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International Motor Sports Association    Lamborghini Super Trofeo series

International Motor Sports Association 

super trofeo series

 

www.imsa.com

 

About the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)

International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 and owns a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, as well as four one-make series: Ferrari Challenge North America, Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America and Porsche Carrera Cup North America. IMSA – a company within the NASCAR family – is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Porsche Pace Continues in Practice at Sebring

Winward Mercedes-AMG Shows GTD Pace in Search of Third Straight Sebring Win


 

March 19, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Combined Practice Results


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – IMSA generated plenty of news Thursday at Sebring International Raceway, announcing the 2026 IMSA Hall of Fame class and revealing the 2027 schedules for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.


 

And, oh by the way, cars took to the iconic 3.74-mile airport circuit in preparation for the 74th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring for three practice sessions covering nearly five hours. 


 

The No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 picked up right where it left off a few weeks ago at the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona – at the front of the field. 


 

Felipe Nasr, who shared in the Daytona victory with Julien Andlauer and Laurin Heinrich, posted the overall and Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) fastest time in the 55-car field following the first two practice sessions of the day. The 1 minute, 47.043 second-lap came in the second practice session. That’s an average speed of 125.780 miles per hour around the bumpy 17-turn Sebring circuit. 


 

Nasr credited a recent private test by Porsche Penske Motorsport for the marque’s strong opening-day form at Sebring. 


 

“I feel like we learned a lot in that test and feel like the car is in a good window,” said Nasr, who was part of the winning lineup at Sebring in the No. 7 Porsche in 2025, adding another trophy to the one he captured in 2019 when he was driving for Cadillac Whelen (Action Express Racing).  “I won’t say we’re fully happy with the car, but we definitely have the race weekend to learn. I feel like we’re in a good baseline to start and take it from there.”


 

For most of that second session, PPM ran 1-2, courtesy of a 1:47.461 lap turned by Kevin Estre in the No. 6 Porsche 963 after Laurens Vanthoor led a Porsche 1-2 in the first session in the No. 6 with a best effort of 1:47.985. Both PPM entries are running special liveries commemorating Mobil 1’s 30-year association with Porsche that evokes memories of the 911 GT1 that Porsche fielded at Sebring in the late 1990s.


 

Acura and Cadillac GTP teams made simulated qualifying runs late in the second session, vaulting Tom Blomqvist in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 up to P2 at 1:47.302 (125.477 mph). Jack Aitken, who closed out the 2025 season with two race wins, moved up to third fastest in the closing minutes of the 90-minute second session, stopping the clocks at 1:47.427 (125.331 mph) aboard the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R.


 

Aitken and his co-drivers Earl Bamber and Frederik Vesti finished second to Nasr and the No. 7 Porsche at the Rolex 24.


 

“After coming close in Daytona, I can’t wait to head back to Sebring, where we were very strong last year,” Aitken said in the run up to this weekend’s race. “We’ve got a really good run going, so riding that momentum into one of my favorite events should be fun.”


 

Inter Europol Competition led Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) with Tom Dillmann posting a lap of 1:50.056 (122.337 mph) in the night practice. AO Racing rebounded from PJ Hyett’s Turn 17 crash in the morning session, repairing its primary No. 99 ORECA LMP2 07 ‘Spike’ chassis for Dane Cameron post a best lap of at 1:50.639 (121.692 mph).


 

The No. 99 will lose its fastest qualifying lap for causing the only red flag of the first two sessions.

The No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 that has dominated the last two years of Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) competition was the only entry to set the fastest lap for their class in the first practice session of the day, while also posting the fastest GT lap of the day (1:59.363, 112.798 mph). 


 

The No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes put up the second-fastest GTD lap of the day, also in the first practice session, with a lap of 1:59.798 (112.388 mph). 


 

Jack Hawksworth had the top GTD PRO time of the day, achieved in the night session at 1:59.895 (112.297 mph) in his No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3. The Englishman is set to make his 100th IMSA start with Lexus this weekend.


 

Earlier in the daylight, AO Racing achieved the top time in GTD PRO with a 2:00.070 (112.134 mph) flyer with IMSA rookie Harry King behind the wheel of the No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992). The No. 77 is presented this weekend in a pink dinosaur livery known as ‘Roxy.’


 

“My first day in Roxy, and you could say that we’re getting along quite well,” said King, who has excelled in Porsche single-make series around the world. “We had a tough time at Daytona, but that motivated the team to check out every possible detail, and the outcome is looking quite positive. I know it’s only free practice, but it’s nice to see something to show for all the hard work and dedication from the team.”


 

Competitors experienced what are expected to be the coolest conditions of the Sebring meeting on Thursday, with temperatures in the low 70s and strong winds from the north.


 

“The track is very difficult today - there is a lot of wind,” said Tristan Vautier, part of the driver lineup in the No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 in the LMP2 class. “When you have a headwind you have a lot of grip, and when you have the wind at your back it makes the car very twitchy. You’ve got to be really heads-up. We’re hoping for a smooth race.”


 

Qualifying for the 74th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is set for Friday, with the 12-hour endurance contest set for a 10:10 a.m. Saturday green flag. Coverage will be streamed on Peacock in the U.S., IMSA.TV and the official IMSA YouTube channel internationally, with NBCSN joining in-progress starting at 5 p.m. ET.

 

TR3 Tops the Field in 2026 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Curtain-Raiser in Sebring

WTR Wins ProAm; XONINE and Taurino Capture Am and LB Cup Wins 


 

March 19, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Race 1 Unofficial Results

Race 2 Qualifying Results

 

SEBRING, Fla. – Some of the championship-contending lineups and classes changed from the end of the 2025 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America season to the start of the 2026 one. But under a gorgeous Sebring sunset, the colors of the overall winners neatly matched the backdrop: an orange and black TR3 Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2.


 

Will Bamber and Elias De La Torre opened their 2026 account one spot better than they both started and ended 2025 – in second – aboard their No. 29 TR3, Lamborghini Miami, Huracán. The duo finished second at both Sebring races last year but got an early jump on their 2025 title rivals, Wayne Taylor Racing, with an authoritative start in the 2026 curtain-raiser in a Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America record-setting Pro field of 13 cars amidst a 39-car field. 


 

From pole, Bamber built a steady lead over Danny Formal – now racing in ProAm in the team’s No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing, Lamborghini Palm Beach, Huracán – with the next Pro car, the sister No. 1 WTR entry started by Formal’s 2025 teammate Hampus Ericsson, a few seconds behind. 


 

The mandatory pit stop window saw the lead trio remain in order, with the only subsequent change Ericsson’s new co-driver Nick Persing moving into second overall past Formal’s new co-driver Graham Doyle. De La Torre beat Persing by 5.157 seconds, and De La Torre will start first tomorrow in Race 2.  


 

TR3’s same lineup of Bamber and De La Torre won twice in the North American rounds last year and also scored the overall Pro win in the first race of the 2025 Lamborghini World Final. As they prepare for their second season together in 2026, they’re off to a flying start.


 

“Race one was a fantastic start; Elias brought it home under immense pressure,” Bamber explained. “It’s a whole family and it’s all for them.” 


 

De La Torre added, “Will did a great job to start; he kept us in front and that’s crucial in Trofeo. The team gave us such a good car to go.” 


 

WTR’s reshuffled lineups started strong with Ericsson and Persing, who raced solo in 2025, finishing second. Formal has shifted to ProAm following his maximum five years raced in Pro through 2025, and the three-time Pro champion now races alongside the 2025 Am champion, Doyle, who steps up to ProAm.


 

“It’s actually really cool to hand it off to Graham,” Formal said. “I’ve worked with him for four years since 2023, and he’s come so far. I was really happy to show the pace of the car; we got the fastest lap. We got dirty air behind Will, but Graham did his thing and managed the lead – he led overall – and he did fantastic. I’m very proud of him.” 


 

Ernie Francis Jr. finished third as a solo driver in Pro in the No. 28 Alliance Racing, Lamborghini Broward, Huracán as his planned co-driver, Luke Berkeley, fell ill just prior to race start. Francis soldiered on for his first Super Trofeo podium finish since the last two North American season races of 2024 at Jerez in Spain, part of that year’s Lamborghini World Final. He described the unanticipated solo drive and what could happen in Race 2.


 

“We’ve worked very hard for the last month to dial it in for Luke and I,” Francis Jr. said. “He didn’t feel too great in his qualifying session so we played it safe. I prepped for it, and we knew we’d have to do a longer pit stop and I tried to run qualifying laps to make up for it. Super happy to be back on a podium; we’ll hope Luke can go tomorrow. If he can’t, I’ll take a drive-through since he qualified, hope for a yellow and go from there!” 


 

Behind Formal and Doyle, the newly paired duo of Keawn Tandon and Lindsay Brewer finished second in ProAm in the No. 77 Forty7 Motorsports, Lamborghini Philadelphia, Huracán. Kaizen Autosport got a podium with its pairing of Seth Henry and Wyatt Foster in the No. 44 Huracán representing Lamborghini Palm Beach.


 

Two new teams to the championship – XONINE Racing and Taurino Racing – captured class wins on debut. 


 

Perhaps the best battle of the race came in Am, with the top three covered by the proverbial blanket of just 2.206 seconds after 50 minutes of caution-free racing – even as one of the podium contenders was involved in several incidents.

In Am, 2024 and 2025 LB Cup champion and double 2025 Sebring winner, Nick Groat, grabbed the win in his new class debut in his No. 57 XONINE Racing, Lamborghini Chicago, Huracán by 0.911 seconds over David Staab in the No. 48 Precision Performance Motorsports, Lamborghini Palm Beach, Huracán and Johan Schwartz in his No. 89 89x Motorsports, Lamborghini Sarasota, Huracán.


 

Groat, who hadn’t raced since September at Indianapolis, held off Staab’s furious charge back through the field. Staab’s fluorescent yellow highlighter No. 48 car lost its right-side mirror and recovered from a pair of contacts. Schwartz led early and also mounted a comeback from a drive-through for a pit speed violation.


 

“It’s beyond a dream debut; really unexpected,” Groat said. “We did a test and the car felt amazing. But we really struggled in the race. For the crew to fix it – I’m absolutely speechless!” 


 

Staab added of his drive, “It was one of the most action-packed races we’ve ever had. Having the contact, losing the mirror is really tough at a track like Sebring where there’s so many right-handers and big brake zones. It was a close battle the whole way through; PPM gave us a great car and Nick Groat drove a good race up front. He didn’t make any mistakes. It’s stiff competition in Am this year; lots of fast guys.” 


 

LB Cup was relatively uneventful, with Ray Shahi scoring the class win in his No. 65 Taurino Racing, Lamborghini Newport Beach, Huracán over Philippe Touchette in his No. 11 TB Autosports, Lamborghini Montreal, Huracán and Clay Wilson in his No. 37 TR3 Racing, Lamborghini Orlando, Huracán. Early race leader Rocky T. Bolduc, returning to Topp Racing in his No. 99, Lamborghini Greenwich, Huracán fell back after a short pit stop that necessitated a drive-through.  


 

Friday’s second race of the weekend goes green at 4:35 p.m. ET, with coverage via Peacock, IMSA’s Official YouTube and Lamborghini’s YouTube channels. 

 

 

Practice Results | WeatherTech Championship

Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

Sebring International Raceway - Thursday, March 19, 2026

Practice 3 Results

Practice 2 Results

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.

Practice Results | WeatherTech Championship

Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

Sebring International Raceway - Thursday, March 19, 2026

Practice 2 Results

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.

Practice Results | WeatherTech Championship

Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

Sebring International Raceway - Thursday, March 19, 2026

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.

Catalano, Tunjo Go the Distance at Sebring to Win Inaugural IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge

Toney Driver Development Suffers Late Mechanical Issue


 

March 8, 2026

Staff Report

IMSA Wire Service

Provisional Results


 

SEBRING, Fla. – Seeing Oscar Tunjo and Valentino Catalano on the top step of the podium usually isn’t a surprise, but it wasn’t the finish anyone anticipated as the final minutes wound down in the two-hour IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge at Sebring International Raceway on Sunday.


 

The No. 1 Gebhardt Motorsport USA entry inherited the win after the leading No. 95 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P325 suffered a fuel pump failure with just minutes remaining.


 

“Happy to get the victory and to do it with Valentino,” polesitter Tunjo said. “He did a mega stint. He held off the other cars because they were also pretty fast. So, yeah, happy and proud of the effort of the team today.”


 

“Mid-race, I was able to save enough fuel so I could start to push,” said Catalano, the 2025 VP Racing SportsCar Challenge LMP3 champion. “And then the lap time started to get quicker; the car felt really good. Then at the end, it played off that we saved a lot of fuel, so we did a great job.


