In a year-long championship season, it is important and prudent to stay physically and mentally fresh and sharp. For most, this is accomplished by taking breaks and time away from the race track, to recuperate and remember there are things in life, other than chasing milliseconds and the perfect apex.

The past few weeks offered a perfect opportunity for VSCA competitors and teams to do just this. Various members even shared their stories from vacation trips to foreign countries, to a visit at the local race tracks or horseback riding in the wilderness.

But with Round 9 upon this weekend, the roar of racing returns at Indianapolis and the summer break is moving into the rearview mirror.

And to make this a special occasion on top, it is not just any random race, but the inaugural 6 Hours at The Brickyard.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway - every racing fan, young and old, from around the globe, knows this name and its significance in the annals in the history of motor racing. The 2.44-mile / 3.9 km track will be host to a VSCA SportsCar Championship race for only the second time this weekend, after making its series debut in September 2023.

New Entries on the grid

Making their return to the series for the first time since Petit Le Mans in October 2024, Bravo Snow Schatten out of Brazil have entered their GT PRO #24 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Round 9 at Indianapolis.

Likewise, new faces on the grid will be the #57 Double Stint Racing McLaren 720S GT3 EVO in GT AM. Brothers Kris Tryber and Kurtis Tryber will be the third pair of brothers on the grid, joining Kyle and Jason Birnie and Dominik and Sebastian Isenberg, showing that racing in VSCA is a family affair.

World Of SimRacing Riding Momentum in GTP Class

Eventual series champions that year, the #7 Grizzly Motorsports BMW M8 Hybrid V8 won the race in GTP class and overall back then with drivers Joshua Wolf and Treavor Vavrosky.

The #51 World Of SimRacing Team Cadillac V-Series.R GTP enters Indianapolis this season on the momentum of a hefty 404-point championship lead, looking to do better than their eighth-place finish in the race two years ago.

With only three races remaining in the championship, the Spaniards are the clear-cut favorites to claim their first-ever championship title this year, but will have to do so by getting out of the summer break with a clean race and another solid finish, or perhaps their fifth straight win.

The #32 Wastegate Racing Cadillac has struggled to keep in touch with the championship leaders, falling further behind at Watkins Glen in June, finishing fifth while their arch nemesis won the race. Can the San Jose, California based team turn things around at the Brickyard?

Rising Panda Racing meanwhile have set their eyes on picking off second place in the championship with another good run. In the last three races the #46 Acura ARX-06 GTP has landed on the podium twice, moving the Austrian team from fifth to third in points.

LMP2 claims closest championship fight in the series

The most competitive and closest championship battle in the series today is the battle in LMP2 class competition. Currently leading by a mere 38-point margin, the #23 Twin Turn Simracing Dallara cannot rest on its laurels.

The #11 Vision 1 Motorsports Dallara is right behind, ready to strike and is coming off of another strong podium finish at Watkins Glen in June.

Twin brothers Dominik and Sebastian Isenberg meanwhile hope that the #23 team’s sixth-place finish at Watkins Glen will remain a blurb on the screen and the team returns its consistent path of top-fives and podiums that has brought them into contention in the first place.

In all of this, the #23 Dallara is still looking for its first win of the season - which begs the question: Will Indianapolis and its six-hour race finally bring the #23 team’s first trip to victory lane?

The undoubtedly hottest team in LMP2 class competition today is the #158 iRacing Today Motorsports Dallara. After four consecutive finishes of sixth or worse to start off the season, the team’s decision to switch to a drivers lineup of Timothy Johnston and Chad Dalton has paid early dividends - scoring back-to-back wins at Detroit Belle Isle and Watkins Glen.

Now, the #158 team sits third in the championship, only 104 points from the top spot and a golden opportunity to make Indianapolis the scene where the team turns the title fight in their favor.

GT PRO season tale waiting for its next chapter

Looking at the 2025 season so far in GT PRO class competition, the story feels like a tale of chapters. Coming out of the gates white hot, winning three races in a row, the #71 Sim City Racing Porsche has held a firm hold on the championship lead all year long.

However, since scoring their third and so far most recent win, the Las Vegas based team has finished fifth, second and 12th at VIR, CTMP and Watkins Glen.

The team’s closest arch rival, the #84 Fischer Motorsport Porsche failed to capitalize at Watkins Glen, by finishing 11th, but won at VIR and finished third at CTMP.

The #44 Fischer Motorsport Porsche has been on a tear as of late, gaining ground in the last three races finishing fourth at VIR, winning at CTMP and taking seventh place at Watkins Glen.

So going into the final three races of the year, the top three are separated by 339 points - leaving spectators to fans to wonder how this season will end.

Vulture vs. Off in the Esses headline GT AM

Off in the Esses Racing and their #83 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO are one of the veteran teams in the series, having competed ever since the series’ inaugural race in January 2022.

So it was a moment of joy and pride for the team out of Toronto, Ontario, to finally get its elusive first-ever VSCA victory at Daytona earlier this year.

What followed in the months after, was an up-and-down finishing sixth, fourth, 2nd and 7th. But at At Watkins Glen the team returned to glory, picking up season win number two and re-taking the GT AM championship lead for the first time since January.

Only 65 points back, the #64 Vulture Motorsports Ford Mustang hopes to do one better than Watkins Glen, where the team finished second. Clearly, as proven by winning at VIR in April and finishing second at Laguna Seca, the team has the speed to fight for the win. The question will be for the Tampa, Florida based group, whether they can put together that perfect race at Indianapolis and cut into the points deficit for the final three races.

And then there is the #94 SWF Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R. The team hasn’t won a race yet this season, but led the points going into Laguna Seca - a remarkable achievement in for itself in the team’s rookie season in the series.

Going into the 6 Hours at The Brickyard, the #94 Porsche trails in the GT AM championship by 270 points, putting them in striking distance should the top two make a mistake or have a bad race or two.

Indianapolis back on schedule for 2026

All signs indicate for a promising, exciting finale to the 2025 season headed into this weekend’s 6 Hours at The Brickyard.

In other big news, VSCA announced on Tuesday that the upcoming 2026 SportsCar Championship will be broadcast live in full length, with live commentary on GreenFlag TV.

Additionally, VSCA also announced the preliminary 2026 SportsCar Championship schedule, which has confirmed that Indianapolis will return to the series schedule next year, albeit as a Sprint Cup round. In its place, Road America will turn to a six-hour Endurance Cup race next year.

But until then, teams will focus on what’s ahead right now. The 6 Hours at The Brickyard is scheduled to take the green flag on Saturday 1600 GMT. As per usual, VSCAracing.com will have live scoring and timing powered by JRT.