By Justin Melillo
Entry List (Click Here)
The IMSA Esports Global Championship returns on Sunday, September 27th, with the first round of the 2026 season, the Kinetic 240 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Entering its fifth season, 52 teams are ready to race for the crown across two class championships, including 20 teams competing in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class and 32 teams taking on the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class.
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is the first of an expanded five-event season for 2026, joining races at Sebring, Watkins Glen, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and Daytona to cap off the year. A $25,000 prize pool is on the line once more, with top teams in each class collecting $5,000 at the end of the season. Last year, BMW M Team Redline and Coanda Esports were victorious in their respective classes.
Two hours and 40 minutes will be on the clock. Points will be on the line not only in the race, but also in qualifying. Who will manage the traffic—and the clock—among the twists, turns, and hills of Road Atlanta?
READ MORE: 2026 IMSA ESPORTS GLOBAL CHAMPIONSHIP DETAILS
The rosters are composed by three criteria:
- Class Champions in 2025 IMSA EGC, pending eligibility
- 2026 VCO Grand Slam Broadcast Split GTP or GTD Class Winners
- iRacing Public Pre-Qualifying
LAST SEASON
The opening round of the 2025 IMSA Esports Global Championship looked to be straightforward, until it wasn’t. Coanda Esports had both classes on lock, with Porsche Coanda in control of the GTP class and the Coanda Corvette leading the way in GTD. Around the halfway mark, however, contact on pit exit sent the Porsche Coanda into the tires down the esses, handing the lead to the BMW M Team Redline crew. It would be the No. 33 holding off the No. 34 for the GTP win. The No. 181 Coanda Esports Corvette kept control of GTD for the win over their sister car, the No. 118.
TRACK FACTS
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is a 2.54-mile, 12-turn course located in Braselton, Georgia, just 35 miles north of Atlanta. Known for hosting many sports car races, including the popular Petit Le Mans event, Road Atlanta is filled with elevation changes, technical sections and can be a challenge to any professional racer. Opened in 1970, the current day Grand Prix circuit layout has been in use since 1998.
2026 IMSA Esports Global Championship | Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta | Round 1 | Kinetic 240
NEXT RACE
After Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the series continues for the second race of the season at Sebring International Raceway, in two weeks on October 11th.
Each race of the IMSA Esports Global Championship will be broadcasted live on IMSA’s and iRacing’s social channels with the Countdown to Green pre-race show beginning at 1:45 p.m. ET (18:45 GMT). Race coverage begins at 2:00 p.m. ET.
For more information on the IMSA Esports Global Championship, visit iracing.com/imsa-esports.
For more information about the Virtual Competition Organisation (VCO), visit vco-esports.com.
For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit iracing.com.