 

“First time ever (at Sebring),” Catalano continued. “I had in free practice, I think 10 laps. So the race was basically the first time I really experienced the track and it's so difficult. It's so tricky. In Europe, we don't have tracks like these, but I enjoy it, because when you start to get the rhythm and know where the bumps are, then it gets really fun. Really fast track, a lot of cool corners.”


 

Tunjo had a strong start, but second-fastest qualifier Lincoln Day never let him get too far ahead. In an effort to reel him in, Day was posting impressive laps. But shortly after setting the then-fastest lap of the race approximately 30 minutes in, Day pushed too hard and spun in Turn 3, allowing Tunjo to extend his lead to nine seconds.


 

Tunjo led every lap of his stint of just over an hour on the 3.74-mile, 17-turn road course before the No. 1 Gebhardt Motorsport USA Inc. Duqueine D08 team left a tire unattended during its pit stop, resulting in a drive-through penalty.


 

With Catalano taking over piloting duties of the No. 1 LMP3 car, the team quickly served the penalty, which proved timely as the first and only full-course yellow of the race came out during the trip down pit lane.


 

“We were a bit lucky on that side that the drive through was before the caution,” Tunjo said. “It was a small mistake in the pit stop with the guys, but the crew just did a mega job. We had a great car. Super happy to start the season, and the endurance cup also, in a great way.”


 

With Day completing the team’s driver change a little earlier, the caution put co-driver Wyatt Brichacek at the front of the field with the lapped car of Tom Long – who had taken over driving duties of the No. 18 Forbush Performance Ligier P320 – between him and Catalano.


 

Brichacek made the most of the situation, opening a gap of more than seven seconds to Catalano, but Catalano continued to push and was slowly closing the gap when the No. 95 unexpectedly slowed with four minutes (two laps) remaining in the race. It was later determined that a fuel pump failure dropped the team to a sixth-place finish.


 

“I was pushing every lap like it was a qualifying lap and I saw that I might catch (the 95) a little bit, but I was just doing my laps and then suddenly (Brichacek) was getting slow, and I was like, ‘Oh, what is happening? Is the race already over?’” Catalano said with a laugh.


 

“I was still pushing because I still had some guys behind me and I just wanted to finish the race in P1 and bring it home, and then it happened. My engineer was shouting on the radio, and me as well, I was so happy.”


 

It was Patrick Kujala in the No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320 who applied pressure on Catalano. Kujala and co-driver Brian Thienes finished second overall and first in Bronze Cup after a strong race.


 

Garret Grist and Ari Balogh completed the overall podium in the No. 30 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P325.


 

The 2026 IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge is comprised of four, two-hour races for the LMP3 (P3) class of the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. The P3 class will be joined for the remaining three endurance events by the BMW M2 Racing (M2) class starting at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, May 7-9.

 

 

Tunjo Tames ‘Tricky Track’ for Pole in IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge Debut at Sebring

Back-to-Back Pole Positions for Tunjo and Gebhardt in the Sunshine State


 

March 7, 2026

Staff Report

IMSA Wire Service

Qualifying Results


 

SEBRING, Fla. – Oscar Tunjo will lead the field to the green flag for the inaugural IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge at Sebring International Raceway after securing the pole in the No. 1 Gebhardt Motorsports USA Inc. Duqueine D08.


 

Tunjo was dominant in qualifying, posting a fast lap of 1:58.274 (113.837 mph) around the 3.74-mile, 17-turn road course.


 

Shortly after the start of the session, light rain began to fall intermittently around the track, but some wet patches from an earlier afternoon shower proved to be more challenging.


 

“It was a tricky session,” Tunjo said. “We had some rain before, so it was going to be a tricky track. Happy to start (the weekend) in a good way. For us, it's a challenging weekend because it's the first time for (Gebhardt) here in Sebring – as a team, and also for me as a driver.


 

“There was a little bit of still wet patches on track, mainly in some hard braking areas inside the last corner. The last corner is always a really challenging corner, but still, it was good to do a good job.”


 

Tunjo, who was the fastest qualifier for both of the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge races in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway, never relinquished his spot at the top of the charts during Saturday’s 15-minute qualifying session. His lap was 1.539 seconds quicker than Lincoln Day’s lap of 1:59.813 (112.374 mph) in the No. 95 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P325. Brian Thienes was the top qualifier among Bronze-rated drivers and will roll off third with a qualifying lap of 2:02.112 (110.259 mph) in the No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier.


 

With two drivers per car required for the Airbnb Endurance Challenge events, sharing seat time with Tunjo will be 2025 VP Racing SportsCar Challenge LMP3 (P3) champion Valentino Catalano.


 

“Last year I drove with Valentino in Europe, so we are quite used to driving together,” Tunjo said. “Obviously, he's the reigning champion of the VP SportsCar Challenge, so it's nice to have him back on board and also with us.


 

“It will be a challenging race, but yeah, the first one of the endurance. Good to start the season in the endurance (challenge) with the pole, and yeah, we'll see where we can manage to do tomorrow.”


 

Sunday’s two-hour IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge at Sebring will take the green flag at 10:55 a.m. ET and streams globally on the IMSA Official YouTube channel
 

Early Schedule Release Has Become IMSA’s Newest Tradition 

Third Straight IMSA Schedule Release at Sebring Proves the Positivity and Power of Advanced Planning 


 

March 19, 2026

By Holly Cain

IMSA Wire Service

SEBRING, Fla. – For the third consecutive year, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) has set the pace as the first major auto racing sanctioning body to release its next-year schedule - announcing 2027 dates for both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Thursday trackside at Sebring International Raceway, site of Saturday’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

 

The paddock’s reception to the news has been swift and enthusiastic. 

 

IMSA President John Doonan proudly shared the update sitting alongside several track presidents (from left to right above, Matt Muha, John Doonan, Dicky Riegel and Rick Humphrey). The schedule is not only significant in its early release, but also for the consistency it shows with the WeatherTech Championship competing at all the same tracks next year as it will this year. 

 

“I think from the driver’s standpoint it’s nice to have some repetition and know the rhythm, it’s helpful,” said Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing driver Ricky Taylor, who shares the No. 10 Cadillac V-Series.R with Filipe Albuquerque and Will Stevens in Grand Touring Prototype (GTP). “And from a series standpoint, we get to build on the events and the series has so much momentum. We see it.

 

“And it’s nice for fans to have tradition. So many book their events a year in advance.”

 

Doonan emphasized the record car counts and sellout crowds that have been recent IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship staples and attributed the early schedule release as having a substantial and positive effect on it all.

 

“We’re in a place to announce the calendar, give people a longer runway for planning, for corporate partnership development, budgets, that type of thing,” Doonan said. “For me, it’s one of the major stabilizing factors that’s happening in the sport right now.”

 

While the 2026 WeatherTech Championship season is barely underway, fans can already look ahead to major milestones for several cornerstone events in 2027. One of them, perhaps the grandest, will come in 12 months at historic Sebring for the 75th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. 

 

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. celebrates its 70th anniversary next year. January starts the season with the 65th Rolex 24 At Daytona, while the series’ traditional season finale will celebrate the 30th running of Motul Petit Le Mans.

 

The 2027 season will begin a week later than in past years with the traditional Roar Before the Rolex 24 slated for Jan. 22-24 at the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway Road Course followed immediately with the marquee Rolex 24 At Daytona race weekend, Jan. 28-31.

 

The legendary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring follows on March 17-20 – both Daytona and Sebring races part of the five-race IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (with races also at Watkins Glen International, Elkhart Lake’s Road America and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta) – races which feature all four classes of competition from GTP to Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD Pro) and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD).

Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta President Rick Humphrey was among three track presidents present for the announcement at Sebring. He said this kind of consistency in the schedule and its early release is exactly what helped propel his property to have a sellout last year and initiate a facility revitalization project that will include among other things, 1,000 new parking spots and a new access road.

 

“There is such an advantage as a track promoter to know the dates in advance, to be able to prepare, to be able to communicate with the fans,” Humphrey said. “And from our standpoint, the 2027 calendar being released and us continuing to host that season finale and championship event, that is huge for us.

 

“There’s a lot going on at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.”

 

Sebring Raceway’s new president Matt Muha, who succeeds the retiring Wayne Estes, agreed. He’s busy preparing for next March’s 75th race edition celebration, unveiling a special commemorative logo for the 2027 race.

 

“I know our staff couldn’t be prouder of the work that’s gone into getting this logo put together and all the work you’re going to see [at the track] over the course of the next 12 months before we get back to the 75th running,” said Muha, who also announced this week that longtime partner Mobil 1 had extended its entitlement sponsorship. Its parent company sponsorship has been at Sebring since 1995 with the current race name in place since 2000.  

IMSA’s news Thursday also included a change in the 10-race Michelin Pilot Challenge schedule, shifting its one West Coast event from WeatherTech Raceway to the Northeast in Connecticut’s iconic Lime Rock Park next fall, returning IMSA competition to the facility for the first time since 2023. 

 

Doonan emphasized the beautiful “fall colors” greeting teams that will be – by that time in the season – in full championship mode.

 

“I feel like we are very well prepared, the track is ready,” said Lime Rock President and CEO Dicky Riegel, noting recent changes to the facility’s pit road that can accommodate the larger field the Michelin Pilot Challenge offers.

 

It’s all positive challenges for IMSA and the tracks – all who are enjoying the current state of the sport – large, competitive fields, fueled by eager corporate sponsors and appreciated by large enthusiastic crowds all over the country.

 

“We continue to investigate a bunch of different places that we could seriously go as a sanctioning body,” Doonan said of future expansion. “The consistency that you’ve seen has been a driver for what Rick [Humphrey] saw at Petit, what Matt [Muha] and his team are seeing here [at Sebring] and what all the promoters are seeing when it comes to record attendance.

 

“We continue to look at places we can go keep it continuously fresh … places our partners want to go and activate in markets that we think would put on a good show. But I think the consistency of this is one of the other stabilizing factors in why we are having such good turnouts right now.’’

 

2026 IMSA Hall of Fame Class Unveiled at Sebring

Fourth Hall of Fame Class Includes Legendary Drivers, Awe-Inspiring Race Cars

SEBRING, Fla. (March 19, 2026) – This year’s class for the IMSA Hall of Fame includes six drivers who achieved legendary status alongside four of the most memorable race cars to compete across five decades of IMSA racing. 


 

“Every year, the IMSA Hall of Fame gives us a chance to pause and reflect on the people and the machines that shaped who we are,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “But this 2026 class reaches straight to the heart. These drivers didn’t just win races; they inspired generations. These cars didn’t just break records; they changed the way we felt about what was possible in our sport.


 

“Each inductee represents a moment when someone pushed a little harder, dreamed a little bigger, and left a mark that will outlast all of us. Their stories are woven into IMSA’s history and honoring them reminds us why we all fell in love with this sport in the first place. It’s a privilege to celebrate their impact, and to carry their legacy forward.”


 

Launched in 2023, the IMSA Hall of Fame celebrates more than 50 years of North American sports car racing excellence and lives digitally at www.imsahalloffame.com. The difference between the IMSA Hall of Fame and other halls of fame from the worlds of sports and entertainment is that the IMSA Hall of Fame recognizes and includes not only the personalities and competitors who achieved greatness in the sport, but also the legendary race cars among its annual group of inductees.


 

Inductees are selected by a nomination committee that includes past and present IMSA executives and members, as well as a rotating group of media members with intimate knowledge of IMSA’s rich history. The 2026 class will be officially enshrined in the IMSA Hall of Fame at the WeatherTech Night of Champions, which celebrates the accomplishments and great moments from the season after the Motul Petit Le Mans season finale in October.


 

The fourth class of inductees is as follows:


 

IMSA Hall of Fame Class of 2026

BILL AUBERLEN


 

The winningest driver in IMSA championship-level competition, Auberlen – who is still competing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2026 – amassed a record 65 class victories from more than 450 career starts between 1987 and 2023. A three-time IMSA champion, Auberlen earned class victories in the Rolex 24 At Daytona (twice), the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (four times), Motul Petit Le Mans (three times) and the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen (four times). Auberlen has claimed at least one IMSA race victory at 24 different race tracks. 


 

Courtesy of Rick Dole

BUTCH LEITZINGER


 

A 50-time IMSA race winner in a career that spanned from 1986 through 2013, Leitzinger is a four-time series champion. His résumé includes three Rolex 24 At Daytona victories, four wins in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, and one victory each in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and Motul Petit Le Mans.


 

Courtesy of Rick Dole

ROGER MANDEVILLE


 

A class winner in the very first IMSA GT race at VIRginia International Raceway in 1971, Mandeville added 21 more victories from the 195 IMSA races he competed in between 1971 and 2006. He is a two-time IMSA champion and a three-time winner of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. As both a driver and team owner, Mandeville became synonymous with the Mazda RX-7 GTU program that was inducted into the inaugural IMSA Hall of Fame class in 2023. Additionally, he was the creator and constructor of the Hawk WSC car powered by rotary and Chevrolet V8 engines in the 1990s.


