Scott Pruett, one of the most accomplished sports car drivers of all time, has been named Grand Marshal of Saturday’s 26th Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Pruett will give the command for drivers to start their engines before the 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans which will take the green flag at 11:40 a.m. Saturday.

In addition to 60 career IMSA victories, the second most in the more than 50-year history of North America’s premier sports car racing series, Pruett is a nine-time IMSA champion and is tied with Hurley Haywood with the most overall Rolex 24 At Daytona victories with five.

Pruett retired from driving in 2018 following a 50-year career. He will be inducted into the inaugural class of the IMSA Hall of Fame at the annual WeatherTech Night of Champions celebration on Sunday, following the season-ending race. Other inductees on the prestigious list include drivers Peter Gregg, Hurley Haywood and Al Holbert, and IMSA founders John and Peggy Bishop and Bill France Sr.

He made his Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta debut in 2001 and his final start was the 2017 Motul Petit Le Mans.

"Having Scott return to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta as the Grand Marshal of the 26th Motul Petit Le Mans is a tremendous honor for us and a fitting way to end the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season," said Rick Humphrey, president and general manager of Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. "Given the Motul Petit Le Mans’ position in the world of motorsports, it is only fitting that one the sport’s all-time greatest drivers and a member of the inaugural IMSA Hall of Fame class would get the championship-deciding race underway."

Saturday’s race marks the conclusion of the inaugural season of IMSA’s new GTP class, and all four manufacturers competing – Acura, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche - have visited victory lane this season and each has a mathematical opportunity to secure the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac and drivers Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims hold a slim three-point advantage over the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport Acura with drivers Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque. The No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport’s driving team of Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy is just five points back while the No. 25 BMW M Team RLL BMW (-38), No. 7 Penske Porsche (-73) and No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura teams and drivers in contention.

Gates are now open and competition is underway at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, with three races slated for Friday and the Motul Petit Le Mans headlining the weekend on Saturday. Tickets are still available at www.roadatlanta.com.