What is the American 10-hour race named after Le Mans?

Petit Le Mans is the American 10-hour race named after Le Mans.

The event is held at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, and its French name means “Little Le Mans.” It was founded by Road Atlanta owner Don Panoz in cooperation with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, the organizer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, to bring Le Mans-style endurance racing to North America.

The inaugural race took place in 1998. From 1998 through 2013, it was run for either 1,000 miles or 10 hours, whichever came first. Since 2014, its defined duration has been 10 hours. The race uses multiple classes of prototypes and GT cars competing simultaneously.

Petit Le Mans is sometimes confused with the 12 Hours of Sebring or the 24 Hours of Daytona, both major American endurance classics. It is not part of the informal Triple Crown with Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring, but it is often included in broader lists of the world’s most prestigious endurance races.