The 2017 20th Annual Motul Petit Le Mans automotive endurance race, held on October 4–7, 2017, at the Road Atlanta was the 12th and final race of the 2017 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and the fourth since the Championship was formed in 2014. Saturday’s 20th Petit Le Mans was a milestone event for the fall endurance classic, the brainchild of Dr. Don Panoz; in association with the race organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.

The inaugural Petit Le Mans in 1998, was truly history in the making. And now after all these years, the dream of Dr. Don Panoz has become reality- a world-class endurance racing event recognized in the same league as Le Mans and Sebring. 
The first Petit Le Mans was formed under Professional Sports Car Racing (PSCR). The earlier IMSA name returned sometime later. It was a time of transition in sports car racing. The World Sports Car (WSC) formula run out of gas, and it was time for a change.  The first Petit Le Mans, however, was really just a single stand-alone race. The American Le Mans Series wasn’t officially launched until 1999 at Sebring.

A similar race to Petit Le Mans was held ten years earlier, a special stand-alone race open to international endurance competitors, in Tampa, Florida. The IMSA “World Challenge” event was not part of any series, but the next year it became part of the IMSA series, before fading out a few years later. Don Panoz’s idea started on October 11, 1998 with 29 cars! 
Motul Lubricants was the title sponsor for the 10-hour endurance race has become the “Official Lubricant Partner” of Road Atlanta. The long-term Motul partnership will include large trackside and facility-wide signage, display, hospitality and a robust in-market activation element.

It was a special time as the setting for the annual Motul Petit Le Mans Charity Weekend, including the Annual Charity Motorcycle ride supported by Road Atlanta! RA is a strong support of the Austin Hatcher Foundation for pediatric cancer cures!
See Top Speed for detail race results: https://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/2017-petit-le-mansrace-repor...

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