2026 IMSA Battle on the Bricks Race Day Guide
Updated: 4 days ago
Sunday Schedule, Parking, Weather & What to Know at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 2026 IMSA Battle on the Bricks
Heading to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 2026 IMSA Battle on the Bricks on Sunday, September 20?
Here's your race-day guide to tomorrow's schedule, parking, weather, support races, fan access and the main IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race.
The 2026 event brings all four WeatherTech Championship classes together on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis road course for a 2-hour, 40-minute sprint. It's also the penultimate round of the championship and the final sprint race of the 2026 season. (Indianapolis Motor Speedway)
SUNDAY AT A GLANCE
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Parking Opens: 8:30 AM
Gates Open: 9:30 AM
Mazda MX-5 Cup: 10:15 AM
Porsche Carrera Cup: 11:20 AM
Lamborghini Super Trofeo: 12:20 PM
IMSA Grid Walk: 1:50 PM
Battle on the Bricks: 3:10 PM
Scheduled Finish: 5:50 PM
All times Eastern.
FIRST SECTOR TIP //
Don't arrive just for the 3:10 start. The open paddock, support races, and pre-race grid walk are a major part of the IMSA experience. If this is your first IMSA race, getting there before noon is worth it.
WHAT'S RACING SUNDAY?
There's plenty happening before the WeatherTech field takes the green flag.
10:15 AM // MAZDA MX-5 CUP
Sunday begins with the second Mazda MX-5 Cup race of the weekend. The 45-minute race is worth catching even if you're primarily coming for IMSA—the close drafting and large packs regularly produce some of the weekend's best racing.
11:20 AM // PORSCHE CARRERA CUP
Porsche Carrera Cup takes over the Speedway for a 40-minute race featuring identical 911 GT3 Cup cars.
12:20 PM // LAMBORGHINI SUPER TROFEO
The final support race before the main event features Lamborghini Super Trofeo machines in a 50-minute race.
1:50 PM // IMSA PRE-RACE GRID WALK
Then comes one of the best parts of attending IMSA in person.
Fans get the opportunity to head onto the grid before the WeatherTech race, get close to the cars and experience the pre-race atmosphere on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway frontstretch.
The grid walk runs until approximately 2:50 PM, leaving a relatively short window before the main race begins.
3:10 PM // BATTLE ON THE BRICKS
Then it's time for the main event.
The GTP, LMP2, GTD PRO and GTD classes all compete simultaneously, creating four separate class battles while significantly different cars navigate the same circuit and traffic. (Indianapolis Motor Speedway)
Unlike the six-hour endurance format previously used at Indianapolis, the 2026 Battle on the Bricks is a 2-hour, 40-minute sprint. (IMSA)
That changes the character of the race considerably.
There is less time to recover from mistakes, traffic becomes even more important, and teams can't rely on six hours of strategy to work their way back toward the front.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR IN THE IMSA RACE
FOUR CLASSES. ONE TRACK.
One of the biggest differences between watching IMSA on television and seeing it in person is realizing just how quickly the prototypes close on the GT cars.
The GTP machines are the fastest cars in the field, followed by LMP2, while GTD PRO and GTD use GT3-based machinery.
All four will be sharing Indianapolis at once.
That means a GT battle can suddenly have a prototype arrive behind it—and the decisions drivers make in traffic can gain or lose significant amounts of time.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP MATTERS
Indianapolis is the penultimate WeatherTech Championship round of 2026, leaving only Motul Petit Le Mans after Sunday's race. (NBC Sports)
Championship points are therefore becoming increasingly difficult to recover.
Expect drivers fighting for titles to balance aggression with the reality that a DNF this late in the season could be extremely costly.
WEATHER // PACK FOR BOTH CONDITIONS
Sunday could get interesting.
The current Indianapolis forecast calls for a very warm day around 87°F, but thunderstorms are possible as cloud cover builds. A heavier downpour could also temporarily create standing water or drainage issues.
That makes this a weekend where I'd prepare for sun and rain rather than choosing one.
BRING:
Rain poncho or light jacket
Sunscreen
Hat
Water
Comfortable shoes
Portable phone charger
Small towel
And if you're bringing camera equipment, throw some kind of rain protection for it in your bag.
FIRST SECTOR TIP //
Don't leave your rain gear in the car because the morning looks clear. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is enormous. Walking all the way back to your vehicle when the sky opens up isn't how you want to spend the race.
PARKING AT IMS
Outside parking lots are scheduled to open at 8:30 AM Sunday, followed by the gates at 9:30 AM.
