INDIANA BUSINESS

IMS says Alex Palou and Marcus Ericsson will race in Indianapolis 8 Hour on Oct. 10, 2026

Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced on Oct. 6, 2026 that Alex Palou and Marcus Ericsson will compete in the Indianapolis 8 Hour — the Intercontinental GT Challenge headline race at IMS — scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. The event runs Oct. 8–11 on a 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course with an expected 28 entries.

BUSINESSINDY BRIEFBy BusinessIndy Editorial StaffCommentsPublished October 7, 2026 at 2:08 PM EDTOriginal reporting: October 5, 2026 at 8:00 PM EDT · Brief prepared from earlier coverage

AI-generated illustration of the topic: IMS says Alex Palou and Marcus Ericsson will race in Indianapolis 8 Hour on Oct. 10, 2026 — AI illustration · Not a photograph of the reported event.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced on Oct. 6, 2026 that Alex Palou will drive the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes‑AMG GT3 EVO alongside Luca Stolz and AMG junior Lin Hodenius in the Intercontinental GT Challenge entry for the Indianapolis 8 Hour. Marcus Ericsson will share the Random Vandals Racing No. 99 BMW M4 GT3 EVO with Hampus Ericsson and Derek DeBoer as a Pro‑Am entry. The Indianapolis 8 Hour is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, running 12:30–8:30 p.m. ET.

IMS said the overall event runs Oct. 8–11, 2026 on the 14‑turn, 2.439‑mile road course, with an expected 28‑car entry and manufacturers represented including Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes‑Benz and Porsche. Practice for the Intercontinental GT Challenge is set for 7 p.m. ET Thursday, Oct. 8 and 9:50 a.m. ET Friday, Oct. 9, with qualifying at 3:35 p.m. ET Friday. Gates open to the public Oct. 9–11; IMS noted the 8‑hour race will run into the evening with headlights on.

WHY IT MATTERS

This announcement matters to fans, teams and manufacturers planning for the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) and GT World Challenge America rounds at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. IMS named specific high-profile drivers and full lineups for headline entries, which clarifies which teams and cars will compete on the race weekend and when key sessions will occur.

An eight‑hour GT endurance race uses driver rotations; IMS confirmed teams of three drivers will race from 12:30–8:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 10, meaning the event runs through afternoon, past sunset and into evening with headlights on. The IGTC and GT World Challenge America classes will run simultaneously, with overall winners in each series crowned at the conclusion of the event.

Next steps to watch: IMS-listed practice sessions at 7 p.m. ET Oct. 8 and 9:50 a.m. ET Oct. 9, qualifying at 3:35 p.m. ET Oct. 9, and the Indianapolis 8 Hour race on Oct. 10, 2026. IMS published the original announcement on Oct. 6, 2026.

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