Under glorious sunshine and delightfully mild temperatures, the 2026 Le Mans Classic Series season came to a close at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola. On this wonderfully old-school circuit, nearly 250 carsdelivered racing of exceptional intensity, crowned deserving race winners and decided every championship title.
One of the highlights of the weekend was the presence of six track-only Maserati MC12s, something not seen together for more than a decade. Three examples put on a spectacular show during the two Endurance Racing Legends 1 grid races, much to the delight of the fans, while three additional cars were displayed in the paddock, including the ultra-exclusive Centenario and a rare Long Nose version.
It was the Endurance Racing Legends 1 grid that had the honor of opening Saturday afternoon’s packed race program. Featuring one of the finest collections of modern endurance machinery, the grid immediately delivered spectacular action. The first headline came from Swiss driver Maxime Guenat, who claimed victory on the debut outing of his Dallara SP1, finishing ahead of the Dome S101 shared by Yvan Vercoutere and Alex Müller, and Emile Breittmayer’s DBA 03S. The three Maserati MC12 GT1s naturally captivated the spectators throughout the weekend. On Sunday, with Guenat absent, Müller secured a solo victory, finishing ahead of Olivier Galant’s thunderous Panoz LMP-1 Roadster S and Breittmayer’s DBA. On both occasions, Joe Macari proved to be the fastest Maserati MC12 driver.
The Gentlemen Challenge generated tremendous excitement at Imola thanks to the appearance of the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO. Claudio Roddaro made excellent use of it in Race 1, crossing the finish line third overall behind the Lister Jaguar Costin of John Spiers and Nigel Greensall, and the equally iconic Jaguar D-Type of Toby Smith and Chris Ward. Simply magical. On Sunday, the Lister and the Jaguar repeated the feat, this time ahead of the highly competitive Lotus XV of Jakob Viggo Holstein and Ott Reedtz-Thott. A true journey back in time.
Another major attraction at Imola Classic was the presence of Zak Brown behind the wheel of a Jaguar XJR-9 in the Group C Racing grid. The McLaren Racing CEO, sharing the car with Richard Dean, secured two overall podium finishes, while victory went to David and Olivier Hart in their Lola T92/10. The season finale also showcased an outstanding Group C grid, including one of the sixteen factory-built Porsche 962 chassis originally produced by Porsche for international competition, driven by Ivan Vercoutere and the talented Alex Müller. All of this bodes extremely well for the strength of the Group C Racing grid heading into the 2027 season.
The Dutch father-and-son pairing also claimed Race 1 honors in the Endurance Racing Legends 2 grid with their Ferrari F430 GTC Evo. David and Olivier Hart were joined on the podium by another Ferrari F430 GTC Evo, that of Zak Brown and Richard Dean, who enjoyed a busy weekend of racing. On Sunday, Porsche and Chevrolet took center stage, with Britain’s Mark Sumpter taking victory in his Porsche 993 GT2 ahead of the Corvette C6 ZR1 of John Emberson and Nigel Greensall and Steven Osborne’s Porsche 997 GT3 RSR.
Held on Saturday evening against the backdrop of a spectacular sunset, the 2.0 L Cup finale crowned Gentlemen category driver Jürgen Rudolf, who defeated the Gentlemen Elite crews. Juergen Westphal and young Mattis Pluschkell produced a remarkable recovery drive, while Johannes Stengel and Andrew Smith secured third place. Five-time Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro, once again sharing with James Turner, finished fourth.
Sunday began in spectacular fashion with the Heritage Touring Cup, featuring another epic battle between the Ford Capri RS3100 and the BMW 3.0 CSL. Belgian driver Emile Breittmayer emerged victorious alongside his father Olivier, beating the Capri of Maxime Guenat and the BMW 3.0 CSL shared by Michael Kammermann and Maurizio Bianco. Touring car fans were treated to another memorable contest.
Another Belgian, Thierry Neuville, the 2024 FIA World Rally Champion, claimed a class victory in his Ford Escort RS1600, making him one of the weekend’s star attractions. Also competing in the Heritage Touring Cup 2 grid aboard a BMW M3 E30, Neuville’s race unfortunately ended in retirement. That left the spotlight to Phil Keen, who guided the spectacular Holden Commodore VL to victory on its first appearance in the series. The Briton finished ahead of the Portuguese pairing of Francesco Freitas and Luis Liberal, who ran out of fuel on the final lap, and the car shared by Abraham Bontrup and Olivier Hart. Four Nissan Skyline R32 GT-Rs also took part as invited entries, adding even more excitement to the show. A particularly rich and varied grid that promises an exciting future for the Heritage Touring Cup 2 in 2027.
While Claudio Roddaro’s Porsche 917 K once again thrilled spectators in the Classic Endurance Racing 1 grid, the Lola T70 Mk.3Bs completed a clean sweep at Imola. Emile Breittmayer added a second victory to his weekend tally by defeating Armand Mille as well as former Formula 1 driver Jan Magnussen, who shared his car with Chris Ward. Marc de Siebenthal and Henrique Gemperle finished fourth in their Porsche 908/03, while Ralf Kelleners claimed GT1 honors in his De Tomaso Pantera Gr.4.
Classic Endurance Racing 2 featured a superb duel between two Lolas, with Stéphane Nguyen’s T282 narrowly defeating Maxime Guenat’s T286, prompting an emotional celebration from the race winner. Yves Scemama completed the overall podium in his TOJ SC304, while Jan Magnussen and Chris Ward claimed victory in the under-two-litre Prototype class with their Lola T292. Lars Rolner and Patrick Simon took GT2 honors in their Porsche 934/5.
Finally, the Classic Touring Challenge was dominated by a thrilling battle between Ford Mustang 289s, with John Spiers and Nigel Greensall getting the better of Abraham Bontrup. François Rivaz and Frank Stippler were the leading Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA crew, completing the overall podium.
The season is not quite over, however, as several competitors will head across the Atlantic in mid-November for the HSR Daytona Classic 24 Hour, the final event of the 2026 season.
Attention will then turn to the 2027 Le Mans Classic Series season. Before the championship gets underway at Espíritu de Montjuïc in Barcelona on 2–4 April, competitors and their cars will gather at Circuit Paul Ricard for three days of official Test Days, taking place on 15–17 March.
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