BRASELTON — The Petit Le Mans returns to Road Atlanta this weekend. The races begin on Thursday with the Prototype Lites series at 1:20 p.m. and conclude with Saturday’s 10-hour endurance Pert Le Mans.
Thursday also features the first of two 45-minute Mazda MX-5 Cup races to determine the series champion, as well as the first of two 50-minute Lamborghini Super Trofeo series races.
Friday features at Lites race at 8 a.m., followed by an MX-5 race at 9 a.m. At 12:15 p.m there is a 2-hour and 30-minute Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge to showcase the latest high performance sports cars. The night is capped off with the second Lamborghini race at 5:10 p.m.
The event concludes on Saturday with the Pete Le Mans at 11:10 a.m., which concludes the TUDOR United Sports Car Championship season. The race features four different classes including Prototypes, Prototype Challenge, GT Le Mans and GT Daytona.
Last year in the prototype class, Wayne Taylor Racing and the Taylor brothers became the first Americans to win Petit Le Mans overall in its 17-year history.
Brothers Jordan and Ricky Taylor, along with co-driver Max Angelelli took the checkered flag. Wayne Taylor, the Taylor brothers father, won the very first Petit Le Mans in 1998. The team currently is in fifth place in the standings, but still has a shot at a repeat title if they can win again at Road Atlanta.
Danish driver Christina Nielsen has the chance to be the first female driver to win a championship in the series as she currently leads the GT Daytona class with four victories already this season.
Team Falken Tire is going for their third-consecutive Petit Le Mans win this year in the GT Le Mans class. Braselton’s Bryan Sellers is one of two drivers the team uses. This is the final season Falken Tires will participate in TUDOR Championship racing.
Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell, who was Miss Georgia in 2015, will serve as the Grand Marshall on Saturday.
AUTO RACING
What: Petit Le Mans
Where: Road Atlanta, Braselton
When: Today thru Saturday
Race Schedule:
Today, 1:10 p.m. — Prototype Lites Race No. 1
Today, 2:15 p.m. — Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series Race No. 1
Today, 5:45 p.m. — Mazda MX-5 Cup Race No. 1
Friday, 8 a.m. — Prototype Lites Race No. 2
Friday, 9 a.m. — Mazda MX-5 Cup Race Race No. 2
Friday, 12:15 p.m. — Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge
Friday, 5:10 p.m. — Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series Race No. 2
Saturday, 11:10 a.m. — Petit Le Mans for TUDOR Championship
