IMSA Petit Le Mans Start Time & How To Watch Live

Porsche Penske Motorsports, Porsche 963, GTP: Mathieu Jaminet, Matt Campbell during the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Tirerack.com Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 21, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jake Galstad/Lumen via Getty Images)

Lumen via Getty Images

Throughout its glorious history that began in 1966, Team Penske has represented excellence on the race track in all forms of racing. But the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season was one of the most challenging and frustrating years for the Roger Penske’s IndyCar team this century.

But in this weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech season finale in the Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta, the misery of a disappointing IndyCar Series season can be replaced with another IMSA Championship for Porsche Team Penske in Sports Car Racing.

It would be another racing championship in the top form of North American Sports Car Racing for the 88-year-old Penske.

Porsche Penske Focus

Porsche Team Penske is attempting to defend all titles in the IMSA finale at Motul Petit Le Mans in the 10-hour race. Porsche leads the manufacturers championship and the team and drivers’ standings entering the race weekend.

“Petit LeMans is the final round of the 2025 IMSA season and is one of the most difficult,” said Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport and also IndyCar President at Team Penske. “The tight confines of the Road Atlanta circuit and the high car count is a recipe for non-stop action.

“Porsche Penske Motorsport is entering the race leading all championships. However, we are not taking anything for granted. Both of our cars have had a strong eight previous races, but it will all be decided in Atlanta and we must stay focused and hopefully rewarded when the checkered flag falls.”

The action will be televised on NBC and its streaming partner, Peacock. Viewing information is later in this report.

Porsche Penske Points

Porsche tops the standings with four victories but holds only a seven-point advantage over Acura, Honda’s American performance brand. With 350 points awarded for a race win and 35 for pole position, every session could prove decisive.

“We will give absolutely everything at Road Atlanta to defend all titles,” said Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “After our extraordinary start with four wins in a row, the circumstances prevented further victories. The six-hour race at Indianapolis didn’t go as planned. We know we have the potential – now it’s about executing flawlessly. The team is fully focused on the ‘Petit Le Mans’. I’m confident we can emerge from the big finale as winners.”

Porsche Penske Driver Lineup Increases To Three Per Car

The Stuttgart, Germany-based manufacturer’s factory team will enter two Porsche 963 prototypes in the ten-hour “Petit Le Mans”. In the drivers’ standings, overall leaders Matt Campbell (Australia) and Mathieu Jaminet (France) start as the favorites. Their teammates Felipe Nasr (Brazil) and Nick Tandy (UK), currently second in the championship, also remain in contention for the title.

For the endurance classic at the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Road Atlanta circuit near Braselton, Georgia Porsche Penske Motorsport will once again field three drivers per car. Jaminet and Campbell will share the No. 6 Porsche 963 with Frenchman Julien Andlauer, while the No. 7 car will be driven by Nasr, Tandy, and Belgian Laurens Vanthoor.

In the drivers’ championship, three duos still have a mathematical shot. Campbell/Jaminet lead with 2,582 points ahead of Nasr/Tandy at 2,451. BMW’s Dries Vanthoor (Belgium) and Philipp Eng (Austria) are third, 145 points back.

The equation is simple. A seventh-place finish is enough for Campbell/Jaminet to secure the drivers’ crown. The same scenario applies to the teams’ championship.

“This is it,” Campbell said. “’Petit Le Mans’ is the perfect stage for a big season finale. For me, it’s the best event of the year. Hopefully we can celebrate a successful end to the season. Together with our teammates in the No. 7, we’re fighting for the championship – it’s going to be thrilling.”

Penske Porsche’s Manufacturer Title Quest

The manufacturers’ title fight is even tighter: with just a seven-point lead, at least one Porsche 963 must finish ahead of the best-placed Acura to secure the title.

“We need to deliver maximum performance in all areas to achieve our dream of title defense,” Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh, explained. “The team, the drivers, and above all the Porsche 963 bring everything needed for another triumph. Since the start of the LMDh regulations in 2023, the 963 has been the most successful car by far – eleven wins in IMSA, more than any rival.

“At Road Atlanta, we’re targeting win number twelve and, just like last year, all the championship titles.”

In the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup – the special classification for the long-distance races at Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen, Indianapolis, and Road Atlanta – Porsche also leads across the board. In 2024, Porsche swept all titles in this sub-championship as well.

About Petit Le Mans

The “Petit Le Mans”, part of the IMSA calendar since 1998, is one of North America’s most prestigious endurance races. The 28th running will again be held at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, about 54 miles northeast of Atlanta, home of Porsche Cars North America.

The 10-hour race on the undulating 2.54-mile natural-terrain circuit, with its twelve corners including the famous fast downhill “Esses” is highly popular among both fans and drivers. Autumn weather in Georgia can bring blazing sunshine, heavy rain, or even thunderstorms.

Porsche’s greatest Road Atlanta triumph came in 2015 in torrential rain, when Nick Tandy, Patrick Pilet (France), and Richard Lietz (Austria) claimed overall victory with the Porsche 911 RSR ahead of all quicker prototype cars – the brand’s only outright win at Road Atlanta to date. Across the “Petit Le Mans”, Porsche has also celebrated 24 class victories.

The green flag for the 2025 IMSA season finale drops on Saturday, October 11, at 12:10 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
“Here we are, entering the final race of the season,” Nasr said. “Road Atlanta always delivers a thriller, and I enjoy the unique challenges this race brings. I’m eager to fight for the manufacturers’ championship with Porsche, that’s our main goal.

“I’m excited to team up with Nick Tandy and Laurens Vanthoor again, and hopefully we pick up right where we left off in Sebring.”

How To Tune In

Live coverage of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s final race of the 2025 season, the MOTUL Petit Le Mans from Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Atlanta, Ga., will be presented this Saturday, Oct. 11, starting from Noon-3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, with the final window from 3-10:30 p.m. ET window exclusively on Peacock.

Championships will be decided in all four IMSA classes at the 10-hour endurance race on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn road course. In the GTD Pro class, a slim 18-point difference between the No. 3 Corvette and No. 81 Ferrari separates the two teams and sets up a dramatic finish where whomever wins on Saturday will take the season-long title. Additionally, in the GTP class, Porsche No. 6, Porsche No. 7, and BMW No. 24 will battle it out for the driver’s title.

The Voices

NBC Sports’ Brian Till and Dave Burns will call the race alongside former IMSA drivers Calvin Fish and Townsend Bell. Matt Yocum, Kevin Lee, Kristen Beat, and Chris Wilner will serve as pit reporters.

Coverage begins earlier in the week with the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 1 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock.

For additional programming information for IMSA this week, see the chart below.

BROADCAST TEAM

Play-by-Play: Brian Till, Dave Burns

Analysts: Calvin Fish, Townsend Bell

Pit Reporters: Matt Yocum, Kevin Lee, Kristen Beat, Chris Wilner

HOW TO WATCH

TV – NBC

Streaming – Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app

Date, Coverage, Platform(s), Time (ET)

Thursday, October 9

IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, Peacock, 1 p.m.

IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup, Peacock, 5 p.m.

Friday, October 10

IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, Peacock, 8:25 a.m.

IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup, Peacock, 10:35 a.m.

IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Peacock, 12:40 p.m.

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – Qualifying, Peacock, 3:20 p.m.

Saturday, October 11

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – MOTUL Petit Le Mans, NBC, Peacock

12-3 p.m. Peacock exclusively from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.