Rolex gave us the chance to immerse ourselves in the world of Petit Le Mans.
One of the oldest traditions in motorsport, endurance racing has been one of the most revered challenges to take place behind the wheel of an automobile for over a hundred years, almost as long as the production automobile has been in existence. For many of the decades that endurance racing has defined the pinnacle of motorsport, Rolex has been a close partner with the races and the people that bring them to life. Now, with an expanded partnership between Rolex and IMSA, we got the opportunity to attend the 2025 Petit Le Mans race, and our experience was as deep a dive as anyone could get into the world of endurance.
Our experience started before race day, with two hot laps giving us a thorough impression of the legendary Road Atlanta circuit, and a personal feel for the thrill of its dramatic elevation changes and challenging corners. We were at the mercy of two professional drivers, who took us on hot laps in the Lexus IS 500 sports sedan, and the Ford Mustang GTD, the new racing-ready, ultra-premium performance-oriented take on the legendary Ford Mustang.
With hot laps out of the way, we then had the privilege to speak with some of the teams, including the Whelen Cadillac team that would end up winning the race, where we learned about the intense depth of strategy and intense work it takes not only to race in endurance, but also win. Crew members tirelessly worked to assemble and set up the car for qualifying while we talked, and we learned about the immense amount of data that the teams and IMSA use to optimize their cars, as well as ensure safety and fair competition on the track. The V-Series.R we stood next to featured two O2 sensors: one for the team, and one for IMSA, and miles of fiber are laid throughout the track to transmit data between the teams and IMSA, offering precise information about the cars for the teams and for race control.
Next it was race day, and during the fan walk, spectators had the opportunity to get right up to cars and drivers before the race began. We had the opportunity to see one of the very unfortunate but real moments in endurance racing only minutes after the green flag was waved: a crash took multiple GTD cars out of the race. However, the passion and energy refused to die down for fans, teams, crew members, and staff running the race, as the atmosphere remained electric throuhgout the day and night. The race sold out of tickets, and traffic stretched a mile away from the track in each direction.
We also had the chance to talk to Scott Pruett, one of endurance racing’s most legendary drivers who now works with IMSA race control. He wore a special Rolex watch to Petit Le Mans, which was the season finale for the nearly year-long IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2025. The watch, nearly 40 years old, is one that Pruett purchased as a gift for himself to celebrate a victory in IROC. His immense driving experience, as well as rich racing experience of other race control personnel helps IMSA ensure that the rules, and calls race control makes during the race, strike a balaance of entertainment, safety, and fair competition.
John Doonan, the president of IMSA, provided insight on the rich legacy of endurance racing, including how celebrated drivers come to IMSA from other racing series across the globe in order to compete in the IMSA arena and race on some of the world’s most iconic tracks, Road Atlanta especially included. Doonan has his own personal history with the racing world, visiting tracks during his childhood and falling in love with motorsport leading up to his career today.
As night fell, the track lit up with the headlights of race cars (some of which only had one working), as well as with campfires lit by fans who camped at the track for the race weekend. A tour gave us views from the icnoic Spectator Hill, as well as of some of the most exciting corners on the course: the esses, turns 6 and 7, and the 10a and 10b chicane. Anticipation grew as the race drew to a close, with Cadillac Whelen winning the race overall, and Porsche winning the championship titles thorughout the GTP class.
With an experience seeing an endurance race as closely as someone could get without participating in it, our time at the 2025 Petit Le Mans was not only a chance to witness one of the most exciting races on IMSA’s annual calendar and its season finale, but also a chance to gain an amazingly deep understanding of endurance racing and the labor of love that is motorsport, with one of the sport’s most dedicated, iconic, and committed partners: Rolex.
Image Source: IMSA