 

Photo courtesy of Marshall Pruett Archives

BRIAN REDMAN


 

A legendary figure in sports car racing, Redman’s IMSA exploits include 12 class victories and the 1981 IMSA GTX championship. He is a two-time winner of the Rolex 24 At Daytona and also has a pair of victories in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Redman competed in a total of 86 IMSA races between 1975 and 2000, finishing on the podium 39 times.


 

IMSA Archive Photo

LYN ST. JAMES


 

A pioneer and stalwart for women in racing to this day, St. James made history as the first woman to win an IMSA race as a solo driver, which she achieved at Watkins Glen International on September 29, 1985 in the GTO class aboard a Roush Racing-prepared Ford Mustang. She won the GTO class twice in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and earned a GTO victory in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in 1990. Beyond IMSA, St. James became the first woman to win Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honors in 1992. She competed in the Indianapolis 500 seven times among 16 IndyCar starts.


 

IMSA Archive Photo

HANS-JOACHIM STUCK


 

A global sports car racing star, Stuck’s IMSA career included 22 class victories and 43 podiums from 91 races between 1975 and 2003. He won the GTO class in the 1981 Rolex 24 At Daytona, three overall and two additional class victories in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and a GT class win at Motul Petit Le Mans in 2001. Beyond IMSA, Stuck won the Nurburgring 24 Hours three times and the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, as well as the 1985 World Sportscar Championship title.


 

IMSA Archive Photo

AUDI 90 QUATTRO GTO

 

It only competed in one season of IMSA competition – and didn’t even compete in every race – but the Audi 90 quattro GTO made a lasting impression, and was one of the most technically advanced cars in IMSA history. The two cars were driven by a pair of IMSA Hall of Famers – Hurley Haywood and Hans-Joachim Stuck – and earned seven victories and 16 podium finishes between March 5 and October 22, 1989. Despite competing in just one partial season, it is Audi’s third most-successful model in IMSA, trailing the R10 and R8 LMP cars.


 

IMSA Archive Photo

RILEY DAYTONA PROTOTYPE


 

From 2004 through 2016, Riley Daytona Prototypes – which had a total of three different variants – made a total of 1,335 starts in GRAND-AM and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition in a total of 209 races. The cars earned 98 victories and 290 class podiums, winning at 24 different racetracks. Riley DPs won 20 of 29 races at Daytona and 18 of 28 at Watkins Glen International. 


 

IMSA Archive Photo

GREENWOOD CORVETTES

 

Among the most identifiable cars of IMSA’s early era were the C3-bodied Chevrolet Corvettes fielded by John Greenwood’s team. The car actually picked up its first win at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in 1971 before the race was sanctioned by IMSA, but the first IMSA win came a year later, in the GTO class at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 9, 1972. Three wins followed, including overall victories in the IMSA Championship Finals races at Daytona in both 1974 and 1975. Greenwood-built Corvettes continued to race in IMSA into the early 1980s fielded by many customer teams. Away from IMSA, one of the most storied achievements by the Greenwood Corvette was when it reached 222 mph on the Mulsanne Straight during qualifying for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1976, making the car an instant fan favorite.


 

IMSA Archive Photo

MAZDA RX-3


 

With 61 starts between 1974 and 1987, the Mazda RX-3 achieved five podium results in IMSA GT competition. And while the car was a common sight on the IMSA GT grid, the RX-3 really made a name for itself in the IMSA RS series, winning the 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982 manufacturers titles adding driver championships with Roger Mandeville (1979), Jim Downing (1981) and Chuck Ulinski (1982). 


 

IMSA Archive Photo
 

2027 Schedules Revealed for IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge

WeatherTech Championship Season Features 75th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring; Michelin Pilot Challenge Adds Second Headline Event at Lime Rock Park

SEBRING, Fla. (March 19, 2026) – The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) today revealed its 2027 schedules for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, becoming the first major auto racing sanctioning body to announce its schedule for the following season for the third consecutive year.


 

“Announcing our schedule this early in the year, which has now become our tradition, is a testament to the stability of our events and our promoter relationships, and we are grateful to all of our promoter partners,” said IMSA CEO Ed Bennett. “It also provides an opportunity for everybody involved – from stakeholders and participants to IMSA race fans – to adequately make their plans to attend well in advance. Nearly all of our events have seen year-over-year attendance increases the past few years, so it is conceivable that our strategy of announcing our schedules in March is paying dividends.”


 

The WeatherTech Championship again features an 11-race season with some subtle changes, while the Michelin Pilot Challenge again features 10 races but will include a second headlining event in 2027.

2027 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship to Feature Milestone Event at Sebring

Stability remains the name of the game with the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with all 11 venues that have hosted the series for the past several seasons returning in 2027.


 

“Each season presents an opportunity to build on IMSA’s incredible momentum, and the 2027 schedule represents the very best of our longstanding partnerships and world‑class venues,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “We are grateful for the continued collaboration with our television partner, NBC Sports, whose support allows us to showcase IMSA’s thrilling, multi‑class racing to race fans everywhere. We also appreciate the cooperation from our fellow sanctioning bodies as we all work together in good faith to minimize date conflicts and create the strongest possible calendar for teams, partners, and fans.


 

“The 2027 season is especially meaningful as we celebrate several historic milestones:  the 75th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the 70th anniversary of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the 65th Rolex 24 At Daytona and the 30th running of Motul Petit Le Mans. These iconic events represent the heart and soul of sports car racing, and we look forward to honoring their legacies with our competitors and passionate fanbase next season.”


 

The season will start one weekend later than it has traditionally started with the 65th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona slated for the weekend of January 28-31 on the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway circuit. Daytona again kicks off the “36 Hours of Florida,” and will be followed by the milestone 75th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 17-20. 


 

Both races again will be part of the five-race IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup season and will include all four classes – Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD).


 

From there, the series makes its way to California for the annual “West Coast Swing,” featuring the 100-minute Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 16-17 and a two-hour, 40-minute race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California on April 30-May 2. Long Beach will feature the GTP and GTD classes, while GTD PRO joins the party in Monterey.


 

The streets of downtown Detroit again will feature the sights and sounds of GTP and GTD PRO machinery on June 4-5 when the series returns for another 100-minute battle as part of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. The Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen opens the summer portion of the season with the WeatherTech Championship making its annual voyage to New York’s Finger Lakes region for the annual four-class, six-hour clash on June 24-27. Watkins Glen marks the halfway point in the battle for the Michelin Endurance Cup.


 

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario brings three WeatherTech Championship classes – LMP2, GTD PRO and GTD – north of the border for two hours and 40 minutes of racing on July 9-11. All four classes reunite in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for another six-hour battle on the famed, four-mile Road America circuit on July 29-August 1 which marks the penultimate race of the 2027 Michelin Endurance Cup.


 

VIRginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia hosts its traditional, two-hour, 40-minute battle for the GTD PRO and GTD classes in the Michelin GT Challenge on August 20-22. After a nearly one-month break, all four classes will reunite at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the two-hour, 40-minute TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks for the second-to-last WeatherTech Championship race of the season on September 17-19.


 

All of that will set the stage for an epic, 10-hour finale – the 30th Motul Petit Le Mans – at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia on October 6-9 to close out both the 2027 WeatherTech Championship and Michelin Endurance Cup seasons.


 

The 2027 season again will open with three days of testing at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 on January 22-24. The Roar is mandatory for all teams competing in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.


 

Expanded IMSA-Sanctioned Testing Planned at Tracks Hosting Endurance Events

In addition to unveiling the 2027 WeatherTech Championship schedule, IMSA also unveiled plans to offer expanded sanctioned testing prior to the five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events at each of the facilities hosting these events.


 

The sanctioned tests would be for active WeatherTech Championship competitors only. More information and specific dates will be announced later.


 

2027 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Sees Return to Lime Rock Park for Headline Race


 

The two-class IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge – featuring the Grand Sport (GS) and Touring Car (TCR) classes – will be the weekend headliner for two of its 10 event weekends in 2027 as the series tops the bill in a return to Lime Rock Park in addition to being the main attraction with its annual four-hour race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.


 

The FCP Euro Northeast Grand Prix will serve as the penultimate round of the 2027 Michelin Pilot Challenge, bringing the series to the 1.5-mile bullring in Lakeville, Connecticut on the weekend of September 23-25. The two-hour race will be the first IMSA-sanctioned race at Lime Rock since the 2023 season. 

“The loyal fans at Lime Rock Park have been hungry for a return of IMSA competition and we are thrilled to bring it to them in the fall of 2027,” said Doonan. “This race will give the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge another well-deserved opportunity in the spotlight and will undoubtedly be a highlight of what we expect will be another highly competitive season in 2027.”


 

Eight of the 10 Michelin Pilot Challenge races will run as a companion to the WeatherTech Championship season. The season will open with the traditional four-hour battle at Daytona International Speedway on the weekend of January 28-31, followed by the trek to Sebring International Raceway for the first of eight two-hour races in the season on March 17-20.


 

The series will forego a trek to the West Coast in 2027, returning to competition with the second and final four-hour race of the season as the headliner at Mid-Ohio on June 11-13. Watkins Glen International is next on June 24-27, followed by Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on July 9-11 to close out the first half of the season.


 

Road America opens the second half on July 29-August 1, followed by VIRginia International Raceway on August 20-22 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 17-19. It will be a quick, one-week turnaround for the series to get to Lime Rock, followed by a two-week break prior to the season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on October 6-9.


 

The 2027 Michelin Pilot Challenge season again opens with three days of non-mandatory testing at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 on January 22-24.
 

 

 

What to Watch for: 74th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

Sebring’s Win Streaks, Lamborghini’s Temerario GT3 Debut, Weather Watch 


 

March 18, 2026

By David Phillips

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Russian composer Igor Stravinsky may have celebrated The Rite of Spring (aka Le Sacre du printemps) nearly half a century before Russian-American aeronautical engineer Alec Ulmann founded what was destined to become the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. But Ulmann’s annual clambake on a United States Army Air Force training base-turned racetrack has long been recognized as sports car racing’s rite of spring. 


 

Every March (and one November) but one since 1952 the world’s leading sports car manufacturers, race teams and drivers have convened in central Florida (along with tens of thousands of race fans, snowbirds and “spring-breakers”) to race around the clock on the rough ’n tumble runways, taxiways and purpose-built connecting roads that collectively make-up Sebring International Raceway. Some even showed up the one time the race didn’t happen, in 1974. 


 

The Rolex 24 At Daytona may be twice the distance, but when it comes to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, no event can match the unique challenges posed by the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.


 

Can Sebring’s Win Streaks Roll On?   


 

Winward Racing’s trio of Philip Ellis, Russell Ward and Indy Dontje have gone back-to-back at Sebring in ’24 and ’25 in Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) in their No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3. While they shoot for their Sebring triple, the two-time defending class champions can also double up to start 2026 after winning the Rolex 24 At Daytona.


 

“We were super stoked that we could get our third Rolex and start the year, defending our championship and going for the third in that way,” Ellis said. “It sets you up for the year and makes us the hunted car again from the get-go - which is a nice position to be in. But of course, it brings a lot of pressure as well.” 


 

Also “hunted?” That’d be Porsche Penske Motorsport, which opened 2026 with its Rolex 24 win with its new-look No. 7 Porsche 963 lineup and seeks a second straight “36 Hours of Florida” double. The two Porsches were first and fourth at Daytona this year, and first at second at Sebring last year. But at the Rolex 24, the top eight in Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) finished on the lead lap. There’s little margin for error. 


 

“I think everybody always says you're only as good as your last race,” says Team Penske president Jonathan Diuguid. “Racers and fans have pretty short memory, and so we just need to continue to operate at the high level that we've been operating at.


 

“The driver crews are performing extremely well, and so is the car, and so that's our main focus for Sebring. The evolution of the 963 has improved on the bumpy circuits, and we’re looking forward to it again. I think the Michelin tire also is an improvement over last year. So I expect to see more fighting in the heat of the day and less people riding around because I think the tires definitely improved.”


 

“The last time we were very successful (at Sebring) and we’re coming from a dream start at Daytona,” added Felipe Nasr, the only driver of Penske’s trio going for the Florida “double double” from 2025 to 2026.


 

Cadillac’s got a thing for Sebring streaks too, having won three straight 12 hours from 2021 to 2023 with three different teams (JDC-Miller MotorSports, Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac Whelen) spanning two Cadillac prototypes (Cadillac DPi-V.R, Cadillac V-Series.R) and two different top prototype classes (DPi, GTP). Louis Deletraz, who won with Acura in 2024 but now seeks a repeat with Jordan Taylor and Colton Herta aboard the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V.Series-R this weekend, is bullish on Cadillac’s chances.