There are both free and paid options around Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
FREE PARKING
Hulman Lot — Georgetown Road
IMS lists free automobile, motorcycle, bus and ADA parking in the Hulman Lot, although availability is limited. (Indianapolis Motor Speedway)
PAID PARKING
Several paid lots are available around the Speedway, including options closer to the facility.
If convenience matters more to you than saving $20–$30, paying for a closer lot can be worthwhile—particularly if rain arrives later in the day.
IMPORTANT // 16TH STREET BRIDGE CLOSURE
This is something I'd make visually prominent on the First Sector page.
The 16th Street bridge over the White River is closed, which may affect how some fans normally approach Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
IMS recommends alternate routes using the 10th Street, Michigan Street, New York Street or Washington Street bridges, or approaching via other routes including the reopened 30th Street bridge toward Georgetown Road. (Indianapolis Motor Speedway)
FIRST SECTOR TIP //
Check your navigation before you get close to the Speedway.
Don't rely entirely on the route you remember from a previous trip to IMS.
WHAT TIME SHOULD YOU GET THERE?
I'd break this down by the kind of experience you want.
9:15–9:30 AM // THE FULL DAY
This is the move if you've never attended an IMSA race.
You'll get:
MX-5 Cup
Porsche Carrera Cup
Lamborghini Super Trofeo
Paddock time
Food/Fan Zone
Grid Walk
Full IMSA race
You're getting a lot of racing for one Sunday.
10:30–11:30 AM // FIRST SECTOR PICK
For most fans, this is probably the sweet spot.
You don't have to wake up ridiculously early, but you'll still have several hours to explore before the main event.
1:00 PM // DON'T PUSH IT MUCH LATER
If your priority is solely the WeatherTech race, I'd still try to be parked and entering the facility around 1 PM.
That gives you enough time to get oriented and participate in the grid walk without immediately rushing toward the race.
DON'T SKIP THE PADDOCK
This is one of the biggest reasons to attend IMSA instead of simply watching from home.
Battle on the Bricks ticket holders have access to an open paddock, allowing fans to get close to the cars and see teams working throughout the weekend. IMS specifically promotes the paddock and infield access as part of the event experience.
Walk through before the main race.
You'll see cars on stands, mechanics working, drivers and crews moving around and all four WeatherTech classes preparing for the afternoon.
For someone who's never attended IMSA before, this level of access can be surprising.
WHAT SHOULD YOU BRING?
Keep the race-day bag simple.
Phone + portable charger
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Hat
Water
Poncho
Comfortable shoes
Ear protection
Camera
Small towel
IMS allows guests to bring a cooler and a standard backpack/book bag subject to its size and gate restrictions. The facility is also cashless, so bring a credit/debit card or another accepted contactless payment method. (Indianapolis Motor Speedway)
Before leaving home, I'd check the current gate regulations one final time.
FIRST SECTOR // SUNDAY GAME PLAN
If you're looking at this tomorrow morning wondering what to do, here's the simple version:
8:30 AM Parking opens
↓
9:30 AM Gates open
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10:15 AM Mazda MX-5 Cup
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11:20 AM Porsche Carrera Cup
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12:20 PM Lamborghini Super Trofeo
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1:10 PM Grab food + explore the paddock
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1:50 PM IMSA GRID WALK
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2:50 PM Leave the grid and find your viewing spot
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3:10 PM BATTLE ON THE BRICKS 🏁
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5:50 PM Scheduled checkered flag
FINAL FIRST SECTOR TIP
Indianapolis is a massive facility, so don't spend the entire race in one place.
Watch the start from one location, move somewhere different once the race settles down, and finish somewhere that gives you a good view of the final battles.
IMSA is particularly good for this because every section of the circuit gives you something different: braking, acceleration, multiclass traffic or outright prototype speed.
And with thunderstorms possible Sunday, keep an eye on the sky.
A wet Indianapolis road course combined with GTP, LMP2, GTD PRO and GTD traffic could make the 2026 Battle on the Bricks considerably more unpredictable.
Enjoy the race. We'll see you at the Brickyard!
THE RACE DOESN’T END HERE.
Whether you're planning your next race weekend, following the championship from home, or getting behind the wheel in the sim, First Sector keeps you connected to endurance racing.
INDIANAPOLIS FAN GUIDE → Everything you need for experiencing IMS at any time—not just this weekend.
2026 ENDURANCE RACING CALENDAR → See what's racing next across IMSA, WEC, GT World Challenge and ELMS.
SIM RACING → Learn the circuits, improve your racecraft and experience endurance racing from behind the wheel.
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