The Event

Motul Petit Le Mans is a premier 10-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. It serves as the prestigious season finale for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and is considered one of the “crown jewels” of global endurance racing, alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Daytona, and 12 Hours of Sebring.

IMSA Fan Guide

The Track

Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is a world-class 2.54-mile road course in Braselton, Georgia, famous for its dramatic elevation changes and for hosting the legendary Petit Le Mans endurance race.

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Lap Around Road Atlanta

Take a lap around Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with Ryan Hardwick in the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R.

Virtual Driver Coach

Front straight to Turn 1

You’re flat in top gear crossing start/finish, car drifting gently left as the track kinks right.

Eyes go up the hill to the Turn 1 apex; brake in a straight line but not full threshold, use enough pressure to get the front to bite over the crest.

Turn in late from the far left, commit to a fast, single‑arc entry; the apex is over the rise, and there’s a compression mid‑corner that gives you extra grip as you pass the inside curb.

Let the car track all the way out to the exit curb on the left, using every inch of road; be back to power well before apex, modulating for rear traction over the compression.

Turn 2 to Turn 3 and into the Esses

Stay left exiting 1, then flow the car back to the right for Turn 2, a fast downhill right kink that is effectively flat in a GT car but still requires a precise line.

Use a small lift or brush of brake if needed to keep the car balanced as the track drops away; set the car up to end Turn 2 mid‑track/right to open Turn 3.

Turn 3 is one of the most demanding corners: brake while the car is light and turning, trail the brake in to keep the nose planted, and aim for a late, committed apex at the inside curb.

Prioritize exit here; you want to be early to throttle and let the car unwind to the left, because Turn 4 and the Esses start immediately.

Turn 4 and the Esses to Turn 5

From the left edge, bend the car into Turn 4, a long, fast left that feeds directly into the Esses; you’re straddling the inside curb as you arc through, building speed downhill.

As you exit 4, you’re already placing the car left to set up the first right of the Esses; turn in just after the unusable left‑hand entry curb, clipping the right apex curb with the tire.

The Esses are rhythm and commitment: right, then left, then right, all downhill; small, precise inputs and early eyes are key, because the car will naturally gain speed and load as you drop.

Through the final right‑hand kink of the Esses, let the car run out to the left to set up braking for Turn 5; be ready for the track compressing again at the bottom of the hill.

For Turn 5, brake just before the uphill starts to get the car slowed, then release the brake as you climb; turn in from mid‑left, aiming for the very generous inside curb.

The apex is up on the crest; use the curb but avoid launching the car. Get to full throttle very early and let the uphill and camber catch you as you drift to the exit curb on the right.

This is a traction corner: manage wheelspin over the crest, because a strong exit speed out of 5 carries all the way to Turn 6.

Short chute, Turn 6 and Turn 7 onto the back straight

Down the short straight from 5, use the whole track and let the car settle; pick a reference on the left for braking into Turn 6.

Turn 6 is a fast, banked 90‑degree left; brake in a straight line, then trail slightly as you turn in from the far right, letting the banking support a higher minimum speed than feels comfortable.

Clip the inside curb late, keep one smooth steering input, and start squeezing throttle at or just before apex; use all the exit curb on the right and let the banking help you.

Immediately set up for Turn 7: as the car unwinds from 6, move calmly back to the left under braking.

This is the slowest and most important corner, feeding the one‑mile back straight; brake hard and straight, then trail into a later‑than‑you‑think turn‑in so you can square the car early and get back to full power.

The corner tightens more than it looks; be patient on entry, focus on rotating the car in the first half, then maximizing exit drive in the second half.

Apex late at the inside curb, unwind the wheel quickly and go full throttle as early as rear grip allows; let the car breathe out to the exit curb on the left and stay flat up through the gears.

Back straight, Turns 8–9, to 10A/10B

You’re flat through the “bends” of Turns 8 and 9, feeling the car compress and crest as the straight gently weaves right and left; use these kinks to keep the car in clean air and to set up for braking.

Eyes look far ahead to the braking boards for the downhill approach to Turn 10A; this is one of the heaviest braking zones on the lap from near‑terminal speed.

For Turn 10A, brake very hard in a straight line, slightly before the track drops fully downhill, and downshift cleanly; turn in from the far right, aiming for a fairly late apex on the inside curb of the left‑hander.

You want to arrive at 10A a touch conservative and tidy so you can attack the exit of 10B; it’s better to give up a little mid‑corner here than to compromise your drive up the hill.

As soon as you pass the apex of 10A, start feeding throttle and let the car move toward the middle of the track to set up 10B automatically.

10B is a right‑hander that immediately follows; you’re already on throttle before you turn in, shaping 10B as a late‑apex corner to minimize steering at exit.

Clip the inside curb, unwind the wheel aggressively, and go to full throttle as you crest; use all the exit curb on the left as the track starts to climb.

This is the second most important exit on the lap, feeding the front straight; prioritize a clean, early application of throttle over ultimate minimum speed.

Under the bridge, Turn 11–12 and back to start/finish

Flat‑out up the hill, the car lightens as you go under the bridge; keep it planted slightly left of center and prepare for the blind right drop of Turn 12.

Any steering correction here costs confidence; aim to be smooth and committed, with your eyes already down the hill to the corner exit.

Turn 12 is a fast, downhill right with serious commitment; a small lift or confidence brake if needed, then turn in from the left, aiming to brush the inside curb as the car falls away.

As you drop, the car will pick up speed quickly and feel light; keep your hands calm, open the wheel as soon as possible, and let the car run to the exit curb on the left without pinching.

You’re back to full throttle before or at apex, riding the car all the way out to the curb, and then letting it drift back towards center as you cross the start/finish to begin another lap.

In Closing

Deep in the rolling foothills of Georgia, where the red clay meets a twisting ribbon of asphalt, lies a place of high drama called Road Atlanta. It is a theater of speed, defined by the terrifying plunge through the Esses and the blind leap of faith over the hill at Turn 12. And each autumn, this landscape transforms for Petit Le Mans—a ten-hour sprint into the gathering darkness. It is a grueling test of will where the world’s finest prototypes and GTs battle through a sea of slower traffic, chasing a victory that requires the precision of a surgeon and the heart of a gladiator, all played out under a canopy of southern pines and the orange glow of glowing brake rotors.