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International Motor Sports Association    Lamborghini Super Trofeo series

International Motor Sports Association 

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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.

Drama Defines Final Hour as Porsche Penske Delivers Another 1-2 in Sebring

United Autosports USA Also Goes 1-2 for First Time in IMSA LMP2


 

March 22, 2026

By Holly Cain

IMSA Wire Service

Provisional Race Results


 

SEBRING, Fla. – Porsche Penske Motorsport wins again. 


 

It’s certainly become an enduring refrain at IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races for IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship fans in recent seasons with the legendary make and famous Penske Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) team claiming its second consecutive Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring race victory Saturday – its third overall at the historic track (2008, 2025).

 

The only real question on this warm, sunny, Florida spring day was which of the Penske team’s two Porsche 963s would take the checkered flag first at the venerable Sebring International Raceway. And that wasn’t fully settled until the dramatic final hour of the day-long race.

 

Together the two Penske team cars combined to lead for all but 60 of the 343 total laps. Felipe Nasr in the No. 7 Porsche 963 came out first following a pit stop with just over 40 minutes remaining in the 12-hour race. But he had to hold off his teammate No. 6 Porsche Penske driver Kevin Estre on a pair of late race restarts before ultimately taking the checkered flag 1.515-seconds ahead of Estre to claim the hard-fought win. 

 

It marks the third Sebring 12-hour overall win for the Brazilian Nasr, who co-drove with Frenchman Julien Andlauer and German Laurin Heinrich, who with the team’s win in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in February is now two-for-two in his first two IMSA GTP starts.

 

The two teammates certainly made the outcome interesting among themselves. Nasr and Estre each took turns at the head of the field over the final couple of hours in the race, but the two drivers had differing post-race opinions on whether or not team orders were followed.

 

In the end, it was Nasr who led the final 22 laps to give the team its second consecutive victory in the “36 Hours of Florida” – the season-opening Rolex 24 and 12 Hours of Sebring. It was Porsche’s 20th overall win at Sebring.

 

“The first hour was rough, I just wanted a clean start but other competitors had a different idea,” said a smiling Nasr. 

 

“There were 12 hours to go and I just wanted to keep the car in one piece because the last hour is what really matters,” he continued. “Going through the day my teammates did phenomenal work, no mistakes, kept the car in one piece and it was fast all day and winning for that guy [team owner Roger Penske], that’s what I’m here for.”

 

Tight competition among the 11-car GTP field - and especially tight competition between the two Porsche team cars in the final hours – characterized the entire race from green to checkered.


 

The drivers from the No. 6 car conceded it was a tricky defeat, while Nasr was adamant the finish was a full team victory. 

 

“I think the best way to describe it is we had to make some difficult decisions today, but we made the right decisions to make sure we finished one-two,” Team Penske President Jonathan Diuguid told IMSA Radio at the checkered flag. “That was the goal, to make sure a Porsche finished first and if we could finish one-two, that’s what we did.”

 

Nasr added, “Like Sebring usually is, it’s a pretty intense race and that’s exactly what we found out today from beginning to the end. There’s always going to be all the versions - my version, the team versions and the other drivers’ version.

 

“But I signed up for this program because I believe I can win for the program, win for the team. My teammates did everything perfectly today. We did everything we needed to do to be up front at all times. 

 

“I’m here to race and that’s what I did today. That’s what we should be celebrating today. It’s a victory. …What matters is today we came out winning, winning for the team and the brand. That’s what we do our jobs for.” 

 

Equally pleased with the team’s trophy hoists, the No. 6 team nobly explained they understand the rules of belonging to a team that is so talented either car could win any race. Even if Saturday’s runner-up was a little tough to swallow for Estre and co-drivers Laurens Vanthoor and Matt Campbell.

 

“We were fighting the whole race being 1-2, we were ahead so we were always knowing this could happen and that’s always the case when teammates are fighting and we have the same car,” Estre said. “We have the same weaknesses and we have the same strengths, so it’s always difficult to fight and we also have to think about Porsche which is paying us and Penske and respect what they have to say.’’

 

Added Vanthoor, “I think it's a great organization, what we drive for, and we're all privileged to drive for them, and we are clearly the strongest in the last 36 hours. That's why we're all sitting here. 

