This weekend, the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship returns to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the 29th running of Motul Petit Le Mans.

A defining arena in North American endurance racing’s events, Road Atlanta is 2.54 miles of narrow and relentlessly busy asphalt, where GTP prototypes will carve through packs of LMP2 and GT3 machinery.

At the top of the field, Jack Aitken and the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R enter Road Atlanta commanding a 147-point lead in the GTP drivers’ championship. Only Laurin Heinrich, returning to the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963, remains in the fight to possibly catch him. Heinrich will need to stay on a perfect pace while Aitken runs into significant trouble for duration of the race.

#31: Cadillac Whelen, Cadillac V-Series.R, GTP at Indy Prior
Credit: IMSA, Geoff Miller

The battles behind them are considerably closer.

All of it will play out on one of the shortest circuits on the IMSA calendar. For a large 54 car field, Road Atlanta’s short and narrow 2.54 miles leaves little room, while the transition into darkness makes traffic increasingly consequential as the race approaches its final hours.