Road Atlanta returns to the calendar for its 3rd year since the series began, and the format has not changed from last year. Two Qualifying sessions. Two race starts. Two opportunities to cut up through the field, or (to borrow a term from Stephen “Sandman” Clarke) have it all turn to custard. Bonza!

Road Atlanta plays host to one of the more technical and challenging races of the year in IMSA under the banner of Petit Lemans, but for the V8 drivers multiclass racing is not on the menu.

Instead a rapid lap full of the crests, falls, kerbs, and twisty bits create a lap that generates really only two proper overtaking opportunities, but a lot of room for error with technical car placement, throttle management and ability to pinch a brake. To say its a busy lap is an understatement, with the 4.08km navigated in under 83 seconds on a hot lap!

What about years gone by? What do we have to work with?

The stats from last year’s Road Atlanta Supersprint continue to show the strength and dominance of the Lobs Esports outfit on race trim, but over the journey through the years of the Logitech G V8 Pro Invitational there’s been moments of brilliance from the Trans Tasman Racing outfit.

Again that Super Sprint element brings something back to the table. Two Qualifying sessions, split into groups based on championship order. However, the caveat is that historically the split qualifying races at shorter race tracks have come deeper into the championship. There are some drivers currently out of order within that championship that might find conditions favouring the first half of the session. We’ve seen moments previously where this has been potential, but drivers only manage to slot somewhere into the 10.

Madison Down has pole here last year and finds himself without points after an incident with Ric Kuznetsov in Round 1. Kuznetsov also failed to find speed and points at Sebring, but is in a glut of form in a car he is better known for in the Porsche Cup taking a race win in the Porsche Invitational series from Hockenheim. After challenging for the championship at stages in 2024, could this be the opportunity he is looking for? If the track cools down during the session and grip comes to the track all of this goes in the opposite direction and favours the second group to hit the track. One of the unique opportunities presented by group qualifying meeting the super sprint format!

Race wise in 2026 we have a shorter and longer race to change the evening up as well. The first race of the evening at 16 laps falls within the window to not require a pit stop, but the second race has a single Compulsory Pit Stop requirement, alongside being 5 laps over the maximum fuel burn.

This means effectively this is all about track position in both races. Race 1 will be 16 laps with no opportunity to leverage strategy to overtake. Tire wear will matter more so than in the second race of the night as there is no opportunity to reset and bolt on some new rubber!

Race 2 has a slew of possibilities and could be even more aggressive. Should a safety car fall after lap 2, there’s a strong chance the whole field pits and we go into fuel conservation mode. No Safety Car means the stints get shorter than in the first race, and splitting it down the middle means pitting on either lap 11 or 12. This means more aggression as you have less opportunity for the tires to fall off and also less time to make the advantage of strong tire wear or an overcut.

Shorter lap time means a smaller field spread and the field will be split into its battle packs very early. Race 1 will be more sedentary and looking to manage your stuff and have a crack later, Race 2 could actually be the wildcard of the night as the longer race. The best example in recent memory we have of this was at the other Super Sprint round at Detroit Belle Isle last year when a fuel save window opened the door for the first non-Lobs victory of the Gen 3 era. Could we see this door open yet again? Fuel save races have tended to be nail biters and would certainly give us a different element!

All we know is two races, two chances, two opportunities. Who will show up and who will get shown a door!

Wednesday 29th May at 7.45pm AEST starts the next segment of the 2026 championship!