 

“The Cadillac is really strong at Sebring,” Deletraz said. “We were testing for two days, so I think we had some time to prep well and then I’m really excited because we got a good shot at it.  We need to beat everyone, including Felipe, which was very strong lately but we’ll give it a go.


 

“All the ‘evos’ Cadillac brought, which are for us positive, bring consistency. When we go to a track like Sebring with all the bumps, it should be positive for us.”


 

How Will Lamborghini Temerario GT3 Fare in Its Debut? 

Both Pfaff Motorsports and Lamborghini know how to win at Sebring. Pfaff claimed a GTD PRO win in 2023 with a Porsche, while Lamborghini’s then-Huracán GT3 won back-to-back in GTD in 2018 and 2019 with Paul Miller Racing and GRT, respectively.


 

They haven’t won at Sebring together. Yet. 


 

For the debut of the new Lamborghini Temerario GT3, winning is secondary to finishing the grueling 12-hour with its distinctive, recognizable and fan-favorite plaid motif (although it ran in a test livery at the IMSA-sanctioned test in November, above). 


 

Subjecting a new car to the bumps and grinds of Sebring International Raceway is a truly formidable challenge. But with a multiple day test in November, Pfaff and Lamborghini are prepared. Additionally, how better to find any challenging point in a new car than by pounding around Sebring for two days of practice and qualifying followed by a 12-hour race? 


 

“It’s always special to do the first laps of a new car in North America,” Andrea Caldarelli said of the car’s North American test debut at Daytona, prior to the Sebring test. “So it’s really, really happy. We didn’t create any red flag as probably somebody was expecting. No, jokes apart, it was good. We didn’t have any problems. We ran all the runs we wanted to do and we planned. So we didn’t have any issues.  


 

“It’s pretty different starting, obviously, with the engine base it’s completely different. So drivability wise it’s completely different from the Huracan. There’s a few laps to get used to it, but after that the car was pretty much straightforward. The car requires, obviously, a different driving style, both engine and chassis is a different platform, but other than that it feels pretty normal.”


 

Pfaff Motorsports general manager Steve Bortolotti and the crew will work with drivers Caldarelli, Sandy Mitchell and team newcomer Franck Perera, who will share the No. 9 Temerario. 


 

How Will Weather Affect This Year’s Race?


 

From all indications, it’s looking like Chamber of Commerce weather for the copious amounts of fans and campers at Sebring with forecasts of daytime high temperatures in the mid-70s and ample doses of Florida sunshine on Saturday . . . until roughly 7:30 p.m. 


 

And therein lies the rub. As when the sun dips below the Western horizon, temperatures drop too – approaching the 50s as the race steams towards the 10:10 p.m. checkered flag.


 

Sebring success often means setting the car up well for the final two hours when the ambient and track temps drop. As the competition heats up, contests for track position become orders of magnitude more ... urgent ... than in the morning and afternoon.          

“You don’t really care what your pace is during the day,” Ellis explained. “You want to have a good car the last two hours, which usually is very different in track temperature and even just track condition. It usually gets super dirty, especially at the end, and keeping the car clean, having everything still attached, all the wheels straight and just having no issues and no penalty left for the end.” 


 

Deletraz added, “What is so special is the night finish of this race. The race comes up and becomes way more aggressive. There’s always a yellow that gets you back in the game towards the end. There is strategy and then there’s placing how much risk you want to take. So personally, I enjoy it. I think it’s one of the best races in the world.”


 

Hectic those last hours may be, but it would take a supremely focused – dare we say tunnel visioned – driver not to appreciate the unique aesthetics of a night at Sebring International Raceway.


 

“The last hour, the darkness, plus fighting through traffic because all the classes are fighting for their own win, and you end up catching the back of the GTs,” Deletraz said. “They’re fighting for your own race (and I) have to say and it’s also pretty beautiful (with) the sparks from the other cars touching the ground.” 


 

Another aspect to the night racing is the fact that the GTP drivers and teams are still getting accustomed to Michelin’s new rubber this season, tires specifically designed to reach optimum performance while being more sustainable than in previous seasons.  


 

“We are still learning about the new Michelin GTP tire, especially in these conditions, especially the warm conditions,” Nasr said. “I would say Daytona was mostly … let’s say transitioning from not too high temps to let’s say medium temperature.


 

“For sure I’ve seen the warming up laps has been better everywhere since we got the new Michelin tire, which is a big benefit and something we drivers also have to adjust to. You need to make the most of the tire, even though they’re cold. That’s where drivers make a difference. It’s extracting the tire. The out laps are still pretty significant in terms of gaining a position or not.”


 

Although the outcome of the race may be decided in those final two hours, be sure to catch all twelve hours of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring - along with practice and qualifying - on NBCSN, Peacock, IMSA TV and YouTube.

 

IMSA Mourns Loss of Hall of Famer Bob Tullius At Age 95


 

March 18, 2026

By Holly Cain

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – IMSA Hall of Famer Robert Charles “Bob” Tullius, a success on the race track and an innovator away from it, died Monday at age 95 in Port Orange, Fla. – only a few miles from Daytona International Speedway which fueled so many of his dreams and achievements over decades of dedication to auto racing.


 

“Bob Tullius was one of the true originals in American sports car racing,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “He was a visionary competitor, a gifted team leader, and a gentleman whose presence elevated every paddock he entered. His success with Group 44 and his decades of innovation and excellence left an unmistakable imprint on IMSA’s history and on the countless people he inspired along the way.


 

“We mourn the loss of a Hall of Famer, a pioneer, and a dear friend to our community. On behalf of everyone at IMSA, we extend our deepest condolences to Bob’s family, friends, former teammates, and the many fans who cherished his remarkable legacy.”


 

One of motorsport’s esteemed multi-Hall of Famers, Tullius co-founded the iconic Group 44 team where he earned 10 IMSA GTP class wins as a driver in his famed Jaguar XJR-5s and XJR-7s in the mid-1980s – a time when he also claimed a treasured GTP class victory in the 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans. His final win as a driver came a year later in the 1986 three-hour race at Daytona.


 

Years earlier, the versatile talent Tullius even entered the 1973 Daytona 500, but did not qualify for the race after being collected in a multi-car crash during a qualifying race.


 

Certainly, this penchant for earning headlines was evident from his earliest days in the sport – a bold career choice necessitated when his supervisor at the Kodak Company where he worked in the 1960s told him he must pick between his day job there or his “night job” on the race track.


 

Ultimately, that decision proved correct and Tullius’ contributions to racing history began in earnest in 1966, when he drove a Dodge Dart to victory in the inaugural SCCA Trans Am Series race at Sebring International Raceway – then a “support event” to the world-renowned Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, where so much of the racing world’s attention is focused for this Saturday’s historic 74th running.


 

In all, Tullius won 21 times in a multi-year tenure in Trans Am primarily driving Triumphs and he was fittingly, not only among the inaugural Trans Am Hall of Fame class but was the very first person inducted in an esteemed group that included fellow honorees Roger Penske and the late Parnelli Jones.


 

In its 25-years, Tulius’ Group 44 – also co-founded by Brian Fuerstenau and fellow New York native Dick Gilmartin – combined for 14 national titles and more than 300 wins in the IMSA GTP endurance races, SCCA Club Races and SCCA Trans Am Series. He fielded the car that another IMSA legend, Hurley Haywood, drove to the 1988 Trans Am title.


 

Tullius earned legendary status for the versatility and success he showed behind the wheel, but it was absolutely equaled by his next-level business-acumen out of the cockpit.


 

After his racing career, Tullius focused on team promotion and public relations. He proved the value of having a strategic and skilled public relations department long before that was such an integral part of race team organization. And he was especially proud of the attention he brought and the professionalism he expected in that aspect of the sport – demonstrating the great benefits of acquiring major long-term corporate sponsors.


 

“We started the practice of reaching out to the press, auto dealerships and sponsor affiliates,” Tullius told RACER Magazine. “My staff were the first real marketing professionals in motorsports. We had a PR team and would go into markets in advance of races with promotional materials for stores, TV, radio and newspapers. It was 24-7 leg work.”


 

For his efforts on track and beyond, Tullius was inducted into the Sebring Hall of Fame in 2014, the SCCA Hall of Fame in 2015, the British Sports Car Hall of Fame in 2017, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2018. He was inducted into the IMSA Hall of Fame in 2025.


 

Not surprisingly, the reaction from the racing world to news of Tullius’ passing has provoked massive amounts of tributes. So many wanting to show their respect, with the word, “legend” the recurring theme.


 

“On a very personal note, Bob was a lifelong hero of mine,” Doonan said. “Bob and my grandfather (John W. Doonan) were very close friends and met – just by chance – in a London restaurant on their way back to the states from Le Mans. Because they both lived in the same area of Virginia/Maryland, they shared racing stories, plane stories, car stories, and true friendship from then on.


 

“I first met Bob at the IMSA 500-mile race at Road America in 1982, a day I will never forget. My last visit with Bob was last year at his Florida home when we presented him his IMSA Hall of Fame medal. Rarely does it come to be that one gets the chance to induct one of their heroes into the Hall of Fame. In this case, I cherish the fact that I could.”


 

Tullius is survived by his daughter, his daughter in law, his eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren and was preceded in death by his son, Russel.


 

A celebration of life will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to the Humane Society in Tullius’ name.


 

Tullius Headshot via Group 44 Archives

 

 

Lamborghini Trofeo North America Set to Start its 14th Season

in Sebring

Anticipated Field Of 39 Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2 Cars Expected

to Compete


 

March 18, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The 14th season of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America (LSTNA) championship starting this weekend at Sebring International Raceway will mark an end of an era but still is set to feature fantastic racing from deep fields covering the best Super Trofeo teams and Lamborghini Dealers throughout North America.


 

The Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2 race car is set for its fifth season of competition since its 2022 debut in North America, building off the success of the first iteration Huracán that ran before. In 2027, the all-new Temerario Super Trofeo built by Lamborghini will take to tracks worldwide.


 

Teams have built a strong database with the Huracán over the years and now have more data on Hankook’s new L63H tire, which premiered midseason in 2025 and provided additional grip and durability to competitors as they tame the 600-plus horsepower on offer.


 

The 2026 calendar will mirror the 2025 one in North America, with two 50-minute races apiece at Sebring, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Watkins Glen International, Road America and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.


 

The Lamborghini World Finals this year stay in Italy but shift from Misano to the iconic Monza Circuit – officially called Autodromo Nazionale Monza. The World Finals include the last two North American rounds before all three Lamborghini Super Trofeo regions, North America, Europe and Asia, converge for a full weekend covering all four classes.


 

The entry list features 39 cars, one shy of 40 after a late withdrawal. A total of 16 teams representing 14 Lamborghini dealerships (Palm Beach, Austin, Broward, Miami, Chicago, Philadelphia, Newport Beach, Greenwich, Montreal, San Francisco, Sarasota, Orlando, Washington and Downers Grove) will race at Sebring. The dealerships provide support to the team programs.


 

Teams run in four classes – Pro, ProAm, Am and LB Cup – with drivers ranging from Gold to Bronze ratings to fit the class parameters. The 50-minute races feature a mandatory 10-minute pit stop window once opened midway through the race. The minimum pit stop time (clocked from a car entering pit lane to when it exits) covers off both single and two-driver requirements, with a slightly longer minimum stop for single-driver entries (63 seconds for single driver versus 60 for two drivers).


 

All four classes enjoyed healthy championship battles in 2025 and are set to be similarly engaging in 2026. There are at least 10 past Super Trofeo North America champions in the field, including the champions from each of the past four years in Pro.


 

Hampus Ericsson (2025), Giano Taurino (2024) and Ernie Francis Jr. (2024) all have a chance to add additional Pro titles in three different cars. Ericsson is part of Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 1 Wayne Taylor Racing, Lamborghini Palm Beach, Pro car alongside co-driver Nick Persing, who shifts over from running solo in 2025. Taurino enters his own No. 88 Taurino Racing, Lamborghini Newport Beach, car while Francis Jr. is part of the No. 28 Alliance Racing, Lamborghini Broward, car with 2021 Am champion Luke Berkeley.


 

Plenty of other contenders exist in a 12-car Pro class, including 2025 runners-up Elias De La Torre and Will Bamber back in the No. 29 TR3 Racing, Lamborghini Miami, Huracán, ANSA Motorsports’ pair of Lamborghini Young Driver Program Shootout winner Colin Queen and newcomer Tommi Gore in their No. 4 Lamborghini Broward Huracán, the No. 7 WTR, Lamborghini Palm Beach, pro car of James Wallis and Al Morey, XONINE Racing’s Darius Trinka and Dominic Starkweather in their No. 33 Lamborghini Chicago Huracán, an all-female lineup of Jem Hepworth now joined by sports car and open-wheel veteran Tati Calderon in the No. 2 RAFA Racing Lamborghini Austin entry and remaining entries from Atlantic Racing Team, Precision Performance Motorsports, Topp Racing and Forty7 Motorsports. The latter entry from Forty7 features past class champion Keawn Tandon and Lindsey Brewer sharing the No. 77 Lamborghini Philadelphia Huracán.


