Watkins Glen Returns to SRO America Schedule in 2027

Photo: Brian Cleary/SRO

Watkins Glen International will make a return to SRO America competition next year, bringing GT World Challenge America powered by AWS, Pirelli GT4 America and GT America powered by AWS back to the Northeast for the first time since 2022.

Announced during SRO Motorsports Group’s annual press conference in Spa, the seven-event schedule also sees a change in its Intercontinental GT Challenge venue to Circuit of The Americas due to uncertainties surrounding the timeline for a planned repave of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The event at The Brickyard provisionally remains on next year’s schedule in early October but as a regular-length three-hour GTWC America round that is due to close out the season.

Sportscar365 understands that if the repaving of The Brickyard will happen next fall, SRO America could pursue a return to Virginia International Raceway, which was replaced by Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on this year’s calendar.

Watkins Glen, which had hosted GTWC America from 2018-19 and again from 2021-22, replaces Sebring International Raceway on the calendar, which has hosted SRO America rounds since 2023. It will serve as the third event of the season on May 21-23.

The 2027 campaign will kick off at Sonoma Raceway on April 2-4 prior to the new Texas 8 Hour race that will see IGTC join forces with GTWC America.

The annual three-hour endurance race for GT4 America at COTA is expected to be moved to a different venue due to the expanded race format for the headline GT3 race.

The event at Road Atlanta, which debuted this year, has been pushed one week back to avoid a clash with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and is set for June 18-20, prior to a summer break before reconvening at Road America on Aug. 27-29.

Barber Motorsports Park, on Sept. 10-12, however, is set to overlap with the FIA World Endurance Championship event at COTA, but is the only clash with the WEC next year after no fewer than three conflicts this year.

As has traditionally been the case, there are no clashes with the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, allowing drivers and teams to run both of the premier U.S. sports car racing championships.

Another change for 2027 comes in a condensed three-day weekend format for all series after introducing a staggered approach this year due to having a total of six series, including the Toyota GR Cup North America and McLaren Trophy America single-makes, on most weekends.

Sportscar365 understands that McLaren Trophy America will move to a new sanctioning body, thus enabling the more efficient weekend format for SRO America.

2027 SRO America Schedule:
April 2-4 — Sonoma Raceway
May 7-9 — Circuit of The Americas (Texas 8 Hour)
May 21-23 — Watkins Glen International
June 18-20 — Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
Aug. 27-29 — Road America
Sept. 10-12 — Barber Motorsports Park
Oct. 1-3 — Indianapolis Motor Speedway

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John