| Third Generation LMP3 Car to Debut; Four Endurance Races Added For 2026 |
| DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 1, 2025) – IMSA will see Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) competition expand through an enhanced program offering in 2026 owing to several new opportunities and components. The LMP3 class will continue within the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge and also will be open to compete in four additional endurance event weekends. IMSA continues to hold exclusive rights in North America for the use of Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) race cars as part of its strategic alliance with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO). In June, IMSA and the ACO announced an extension of its strategic alliance through at least the end of 2032. Third Generation LMP3 Car to Debut in IMSA Third generation LMP3 cars will be eligible to compete in IMSA LMP3 events starting in 2026. These third-generation cars will compete in the same class with the existing second-generation cars currently in use in the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, giving teams the option to continue with existing machinery for one more year or invest in the new generation car. All cars will run to their homologated performance levels with no adjustments. The ACO introduced the third generation LMP3 cars in 2025 for its championships, with the four LMP3 chassis constructors – Ligier, Duqueine Engineering, Ginetta and Adess – having been kept on for the new homologation cycle. The new car runs a 3.5-liter twin-turbo Toyota V6 engine that is built and prepared by ORECA. Endurance Racing Events Added LMP3 cars will be able to stretch their legs in longer races beyond the pair of 45-minute sprint races that comprise each VP Racing SportsCar Challenge race weekend, as IMSA has introduced an endurance component for LMP3 machinery in 2026. Four two-hour endurance races sanctioned by IMSA will take place on the following United States Auto Club (USAC) event weekends in 2026: Sebring International Raceway, March 6-8Circuit of The Americas, May 7-9VIRginia International Raceway, June 19-21Road America, Aug. 7-9 IMSA is also exploring the possibility that these endurance races will include a multi-class component with a production-based race car category. The VP Racing SportsCar Challenge sprint races will continue to feature one FIA Bronze- or Silver-rated driver per LMP3 car, but the new-for-2026 endurances races will require two drivers, with a minimum of one rated either Bronze or Silver. A Gold-rated second driver is permitted but Platinum drivers are prohibited. The four endurance races will be a championship within the overall VP Racing SportsCar Challenge for LMP3 competitors – similar in nature to the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup within the overall IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Points in both the sprint and endurance races will count towards the overall VP Racing SportsCar Challenge championship. Opening the LMP3 opportunities to both sprint and endurance race formats comes based on stakeholder feedback and continues IMSA’s intent to create future generations of prototype drivers, crews and teams while also continuing to provide a platform for longstanding LMP3 entrants and Bronze-rated drivers to compete. Further details covering the endurance portion of LMP3 events in 2026, as well as the complete schedule, will be revealed at a later date. |
