As anticipation builds for the Motul Petit Le Mans, the grand finale of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, preparations were in full swing at Road Atlanta on Wednesday. Originally expected to host 54 cars, the field has now narrowed to 53 with the news that the No. 43 Andretti Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R has officially withdrawn from the race.

One of the highlights this weekend will be Scott Dixon’s 50th start in IMSA competition. The legendary driver is set to share the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac V-Series.R with Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande. Dixon's illustrious career includes significant accomplishments—three overall wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, a class win, and a victory at the Petit Le Mans in 2020. Reflecting on his journey, Dixon remarked, “It’s kind of crazy to be honest… starting at Daytona in 2004 was a wild intro to endurance racing.”

In the GTD championship battle, Robby Foley remains hopeful about claiming the title, despite trailing Winward Racing by 222 points. Having recently overcome a significant points disadvantage at the Indianapolis 8 Hour, Foley, alongside co-driver Patrick Gallagher in their BMW, is optimistic about Road Atlanta. "It’s definitely a proof of concept that it’s not really over until it’s over," Foley stated confidently.

Jonathan Diuguid, managing director of Porsche Penske Motorsport, addressed a steering system fault experienced by the No. 7 Porsche 963 during the rain-soaked Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis. “Some water got where it wasn’t supposed to during the rain and caused a steering system fault,” he explained.

This weekend also welcomes Andre Lotterer, who leads in the Hypercar standings of the FIA World Endurance Championship, serving as a reserve driver for Porsche Penske. Meanwhile, drivers Kevin Estre and Matt Campbell will be competing in the No. 6 and No. 7 cars, respectively. Adding to the excitement, Porsche hosted a ‘Motorsport Day’ at their Experience Center in Atlanta, where employees interacted with top team racers, enjoying autographs and Q&A sessions.

In other team news, Tower Motorsports has put Frederik Vesti on standby to replace Charlie Eastwood, who withdrew from the race due to family commitments.

Looking ahead, Meyer Shank Racing is gearing up for their return next season with two Acura ARX-06 entries, following the recent rollout of a brand new chassis at Paul Ricard.

Adding to the storylines, Acura is in pursuit of achieving a monumental third consecutive victory at this event, a feat only accomplished by a few manufacturers in its history. With 23 drivers from last weekend's Indianapolis 8 Hour competing again, including prominent names like Nick Yelloly and Tommy Milner, the intensity is set to rise at Road Atlanta.

Additionally, as the region deals with the impacts of Hurricane Milton, VP Racing Fuels and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta have launched a hurricane relief fund to support those affected. Fans can participate in this charitable initiative while attending the race.

Finally, the weekend will also mark a poignant farewell to two veteran motorsports PR representatives, John Love and Dan Layton, who are moving on from their respected positions after years of dedication to the sport.

As the official track activities commence with practice sessions on Thursday, all eyes will be on Road Atlanta to see who will prevail in this thrilling season finale. With night practice set for later in the week, anticipation for a dramatic race day is at an all-time high!