2026 Sportscar Thread (WEC, IMSA, NLS, GT World Challenge)

[df76]

The 2026 season isn't too far away, with first event on 9/10 Jan, in the following order.

Abu Dhabi 6h
Dubai 24h
Daytona 24h IMSA
Dubai Asian Le Mans Series weekend
Abu Dhabi Asian Le Mans Series weekend
Bathurst 12h

All with decent grids, and lots of flying for some of the professionals. All of the above should be free to watch on Youtube also.

[IanUAE]

Somebody has come up with the crazy idea of charging (gbp 15) to attend the Dubai 24hr (and most likely the Abu Dhabi event the weekend before). The event has been free to attend since the event started and given now there is almost no parking the event will be devoid of spectators.

[richhead]

IanUAE said:

Somebody has come up with the crazy idea of charging (gbp 15) to attend the Dubai 24hr (and most likely the Abu Dhabi event the weekend before). The event has been free to attend since the event started and given now there is almost no parking the event will be devoid of spectators.

Ive run a car there for the last decade or so and dont remember seeing many spectators anyway, possibly because i never really left the pitlane. is £15 going to keep people away in one of the richest countries in the world?

[IanUAE]

richhead said:

IanUAE said:

Somebody has come up with the crazy idea of charging (gbp 15) to attend the Dubai 24hr (and most likely the Abu Dhabi event the weekend before). The event has been free to attend since the event started and given now there is almost no parking the event will be devoid of spectators.

Ive run a car there for the last decade or so and dont remember seeing many spectators anyway, possibly because i never really left the pitlane. is £15 going to keep people away in one of the richest countries in the world?

I've helped run cars in the race about 8 times and the turn 1 grandstand and the main grandstands used to be full at the start of the race (and quite full at the end as well).

Most people go because it is free to enter (specific nationalities) but this year people will either just not go base upon last years lack of parking (the old car park is now a construction site) or turn round and go home when they are asked to pay (and I bet there will be no option to pay at the entrance....).

They have closed the turn 1 grandstand which was a great place to watch the start of the race.

Given the decreasing number of enteries, I don't see the event last more than 3 more years.

[bergclimber34]

I think the vast majority of people I see at events in this part of the world are ex pats who live there for tax reasons, we all know why racing happens in these parts and it has very little to do with racing

[MikeGTi]

Last year I found a list of various sportscar series races, but I've no idea where I found it, so I created my own.

Are there any series I've potentially missed that could be added?