 

Danny Formal and Kyle Marcelli, two other past Pro champions, will headline what should be an intense ProAm battle. The two won Pro titles together in 2022 and 2023, while Formal won Pro and the Lamborghini World Final Pro title with Ericsson in 2025. Formal and Marcelli will race against each other in 2026. Formal’s spent his maximum five years in Pro, so shifts to a ProAm No. 10 WTR, Lamborghini Palm Beach, car with 2025 Am champion Graham Doyle. Marcelli will share the No. 19 TB Autosports, Lamborghini Montreal, car with Mathieu Boucher.


 

Keep an eye out for veterans Paul Nemschoff and Marc Miller in ProAm, who switch to WTR with their No. 41 Lamborghini Palm Beach entry, and Mateo Siderman, who won three late-season Am races in 2025 and moves up to ProAm in 2026 with his No. 63 TR3 Racing, Lamborghini Miami, entry. SP Motorsports with emerging IMSA talent Jaden Conwright and Kaizen Autosport with 2024 ProAm champion Joel Miller also may shine in this class. RAFA Racing newcomers Chloe Chambers and Ian Porter also may figure in the No. 81 RAFA Racing Team, Lamborghini Austin, Huracán, as might Jackson Lee and Matt Jaskol in the No. 3 Forty7 Motorsports, Lamborghini Greenwich, Huracán,


 

The Am class includes some notable names including 2025 Am runner-up David Staab in PPM’s No. 48 Lamborghini Palm Beach entry, two-time LB Cup champion Nick Groat moving up to Am in the No. 57 XONINE Racing, Lamborghini Chicago, entry and Dean Neuls, a podium finisher from 2025 in the No. 70 TR3 Racing, Lamborghini Miami, entry.


 

In LB Cup, last year’s runner-up Rocky T. Bolduc will look to go one spot better as he switches to Topp Racing’s No. 99 Lamborghini Greenwich entry. Several other returnees and interesting newcomers will bolster what is another deep class.


 

Lamborghini Super Trofeo practices on Wednesday with qualifying Thursday morning and the two 50-minute races Thursday at 6:05 p.m. ET and Friday at 4:35 p.m. ET. Races stream via Peacock, IMSA’s YouTube channel and Lamborghini’s YouTube channel.


 

2025 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Sebring Race 1 Winners:

  • Pro: Danny Formal/Hampus Ericsson, No. 1 Wayne Taylor Racing
  • ProAm: Anthony McIntosh/Brendon Leitch, No. 69 Wayne Taylor Racing
  • Am: Graham Doyle/Glenn McGee, No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing
  • LB Cup: Nick Groat, No. 57 ONE Motorsports


 

2025 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Sebring Race 2 Winners:

  • Pro: Danny Formal/Hampus Ericsson, No. 1 Wayne Taylor Racing
  • ProAm: Darius Trinka/Tadas Karlinskas, No. 33 Rearden Racing
  • Am: Graham Doyle/Glenn McGee, No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing
  • LB Cup: Nick Groat, No. 57 ONE Motorsports
 

 

Entry List Notebook – Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 at Sebring

Second IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Round of 2026 is Already Pivotal in GS


 

March 16, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Only one race into the 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season, the Grand Sport (GS) class has been shaken up heading to Sebring International Raceway’s Alan Jay Automotive Network 120.


 

Last year’s GS champions, RS1, aren’t in the field. Last year’s GS runners-up, CarBahn by Peregrine Racing, will have to dig out of a Race 1 hole with a 30th place finish and just 10 points scored, already 340 points back of the lead. Aston Martin went 1-2 with Rebel Rock Racing’s Frank DePew, Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis winning in their No. 71 Aston Martin AMR Vantage GT4 Evo. Circle H Racing’s No. 14 entry scored a surprise but welcome runner-up finish in its first race with a new operational partner (Archangel Motorsports) and manufacturer (Aston Martin), following a strong drive from the trio of David Hampton, Thomas Merrill and Martin Sarukanyhan. 


 

The rest of those that finished quietly but successfully in the top 10 are well-positioned to strike at Sebring, because consistency figures to mold this year’s champion.


 

Winward Racing’s Bryce Ward and Daan Arrow, the latter in his Daytona debut, took the last podium spot in the No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT GT4. The pair of past GS champions now sharing Turner Motorsport’s No. 95 BMW M4 GT4 EVO, Dillon Machavern and Luca Mars, had a solid fourth place with fellow BMW runners Auto Technic Racing maintaining their form from the second half of 2025 in fifth, with Austin Krainz, Stevan McAleer and Roland Krainz aboard their No. 27 BMW. Turner’s second BMW with past champions, Vin Barletta and Robby Foley, ended 10th in the No. 96 car. 


 

Ford got a pair of top-10s with the No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing Mustang GT4 coming home sixth from pole and the No. 19 Stephen Cameron Racing Mustang in eighth. VPX posted an impressive seventh on its series debut, matching the car number for Matheus Leist and Danny Dyszelski’s No. 7 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS. Fellow Porsche runner CSM also got a top-10, with newcomer Madeline Stewart sharing the No. 2 entry alongside team veterans Gordon Scully and Morgan Burkhard. 


 

Stewart shifts to CSM’s new second car this week, the No. 3 Porsche, alongside former junior open-wheel driver Jonathan Browne. One other change occurs with Trenton Estep and Allen Patten moving from Thunder Bunny Racing to van der Steur Racing, where they’ll share the No. 66 Aston Martin AMR Vantage GT4 Evo. 


 

The list of those that didn’t get the result they wanted at Daytona is long and voluminous and with another 30-plus-car GS entry at Sebring (34 cars), it could feature a heavily shaken up finishing order once more which could upend the title battle before Round 3 out west at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey. 


 

BMW has won more often than not at Sebring, with wins for either its M4 GT4 or GT4 EVO variants in 2020, 2023 and 2025. Porsche (2016), Ford (2022) and Aston Martin (2024) also have GS wins at the track, leaving McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Toyota in search of their first GS triumphs. 


 

TCR has a 16-car grid at Sebring. Once again, Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian opened its account at Daytona strong with a 1-3 for two of its Hyundai Elantra N TCR cars. The Denis Dupont and Preston Brown-driven No. 76 Elantra maintained its form in four-hour races by taking the victory. Bryson Morris and Mason Filippi finished third in the No. 33 Elantra they shared with Joshua Buchan; HART split the middle with the trio of Chad Gilsinger, Tyler Chambers and Cameron Lawrence finishing second in their No. 89 Honda Civic FL5 TCR.


 

There hasn’t been any one dominant brand in TCR at Sebring with Honda (2022), Alfa Romeo (2023), Audi (2024) and Hyundai (2025) winning the last four years. Cupra, the fourth active TCR manufacturer, impressed with its pace at Daytona but didn’t bank the desired results after separate incidents and issues throughout its race. 


 

Filippi and Harry Gottsacker won at Sebring last year after a post-race penalty was assessed to Morris and Mark Wilkins. All four are back this year as part of Herta’s rejiggered quartet; Gottsacker now shares the No. 18 with Lance Bergstein and Wilkins races the flagship No. 98 alongside Maddie Aust.

Fast Facts

Alan Jay Automotive Network 120

Sebring International Raceway – Sebring, Fla.  

March 18-20, 2026


 

  • Race Day/Time: Friday, March 20, 2:00 p.m. ET
  • Live Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 1:55 p.m. ET, Peacock in the U.S., internationally on IMSA.TV and IMSA YouTube ad-free courtesy of Michelin
  • Circuit Type: 3.74-mile, 17-turn road course
  • Classes Competing: Grand Sport (GS), Touring Car (TCR)
  • Race Length: Two hours

 

Michelin Pilot Challenge Track Records

  • GS: Jesse Lazare, McLaren Artura GT4, 2:09.915 / 103.636mph, March 2024
  • TCR: Mat Pombo, Honda Civic FK7 TCR, 2:11.796 / 102.158 mph, March 2023


 

2025 Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 Race Winners

  • GS: Jeff Westphal/Sean McAlister, No. 39 CarBahn by Peregrine Racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO 
  • TCR: Harry Gottsacker/Mason Filippi, No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport w/ Curb Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR


 

Storylines

  • GS Jumble: As noted, with some heavy hitters and preseason championship favorites struggling at Daytona, Round 2 at Sebring already may be a pivotal race for those in GS needing to make up ground for the rest of the season. 
  • TCR Parity: With four different brands having won the last four years at Sebring in TCR, there’s no clear favorite. And after the pace shown at Daytona, Cupra could be poised to be the fifth different brand in as many years to win at Sebring.  


 

Who’s Hot?

  • Aston Martin: A 1-2 finish in GS with Rebel Rock Racing and Circle H Racing started the year strong for the Aston Martin AMR Vantage GT4 Evo. Other teams running the car such as Heart of Racing Team and van der Steur Racing will look to join the success at Sebring. 
  • Bryan Herta Autosport and Hyundai: A double podium for BHA and Hyundai started the year strong once more, with the No. 76 Hyundai Elantra N TCR winning at Daytona with the sister No. 33 car in third.


 

Who’s Good Here?

  • Liddell and DePew: The Daytona winners have had their best form at Sebring, where Robin Liddell is a four-time winner (twice with Stevenson Motorsports, twice with Rebel Rock Racing) and Frank DePew a two-time winner with Rebel Rock.
  • Foley and Turner: Robby Foley and Turner Motorsport have a pair of GS wins apiece with BMW M4s GT4s. Their 2023 win helped propel them forward to GS title contention, which they secured. 
  • Harry Gottsacker: Hyundai’s ace and a two-time TCR champion has two poles and wins apiece at Sebring.


 

Previous Michelin Pilot Challenge Sebring Winners in 2026 Field (16)

  • Robin Liddell (4): GS – 2014, 2015, 2021, 2024
  • Frank DePew (2): GS – 2021, 2024
  • Robby Foley (2): GS – 2020, 2023
  • Harry Gottsacker (2): TCR – 2020, 2025
  • Jeff Westphal (2): GS – 2019, 2025
  • Vin Barletta (1): GS – 2023 
  • Mason Filippi (1): TCR – 2025 
  • Tim Lewis Jr. (1): TCR – 2023 
  • Greg Liefooghe (1): ST – 2015 
  • Sean McAlister (1): GS – 2025 
  • Chris Miller (1): TCR – 2024
  • Spencer Pumpelly (1): ST – 2017 
  • Mikey Taylor (1): TCR – 2024 
  • Owen Trinkler (1): ST -2016 
  • Mark Wilkins (1): TCR – 2020 
  • Karl Wittmer (1): TCR – 2022 

 

Previous Michelin Pilot Challenge Sebring Pole Winners in 2026 Field (8)

  • Harry Gottsacker (2): TCR – 2020, 2024 
  • Thomas Collingwood (1): GS – 2023 
  • Mason Filippi (1): TCR – 2022
  • Chad Gilsinger (1): ST – 2014 
  • Paul Holton (1): GS – 2025 
  • Bryson Morris (1): TCR – 2025 
  • Spencer Pumpelly (1): GS – 2018 
  • Owen Trinkler (1): GS – 2019 

 

Previous Michelin Pilot Challenge Sebring Winning Teams in 2026 Field (8)

  • Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian (2): TCR – 2020, 2025
  • CarBahn with Peregrine Racing (2): GS – 2019, 2025
  • KohR Motorsports (2): GS – 2017, 2018 
  • Rebel Rock Racing (2): GS – 2021, 2024
  • Turner Motorsport (2): GS – 2020, 2023
  • JDC-Miller MotorSports (1): TCR – 2024
  • KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering (1): TCR – 2023 
  • Victor Gonzalez Racing Team (1): TCR – 2022 


 

Previous Michelin Pilot Challenge Sebring Winning Manufacturers in 2026 Field (7)

  • Audi – 4 
  • BMW – 3
  • Ford – 3 
  • Honda – 3
  • Porsche – 3 
  • Hyundai – 2
  • Aston Martin – 1 

 

 

 

 

Hawksworth Clocks 100 Races for Lexus

Much of Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus Driver’s IMSA Success Has Come at Sebring


 

March 17, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Change has always been the one constant in auto racing. But maybe now there’s another.


 

Jack Hawksworth is celebrating his 100th IMSA start with Lexus this weekend at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. In the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, which generally only features around 10 races a year, 100 races for a driver with the same marque – and even the same car, the Lexus RC F GT3 - is a true mark of longevity. 


 

A constant, if you well.


 

“It’s crazy, really, just kind of how time flies,” Hawksworth reflected on an IMSA-hosted media preview of the 74th running of Sebring’s classic endurance race. 


