The DESDER Indianapolis 8 Hour brings together GT3 competitors from across the globe, creating one of the most diverse grids on the SRO America calendar for the season finale of both GT World Challenge America powered by AWS and the Intercontinental GT Challenge championships. With international teams and drivers joining the field, the event also requires specific rules governing who can share a car.
GT3 racing uses the FIA Driver Categorization system to classify drivers according to their experience and professional status. Drivers are designated as Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum, with those ratings helping determine which combinations are permitted in each class.
For the Indy 8 Hour, those ratings are used to create balanced lineups across the Pro, Pro-Am and Am classes and ensure that drivers competing together fit the requirements of their respective class while allowing the event to bring together a wide range of talent.
Pro Class
The Pro class is designed for lineups that can include drivers from across the FIA rating system while remaining within the driver categorization requirements used by SRO America.
As of 2025, the Indy 8 Hour no longer has a separate IGTC Pro category that permits unrestricted Platinum driver lineups. Instead, the event's Pro classification is aligned with the domestic SRO America standards and mandates that there must be a Silver-rated driver in the lineup.
That means international entries competing for overall honors must build their driver combinations according to the same framework governing the domestic field.
Pro-Am Class
The Pro-Am class combines amateur and professional drivers. A typical Pro-Am lineup pairs a Bronze-rated amateur driver with higher-rated professional drivers, such as Gold or Platinum competitors, with a Silver-rated driver also being part of the lineup requirements.
This format allows an amateur driver to compete alongside more experienced professionals while still maintaining the class distinction.
Am Class
The Am class is reserved for amateur competitors. Lineups are composed primarily of Bronze-rated drivers, keeping the focus firmly on amateur participation.
Why Do the Lineup Rules Matter?
Driver categorization is an important part of GT3 racing because it allows professional and amateur competitors to share the same track while competing within clearly defined classes.
At the Indy 8 Hour, those rules take on even greater importance because the race brings together competitors from different championships and regions.
It creates an interesting blend of lineups that all share the same track simultaneously, and while they are running their own race within their own respective classes, they are all aiming to win.
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