Champion Motorsports Presents the 2026 iRacing Team Endurance Series Season Preview

Thirty cars. Two classes. Three races. One championship.

The sixth season of the Champion Motorsports iRacing Team Endurance Series (iRTES) arrives this summer with one of the deepest fields in series history. Established champions, ambitious newcomers, and a packed GT3 grid will battle across three unique venues in a championship where every lap—and every mistake—could define the title fight.

Featuring a 30-car grid split between GTP and GT3 machinery, iRTES returns with a renewed focus on endurance racing fundamentals: teamwork, strategy, consistency, and racecraft. Over three championship rounds ranging from three to five hours, teams will battle across a diverse schedule that includes Homestead-Miami, the Red Bull Ring, and the challenging streets of St. Petersburg.

Before the championship begins, competitors will get one final tune-up in a two-hour Prelude Test Race at Okayama. The season promises dynamic weather, strategic pit work, multi-class traffic management, and plenty of opportunities for championship drama.

2026 Schedule

Prelude Test Race

June 28 – Okayama Full Circuit

  • 2 Hours

Round 1

July 12 – Homestead-Miami Road Course

  • 4 Hours

Round 2

August 9 – Red Bull Ring GP

  • 5 Hours
  • Potential rain conditions could create major strategic challenges

Round 3

September 13 – St. Petersburg Street Circuit

  • 3 Hours 20 Minutes

Three races may not sound like a long championship, but every position matters. With points awarded throughout the field and no room for error, teams will need both speed and reliability from the opening green flag through the final checkered flag.

GTP: PitBullzracing Returns as the Team to Beat

The premier prototype category enters 2026 with an intriguing mix of established powerhouses and ambitious newcomers.

Heading into the season, German PitBullzracing stands as the likely championship favorite. One of the most successful and consistent organizations in recent iRTES competition, PitBullzracing returns with the experience, preparation, and endurance pedigree necessary to contend for another title. Their ability to execute long races with minimal mistakes has made them the benchmark operation in the GTP field.

But 2026 may be the strongest challenge they’ve faced yet.

Newcomer 360 Motorsports arrives with an exciting lineup and significant momentum. While they may be new to the iRTES paddock, expectations are already high as the team prepares to test itself against some of endurance sim racing’s most established names.

Adding even more depth to the field are two veteran organizations backed by strong racing communities and years of experience. Champion Motorsports and PCA Sim Racing both enter the season with highly experienced drivers, proven race management, and the resources necessary to compete at the front from the opening round.

With only a dozen prototype entries expected, qualifying will be critical and traffic management could become the deciding factor in several races. One mistake in multi-class traffic can quickly erase an entire race’s worth of work, making discipline just as important as outright pace.

GT3: A Stacked Field Ready for Battle

If GTP provides the headline names, GT3 may provide the deepest competition.

An 18-car field is expected to take the green flag, creating one of the largest and most competitive GT3 grids in iRTES history. Unlike previous seasons where a handful of teams emerged as early favorites, 2026 appears wide open.

Team Brake Fade returns as one of the established contenders. Bringing back a familiar lineup and years of experience racing together, they enter the season expecting to challenge for race wins immediately. Their consistency has often made them one of the toughest teams to beat over a championship campaign.

Longhorn Racing enters the season with two entries and appears poised to take another step forward in 2026. The spotlight will naturally fall on the Longhorn Chrome entry, featuring Marc Johnson, Brett Stephens, and Michael Parker. Few teams can match the depth of talent assembled in that car, making it one of several teams expected to challenge for the GT3 championship.

Beyond those headline contenders, the GT3 field is loaded with talent.

Soulpec Precision Racing brings a reputation for professionalism and preparation. Moradness eSports arrives with drivers capable of competing for podiums at every event. SimHQ Motorsports continues to build momentum as a growing force within the endurance racing community, while PCA Sim Racing’s GT3 effort adds another experienced organization capable of challenging for victories.

And perhaps most importantly, the depth of the field means there are numerous teams capable of surprising the established favorites. In endurance racing, championships are often won by the teams that avoid mistakes, stay out of trouble, and capitalize when opportunities arise.

New for 2026: A More Authentic Endurance Racing Experience

While the competition on track is expected to be fierce, several procedural updates for 2026 are also set to play a major role in shaping race outcomes.

Champion Motorsports has continued to evolve the iRTES race control system with an even greater emphasis on realism. The series’ signature Code 60 procedure remains one of the defining characteristics of iRTES, allowing race control to neutralize the field in a manner more closely resembling real-world endurance racing rather than relying solely on standard iRacing caution procedures.