 

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be with Lexus for a decade now. We’ve competed in a lot of races together – a hundred, to be exact after this this weekend’s Sebring race. There’s been a lot of pretty good moments and some not so good moments, but it’s been really cool to kind of be part of this family and to be a part of the success and the championships and the race wins we’ve been able to have. 


 

“It’s been the highlight of my career to be with this brand and to do this for so long.”


 

When Hawksworth joined forces with Lexus in late 2016, it marked a sharp turn in his career. To that point, he had focused on open-wheel competition, winning what was then known as the Star Mazda championship in 2012 with engineer Geoff Fickling – who’s been a big part of his Lexus tenure – and culminating in 49 IndyCar starts between 2014-’16 for Bryan Herta Autosport and A.J. Foyt Racing. 


 

For the first two years, 3GT Racing operated the Lexus IMSA effort before Vasser Sullivan (co-owned by 1996 IndyCar champion Jimmy Vasser and James ‘Sulli’ Sullivan) took the reins in 2019. Hawksworth has notched 11 race wins, 32 podiums, and 13 Motul Pole Awards in his 99 Lexus starts to date. His first Lexus win came at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2019.


 

The Englishman, who just turned 35 last month, had no idea the combination has been together for such a significant milestone number of starts.

“It took me by surprise a bit – it wasn’t on my radar,” Hawksworth admitted. “Until about a week ago I had no idea and then our PR team at Lexus reached out and told me that it was my 100th race. I guess my reaction initially was just shock, really, that I had done that many IMSA races with Lexus. It’s gone very, very quickly. It’s just a number, right? You tend to hold on to the win stats and the podium stats. But to have started 100 races with the same manufacturer, that’s cool. 


 

“It’s cool look back on and I’m proud that I’ve been on that journey the whole way,” he continued. “You can certainly link me with the start of the Vasser Sullivan program and the start of the RC F GT3 racing in America. To see where the program has come from those beginning days in 2017 to where we are now – we’re a factor pretty much at any race. On any given day, we can win as a race team. I’ve worked with some really good people and a really good organization and I’m very fortunate to have been a part of it from the very beginning.”

Hawksworth is again teamed with Ben Barnicoat in the No. 14 Lexus in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) PRO class of the WeatherTech Championship. It’s the same duo who won the 2023 GTD PRO championship after finishing second in 2022. Vasser Sullivan also fields a No. 12 entry in the GTD class driven this year by Aaron Telitz and Benjamin Pedersen, joined for IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races by Frankie Montecalvo.


 

Barnicoat and Hawksworth’s driver for Michelin Endurance Cup races including the Twelve Hours of Sebring is IndyCar star Kyle Kirkwood, who is coming off a statement victory in the inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington. The addition of Kirkwood gives the No. 14 Lexus one of the strongest driver lineups in any of IMSA’s four classes.


 

“Kyle has obviously had a great start to the IndyCar season and it’s definitely nice that he’s coming off a win to join us at Sebring,” related Hawksworth. “We’ve all been cheering him on. It’s kind of got me back into watching IndyCar a bit with him racing over there and seeing his success this season has been really cool. 


 

“I know he’s riding high off the back of that victory last weekend so we’re hoping he brings that speed and that winning feeling to our race team this weekend. We’re lucky to have him in the race car with myself and Ben.”


 

The Vasser Sullivan Lexus entries enter the Sebring weekend as favorites in both GTD and GTD PRO. Hawksworth owns two wins at the characterful Florida airfield circuit (the 2024 12 Hours and a 2020 sprint race), with the 2024 victory from pole position bookended by podium finishes in 2023 and ’25.  


 

Lexus was also recently announced as the official vehicle of Sebring Raceway and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. 


 

“It’s certainly been a good track for us – I think we’ve gone second, first and second there the last three years across the two classes,” Hawksworth said. “It’s hard to put your finger on exactly why. But as a team, we’re really strong. We’ve got a good set of mechanics, good engineers, a good driver lineup, and a car that we know really well and know is really reliable. 


 

“For a track and a race like the 12 Hours of Sebring, that kind of stuff generally puts you in good stead. Hopefully we can keep that trend going.”


 

Flag to flag streamed coverage of the 74th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring starts at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 21, accessible via Peacock. NBCSN joins at 5 p.m. ET to televise the final five hours of the race. International streaming options include IMSA.TV and the official IMSA YouTube channel. 

 

 

Prototype Stars Eager for Sebring Battles Ahead

Six-Week Gap Since Rolex 24 Builds Anticipation for IMSA’s Sebring 12-Hour 


 

March 12, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – One of the callers on an IMSA-hosted media Zoom with drivers to preview the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring observed that the six weeks since the Rolex 24 At Daytona staged Jan. 24-25 somehow felt longer than the 15-week offseason leading into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s traditional season opener.


 

“Yeah, it’s true, it feels like a lot of downtime,” responded Felipe Nasr, who is coming off his third consecutive overall and Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class victory in Daytona’s 24-hour classic in the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963, this year in partnership with co-drivers Julien Andlauer and Laurin Heinrich.


 

“I wish there was a race in February,” he mused. “At the same time, it feels like it went just too quick from December to offseason to Daytona, so it’s good to also have some time after Daytona, just to enjoy what just happened and gather the team and catch up with everybody and prepare for Sebring again.” 


 

But Nasr, a three-time champion in the WeatherTech Championship's top prototype class, and Porsche Penske Motorsport have been anything but inactive. For one thing, they recently tested at Sebring International Raceway in preparation for the 74th running of the 12-hour endurance classic, the second of five rounds in the 2026 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup for races six hours and longer.

Nasr and the No. 7 Porsche followed up their 2025 Rolex 24 win with victories at Sebring and on the streets of Long Beach, but results faded in the second half of the season and PPM’s No. 6 entry rallied to win the GTP class championship. No stone is being left unturned as Nasr – a 15-time winner in 71 IMSA starts – looks to add another championship to the ones he achieved in 2018, 2021 and 2024. Particularly after a fourth one got away in 2025. 


 

“We’ve been speaking and meeting up with the team – ‘catch-ups’ about what we learned from Daytona and what we learned from the Sebring test, whether it’s tires, aero, or everything that we go through at the past races,” Nasr said. “This keeps us in the loop and what we expect at Sebring. We’ve got to improve. At the same time, I’m always keeping myself sharp and preparing for Sebring, which is pretty physical for us drivers.


 

“I thought the car was pretty good at our test at Sebring a couple weeks ago,” he added. “I feel like it’s all in a good window and we learned a lot in that test. I feel like we’re in a good baseline to start and take it from there on the race weekend.”


 

Sebring is renowned for its bumpy surface, so perhaps it is appropriate that Cadillac – a marque which has for decades been associated with a smooth ride in its street cars – has compiled an impressive record at the Florida airfield circuit. 


 

The 2024 Sebring winning trio of Jordan Taylor, Louis Deletraz, and Colton Herta has been reunited for IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races this year in the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R, and Deletraz is eager to recapture their victorious chemistry.


 

“We had great success in 2024, and I think that was one of the best races in my career so far,” said the 28-year-old Swiss driver, recalling one of his three IMSA race wins. “Hopefully we can do that again, and being back with Jordan and Colton is good. The Cadillac is really strong in Sebring – we were testing for two days. I think we had some time to prep well and I’m really excited because I think we’ve got a good shot at it. We’ll give it a good go, and I’m really looking forward to it.”


 

Passion, Fierce Competition Defines LMP2 Battle


 

Tom Dillmann shared IMSA’s Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class championship in 2024 and claimed his second career race win at the 2025 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with co-drivers Bijoy Garg and Jeremy Clarke. That trio is reunited in 2026 in the No. 43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA LMP2 07. They’re coming off a second-place class finish in the Rolex 24, where they were joined by Antonio Felix da Costa.


 

Dillmann cites the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring as one of his favorite events, and he is eager to defend his class win in the quest for a second IMSA LMP2 championship.

 

“As someone with a passion for motorsport, Sebring is one of those events that matters so much,” he said. “Winning last year really mattered to me – I was really happy to win that classic race. We have the same lineup this year, the same team, and the car is strong there. There’s no reason for us not to be in position to repeat the win of last year. 


 

“We started the championship pretty well, and the goal is again to win the championship,” Dillmann added. “We need to maximize every race and make no mistakes – and we know how to do it.”


 

The No. 43 Inter Europol team is one of several heavy hitters in the mix vying for LMP2 honors at Sebring and in the overall championship. They include the No. 99 ORECA from defending class champion AO Racing, the two-car entry from United Autosports USA, and the No. 04 fielded by CrowdStrike Racing by APR, among others.

Toby Sowery was part of the winning No. 04 lineup at this year’s Rolex 24, along with George Kurtz, Alex Quinn, and Malthe Jakobsen. The victory at Daytona was the first in the WeatherTech Championship for 29-year-old Englishman Sowery and he’s fired up about the competition in LMP2 – one of IMSA’s hidden gems.


 

“LMP2 is kind of overlooked because there’s not manufacturers involved and the cars aren’t brand new, so everyone has kind of really upped their level,” he remarked. “The cars and the drivers are all so close – we’re really at the top end of the ceiling of what we can do with the car and drivers. The racing is always impressive and the cars are really reliable as well. To extract everything and win a race is no small task, and I think it definitely does get overlooked a little bit.”


 

Practice for the 74th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring starts Thursday, March 19, with the race set for Saturday, March 21. Flag-to-flag live coverage will be streamed domestically on Peacock with additional TV coverage on NBCSN at 5 p.m. ET and internationally via IMSA.TV and the Official IMSA YouTube Channel.

 

 

Finalists Named for 2027-28 IMSA 3D Scholarship

A Field of 15 will Vie for Benefits Worth Up to $300,000 to Race in IMSA

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 10, 2026) – The field has been narrowed to 15 finalists for the 2027-28 IMSA Diverse Driver Development (3D) Scholarship. The recipient, to be named in the fall, will receive benefits worth up to $300,000 to compete in one of four IMSA-sanctioned championships in 2027.


 

The IMSA 3D Scholarship promotes and empowers drivers from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to participate in select IMSA-sanctioned series. The finalists chosen possess a desire to compete in IMSA, have strong previous race results and/or proven on-track potential in junior racing categories, plus the ability to create a compelling strategy to compete in a full season in one of four IMSA-sanctioned series: the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge or Mustang Challenge.


 

The scholarship includes financial assistance from IMSA and is supported by a growing number of corporate partners: Michelin, VP Racing Fuels, OMP, Bell, RAFA Racing Club and Lumen Digital Agency. 

 

Finalists will now work on IMSA-developed modules. Previous topics included marketing, business development, personal branding, media training, nutrition, peak race day performance, and how to approach teams and represent an automotive manufacturer. The final step for finalists is the submission by August 14 of a business plan and securing a full-season ride with a team in one of the four participating IMSA-sanctioned series for the following season, which can be contingent on winning the Scholarship.


 

The 15 finalists for the 2027-28 IMSA 3D Scholarship were selected from a pool of candidates who submitted their applications starting in January. The list of finalists consists of eight men and seven women, four of whom were finalists in past years. Listed in alphabetical order with hometown, here are the 2027-28 finalists (*-designates a finalist in a previous year).

MADDIE AUST, 21

Fort Worth, Texas


 

In 2025, Aust spent her first IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season in the No. 9 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR as part of its “incubator” talent development car in Touring Car (TCR). She finished eighth in points with a best finish of fourth on debut at Daytona, and shifts to the team’s No. 98 entry for 2026 alongside IMSA veteran and 2019 TCR champion Mark Wilkins. In four years of racing, Aust has also competed in SRO, GR Cup, F4 and club racing. Outside the car, she was a competitive cheerleader, enjoys art, running, fitness and racquetball, and is a mechanical engineering student.

GIAN BUFFOMANTE, 17

Naperville, Illinois


 

A young Illinois native, Buffomante enjoyed a strong 2025 season that included his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start, a fourth-place finish in the Trans Am championship and an FE2 class win at the SCCA June Sprints held at Road America. He’s advanced from karting into various SCCA classes in the previous few years. He’ll plan to major in finance in college, golfs on his high school team and shifted to racing after eight years playing hockey. 

ANDRE CASTRO,* 27

New York, New York


 

A multi-time finalist, Castro has a diverse range of stock car, sports car and open-wheel experience. He made his IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge debut in the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR at the 2026 Daytona season opener, where he finished fourth in Touring Car (TCR). Castro has five career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts, his most recent on the Chicago Street Course in 2025. In open-wheel he’s raced in Skip Barber F2000, USF2000, F1600, Formula Ford, F4 U.S. and USF Juniors. He holds an economics degree and won the Team USA Scholarship in 2021, which allowed him to race abroad in the Formula Ford Festival.

