XSHIELD at Petit Le Mans 2026
Two XSHIELD-protected teams, Winward Racing and Car Blanche, won their classes at the 2026 Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The 10-hour race closed out the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, and both ran XSHIELD 4-layer windshield protection film during the race.
Winward Racing wins GTD and clinches a third straight championship
Winward Racing ended its season as GTD champions. The No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO of Russell Ward, Philip Ellis and Indy Dontje won Petit Le Mans from pole position, the team’s fifth win of 2026.
Ward and Ellis had already wrapped up the GTD title early in the race, after their closest rivals ran into mechanical trouble in the opening hour. It is their third consecutive championship, and the first time in IMSA’s modern era that the same full-time driver pairing has won three titles in a row. Winward also tied the record for most GTD team championships.
Car Blanche wins GTD Pro in its first Petit Le Mans
Car Blanche, run by YRB Racing, won GTD Pro on its first Petit Le Mans appearance. Its Aston Martin Vantage GT3, driven by Mattia Drudi, Marco Sørensen and Valentin Hasse-Clot, took the team’s first IMSA victory in just six starts.
The car qualified second in class, then ran inside the top six for most of the race. With about 40 minutes left, Drudi moved up to third, passed two cars ten minutes later to take the lead, and held it to the flag.
Why windshield protection matters in a 10-hour endurance race
Petit Le Mans runs from daylight into darkness, with traffic from multiple classes, debris on track and changing conditions. A pitted, hazed or dirty windshield costs a driver the visibility they need most when they are tired and the race is close.
Windshield protection film gives teams a clean surface to see through. When the outer layer gets marked up, it can be torn away to restore a clear view, so the windshield underneath stays protected.
XSHIELD precut windshield protection film for motorsports
XSHIELD makes precut, pre-shrunk, ready-to-apply windshield protection film for racing and motorsport use. It comes in several setups:
- 1-layer for sprint races where a single tear-off keeps visibility clear through the session
- 2-layer and 4-layer stacks for enhanced durability in longer events
- By-the-sheet film for teams that want to cut their own
TPU film (7 mil / 178 micron) is hydrophobic and available in an 8″ (203mm) banner cut or a full windshield cut. PET film (4 mil / 102 micron) is the economical option in the 8″ banner cut. Every XSHIELD precut is made for a specific year, make and model, so there is no trimming at the track.
At Petit Le Mans, the 4-layer film was the setup in use during the race.
Petit Le Mans 2026 FAQ
Who won Petit Le Mans 2026?
Porsche Penske Motorsport won overall in the No. 6 Porsche 963 of Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and Matt Campbell. Among XSHIELD-protected teams, Winward Racing won GTD and Car Blanche won GTD Pro.
What is Petit Le Mans?
It is a 10-hour endurance race and the season finale of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, held at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia.
What is XSHIELD windshield protection film?
It is precut, pre-shrunk, ready-to-apply windshield film for motorsports, available in 1-layer, 2-layer and 4-layer options and made to fit specific vehicles.
Protect your windshield like the winners
Congratulations to Winward Racing, Car Blanche and everyone on both crews. Ready to protect your own car? Shop XSHIELD windshield protection film and pick your year, make and model.
