Hyundai heads into the penultimate round of the 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season with both championships in hand and a fundraising number worth noting: $77,800 raised for pediatric cancer research, one lap at a time.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway 120 runs September 19 on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course, with the green flag at 2:30 p.m. EST. Hyundai arrives leading the TCR Manufacturers’ Championship by 120 points over Honda, and the No. 33 and No. 76 Bryan Herta Autosport Elantra N TCR entries hold the top two spots in the Drivers’ standings. Mason Filippi and Bryson Morris lead that chart with 2,470 points. Preston Brown and Denis Dupont sit second at 2,210.
The gap Hyundai now holds over Honda is substantially wider than where this season started. The TCR Manufacturers’ lead was just 20 points heading into Watkins Glen, and 100 points heading into VIR. A second-place finish for the No. 33 at Virginia International Raceway extended the points lead further, and the Manufacturers’ advantage has grown to 120 with one round to close the season after Indianapolis.
The mathematical position is comfortable but not locked. Hyundai fields four Elantra N TCR entries through Bryan Herta Autosport: the No. 33, No. 76, No. 98 of Maddie Aust and Mark Wilkins, and the No. 18 of Harry Gottsacker and Lance Bergstein. Cupra sits third in the Manufacturers’ standings at 2,400 points, with Audi fourth at 2,360. The title is Hyundai’s to lose, which means the task at Indianapolis is straightforward: finish clean, score points, avoid giving the field a gift.
Alongside the championship push, Hyundai Hope on Wheels takes the spotlight in September for National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The organization’s The Mark of a Warrior campaign features a 60-second film called Little Warrior and builds around real patient stories, including a National Youth Ambassador named Isabella who will participate in race-weekend activities. The No. 33 carries a special Mark of a Warrior handprint livery, and Filippi and Morris will visit Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis before the race. A handprint ceremony and donation to Riley Hospital is also planned, continuing a tradition from last season.
The fundraising mechanism is simple: $100 for every lap led by a Hyundai during the IMPC season. Through the VIR round, that formula has produced $77,800. The Indianapolis event adds another donation to Riley Hospital on top of whatever the lap-led total generates on race day.
Live streaming for the September 19 race is available on Peacock and YouTube. Two rounds remain. The championship math currently favors Hyundai, but a clean day at Indianapolis would make the finale at the season’s end a formality rather than a tiebreaker.
Source: Hyundai. Images courtesy of Hyundai.
