The last race of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship will be held Oct 9-12th at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
The first race on September 13, 1970, saw Vic Elford in a Chaparral 2j, win Pole while Tony Dean in a Porsche 908/02 win the 300 KM Can-Am event and Stirling Moss was the Grand Marshall.
With its 12 turns and 2.54 mile track with up to 80ft of elevation change at turn 12 going to the start-finish line, is not the only elevation change at the course making for a challenging track to race.

Porsche celebrating with IMSA and their 50th year, has had several retro paint schemes this year and ending with the team cars in Coca Cola red.. The same paint scheme that Bob Akin Motorsports race in 1980 with a Porsche 935 and their Porsche 962 in 1984.

In 1980 in the Porsche 935, team drivers Derek Bell, John O’Steen, Craig Siebert, and Dale Whittington came in 2nd in 1981 and 1982 rolex 24 hours and 1st in 1983 at the 1986 12 hours of Sebring in the GTP Class.


The Porsche #5 962 with the Coca Cola red and white paint scheme had their best results with Bob Akins, Hans Stuck and Jo Gartner won the 12 hours of Sebring.
Bobby Akin, vice president of business development for the FOX Sports Media group said, “My father loved the 962. He enjoyed the 935, but it was the 962 that he really loved to drive. I gave him the most fun he ever had in a race car. And the car with the all-red Coca Cola livery was the one he loved best.
In 2015 was the second time that the race was shortened due to rain and also the 1st time a GTLM car beat the Prototypes and win overall. That was Porsche with Nick Tandy and Patrick Pilet that I don’t know how they did it. I was there and cars were getting stuck in the car corrals. Water was running across the track in areas and one spot another photographer sank into about 4 inches of red Georgia clay mud.
This year will be the first time in 6 years that I am not going the Petit Le Mans. I hope you will watch on NBC as Porsche and the teams go for the GTLM championship, the manufacturer championship and drivers championship.
With Porsche in the lead with 372 point followed by Ford with 313 and Chevrolet with 302 and a win could only give 35 points, Porsche is looking pretty good for the Manufacturer Championship.
In the drivers’ championship, Earl Bamber is 1st with Laureen Vanthoor with 304 points followed by Nick Tandy and Patrick Pilet in 2nd with 292 points and followed by Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia tied for 3rd with 289 points. With the max of 35 points available, this championship can go with way.
So if interested, you will have to watch on NBC and see what happens at the 22nd Petit Le Mans.