 

“It's a great organization which has rules and things in place for us to be the most successful. That's why we swap on pit lane. That's why we do (it). There's certain rules connected to that. It only works if we all play the same card. Obviously, yeah, that's where some frustration now is created.”


 

In the final half hour, several GTP cars from three brands ran three-wide competing for that third place. It appeared as though the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R would prevail for the final podium position.


 

However, during post-race technical inspection the No. 10 car was found to have camber in excess of the permitted tire pressure limit, thus moving it to the back of the class. That promoted the polesitting No. 31 Cadillac Whelen entry of Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber and Frederik Vesti to third for their second podium of the year. 

 

LMP2: United Autosports USA Secures its First IMSA 1-2 Finish 

It was a similar one-two team sweep in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class with United Autosports USA claiming the top positions. The No. 2 ORECA LMP2 07 finished first in class as Mikkel Jensen won by 0.510 of a second over the team’s No. 22 ORECA LMP2 07, whose last stint was handled by driver Paul Di Resta.

 

It marked the first Sebring victory for the team’s No. 2 car, which also included Phil Fayer and Hunter McElrea on its driver lineup. It was the first time the United Autosports team earned a one-two finish in IMSA and it marked the first Sebring victory for both the New Zealander McElrea and the Canadian Fayer.

 

McElrea and Jensen have now won three of the class’ last four races, dating back to the 2025 season when they raced for TDS Racing. Both switched to United in 2026 through separate opportunities. 

 

“You come back every year, you want to repeat this thing,” said Jensen, who has three Sebring class wins in seven starts. “It's an amazing race. There's so much going on out there.

 

“It's unbelievable how the GTs are trying to use us to play their game against the competitors. It's actually the hardest thing here I would say. 

 

“Then the track just gets different every year, more bumps arriving. It gets fixed in places, some not. You always experience new bumps when you go off the line passing a GT. It's always a challenge at night at the end when you have to find your way through traffic and find your competitors at the same time. 

 

“Winning Sebring is amazing, to be with Hunter, we did it in the past years together, but now we're here with Phil. It's just a good win on top of a tough Daytona. 

 

The Tower Motorsports No. 8 ORECA LMP2 07 of Tristan Vautier, John Farano and Sebastian Alvarez rounded out the class podium after running top-five for most of the event.


 

IMSA GTP competitors head west for Round 3 of the season on the streets of Long Beach, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 17-18. The next LMP2 race comes at Watkins Glen International, June 25-27. 

 

‘Grello’ Makes American Breakthrough as Manthey Porsche Wins GTD PRO at Sebring

Af Corse USA Overcomes Three Drive-Through Penalties to Win GTD on Last Lap


 

March 22, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Provisional Race Results


 

SEBRING, Fla. – America, meet ‘Grello.’


 

Nicknamed for its distinctive bright green and yellow livery, Manthey Racing’s ‘Grello’ Porsche 911 has become legendary in European GT racing circles through its winning performances in the Nurburgring 24 Hours and the DTM championship. 


 

Now Manthey has teamed up with Porsche to tackle all five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the first time this year – fielding cars in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) and GTD PRO classes - and the new venture is off to a successful start.


 

Thomas Preining, Klaus Bachler, and Ricardo Feller drove Manthey’s No. 911 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) to its first American victory, claiming GTD PRO honors in the 74th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway.


 

Preining, the 2023 DTM champion who is also embarking with Manthey on its first IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup campaign, drove the anchor stint to best Harry King, Nick Tandy, and Alessio Picariello in another famous Porsche – AO Racing’s No. 77 911 GT3 R (992) known this race as ‘Roxy.’ The margin of victory was 1.43 seconds following an impressive pass with under 90 minutes to go. Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg, and Nico Varrone trailing home third in the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R.


 

The two Porsches were the class of the GTD PRO field, as ‘Grello’ took the fight to the dinosaur-themed AO Racing entry that won at Sebring in 2025 and has been the ‘class of the class’ for much of the last two years.