For 2026, teams will also have to adapt to new Race Control managed queuing and wave-by procedures. Depending on the circumstances of a caution period, race control may regroup the field, issue class-specific wave-bys, and organize controlled restarts designed to maintain competitive integrity while preserving the multi-class nature of the event.

Another notable addition is the new towing approval process. Teams involved in accidents will now be required to obtain Race Control permission before utilizing iRacing’s tow feature, further increasing communication requirements and encouraging teams to think strategically when incidents occur.

Combined with dynamic weather, dynamic track conditions, and the possibility of race-specific tire or fuel limitations, the 2026 season may place a greater premium on adaptability than any previous iRTES campaign.

What Could Decide the Championship?

Several factors may ultimately determine who leaves 2026 with championship trophies.

First, traffic management will be crucial. The combination of GTP and GT3 machinery across technical circuits such as Homestead and St. Petersburg will create countless moments where drivers must balance aggression and patience.

Second, weather could play a major role. The Red Bull Ring round carries the possibility of rain, introducing strategic variables that could dramatically reshape the championship standings.

Third, execution under pressure will be more important than ever. With only three championship rounds, a single mistake, disconnect, penalty, or accident could prove impossible to overcome.

In a season this short, every lap matters.

2026 Championship Predictions

GTP Championship Favorite

German PitBullzracing

Until somebody beats them, German PitBullzracing enters the season as the team to beat. They have the experience, organizational structure, and endurance-racing discipline that consistently produces championship-caliber performances. In a three-race season where mistakes are magnified, few teams have demonstrated their ability to execute under pressure as consistently as PitBullzracing.

GTP Dark Horse

360 Motorsports

Every season features a team capable of disrupting expectations, and 360 Motorsports appears poised to fill that role in 2026. While they may be newcomers to iRTES competition, the talent being assembled under the 360 banner has already generated significant buzz throughout the paddock. If they can avoid the growing pains often associated with a new program, race wins are certainly within reach.

GT3 Championship Contenders

Longhorn Racing Chrome, Team Brake Fade, Soulpec Precision Racing, and Moradness eSports

Unlike GTP, where a clear favorite has emerged entering the season, GT3 appears remarkably balanced.

Longhorn Racing’s Chrome entry will certainly attract attention thanks to the accomplished lineup of Marc Johnson, Brett Stephens, and Michael Parker. The combination of speed, experience, and racecraft makes them a legitimate title contender from day one.

Team Brake Fade returns with a proven lineup and the kind of consistency that often wins endurance championships. Their ability to minimize mistakes and execute clean races makes them one of the safest picks to remain in the title hunt all season long.

Soulpec Precision Racing and Moradness eSports bring plenty of talent and experience of their own, and both organizations have the potential to challenge for victories throughout the year. If either team can establish early momentum, they could quickly become championship favorites.

What makes GT3 so intriguing in 2026 is that there may not be a single dominant team. Instead, several organizations appear capable of winning races, creating the possibility of a championship battle that remains unsettled until the final event.

GT3 Dark Horse

SimHQ Motorsports

SimHQ Motorsports continues to grow as an organization and may be poised for a breakout season. If they can consistently convert speed into results, they have the potential to surprise some of the more established contenders.

Teams to Watch

  • PCA Sim Racing
  • Champion Motorsports
  • Longhorn Racing Black
  • Several talented newcomers looking to establish themselves in endurance competition

The depth of the GT3 field may be greater than it has ever been in iRTES, and it would not be surprising to see additional teams emerge as championship contenders before the season reaches its midpoint.

Bold Prediction

The GT3 championship will not be decided until the final hour of the season finale at St. Petersburg.

With 18 highly competitive GT3 entries expected on the grid and multiple organizations capable of winning races, the margins separating success and disappointment are likely to be razor thin. Expect strategy, traffic management, and late-race execution to determine who ultimately lifts the championship trophy.

The Road to the Sixth iRTES Championship

As the sixth season of the Champion Motorsports iRacing Team Endurance Series approaches, anticipation continues to build.

German PitBullzracing enters as the prototype favorite, but challengers are waiting. Longhorn Racing, Team Brake Fade, Soulpec Precision Racing, Moradness eSports, SimHQ Motorsports, PCA Sim Racing, and several others appear ready to battle for GT3 supremacy in what may be the most competitive field the series has ever assembled.

Three races. Two classes. Thirty cars.

The stage is set for what could become the most competitive season in iRTES history.

The green flag can’t come soon enough.