2026 Porsche Carrera Cup: What Race Fans Can Expect From North America’s Sharpest One-Make Knife Fight

The 2026 schedule: eight weekends, zero “easy” ones

Porsche Carrera Cup North America’s 2026 calendar hits eight recognizable venues, tied to big weekends—IMSA, IndyCar, and F1.

1. Sebring International Raceway (IMSA) — March 18–20
2. Long Beach (IndyCar / IMSA) — April 17–19
3. Miami International Autodrome (Formula 1) — May 1–3
4. Watkins Glen International (IMSA) — June 25–27
5. Road America (IMSA) — July 30–Aug 1
6. Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Road Course) (IMSA) — Sept 17–19
7. Road Atlanta (IMSA) — Sept 30–Oct 2
8. Circuit of the Americas (COTA) (Formula 1) — Oct 23–25 (subject to commercial agreement)

And yes—the championship ends at COTA again, which worked out nicely in 2025 if you enjoy titles decided with maximum drama.

Track layout: why each round feels like a different sport

Carrera Cup is a spec series, but these tracks make the cars feel like they have multiple personalities.

Sebring — 3.74 miles, 17 turns (and “pavement” is a generous term)

Sebring’s 3.74-mile, 17-turn layout is legendary for its rough surface and runway roots. It’s the kind of place where your fillings start sending complaint emails.

What it rewards: confidence over bumps, brake stability, and a car that stays calm when the surface isn’t.

Long Beach — 1.968 miles, 11 turns (concrete canyon chaos)

The temporary street course is 1.968 miles with 11 turns—tight, shiny, and packed with consequences.

What it rewards: qualifying speed, patience in traffic, and the ability to avoid becoming a wall decoration.

Miami — 3.363 miles, 19 turns (F1 energy, sprint-race aggression)

Miami’s circuit is 3.363 miles and 19 corners, built around Hard Rock Stadium.

What it rewards: traction on corner exits, smart passes into heavy braking zones, and drivers who can keep the car clean while everyone else gets “creative.”

Watkins Glen — 3.45 miles, 11 turns (fast, flowing, confidence-only)

Watkins Glen’s GP layout is 3.45 miles with 11 turns—a high-speed rhythm track where a small mistake becomes a big storyline.

What it rewards: commitment, aero balance, and bravery through fast changes of direction.

Road America — 4.048 miles, 14 turns (big speed, bigger braking)

Road America is 4.048 miles with 14 turns, long straights, and serious braking zones.

What it rewards: top-end stability, braking consistency, and drivers who can nail exits onto long straights.

IMS Road Course — 2.439 miles, 14 turns (precision inside a legend)

The Indianapolis road course is 2.439 miles with 14 turns, combining bits of the famous oval with an infield maze.

What it rewards: tidy lines, strong braking, and clean restarts—because the field bunches up and trouble starts shopping for victims.

Road Atlanta — 2.54 miles, 12 turns (elevation and “hold your breath” corners)

Road Atlanta is 2.54 miles with 12 turns and signature sections like the esses and that downhill plunge onto the front straight.

What it rewards: chassis balance, confidence through elevation changes, and drivers who know when not to send it.

COTA — 3.426 miles, 20 turns (F1 scale, Carrera Cup intensity)

COTA’s full Grand Prix circuit is 3.426 miles with 20 turns, plus that uphill first corner that feels like the road is trying to leave Earth.

What it rewards: technical consistency, tire management in a sprint format, and qualifying pace—because passing is possible, but clean air is priceless.

Top 5 teams to watch in 2026

If you want a shortlist of who tends to show up with fast cars, smart strategy, and drivers capable of making a door-to-door move without turning it into a YouTube cautionary tale, start here:

1. TOPP Racing
2. Kellymoss
3. JDX Racing
4. ACI Motorsports
5. Alegra Motorsports

Those names aren’t just “teams that show up.” They’ve been central to recent title fights and race wins—especially in 2025, when the Pro championship went down to the wire.

Returning podium drivers: the usual suspects (and why they’re dangerous)

2025 delivered a title fight that lived right to the end. The headline: Ryan Yardley clinched the Pro championship with a sweep at COTA, edging a season-long battle with Riley Dickinson.

Names you should expect to see near the pointy end again—because they were already living there:

• Ryan Yardley (champion, serial front-runner)
• Riley Dickinson (title rival, multiple wins)
• Zachary Vanier (regular podium threat)
• Tyler Maxson (race winner, late-season momentum)
• Aaron Jeansonne (frequently in the mix up front)
• Yves Baltas (proved he can win—especially on big-stage weekends like Miami)

That’s the fun of Carrera Cup: the grid is deep enough that you can have a championship-caliber driver starting mid-pack and still ending up in the top five—if they survive the opening laps.

The cars: what the 2026 “911 Cup” brings to the fight

Here’s the big change for 2026: Porsche introduces the new “911 Cup” race car based on the 992.2 generation, and it will be used from the start of the 2026 season.

Engine and performance

• 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six
• Output increased to 382 kW (520 PS)—a bump designed to improve performance without driving operating costs into the stratosphere
• The engine incorporates more series-production components, including flow-optimized individual throttle valves and camshafts with longer valve opening times
• Porsche notes the engine still has a defined maintenance rhythm: overhaul after 100 hours of track time

Transmission and race usability upgrades

• Power goes through a sequential six-speed dog gearbox
• A more robust racing clutch is used, and Porsche adds an automatic engine restart function—the kind of feature you only appreciate after you’ve stalled in front of an entire field that suddenly wants to occupy the same square foot of pavement

Why this matters for fans

This car is built to do two things at once:

1. Be fast enough that the driver has to earn it
2. Be consistent enough that the racing stays tight and the series remains a proper development ladder

And because everyone has the same basic hardware, you get the best kind of racing argument: the one settled by braking points, tire preservation, and who can keep their cool when the mirrors are full.

What fans should expect in 2026

1. A new car, plus the usual learning curve

Even if the series stays stable, a new Cup car tends to reshuffle the early pecking order. Some teams nail setup quickly; others spend a few rounds “discovering” what the fast guys already found.

2. Two types of weekends

• Road course weekends (the ANDIAL Cup venues) offer classic racing flow
• Street/F1 spectacle weekends (Long Beach, Miami, COTA) add pressure, walls, and higher consequences—perfect for fans who enjoy drama that arrives early and often

3. Championship tension baked in

The 2025 title went to the final round. Porsche is bringing the same venues back, with the added spice of Long Beach returning and a new car arriving. That’s a recipe for more late-season math, more “must win” drives, and more post-race interviews where someone tries to sound calm while still vibrating with adrenaline.