 

“It’s obviously been a Herculean effort to come all the way from Europe to be able to drive in the first place at all, and to drive well and quick and at the front,” Preining stated. “Pulling it off to win the second race is really special. Big, big teamwork was necessary today – it was a very difficult race. Difficult to always have the right strategy and position yourself for the end when it counts and have the car quick when it counts. 


 

“Obviously, we did a good enough job,” he added. “Can’t complain – really good!”


 

Bachler has now earned three consecutive GTD PRO class victories at Sebring. Preining won in his fourth IMSA start, while this was Feller’s sixth race in WeatherTech Championship competition. 


 

“I’m speechless,” Bachler said. “I really hoped we could win this race after a tough Daytona. I had such a good feeling going into this week, and we were fast when it counted.”


 

“Grello is something special among all the Porsche race cars,” added Feller. “Every Porsche driver wants to drive it. Now this is the beginning of a new chapter for Grello in the U.S. That’s the first victory, and I’m pretty sure it won’t be the last one."

 

GTD: Fuoco Refuses to Give Up En Route to Win in No. 21 Af Corse USA Ferrari

The No. 21 Af Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO overcame three drive-through penalties to steal a thrilling last-lap Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class victory in the 2026 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. 


 

Antonio Fuoco took advantage of a slight error by Tom Gamble in the Motul Pole Award-winning No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo roughly a mile from the finish line to complete the No. 21 car’s rally from its misfortunes. When Gamble bobbled in the 10th of Sebring’s 17 corners, Fuoco nipped by in a flash and maintained a 0.746-second advantage at the checkered flag over the Motul Pole Award winning Aston that Gamble co-drove with Dudu Barrichello and Zacharie Robichon.


 

Fuoco shared the winning Ferrari with Lilou Wadoux and Simon Mann, both of whom won the 2025 Motul Petit Le Mans season finale and were part of the team’s Michelin Endurance Cup GTD title last year.


 

“It was a really chaotic race with some small mistakes, but at the end, we managed to put everything together,” said Fuoco, who was twice penalized for incident responsibility. “On the last lap, the Aston made a small mistake in Turn 10. I saw the opportunity and tried to go on the outside around Turns 11 and 12, and it worked out.


 

“I think Lilou, Simon and the team did an awesome job to never give up. After the last Safety Car, we were seventh with 26 minutes to go, and we won.”


 

Fuoco expressed frustration at the penalties the No. 21 car received, but he was proud of his victorious effort. It was his second win both at Sebring and in the WeatherTech Championship, the first coming in GTD in 2022.


 

“I went really aggressive through Turn 1 on the last restart and overtook two or three cars in one lap,” said the Italian, who also drives for Ferrari’s Hypercar team in the FIA World Endurance Championship. “Then I tried to push to the end. I’d put the last stint in the top three of GT races I’ve done so far.”


 

It was the third IMSA class victory at Sebring and the sixth overall for Af Corse. Mann and Wadoux earned their second WeatherTech Championship win in the last three races after winning the 2025 season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans; Wadoux is the first woman to earn a class win at Sebring since Christina Nielsen in 2016. 


 

“It’s always nice to win here,” Wadoux said. “It was quite a difficult weekend with some issues in free practice, but we wanted to fight for the podium for sure. The team did a tremendous job in the race. We had lots of issues, but like a pendulum, we kept coming back.”


 

“To win at Sebring is for sure a pretty big bucket list moment,” noted Mann. “Petit Le Mans at the end of last year, now this…let’s hope we can keep it going!”


 

The next round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the first sprint race of the season – the 51st Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 17-18 on the famous Long Beach street course, for GTP and GTD competitors.

 

 

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

74th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

Race Winners Press Conference Transcript

SEBRING, Fla. (March 22, 2026) - Transcript from Saturday's 74th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.


 

Overall and Class Winners


 

GTP: Felipe Nasr, Julien Andlauer, Laurin Heinrich, No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963


 

LMP2: Phil Fayer, Mikkel Jensen, Hunter McElrea, No. 2 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07


 

GTD PRO: Thomas Preining, Ricky Feller, Klaus Bachler, No. 911 Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)


 

GTD: Simon Mann, Lilou Wadoux, Antonio Fuoco, No. 21 Af Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO


 

Second-Place Overall Finishers


 

GTP: Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, Matt Campbell, No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963


 

GTP


 

THE MODERATOR: Pleased to be joined by our second-place finishers here in the GTP class, Kevin Estre, Matt Campbell and Laurens Vanthoor. 


