GTWCA expands to three-hour races; 2026 calendar set
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By Richard S. James - Jun 27, 2025, 12:30 PM UTC

GTWCA expands to three-hour races; 2026 calendar set

GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS will expand its standard format to a single three-hour race in 2026 from its current doubleheader 90-minute races each weekend. Announced ahead of the CrowdStrike24 Hours of Spa weekend by Stéphane Ratel, CEO of SRO Motorsports Group, the change marks the latest evolution in the format for GTWCA events.

The change brings GT World Challenge America into alignment with global endurance traditions while maintaining a tie to the series' sprint-race roots. The new format will mean a minimum of two pit stops per race, opening up strategies for tires and driver stint options.

Also announced at Spa, which included previews of SRO Motorsports Group's worldwide series, was a provisional calendar for 2026 that includes seven rounds. Five of the tracks are featured on this year's schedule, book-ended by Sonoma Raceway in March and the Indianapolis 8 Hour at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October, also a part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. Other venues for 2026 include Circuit of The Americas, Sebring International Raceway, and Barber Motorsports Park. Two TBAs are included on the calendar, in the places currently occupied by VIRginia International Raceway and Road America.

The schedules for the other SRO Motorsports Group properties on the American docket will share the same calendar.

GT4 America retains its two 60-minute races each weekend format, aside from the three-hour Lone Star Enduro at COTA.

The calendar for GT America – the sprint series featuring current and out-of homologation GT3 and GT4 cars – mirrors the others with one-offs such as its appearance at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach apparently off the schedule.

GT America will welcome Cup cars into the fold for the 2026 season, re-introducing race-prepped Porsche GT3 Cup, Lamborghini Super Trofeo and Ferrari Challenge machines into the SRO America paddock. This addition creates a new home for one-make series racers seeking competitive, professionally managed sprint racing within a multi-class environment.

TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School also will be present on all the SRO America weekends. Featuring factory-built racers from Hyundai, Toyota, Acura, BMW and Mazda, the series shifts to two 35-minute races a weekend from its current three-race format.

Provisional 2026 GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS calendar

Sonoma Raceway, March 27-29

Circuit of The Americas, April 24-26

Sebring International Raceway, May 15-17

TBA, June 12-14

TBA, August 28-30

Barber Motorsports Park, September 25-27

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, October 8-10

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Richard S. James
Richard S. James

Richard James is motorsports journalist living in Orange County, Calif, who has been involved in the sport to some degree for three decades. He covers primarily sports car racing as a writer and photographer, with occasional forays into off-road and other forms of racing. A former editor of the SCCA’s publication, SportsCar, he has a special love for the grass-roots side of the sport and participates as a driver in amateur road racing.

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