CHLOE CHAMBERS, 21

Inverness, Illinois 


 

Chambers is balancing studying business administration with an expansive racing career, having been a part of the F1 Academy for the last two seasons. Chambers finished third in the 2025 F1 Academy championship with two wins and five podium finishes as part of the Red Bull Ford Academy program. Prior to her presence in that series, Chambers won seven races in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America and won both poles and races in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship in 2023. Her early years driving occurred in the W Series, WRL, F4 and karting. 

SABRE COOK,* 31

Carmel, Indiana

 

Cook has a wide range of experience after completing her third season in Porsche Carrera Cup North America in 2025 and announcing a return with JDX Racing for 2026. A consistent top-10 finisher, Cook’s best finish was seventh on three occasions in the Pro class in 2025. She’s been a winner in WRL, SCCA and formula car racing after a successful, championship-winning karting career. She qualified for the inaugural W Series season as well after formative years in the North American junior open-wheel ladder. Cook has a mechanical engineering degree and has regularly served as a commentator and driving instructor as part of a well-rounded background. 

JULIAN DACOSTA*, 18

Myakka City, Florida


 

DaCosta is a past scholarship finalist and enjoyed a wide range of racing opportunities in 2025. He raced in Trans Am where he finished fifth in points, along with appearances in WRL, Pro Late Models and the ARCA Menards Series. DaCosta has impressed in Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin; he posted a fifth place to start 2026 at Daytona in BSI Racing’s No. 95 entry and was eighth in the standings as a rookie in the 2024 season with a best finish of second. 

ISMAEEL ELLAHI, 19

Mountain Lakes, New Jersey


 

Ellahi comes from a sim racing background and advanced into his first year of car racing in 2025 after going through Skip Barber F4 School. He’s quickly adapted to racing Porsche GT4-specification machinery in both Europe and America, in the GT4 Winter Series, GT4 European Series and Porsche Sprint Challenge Deutschland. Ellahi got off to a strong start in his IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge debut in January, with a Grand Sport X (GSX) runner-up finish in his first race at Daytona aboard Czabok Simpson Motorsport’s (CSM) No. 25 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS. 

HANNAH GRISHAM, 26

Scottsdale, Arizona


 

Grisham, one of Heart of Racing Team’s “two Hannahs” alongside longtime co-driver Hannah Greenemeier, shifts to IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) competition in 2026. The duo opened their season with an 11th-place finish in the 35-car GS grid aboard their No. 26 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo in Daytona. Grisham also won her Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America debut in class at Indianapolis in 2024. She’s gained extensive sports car experience after moving up from karting into NASA, WRL and SRO competition, and has also had her first GT3 races. Grisham won Heart of Racing Team’s scholarship in 2022, which has propelled her career development.  

NICOLE HAVRDA, 20

Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada


 

The Canadian now residing in Cresson, Texas, Havrda will join the IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge grid in 2026 as part of the Shopify Racing powered by TWOth entry in Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) competition. She’ll share the No. 2 Ligier JS P325 with Travis Hill in the four two-hour endurance rounds that count towards the LMP3 championship in IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge and also race select HSR events. Havrda comes to IMSA off a season in F1 Academy in 2025 after also racing in F4 and Formula Regional Americas. Her 2023 was particularly impressive, winning the Formula Pro USA Championship and the SFR Formula Atlantic 2 Championship.

THOMAS PASQUARELLA, 19

Boca Raton, Florida


 

Pasquarella, who goes by “Rocco,” has quickly expanded his racing career from karting into Spec Miata and Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin into the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, where he’ll race a full season in Touring Car (TCR) aboard the No. 5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Honda Civic FL5 TCR. He finished sixth on debut in Daytona. An Eagle Scout, Pasquarella has also launched the NEXT LAP Foundation to help create additional opportunities for youth in Scouting to engage with motorsports. 

MAX SCHWEID, 19

Boca Raton, Florida 


 

Schweid currently competes in GR Cup after succeeding in Spec Miata and other SCCA and NASA regional competition the last several years. The majority of the Florida native’s success has come in his home state, with wins at Sebring and Homestead and podiums at Daytona. He is studying to be a mechanical engineer and has also been part of a high school robotics team. 

CAITLYN SINGLER, 21

Paradise, California


 

Resilience, adaptability and determination have defined Singler’s racing story after losing her home in the Paradise, Calif. wildfire. Now based in Provo, Utah and racing a BMW F82 GT4 in WRL, Singler has focused her burgeoning career across Spec Miata, NASA and WRL where she has 10 wins (nine in NASA, one in WRL) and 23 combined podiums through early 2026. Beyond driving, she has an entrepreneurial mindset co-owning two small businesses and has volunteered as both an SCCA instructor and FIA Formula E’s Girls on Track program. 

SAMANTHA TAN, 28

Stouffville, Ontario, Canada


 

The Canadian now living in Irvine, Calif., Tan has been a rising presence in the North American sports car scene for nearly a decade. A BMW M Motorsport Global Ambassador, Tan is in her second year in the IMSA paddock, sharing the No. 38 ST Racing with Random Vandals BMW M4 GT4 EVO with IMSA’s all-time wins leader Bill Auberlen in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class. She won the 2025 IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX) Bronze Cup. She has raced in GT3, GT4 and touring cars in previous years and was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 – Sports Class of 2025 recipients.

KEAWN TANDON, 23

Thousand Oaks, California


 

Tandon has made an impressive mark over several seasons in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America championship, where he captured the 2023 ProAm class title in his first full season of competition. He posted a best result of third in 2025 in the Pro class at the season finale weekend in Misano, Italy. Tandon graduated into Super Trofeo straight from karting, making a sizable and strong leap into one of the faster, high-horsepower single-make series in IMSA. Outside the car, Tandon is studying data theory and specializing in AI while in college, where he’s also served as a volunteer mentor to data science students.

WESTIN WORKMAN*, 21

Charlotte, North Carolina


 

Workman’s been a multi-time finalist for this award and is off to a strong start in 2026 with a sweep of Daytona and Circuit of The Americas race weekends in his GT4 debut season, racing the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 in the Grand Sport X (GSX) class of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. The 2025 GR Cup champion and multi-time winner in Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin, including capturing rookie-of-the-year honors in 2024, has advanced quickly from karting to junior formula open-wheel cars to sports cars. Workman has also been active in volunteer leadership opportunities for several years. 

 

 

 

Porsche Motorsport Not Slowing Down After 75 Years

Diamond Anniversary Celebration Kicks Off with Rolex 24 Win



March 9, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – One of the most compelling storylines about Porsche Penske Motorsport’s third consecutive overall victory in the 2026 Rolex 24 At Daytona was that it created the perfect start for celebrating the 60th anniversary of the formation of Team Penske. 


 

Somewhat lost in the excitement for Penske was the fact that 2026 is also the milestone 75th year of competition for Porsche Motorsport. The German marque’s illustrious racing history dates to 1951, when a 356 ‘Gmund’ coupe claimed the 1,100-cc class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans while finishing 20th overall. Porsche now owns more overall Le Mans wins than any other manufacturer (19, including seven consecutive between 1981-87) as well as a record 21 overall wins (and 25 powered by a Porsche engine) in the Rolex 24.


 

During this year’s Rolex 24, Porsche brought together a diverse panel to reflect on the manufacturer’s 75 years of sustained success on the racetrack. 


 

The participants included IMSA Hall of Famer Hurley Haywood, who notched five overall wins at Daytona driving the 911 Carrera RSR, the 911-derived 935, and a 962 prototype. He also earned Le Mans triumphs in three iconic Porsche prototypes – 936, 956, and 962.


 

Haywood later shared a Porsche-powered Fabcar Daytona Prototype in the 2005 Rolex 24 with Timo Bernhard, then a Porsche Junior driver who would soon be tabbed to join a collaboration between Porsche Motorsport and Team Penske.


 

A Team Penske Porsche RS Spyder produced three consecutive LMP2 class championships in the American Le Mans Series between 2006-08. Bernhard and Romain Dumas clinched the LMP2 title in 2007 and ’08, and in the latter year, they also guided the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) Spyder to overall victory at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. 


 

The RS Spyder toppled the theoretically faster and more powerful LMP1 class entries for overall race wins 11 times between 2006-08, with Bernhard and Dumas earning nine of those trophies.


 

Jonathan Diuguid joined Team Penske straight out of college in 2005 and was immediately assigned to the nascent RS Spyder project, where he designed parts and served as a ‘DAG’ (Data Acquisition Geek) and assistant race engineer. From 2010-17, Diuguid worked with Penske’s IndyCar program before returning to sports cars in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship when Penske joined forced with Acura to field prototypes in IMSA’s top class. With Diuguid leading the engineering effort, the Penske Acura ARX-05s claimed the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class title in 2019 and ’20. 


 

When Penske announced a collaboration with Porsche for IMSA’s new Grand Touring Prototype class starting in 2023, Diuguid was named the program’s Managing Director. Porsche Penske Motorsport has locked up the last two GTP class championships with the Porsche 963, and they started the 2026 season with Felipe Nasr, Julien Andlauer, and Laurin Heinrich taking the overall laurels at the Rolex 24.


 

First Impressions

Haywood’s first experience with a Porsche prototype came in 1973, driving the legendary 917-10 in the SCCA Can-Am championship. 


 

“With 1,200 horsepower and a lot of aerodynamics, it was quite tricky and quite a handful to drive,” Haywood recalled. “That was a tremendous jump forward from a 300-horsepower 911, but Mark Donohue gave me some good advice and said, ‘You’ve got to be really careful with this car. Take small steps, and then eventually, you’ll catch up.’ That’s exactly what I did, and I was third in the championship behind Donohue and George Follmer. 


 

“I think when Porsche looked at that, they thought, ‘If he can handle that car with really no experience in a prototype, maybe we should look at him to come on for Le Mans (in 1977),’” Haywood continued. “The first year I was paired with Jurgen Barth, then Jacky Ickx had some problems with his car, so they moved Jacky over to our car. Jacky was brilliant at night in the rain - which I’ll tell you is pretty daunting at Le Mans - and we won the race. That sort of opened the door for Porsche and me.”


 

Bernhard had a solid record racing GT-class Porsche 911s, including multiple victories at the Nurburgring 24 Hours and the ALMS GT class championship, when he got the nod from Porsche to make his first prototype start in the 2005 Rolex 24. 


 

“We had five drivers on that car!” he laughed. “I was with Hurley, JC France, Romain Dumas, and Mike Rockenfeller. The car didn’t handle that well and we didn’t finish the race. Then I remember I got a call from Roland Kussmaul in August 2005 who said, ‘We’ve got a beautiful RS Spyder at Weissach (the Porsche Motorsport headquarters and test track outside Stuttgart), and we need a driver for some gearbox testing. How fast can you be there?’ I said, ‘Two hours, but if the car is waiting, I can make it in 90 minutes!’


 

“I went hammering down to Weissach, and I got my first experience in the RS Spyder. I fell in love with this nimble little LMP2 car with lots of downforce. That’s when the RS Spyder program kicked off, and that’s when Penske Racing came into my life. Later that year, I met Roger Penske for the first time in person, along with Tim Cindric, and Jonathan, who was an engineer on this program. We won three straight LMP2 championships and we won the 12 Hours of Sebring overall. That’s really where my Porsche career kicked off.”


 

Diuguid, then in his early 20s, has fond memories of the RS Spyder program and the start of his successful association with Team Penske. 


 

“My first experience with a Porsche prototype was the first track test run outside of Weissach,” he said. “It was at Jerez, and it was very hot. We were very successful with the RS Spyder, and that has transitioned into the Porsche 963. It’s come full circle, really, in 20 years. It’s exciting to develop and work with a manufacturer like Porsche; racing is in their culture and their DNA and their blood, and it’s amazing to be successful with them over almost two decades.”


 

Greatest Hits


 

With a racing career that spanned more than 40 years, Haywood got to experience many of the most revered Porsche racing cars.  


 

“The 936 was a wonderful car; I loved that car,” he reminisced. “The last version of that car in 1981 had the intended Porsche Indy engine, and that was a real sweetheart. Then we evolved into the 956 and the 962, and from a racer’s standpoint, those cars had so much grip it was like a dream come true. It was like a railroad track going around a corner. They were all great cars, and we had great success with them. But even the 962 was very fragile and you knew that as a driver, if you made a mistake and hit somebody, you were going to need some major bodywork done. Now the cars are so strong and so reliable that everybody is driving like it’s a sprint race. That was unheard of in my day. We had to be careful with the cars, and we had to be careful with the transmission. It was a completely different platform.


 

“The pressure placed on the modern drivers is enormous, in my opinion,” Haywood added. “Not only do they have to drive quickly, avoiding accidents while going as fast as they can go, but at the same time, the engineers are talking to them constantly about handling improvements. The only time my crew would call me is if I was on fire. It’s a whole different way of doing it and I’ve really got to give a hand to the current drivers that they can handle all those different components.”