 

Larry, obviously a close fight all day between you and your teammates. Tell us about what went on there. 


 

LAURENS VANTHOOR: Yeah, I mean, it was I think a brilliant day for Porsche, for Penske finishing 1-2. Julien and Laurin drove a really good race. The three of us also did our best. It was quite close. 


 

Yeah, the rest, maybe Felipe has the honesty to tell you more about that (smiling). 


 

THE MODERATOR: Matt, from your standpoint, third in the standings, one point behind second, obviously you want to win the race today, but dew. 


 

MATT CAMPBELL: Yeah, you always want to win. At least the Porsche still won the race. Obviously that's the main thing for Porsche and Penske Motorsport. Yeah, I mean, you always want to get that top spot, but unfortunately today wasn't today. We all did a really good race today on car 6. We went to plan. Yeah, happy with my stint. Not much more to say. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Kevin, talk us through maybe a little bit of strategy towards the end between you and No. 7. 


 

KEVIN ESTRE: Well, there was not much sleep. We split, I think on similar strategy. We stop pretty much at the same time, just at some point different tires. 


 

We were, yeah, back and forth. But definitely at some point there was a call from the pit stand which was not respected. On the other hand, I mean, I don't know. I was driving the car, respecting what we were saying, trying to optimize our strategy, trying to get to the end 'cause we needed to save some fuel. That's what I did. 


 

Yeah, I think we both had to do the same, but somehow Felipe did something else, so... I don't know. That's the way it is. That's when the pass happened. Then towards the end I think he had the pace definitely in clean air. He was fast enough that I couldn't really attack. I would definitely have done it, but there was no opportunity. 


 

So on (audio interruption) like one hour before the end something happened, which was not too fair from my side. That's why we're all very frustrated and it's not nice. But that's the way it is. 


 

THE MODERATOR: In the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport, Laurin Heinrich, Felipe Nasr and Julien Andlauer. 


 

Laurin, obviously the endurance driver with this group, talk about how big this is to start off this relationship with back-to-back wins for you in that role. 


 

LAURIN HEINRICH: Obviously it's incredible to be called up to this role. I was extremely excited to be part of an operation like this, of Porsche Penske Motorsport. We've just been so successful. To join the team was a big honor, but also a big test for myself to fulfill the expectations. 


 

But the team has, yeah, prepared me extremely well. They are behind our back all the time. I'm not afraid to ask any question. Every question gets answered. I think that's why the team operates so well. 


 

I mean, yes, we won with the No. 7, but in the end it's also 1-2 for Porsche Penske Motorsport today. We had a great race, great execution in Daytona as well. For me, as the third driver, winning these first two races of the season is exciting. Just my second overall endurance sports car victory. It's a pretty big day. Same like Daytona. I think it will take some days to realize what happened today. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Felipe, a lot of milestones, lot of firsts. If you can put that into some context and talk us through especially the closing stint there for you. 


 

FELIPE NASR: Yeah, like Sebring usually is, a pretty intense race. Exactly what we found out today from beginning to the end. I mean, there's always going to be all the versions, right? My version, the team versions, and the other drivers' versions. I stand for the (indiscernible). It's what I'm here for. I sign up for this program because I believe I can win for the program, I can win for the team. 


 

My teammates did everything perfectly today. We build the race ahead. We did everything we needed to do to be in front at all times. 


 

These guys deserve all the credit from the whole race that they've done. To me, I can only say it's another dream start, honestly. Last year we had the chance to do it. Now again winning here at Sebring, it's fantastic. 


 

I love winning for Roger, I love winning for Penske, to our sponsors. And that's what I'm here for. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Julien, joining the team for the full season, obviously couldn't have asked for a better start so far. Tell us about what it means for you. 


 

JULIEN ANDLAUER: You said it right. I mean, the first full season for me in IMSA. Goes pretty well so far. Daytona was a hell of a race. Today didn't really start as we wanted. Went into some trouble. Luckily the car was in one piece. We had a great strategy I think on our car to go back to the front. The pace was great as well. Both cars did fantastic today on this. 


