TireRack.com Battle On The Bricks

The TireRack.com Battle On The Bricks brings premier sports car racing back to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 2026 season. This multi-day event features the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as its headline race, alongside several supporting series that showcase different categories of sports car competition. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course configuration provides teams and drivers with a unique challenge that combines high-speed sections from the famous oval with a technical infield layout.

Event Overview

The TireRack.com Battle On The Bricks spans three days of racing action at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The main attraction is a 2-hour and 40-minute IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race. Supporting races include the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with a 2-hour format, plus additional competition from Lamborghini Super Trofeo, Mazda MX-5 Cup, and Porsche Carrera Cup series. This variety offers fans multiple racing disciplines across a single weekend.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course measures 2.439 miles (3.925 kilometers) and features 14 turns. Drivers navigate this clockwise circuit that blends a portion of the legendary oval track with an intricate infield section. This hybrid layout demands both raw speed and technical skill from competitors.

The road course configuration at IMS was originally completed in 2000 to host Formula 1 racing. Track officials made modifications in 2014 to better serve IndyCar competition. Further changes refined the course to its current 14-turn layout, improving both racing quality and spectator viewing opportunities.

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Classes

The TireRack.com Battle On The Bricks features all four classes from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Each class brings distinct vehicles and competition levels to the track.

Grand Touring Prototype (GTP)

The GTP class represents the top level of IMSA prototype racing. These advanced machines compete using LMDh regulations and deliver the fastest lap times of any category at the event.

Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2)

LMP2 cars provide an additional prototype category within the field. These vehicles follow international specifications that allow them to compete at major endurance races worldwide.

GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO)

GTD PRO features production-based GT cars driven exclusively by professional racers. This class showcases manufacturers competing with vehicles derived from road-going sports cars.

GT Daytona (GTD)

The GTD class operates under a pro-am structure, pairing professional drivers with amateur competitors. These GT cars match GTD PRO specifications but maintain different driver requirements.

IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Competition

The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge adds production-based sports car racing to the Battle On The Bricks weekend. This series includes two distinct classes of vehicles.

Grand Sport (GS) Class

The GS class consists of GT4 homologated vehicles from manufacturers including Aston Martin, BMW, Ford, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, and Toyota. These cars generate between 400 and 450 horsepower and reach speeds exceeding 160 mph. Teams prepare these vehicles within strict homologation rules that keep competition close.

Touring Car (TCR) Class

TCR class cars use international TCR specifications and include entries from Audi, Cupra, Honda, and Hyundai. These vehicles produce 300-350 horsepower and exceed 140 mph. The smaller, lighter TCR cars provide a contrast to the larger GS machines while maintaining equally competitive racing.

IMSA equalizes competition in the Michelin Pilot Challenge through adjustments to fuel capacity, ride height, power output, and vehicle weight. This Balance of Performance system helps ensure that different manufacturers can compete on even terms.

Technical Regulations for 2026

IMSA has implemented updated sporting regulations for the 2026 season. A new "Short FCY" protocol applies to incidents occurring within 30 minutes of a race start or 15 minutes of a restart under green flag conditions. During a Short FCY, the pit lane generally remains closed unless race officials convert the situation to a standard Full Course Yellow procedure.

Teams competing in LMP2, GTD PRO, and GTD classes receive additional test days for 2026. IMSA has also revised requirements for Bronze-rated drivers in the GTP and GTD PRO categories. These changes affect how teams prepare for events like the TireRack.com Battle On The Bricks.

All WeatherTech SportsCar Championship classes operate under strict homologation rules that limit vehicle modifications. These technical regulations maintain the balance between different manufacturers and ensure that racing remains competitive across the field.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway History

Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909 with a surface of gravel and asphaltum oil. Track owners quickly replaced this surface with 3.2 million paving bricks, creating the "Brickyard" nickname that endures today. Workers covered most of these bricks with asphalt in 1961, but a three-foot strip remains exposed at the start/finish line as a tribute to this heritage.

Sports car racing at IMS began when the Grand American Road Racing Association held races there in 2012 during the "Super Weekend at the Brickyard." IMSA formed in 2014 through a merger of sanctioning bodies and has continued to bring sports car racing to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Battle On The Bricks name returned in 2023 and continues with the 2026 edition.

What Makes Indianapolis Motor Speedway Special

Indianapolis Motor Speedway holds several distinctions in motorsports. It was the second purpose-built, banked oval racing circuit constructed anywhere in the world. It also became the first track to use the term "speedway" in its name.

The facility serves as the world's highest-capacity sports venue. Permanent seating accommodates 257,325 spectators, with total capacity reaching up to 400,000 when infield areas are included. The massive grounds could fit Vatican City, the Roman Colosseum, Wimbledon Campus, the Rose Bowl, Churchill Downs, and Yankee Stadium simultaneously. Alternatively, all 14 Big Ten Conference football stadiums could fit within the oval track.

IMS pioneered safety innovations by becoming the first racing facility to install SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barriers. These barriers now serve as standard safety equipment at oval tracks throughout motorsports.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum preserves the facility's racing history. The Brickyard Crossing Golf Resort offers a unique golf experience with four holes located inside the track's infield. IMSA teams use the historic Gasoline Alley garages, which have served racing teams since the early days of the facility and once hosted Formula 1 operations.

The Battle On The Bricks Experience

The TireRack.com Battle On The Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway delivers multiple forms of sports car racing across one weekend. Fans can watch prototype and GT cars compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, then see production-based sports cars race in the Michelin Pilot Challenge. Additional series provide even more variety throughout the event.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course tests every aspect of car setup and driver ability. Teams must optimize their vehicles for both the high-speed oval section and the slower, more technical infield portions. This combination creates unique challenges that differentiate the Battle On The Bricks from other IMSA events.

The 2026 edition continues the tradition of sports car racing at one of motorsports' most famous venues. The combination of modern racing technology and historic surroundings makes this event a distinctive entry on the IMSA calendar. Indianapolis Motor Speedway's legacy adds weight to every lap turned during the Battle On The Bricks weekend.