Who's still in championship contention on the eve of IMSA's Petit Le Mans showdown?

Earlier this week, RACER published its 2026 IMSA championship forecasts for Motul Petit Le Mans with the disclaimer that they were subject to change after qualifying.

Sure enough, the GTP title is wrapped up – but now the picture is clear in LMP2, GTD Pro, and GTD heading into tomorrow, albeit the windows have shifted ever so slightly.

Starting in GTD Pro, only six cars remain mathematically eligible to win the title after the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3 was pushed out of the maximum 180-point swing.

Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg can now clinch the GTD Pro championship by finishing either first or second in their No. 4 Z06 GT3.R. Paul Miller Racing’s Connor De Phillippi and Neil Verhagen are now 42 points behind in second, while Pfaff Motorsports’ Andrea Caldarelli and Sandy Mitchell trail by 60 points in third.

The No. 1 Paul Miller BMW and No. 9 Pfaff Lamborghini can finish no lower than ninth or eighth in GTD Pro, respectively, to have any mathematical chance at overtaking the No. 4 Corvette. If the No. 1 BMW wins, the No. 4 Corvette has to finish third or lower, and if the No. 9 Lamborghini wins, the Corvette must finish off the podium entirely.

Three championship long shots still remain in contention, albeit barely. Ford Racing’s Christopher Mies and Frédéric Vervisch (-134) have to finish at least second in the No. 65 Mustang GT3 Evo to have a chance; if they win, they need the No. 4 to finish 10th or lower, the No. 1 in sixth or lower, and the No. 9 in fifth or lower.

Both the No. 64 of Dennis Olsen and Ben Barker and the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche of Nick Tandy and Harry King (-158 each) must win, with the No. 4, No. 1, and No. 9 cars finishing no better than 12th, eighth, and sixth.

The top two teams in LMP2 are now separated by 10 points – the difference in one lower-end finishing position. Jeremy Clarke, Tom Dillmann, and Inter Europol Competition are still in a winner-take-all fight with George Kurtz, Alex Quinn, and CrowdStrike Racing by APR. But with the margin at 10 points, it now means that the two teams can finish in a tie – and in the event of a tie, Inter Europol’s two wins this season give Clarke and Dillmann the advantage.

Both Daniel Goldburg (#22 United Autosports USA) and PJ Hyett/Dane Cameron (#99 AO Racing) sit 105 points behind, needing either a first or second-place finish to have a chance. If either car wins, they need the No. 43 to finish seventh or lower, and the No. 04 to finish sixth or lower.

Remember that the Jim Trueman Award for LMP2’s top Bronze driver, and an automatic invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is at stake for Bronze drivers Clarke, Kurtz, Goldburg and Hyett.

Over in GTD, Russell Ward and Philip Ellis of Winward Racing now lead Turner Motorsport's Patrick Gallagher and Robby Foley by 15 points, instead of six. It now means that Turner Motorsport has to finish at least one position, if not two, better than Winward Racing to outscore them and win the GTD title.

Eduardo Barrichello and Heart of Racing Team (-126) have to finish no lower than fifth to have a chance at the championship; if they win, they need the No. 57 Winward Mercedes-AMG to finish outside the top eight, and the No. 96 Turner BMW to finish outside the top seven.