Your guide to iRacing’s Petit Le Mans Special Event

When is the 2026 iRacing Petit Le Mans?

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iRacing’s Petit Le Mans special event will take place between Friday 25th and Sunday 27th September 2026. There will be five time slots, such as recent special events such as the Suzuka 1000km, each with various splits and accommodating different time zones:

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• Friday 25th September 22:00 GMT
• Saturday 26th September 7:00 GMT
• Saturday 26th September 12:00 GMT
• Saturday 26th September 16:00 GMT
• Sunday 26th September 00:00 GMT

 

There will also be a broadcast of the top split on iRacing’s Twitch and YouTube channels. The time slot showcased in the coverage will be the Saturday 26th September 12:00 GMT running.

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If you’re planning your season around endurance races such as Petit Le Mans, see our 2026 iRacing special events guide for the full calendar and key dates. 

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iRacing Petit Le Mans 2026 car list

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A total of 17 different cars, across three classes, can take part in the 2026 iRacing Petit Le Mans, in a 60-vehicle-sized grid:

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GTP / Hypercar

• Acura ARX-06 GTP
• Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH
• BMW M Hybrid V8
• Cadillac V-Series.R GTP
• Ferrari 499P
• Porsche 963 GTP

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LMP2

• Dallara P217

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GT3

• Acura NSX GT3 EVO 22
• Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO
• BMW M4 GT3
• Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
• Ferrari 296 GT3
• Ford Mustang GT3
• Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO
• McLaren 720S GT3 EVO
• Mercedes-AMG GT3 2020
• Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

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Of note, that’s every contemporary GT3 car, apart from the Audi R8 LMS EVO II GT3. While factory updates for this model have ceased, it’s still used in several real-world GT3 competitions and was part of the recent Britcar 24HR event.

Meanwhile, the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH makes its special event debut, having recently been made available for iRacing in the Season 4 content release. The only GTP or Hypercar model without hybrid assistance poses an interesting Balance of Performance quandary.

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Last year, the top split was dominated by the BMW M Hybrid V8 in GTP/Hypercar, with BMW M Team Redline winning overall. In GT3, the top five were all Ferrari 296 GT3s.

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Each usable car for the special event is additional DLC on top of the base iRacing subscription, priced at $11.95 per vehicle.

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Whichever car you choose, our guide on how to get faster in iRacing covers the fundamentals of building pace through more structured practice and feedback. 

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How to drive Road Atlanta fast in iRacing

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There are three distinct classes of car for this event, each with their own quirks and driving styles.

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However, we can provide some general points for the Road Atlanta venue.

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The Georgian circuit was recently refreshed on the iRacing platform with updated kerbing. If you have muscle memory of certain track limits from previous years, just be mindful that these may have changed.

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Turn 1 can be a deceptive corner for the inexperienced, as the road slightly curves during the corner entry phase. So while you may start slowing down at the far left of the circuit, while braking you must start turning in and try to be back on the throttle by the time you reach the inside kerb.

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Mid-corner speed is important here, naturally, but so too is a smooth driving style to avoid overheating your front left tyre. Doing so will help maintain grip for The Esses later in the first sector.

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Turn 5 is tricky, as you’ll likely want to brake with your right-side tyres on a kerb, before using a lot of the exit run-off. Don’t get too complacent with the exit area, however, as going just a little bit further wide can end up with a tyre in the gravel. This in turn can result in costly damage as your car meets a wall.

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Braking for Turn 10A is critical, as one of the better overtaking places on the circuit. However, if you’re diving down the inside, it can be very easy to run wide, with your opponent then switching back to re-pass at the exit of Turn 10B. Seasoned iRacers will note, too, that infamous ‘netcode’ detection issues can happen here during the direction change. Being on the outside of 10A, leading to the inside of 10B, should mitigate the chances of this happening.

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There will undoubtedly be times when you come across a gaggle of cars, some from different classes, during this corner sequence, and it’s important to think two corners ahead to get the inside run across the rise at Turn 11.

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iRacing 2026 Petit Le Mans race length and format

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This is a 10-hour race event. As it’s time-based, and not the number of laps, the winning team will be the one that covers the most distance (in each class) across the duration.

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Last year, the leading entrant in the top class, of the top broadcast split, managed 509 laps.

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As this is a team race, there is a minimum of two drivers per car, with pitlane driver swaps. As ever, there is a 30-minute warm-up session and a two-lap, eight-minute qualifying session to determine the grid order. 

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If this is your first endurance event, our guide on how to prepare for an iRacing Special Event covers practice, team planning and race-day preparation in more detail. 

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An iRacing licence of at least D 4.0 Road is required.

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Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, trophi.ai is a unique toolkit that provides real-time advice and in-depth analysis, ideal for increasing confidence ahead of a lengthy iRacing Special Event.

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‍You can sign up for the free trial today.

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