 

Yeah, for me it's great to also get my first 12 hour win in Sebring. 


 

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with questions. 


 

Q. About two hours in the race, you were ninth. 20 minutes later you were up there at first. What was that drive to the front like? What were you feeling as you were picking your way through the field?


 

LAURIN HEINRICH: Yeah, was a great feeling. We got shuffled back. We took the opportunity to top off fuel. So I knew I would restart from dead last. 


 

It was still early in the race, so I wanted to take it easy. Relatively soon, basically already exiting the last corner when I overtook the first car, I realized I've got some grip, I have a good car. The tires were in the window from the restart onwards. I could really use it to my advantage. 


 

In the end, yeah, I could cycle to the front. Was amazing to bring us back after this first little setback which we had in the first quarter of the race. From that moment on, we just maintained the lead. It worked out pretty well. 


 

For sure in this time of the race, you don't take the risks that you would take at the end of the race. But I think it was pretty controlled. Also it wasn't easy. In the heat of the day, this moment we were still double stinting the tires. You have to think really far ahead how you treat the tires so you have some juice left in the second stint. 


 

For me this is still pretty new. I'm tiptoeing, still building that experience, especially in these kind of scenarios. 


 

Q. Larry, can you talk about what happened with you and Earl there under the yellow?


 

LAURENS VANTHOOR: I owed payback from a couple years ago. No, I'm kidding (smiling). 

It was just an unfortunate situation I think. I just started to get heat in the brakes, so they were cold. At the moment I accelerated, they all checked up a lot. I had no time. I couldn't slow down. I tried to avoid. He was also avoiding. We just touched. 


 

But I spoke to say sorry about what happened. There were no hard feelings. It was just, I mean -- it was my bad, but I think it was just a very unfortunate situation coming together. 

It shouldn't happen. Yeah, luckily for both of us, there were no big consequences. 


 

Q. Changed the belts afterwards?


 

LAURENS VANTHOOR: Yes, but for us there was not too much damage. We had to of course precautionary change it. He had to come in earlier. I saw in the second stint I was already back up. Luckily for the both of us, I don't think it had any big influence. 


 

Q. Kevin, can you just expand a little bit on the frustrations with Felipe? What were you suggesting? Second to last stop?


 

KEVIN ESTRE: No, we're not redoing the race here. We had some calls from the pit stand. While driving you assume being 1-2 that both cars had the same call, which I got the confirmation we both had the same call. Felipe decided to do something else, which in the end brought him the race. That's it really. 


 

There's nothing more for me to say. I just respect what the team told me. It was not to play or anything. It was just to save fuel to go to the end with the amount of yellow. We didn't know. In the end there was a lot of yellow. We didn't need to pit again. Otherwise, we'd be tight on fuel. 


 

That's what happened in the end. I don't know. Felipe can say what he feels. I just know what I felt, what was the rule, what was the communication. I think it was quite clear from both sides from what I understood. 


 

But in the end it didn't happen that way, so... That's the way it is. 


 

Q. Felipe?


 

FELIPE NASR: I don't think I have much to say, honestly. I think I said it before. I'm here to win at the end of the day. I did it for the team. That's what it matters. It's a 1-2 in the end. Big point today for the whole organization. 


 

Q. Felipe, was there a call to hold the position after the final restart when you were in the lead?


 

FELIPE NASR: I can't go in details, guys, honestly. I'm here to race. That's what I did today. What those guys did today, that's why we should be celebrating here today. It's a victory, right? 


 

Like I said, there's always going to be two, three sides of the story. But what matters is today we come out winning, winning for the team, for the brand. This is what we're here for. That's what we do our jobs for. 


 

Q. Along the same lines, you are all great drivers, two great cars, with a great team. You expect this is the kind of situation that is going to come up more than once during the course of the season.


 

KEVIN ESTRE: We were fighting the whole race. Being 1-2, we were ahead, you know? We were always knowing that this could happen. It's always the case when teammates fight. We have the same car. We have the same weakness and the same strength. It's always difficult to fight. 


 

We also have to think about Porsche, which is paying us, and Penske, and respect what they say. I will not say more. 


