FIA World Endurance Championship

After the conclusion of the European leg of the season in August, the World Endurance Championship heads to North America in September with a first visit to Mexico. In addition to competing in LMP2 with his own RGR-by-Morand team, Ricardo Gonzalez is also the event promoter, so will be particularly eager to put on a good show for his home fans. The high altitude in Mexico will provide a stern test for the drivers and teams, with brake and tyre wear expected to be a factor, but the greatest concern at COTA will be rain, which was biblical in its proportions in 2014. As ever, we can expect a battle royale at the front in LMP1, as Toyota seek to put their heartbreaking Le Mans retirement behind them, but there will also be plenty of intrigue in the GT classes. Will Ferrari rediscover their mojo, or will Ford continue to dominate?

• LIVE, Rd 5, 6 Hours of Mexico – Saturday 3 September at 19:15.• LIVE, Rd 6, 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas – Saturday 17 September at 22:30.

FIM MXGP

Although what promised to be a title battle of the ages between defending champion Romain Febvre and Tim Gajser looks to have been curtailed by Febvre’s concussion in Britain, the final two rounds of the championship will be no less exciting for it as the sport prepares to crown a rookie champion for the second successive year. Quite apart from the excitement surrounding Gajser, there also remains the question of whether Febvre can reclaim second in the points from Tony Cairoli, and whether Gautier Paulin can cap his comeback from injury with a first win of the year, after podiums in Spain, Britain and Italy.

• Delayed-as-Live, Rd 17, Charlotte, USA – Sunday 4 September at 11:30 and 13:30.• LIVE, Rd 18, Glen Helen, USA – Sunday 11 September at 20:00 and 23:00.

MXoN

To help you get over your MXGP hangover, the MX of Nations will be held two weeks after the MXGP season finale in Maggoria, Italy. Defending winners France will surely go in as favourites, but will have to be wary of 22-times champions the USA’s all-conquering AMA rider Ryan Dungey and, of course, a Slovenia team headed up by Gajser.

• LIVE, Maggoria, Italy – Sunday 25 September at 12:00, 13:30 and 15:00.

Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup

If the 2016 Blancpain Endurance Cup championship finale is anything like as good as last year’s, then we should be in for a treat. Five teams went into the final round with a mathematical chance of the title and as pre-event leaders Frank Stippler and Stephane Ortelli floundered, the title would come down to a straight fight between Bentley and Nissan – or so we thought. Bentley’s Steven Kane eventually prevailed in his on-track battle with Alex Buncombe’s Nissan, but couldn’t catch the race-leading McLaren which had outfoxed everybody in the pits and ensured Nissan took the crown. Having played spoiler last year, Rob Bell and McLaren stand a very good chance of being in the championship hunt this time around, but will have the other Bentley of Andy Soucek, Maxime Soulet and Wolfgang Reip to contend with, not to mention the Silverstone-winning HTP Mercedes and perennial contenders WRT.

• LIVE, Rd 5, Nürburgring – Sunday 18 September at 13:00.

FIA European F3 Championship

Formula 3 encapsulates the essence of what makes motor racing the sport we know and love. Exquisite skill, entertaining wheel-to-wheel battles and moments of madness are all in plentiful supply in this training ground for the next generation of motorsport talent, which has seen Williams F1 development driver Lance Stroll emerge as a dominant force. But can his Prema Powerteam team-mate Maximillian Guenther fight back on home soil?

• LIVE, Rd 8, Nürburgring – Saturday 10 September at TBC (Race 1), TBC (Race 2) and Sunday 11 September at TBC (Race 3).

European Le Mans Series

Now with six rounds instead of five, the ELMS makes a welcome return to Spa Francorchamps for the first time since 2011. Although the Spa 1000km as it was then known included LMP1 machinery, the winners in the LMP2 class which now top the bill were Pierre Thiriet and Mathias Beche, who will hope to continue their strong start to this season after winning at Imola.

• Delayed-as-Live, Rd 5, Spa Francorchamps – Sunday 25 September at 16:00.

British GT Championship

The season decider of Britain’s premier GT championship comes from Donington Park, with several contenders still in with a chance of claiming the title. TF Sport’s Jonny Adam is hoping for back-to-back championships alongside new co-driver Derek Johnston – a winner at Donington last season – but the Scot won’t have it easy, with the Barwell Motorsport Lamborghinis of Jon Minshaw and Liam Griffin and Team Parker Racing’s perennial polesitting Bentley still in the fight.

• LIVE, Rd 9, Donington Park – Sunday 11 September at 12:30.

Euro Formula Open

This F3-based championship is targeted as a more accessible route into top-flight single-seaters than its FIA counterpart, but that doesn’t mean the racing is any less entertaining than its big bucks cousin. Italian Leonardo Pulcini and Austrian rising star Ferdinand Habsburg have been the men to watch so far this season, but the ever-improving Mexican driver Diego Menchaca is hanging onto their coat tails and could launch a challenge in the second half of the season.

• LIVE, Rd 5, Red Bull Ring – Saturday 10 September at 14:05 (Race 1).• Delayed-as-Live, Rd 5, Red Bull Ring – Sunday 11 September at 16:50 (Race 2).

International GT Open

The latest GT3 machinery from Ferrari, McLaren, Lamborghini and BMW take centre stage in the International GT Open, a Pro-Am series where Amateur competitors get to mix it with top Pros such as Vitantonio Liuzzi, Thomas Biagi and Duncan Tappy. The Red Bull Ring doesn’t have too many corners, but each one is off-camber and very difficult to get right, so get ready for a few thrills and spills!

• LIVE, Rd 5, Red Bull Ring – Saturday 10 September at 15:00 (Race 1).• Delayed-as-Live, Rd 5, Red Bull Ring – Sunday 11 September at 17:50 (Race 2).

24H Series

As if you hadn’t already enjoyed your fill of 24 Hour racing on the High Speed Television channel with the 24 Hours of Spa and Paul Ricard over the summer months, September brings another twice-around-the-clock endurance epic from the home of the Spanish Grand Prix, the Circuit de Catalunya. The ever-expanding 24 Hour Series has proven to be a real hit with gentleman drivers in recent years and Barcelona ought to be little different, with plenty of opportunities to find a sun lounger and relax when not in the car – just ask Bruno Senna, who competed here in an Aston Martin in 2013.

• LIVE, Barcelona 24 Hours – Saturday 3 September at 10:30 and Sunday 4 September at 01:45.

TCR International Series

Now in its second year, touring car racing is alive and well in the form of the TCR International Series. With its low-cost production car ethos, a blend of classic and modern circuits around the globe and an ever-expanding cast list that are gradually building a following of their own, there is much cause for optimism. Round 9 comes from the dramatic Marina Bay street circuit used for the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.

• LIVE, Rd 9, Marina Bay Singapore – Sunday 18 September at TBC.

CIK-FIA World Championship

The next generation of Formula 1 protagonists have to start somewhere, and where better to show off their credentials than on the biggest stage in kart racing?

• LIVE, Kristianstad – Sunday 4 September at 15h30.