 

People Power

Bernhard gave credit for his success with Porsche to the litany of legendary figures who have contributed to the Motorsport program over the decades, from Peter Falk, Norbert Singer, Hans Mezger, and Roland Kussmaul to the current director of the program, Thomas Laudenbach.


 

“The nice thing about my 20 years with Porsche is it was not going from one era to another,” Bernhard reflected. “Thomas Laudenbach was the head of drivetrain on the RS Spyder, so I’ve known him for 20 years. Same with Jonathan, who was an engineer on the RS Spyder program. All these people have been very loyal. You get to know them. 


 

“My big influence at Porsche at the very beginning was Roland Kussmaul – a great engineer and a very good driver, with a lot of influence on the Le Mans and Dakar Rally programs. He was an essential part of my development and one of the heroes I got to know when I was young. Another true legend is Norbert Singer. I never really worked with him because he was far before my era, but he was someone I really looked up to and rate very highly.”


 

Haywood also benefitted from Porsche’s engineering expertise and team-oriented philosophy. 


 

“One of the wonderful things about Porsche is they are able to put people together that are proven people,” he noted. “They’re not out there to prove that they’re better than somebody else; they work as a team. All the co-drivers and the crews had that same mentality. You’re not out there to try to be the best or the fastest. You’re out there for one purpose, and that is to win the race.”


 

Back to the Future

Years from now, when the Porsche 963 program reaches its conclusion, Diuguid will be included as one of those Porsche legends, as well as a key cog in the Penske organization. In mid-2025, Diuguid was promoted to the position of President of Team Penske, assuming responsibility for Penske’s IndyCar team while maintaining his role running the Porsche 963 effort in IMSA.


 

“The attitude within the group is that nothing is impossible,” Diuguid remarked. “Anybody can ask any question, and it will be looked at to see if it can bring performance. That’s the thing that continues to allow the Porsche-Penske relationship to be competitive. We’re never satisfied with the results we’ve had previously, don’t rest on our laurels, and are constantly trying to improve. 


 

“It’s a process going from the bad days to the good days, and standing on top is probably as difficult as getting there,” he added. “That’s probably the biggest thing in the relationship that everybody focuses on. It’s a non-compromising attitude, which can be a difficult environment to operate in. But as long as everybody has the same goal and the same drive, the groups can achieve great things together. We’re still trying to build the history.”

 

 

Manthey Impresses in Initial, Wider IMSA Foray

Team Celebrates its 30th Anniversary in 2026 with Expanded IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Program



March 4, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Near the end of the 2026 Rolex 24 At Daytona, one of the most striking liveries competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship had stealthily snuck its way to the front of the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) field. 


 

Manthey’s iconic “Grello,” adorning its No. 911 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), had emerged as a late-race contender as part of a several-brand scrap in GTD PRO against fellow German brands Mercedes-AMG, with multiple cars, and BMW with eventual GTD PRO winner Paul Miller Racing.


 

Though the No. 911 entry faded to fifth at the finish and the GTD-entered No. 912 1st Phorm-adorned Porsche was an unrepresentative 12th, both Manthey as a team and as a brand made a strong impact on the Rolex 24 itself.


 

It was the first race of what will be a banner season for the team across continents and various sports car championships, including a full IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup program for the first time. 


 

Founded in 1996 by Olaf Manthey and acquired by brothers Martin and Nicolas Raeder in 2013, Manthey now celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026 with around 350 employees present operating its phalanx of race and road cars. 

“Thirty years of Manthey – who would have thought?” Manthey reflected. “From the very beginning, our ambition was to be different from others and always strive to be better, while doing so in the most genuine and approachable way possible. The successes we have been able to celebrate over the past three decades are above all the result of the exceptional commitment, expertise and passion of our employees. Equally crucial are our partners from industry and business, many of whom have become close friends over the years.” 


 

Nicolas Raeder (Martin Raeder, Olaf Manthey, Nicolas Raeder pictured above from left to right, courtesy Manthey) described the expansion to the U.S. and how important the market is for Manthey.


 

“There is no shortage of ideas, and we continue to open up new markets, as we are currently doing in the United States,” he said on the eve of the Rolex 24. “What has shaped me most is the development of our team: from the early days in a small group, through various stages of our growth, to the organization we are today, Manthey has continually evolved. With every step forward, structural demands increase, making it all the more important not to lose the personal touch.”


 

Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport and Chairman of the Board of Manthey Racing GmbH, added on the partnership between the two companies: “I would like to warmly congratulate Manthey on its 30th anniversary and am very pleased with our strong collaboration. For me, Manthey is a prime example of how far and how successfully a racing team can develop. It is a long journey from organizing individual motorsport events in the early days to becoming a development partner in the automotive industry. Manthey has taken that path. Company founder Olaf Manthey and everyone who contributed to this success can rightfully be proud.” 

A special Manthey Kit safety car paced the field at Daytona, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS with the Manthey Kit. This kit is available in the U.S. through 77 Manthey-certified Porsche Centers where purchase and installation of the kits are available for eight models. The safety car also made an appearance as part of IMSA’s full-field photo and drone video shot conducted on the Wednesday before the race itself.


 

Though qualifying didn’t go great for Manthey, the aforementioned quiet charge through the field positioned the No. 911 car in contention late. The Michelin Endurance Cup trio of Thomas Preining, Klaus Bachler and Ricardo Feller joined by Daytona extra, 2025 DTM champion Ayhancan Guven, put up a strong fight in the race.


 

“We were consistent and made no mistakes – that’s exactly what everyone expects from our top Manthey team,” Guven said. “After a disappointing qualifying result, we systematically fought our way back with a strong performance. In the final quarter of the race, we were running at the front, but in the battle for the class win, we just didn’t have quite enough pace. It’s disappointing, but overall, it was still an impressive showing from our team.”


 

The team’s sister car, its No. 912 entry, may be one to watch at the next round at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.


 

Past Sebring GTD class winner Ryan Hardwick shares the entry with young Dutchman Morris Schuring and Riccardo Pera. All are past 24 Hours of Le Mans class winners as well, Schuring in 2024 with Hardwick, Pera and Richard Lietz part of Manthey’s winning LMGT3 effort in 2025.


 

Hardwick makes his return to racing predominately in the U.S. for 2026, having been a staple as part of the IMSA paddock for several years prior. He’s coming off a banner 2025 season where he won Le Mans, another race at Imola and the FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT3 title. 


 

But he had the desire to come back Stateside after conquering the world tour in 2025 and doing so as part of Manthey’s U.S. expansion. 

“It’s all been very surreal and I’m off the most awesome 12 months of my life,” Hardwick said. “Le Mans and the championship was amazing and winning my first race in WEC at Imola, sharing a podium with Valentino Rossi as a motorcycle guy was awesome around there. It was a bit of a fanboy experience! I’ve raced against him a couple years but to share a podium in Italy. I don’t know if I’ll have another year like that in racing even again, but I’m going to try to get close.


 

“But coming back to IMSA for me is really special,” he affirmed. “This is where it all started from the single-make series. I’ve got a lot of great memories, winning the Rolex and Daytona in 2022, with Richie (Lietz) too. And the fans here at home mean a lot. I’m an American driver; it’s the most fun place to race and it’s great to be here with Manthey.”


 

Lietz joined the Manthey squad for Daytona only. But given his status as one of Porsche’s top GT drivers globally for a couple decades, he was keen to note what it meant for Manthey to join these shores.


 

“I think it’s always good in life if you challenge yourself and go outside your comfort zone,” he said. “For a German team, racing in America is a big effort. I think with Manthey now, with all their products, they’re producing for road cars, they have to look worldwide for their market. 


 

“The American market is always very interesting for Porsche and Manthey. The decision to go to IMSA was quite a smart one but definitely a big challenge. Grello on one side and Ryan this side, an American racer with a lot of success, is a great way to start your first year, but definitely a big challenge.”


 

Lietz spoke to Hardwick’s growth and development over the years, while also helping introduce the American audience to Pera and Schuring.


 

“Ryan’s a sportsman and wherever he goes, he’s going for success,” Lietz said. “With his jet ski career to now racing IMSA, ELMS, WEC, Daytona and Le Mans. He’s had a lot of success in just a short time and it speaks to his talent and commitment to motorsport. With Riccardo and Morris, they’re normal young racers, good people from good families with really nice character. They’re young and full of hope… like I was 20 years ago!” 


 

Quite how Manthey does in its remaining four starts in the Michelin Endurance Cup will be intriguing to watch. 


 

Raeder/Manthey and Safety Car Photos Courtesy of Manthey

 

IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge Premieres at Sebring for

LMP3 Competitors

First Two-Hour Race Brings Multi-Driver Racing Back to P3 Class


 

March 3, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class revives a long-standing multi-driver aspect with the launch of the new IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge, a four-round series for LMP3 competitors. It provides an opportunity for new drivers and teams to compete in prototype racing and builds on IMSA’s legacy of offering multi-driver LMP3 racing in the past across multiple series.


 

The Airbnb Endurance Challenge expands the program for LMP3 competitors that run 45-minute sprint races as part of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. The Airbnb Endurance Challenge starts at Sebring International Raceway this weekend with subsequent rounds at Circuit of The Americas, VIRginia International Raceway and Road America. 


 

The two-hour races feature teams able to run Bronze-Bronze, Bronze-Silver, Bronze-Gold or Silver-Silver FIA Driver-rated combinations. There is a minimum 40-minute and maximum 80-minute drive time within the 120-minute race. There is also a minimum pit time of 2.5 minutes (150 seconds); the pit stop time is calculated from pit-in to pit-out and applies each time the car enters pit lane during the race to refuel, change a complete set of tires or perform a driver change. Teams can’t refuel the car and change tires at the same time during the pit stop. 


 

One of the first teams to announce its two-driver program for the Airbnb Endurance Challenge was the rebranded Shopify Racing powered by TWOth. The TWOth moniker comes from brothers Travis and Trevor Hill, who together are “two th’s.” The two brothers are not sharing their new No. 2 Ligier JS P325; instead, Travis Hill will share the car with fellow Canadian Nicole Havrda, who makes her IMSA debut after shifting across from F1 Academy.


 

“It’s a nice well-rounded championship with the five sprints and four endurance races,” Travis Hill said. “It’s starting to look a little bit like (the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship), and for us, it’s about getting that preparation to try to get to WeatherTech in a few years.


 

“Part of our goal with Shopify Racing is to develop more Canadian talent and bring more Canadians into IMSA,” he added. “Nicole is a natural integration into that.” 


 

The No. 2 Ligier is one of eight LMP3 entries for the first Airbnb Endurance Challenge round. The BMW M2 Racing (M2) debut will occur alongside P3 at Circuit of The Americas in May, to ensure teams are ready for endurance racing with proper testing of the brand-new cars and drivers to IMSA. 


 

Gebhardt Motorsport shifted its approach from running Oscar Tunjo alongside Jeremy Siffert in its No. 1 Duqueine D08 to seeing Tunjo now with 2025 VP Racing Challenge P3 champion Valentino Catalano, back in action as Siffert will focus on the sprint rounds. The team’s second car, the No. 11 PINAXIS-ZONE 4 Racing Duqueine D08, will see Danny Soufi alongside Jake Williamson.


 

Toney Driver Development’s two Ligier JS P325s feature in with some returning names and faces. Longtime IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class competitor Ari Balogh shares the No. 30 Ligier with Garett Grist, a two-time Motul Petit Le Mans class winner in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Lincoln Day shares the No. 95 Ligier with Wyatt Brichacek, who has raced several WeatherTech Championship events in Lone Star Racing’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 and won both VP Racing Challenge races at Circuit of The Americas.


 

Forte Racing carries on with series veteran and LMP3 Bronze Cup champion Brian Thienes sharing his No. 77 Ligier JS P320 with Patrick Kujala, a Lamborghini Super Trofeo veteran. 


 

Past LMP3 Team champions FastMD with Remstar field the No. 87 Duqueine D08 with Farhan Siddiqi and Jagger Jones, grandson of Parnelli Jones and a multi-time IMSA P3 winner.


 

Matt Forbush and IMSA veteran Tom Long share the No. 18 Forbush Performance Ligier JS P320. Forbush Performance has past IMSA experience in Michelin Pilot Challenge GS. 


 

Six of the eight entries will vie for Bronze Cup honors; the Tunjo/Catalano No. 1 Gebhardt Duqueine and Day/Brichacek No. 95 Toney Ligier are the only two all-Silver lineups in the field.


 

Airbnb Endurance Challenge entries have two 50-minute practices with one Friday afternoon and a second on Saturday morning. A 15-minute qualifying session takes place Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET before the two-hour race goes green on Sunday, March 8 at 10:55 a.m. ET and streams globally on the IMSA Official YouTube channel. 

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