SRO America Unveils 2026 GT World Challenge Calendar and New Endurance Format
In a significant development announced at the SRO Press Conference in Spa-Francorchamps, the provisional 2026 calendar for the GT World Challenge America powered by AWS was revealed. The series will adopt a new three-hour endurance race format, replacing the previous two 90-minute sprint races.
The season opener is set for March 27-29 at Sonoma Raceway, followed by events at Circuit of the Americas (April 24-26) and Sebring International Raceway (May 15-17). Two additional races are scheduled for June 12-14 and August 28-30 at yet-to-be confirmed venues, with Barber Motorsports Park hosting the penultimate round on September 25-27. The season concludes with the Indianapolis 8 Hour on October 8-10, which will also serve as the finale for the 2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge.
SRO America emphasized that the shift back to a true three-day format aligns the championship with global endurance traditions while preserving the sprint-like intensity that fans appreciate. "This new format will demand greater collaboration between co-drivers and add a strategic layer to pit stop execution," the series stated in its press release.
SRO’s CEO, Stephane Ratel, noted, “The main complaint we had from our US clients was that events spanned too many days. Moving to one three-hour race does not increase costs compared to the previous format and introduces a strategic element while maintaining two-driver teams.”
Alongside these changes, Pirelli GT4 America and GT America will mirror the 2026 schedule of GT World Challenge America. Notably, the “Lone Star Enduro” in GT4 America will return to Circuit of the Americas.
GT America will also see the introduction of a new Cup class for one-make racers, featuring vehicles like the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and Lamborghini Super Trofeo. This move addresses a decline in entries for the single-driver, multi-class sprint series.
Further details, including the yet-to-be-announced venues, will be disclosed during a State of the Series Press Conference at Road America in August.
2026 SRO America Provisional Calendar
- March 27-29: Sonoma Raceway
- April 24-26: Circuit of the Americas
- May 15-17: Sebring International Raceway
- June 12-14: TBA
- August 28-30: TBA
- September 25-27: Barber Motorsports Park
- October 8-10: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (8 Hours)
This new direction for GT World Challenge America marks a strategic evolution within SRO’s offerings, prioritizing both efficiency and competitive integrity.
