend.

New for 2026 is a race featuring only the GTDX and GSX classes at VIR on Aug. 21-23, as part of the WeatherTech Championship weekend there.

The final LMP3, GTDX and GSX race weekend of the year occurs as part of Motul Petit Le Mans weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Oct. 1-3.

LMP3 Set for Endurance Rounds at Four Classic Road Courses

The LMP3 portion of the schedule adds the four endurance races at four classic road courses: Sebring, COTA, VIR and Road America.

A trip to Sebring on March 6-8 comprises the first LMP3 two-hour endurance race. This weekend occurs two weeks before the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring weekend, which will feature multiple IMSA-sanctioned championships.

The second endurance race comes with a trip to COTA on May 7-9, followed by subsequent rounds at VIR on June 19-21 and Road America on Aug. 14-16. The Road America event is one weekend later than what was announced previously.

Further details regarding the standalone LMP3 endurance races will be revealed at a later date.

2026 IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Schedule:
Jan. 16-19 — Daytona International Speedway (Sprint)
Feb. 27-28 — Circuit of The Americas (Sprint)
March 6-8 — Sebring International Raceway (Endurance)
May 7-9 — Circuit of The Americas (Endurance)
June 5-7 — Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Sprint)
June 19-21 — Virginia International Raceway (Endurance)
July 10-12 — Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Sprint)
Aug. 14-16 — Road America (Endurance)
Aug. 21-23 — Virginia International Raceway (Sprint; GTDX, GSX Only)
Oct. 1-3 — Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta (Sprint)

Source: Sports Car 365