Month	Date	Series	Event
January	9–10	Michelin 24H Series Middle East	6H Abu Dhabi
January	16–18	Michelin 24H Series Middle East	24H Dubai
January	16–18	IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship	Roar Before the Rolex 24
January	21–25	IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship	Rolex 24 at Daytona
January	31	Asian Le Mans Series	R3 4H of Dubai
February	1	Asian Le Mans Series	R4 4H of Dubai
February	7	Asian Le Mans Series	R5 4H of Abu Dhabi
February	8	Asian Le Mans Series	R6 4H of Abu Dhabi
February	12–15	GTWC America	Miami GT Opening Drive
February	13–15	Intercontinental GT Challenge	R1 Bathurst 12H
March	14	ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie	NLS1
March	18–21	IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship	12 Hours of Sebring
March	20–22	Michelin 24H Series	12H Mugello
March	22–23	FIA World Endurance Championship	Official Prologue (Qatar)
March	27–29	GTWC America	R1 Sonoma Raceway
March	28	FIA World Endurance Championship	Qatar 1812km
March	28	ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie	NLS2
March	31	British GT Championship	Media Day (Silverstone)
April	4–5	GTWC Asia	R1&2 Sepang
April	4–6	GTWC Australia	R1&2 Phillip Island
April	8–9	GTWC Europe	Prologue (Paul Ricard)
April	11	ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie	NLS3
April	11–12	GTWC Europe	R1 Paul Ricard
April	12	European Le Mans Series	4 Hours of Barcelona
April	17–18	IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship	GP of Long Beach
April	17–19	Michelin 24H Series	12H Spa-Francorchamps
April	18–19	ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie	24h Nürburgring Qualifiers
April	19	FIA World Endurance Championship	6H of Imola
April	24–26	GTWC America	R2 COTA
April	25–26	British GT Championship	R1 Silverstone 500
May	1–3	IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship	Laguna Seca
May	2–3	GTWC Europe	R2 Brands Hatch
May	2–3	GTWC Asia	R3&4 Pertamina Mandalika
May	2–4	GTWC Australia	R3&4 Sydney
May	3	European Le Mans Series	4 Hours of Le Castellet
May	8–10	GTWC America	R3 Sebring
May	9	FIA World Endurance Championship	6H of Spa-Francorchamps
May	14–17	Intercontinental GT Challenge	R2 24h Nürburgring
May	19–20	GTWC Europe	24 Hours of Spa Prologue
May	23–25	British GT Championship	R2&3 Oulton Park
May	29–30	IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship	Detroit GP
May	29–31	GTWC Europe	R3 Monza
May	30–1 Jun	GTWC Australia	R5&6 Queensland Raceway
June	5–6	GTWC Asia	R5&6 Shanghai International
June	5–7	Michelin 24H Series	12H Paul Ricard
June	12–14	GTWC America	R4 Road Atlanta
June	13–14	FIA World Endurance Championship	24 Hours of Le Mans
June	20	ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie	NLS6
June	20–21	British GT Championship	R4 Spa-Francorchamps
June	23	European Le Mans Series	4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
June	24–28	GTWC Europe	R4 24 Hours of Spa
June	25–28	IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship	Six Hours of The Glen
June	25–28	Intercontinental GT Challenge	R3 24 Hours of Spa
July	3–5	Michelin 24H Series	12H Nürburgring
July	5	European Le Mans Series	4 Hours of Imola
July	10–12	IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship	Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
July	11–12	GTWC Asia	R7&8 Fuji
July	12	FIA World Endurance Championship	6H of Sao Paulo
July	17–19	GTWC Europe	R5 Misano
July	25–27	GTWC Australia	R7&8 Sandown
July	30–2 Aug	IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship	Road America
July	31–2 Aug	GTWC Europe	R6 Magny-Cours
August	1	ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie	NLS7
August	15–16	British GT Championship	R5&6 Snetterton
August	20–23	IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship	VIR
August	23	European Le Mans Series	4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
August	28–30	GTWC Europe	R7 Nürburgring
August	28–30	GTWC America	R5 Road America
August	29–30	GTWC Asia	R9&10 Okayama
September	5–6	British GT Championship	R7 Donington Park
September	5–7	GTWC Australia	R9&10 The Bend
September	6	FIA World Endurance Championship	Lone Star Le Mans (COTA)
September	11–13	Intercontinental GT Challenge	Suzuka 1000km
September	12–13	ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie	NLS8 & 9
September	13	European Le Mans Series	4 Hours of Silverstone
September	18–20	Michelin 24H Series	24H Barcelona
September	18–20	IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship	Indianapolis
September	18–20	GTWC Europe	R8 Zandvoort
September	25–27	GTWC America	R6 Barber Motorsports Park
September	26–27	British GT Championship	R8 Brands Hatch
September	27	FIA World Endurance Championship	6H of Fuji
October	1–3	IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship	Petit Le Mans (Road Atlanta)
October	2–4	GTWC Europe	R9 Barcelona
October	2–4	GTWC Asia	R11&12 Beijing Street Circuit
October	8–10	GTWC America	R7 Indianapolis
October	8–10	Intercontinental GT Challenge	R5 Indianapolis 8H
October	10	European Le Mans Series	4 Hours of Portimao
October	10	ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie	NLS10
October	16–18	GTWC Europe	R10 Portimao
October	31–2 Nov	GTWC Australia	R11&12 Hampton Downs
November	7	FIA World Endurance Championship	8H of Bahrain
November	19–22	FIA GT World Cup	Macau GP

Also, not sure if this may be useful as a Wiki in this forum?

[Truckosaurus]

MikeGTi said:

...so I created my own.

Good Work.

[VladD]

I started one as a Wiki last year, but didn't keep it fully updated.

Here

You could copy and paste that into a new one.

[MikeGTi]

That looks like the one I m thinking of

I ll sort it as a Wiki later.

ETA: Turned into a wiki and pinned.

Edited by MikeGTi on Tuesday 13th January 12:52

[Ed Moses]

Thank you for creating that - very useful.