The stage is set for absolute chaos at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship arrives for its traditional season-closer. A staggering 24 championship battles will be resolved over 10 hours of racing on Saturday, with the GT classes hanging firmly in the balance.
In GTD PRO, Nicky Catsburg and Tommy Milner hold the upper hand in the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R. A strong second-place finish at the most recent round at Indianapolis Motor Speedway pushed them to the top of the standings, though the margin is just 47 points over Neil Verhagen and Connor De Phillippi in the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO. Sandy Mitchell and Andrea Caldarelli sit 53 points back in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Temerario GT3, while the top seven teams remain covered by 179 points.
For us, it's just another race and we'll keep up kind of the same mentality as what got us to this position.
Milner isn't letting the points lead change his approach. "It's going to be business as usual in many ways, focusing on ourselves, making sure that we have the best Corvette that we can for the race and see what happens at the end," he explained. Meanwhile, De Phillippi is embracing the chase. "We're going in as the hunter this weekend instead of the hunted," he said, noting a positive test session a week and a half prior.
Things are even tighter in the standard GTD class. Two-time defending champions Philip Ellis and Russell Ward lead the standings with a class-high four wins in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, but DNFs at Sebring and Watkins Glen have left the door wide open. Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher sit just six points adrift in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO following their win at Indianapolis. Dudu Barrichello remains mathematically in the hunt as well, 116 points back in the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO.
Ward knows the defense will require precision. "We need to try to finish in front of the No. 96 car, which is going to be a tall order," Ward remarked regarding the battle against Turner Motorsport. Foley, reflecting on their consistency, noted that staying clean has been their calling card. "For us, it's just another race and we'll keep up kind of the same mentality as what got us to this position."
Beyond the headline driver titles, manufacturer crowns and endurance cups are up for grabs alongside the Jim Trueman Award, where Orey Fidani holds a 30-point advantage over Brendan Iribe. Fans can catch the action starting at Noon ET on Saturday, October 3, with the first three hours broadcast on NBC before coverage shifts to NBCSN to the finish. International viewers can stream live via IMSA.TV and the official IMSA YouTube channel.
