Michelin Road Atlanta Notebook

Ahead of Motul Petit Le Mans weekend at the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, here are Michelin’s pre-race statistics, notes and data.

Tire Allocations:
WeatherTech Championship
DPi: 22 sets – IMSA Medium
LMP2: 22 sets – IMSA Medium
GTLM: 20 sets – GTLM Range
GTD: 18 sets – Michelin Pilot Sport GT S9M

Michelin Pilot Challenge
GS: 5 sets – Michelin Pilot Sport GT S9M
TCR: 4 sets – Michelin Pilot Sport GT S9M

Prototype Challenge
LMP3: 5 sets – Michelin Pilot Sport GT S8M & S9M

Significant Temperature Swing: Motul Petit Le Mans lends itself to temperature swings throughout the 10-hour race anyway, with several hours run in darkness. The added change compared to the Michelin Endurance Challenge weekend six weeks ago is that the ambient and track temperatures could be 30 or more degrees cooler than Labor Day weekend. Early range forecasts are in the low-to-mid 60-degree range ambient for highs, and that is before night falls and the temperatures will drop.

Largest Car Count Since January: Michelin’s three IMSA race series compete on the same weekend for the final time in 2020. The combined 80 cars (31 in WeatherTech, 35 in Pilot Challenge and 14 in Prototype Challenge) is the most since IMSA’s return to racing in July. To support this, Michelin has brought more than 6,000 tires (including wets) and will cover the three series with 11 Michelin staff and 30 Jackson operations and support crew.

Manufacturer Win Tracking: Through Charlotte, 12 different automotive brands have won at least once in WeatherTech Championship or Pilot Challenge. The five still searching for their first 2020 wins are Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Ford, Honda and Porsche.

Four Generations of Corvette at Petit: The Corvette C8.R makes its second Michelin Raceway start of the season, but now adds Petit Le Mans to the new car’s resume. The C5, C6 and C7 generations of Corvette have all raced at Petit Le Mans during the Corvette Racing program’s 20-plus-year history. It’s been since 2010, however, when Corvette last won Petit Le Mans. Corvette has won six of seven GT Le Mans class races since the return to racing in July.

Michelin At-Track Activation Returns: This year’s Petit Le Mans marks the first race Michelin has had dealer and fan activations on-site since IMSA returned to racing. Additionally, this race marks the one-year anniversary of the dedication of the iconic Michelin Tower at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

The Torque Show: The Torque Show, presented by Michelin, returns to the track this weekend as well. Hosts Justin Bell and Tommy Kendall broadcasted their Charlotte shows at Jackson, a top brand marketing and motorsport marketing agency. After setting up there, the crew and its Airstream heads down to the track where they’ll set up in the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta fan zone. Stay tuned to its social media channels (@TorqueShowLive) for air times.

Social Media Handles: Follow Michelin at VIR with these handles:
Facebook: @MichelinUSA
Twitter: @MichelinUSA and @MichelinRaceUSA
Instagram: @MichelinUSA
Web: michelinracingusa.com