 

LAURENS VANTHOOR: I think it's a great organization, what we drive for, and we're all privileged to drive for them, and we are clearly the strongest in the last 36 hours. That's why we're all sitting here. 


 

It's a great organization which has rules and things in place for us to be the most successful.


 

That's why we swap on pit lane. That's why we do. There's certain rules connected to that. It only works if we all play the same card. Obviously, yeah, that's where some frustration now is created. 

But yeah, I think it's important to know, though.


 

LMP2 and GTD PRO


 

THE MODERATOR: We have our LMP2 and GTD PRO here. 


 

We'll open with our LMP2. Phil Fayer, Mikkel Jensen and Hunter McElrea. 


 

Phil, why don't you start us off. First win. What does it mean to you to get it here at the 12 Hours of Sebring? 


 

PHIL FAYER: We did so much work to get here. I had to do GT4 races when I came back. First race last year was at Mosport. Overwhelming in terms of all the things you have to pick up to. 


 

I loved every minute of it. I'm blessed to be here. The race started a little bit difficult, but I enjoyed every minute behind the wheel. Sebring is such a special track. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Mikkel, you know what it's like to win here, but I can't imagine it ever gets old. 


 

MIKKEL JENSEN: No, I mean, you come back every year, you want to repeat this thing. It's an amazing race. There's so much going on out there. It's unbelievable how the GTs are trying to use us to play their game against the competitors. It's actually the hardest thing here I would say. 


 

Then the track just gets different every year, more bumps arriving. It gets fixed in places, some not. You always experience new bumps when you go off the line passing a GT. It's always a challenge at night at the end when you have to find your way through traffic and find your competitors at the same time. 


 

Winning Sebring is amazing, to be with Hunter, we did it in the past years together, but now we're here with Phil. It's just a good win on top of a tough Daytona. 


 

THE MODERATOR: As Mikkel alluded to, you won three of the last four races going back to last year, with Indianapolis and Motul Petit Le Mans. Talk about the relationship you and Mikkel have built. 


 

HUNTER McELREA: It's nice. It's obviously a lot of different things. Different philosophies, different surroundings. But obviously Mikkel and I have been together for the last two seasons prior to this. 


 

Yeah, endurance has been a new journey for me, something that obviously I wasn't used to. I probably understand I'm in a very lucky position to have won almost half the races I've done in IMSA. It's probably not normal (smiling). Just lucky to be beside such a strong driver to learn from. 


 

On top of that, to be next to Phil, too, without him none of us would be sitting here. First Sebring, first win. It's not possible without him making zero mistakes, executing his stints, giving us a good car. 


 

Yeah, team effort. Obviously hats off to United. The car came alive right when we needed it to. Very happy to be sitting here and finally get this win. 


 

THE MODERATOR: We'll slide over to our GTD PRO winners, Thomas Preining, Klaus Bachler, Ricky Feller. 


 

Thomas, first win, big win for the team here. What did it take to pull it off? 


 

THOMAS PREINING: First of all, big thanks to the team. It's been a Hercules effort for them to come all the way from Europe to be able to drive in the first place at all. Then obviously try to drive well and quick, at the front. Then obviously in the second start now to pull it off and win the race, which is really special. 


 

Big, big teamwork necessary today. Very difficult race. Difficult to always have the right strategy, to position yourself for the end when it counts. To also have the car quick when it counts has been kind of the challenge of the week, let's say, to find the right setup. 

I think obviously we did a good enough job at least. Yeah, cannot complain. Really good. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Klaus, three wins in a row. What is it about this place that seems to agree with you and your driving style? 


 

KLAUS BACHLER: Yeah, also big thanks to the team because without the team, it's not possible. 

Yeah, I mean, I'm really speechless. I really hoped we can win this race after a tough Daytona, I have to say. I had such a good feeling going into this week. Yeah, in the end it worked out. We were fast when it counted. We had the car which we had zero problems. I mean, really reliable everything. Perfect stops. Perfect strategy. 


 

Both of my teammates drove really brilliant, zero mistakes. In the end Thomas went for the move. He took the lead with one and a half hours to go and stayed there. Yeah, was not easy to watch because, I mean, especially the last safety car when it came, you never know what is happening at the restart. Have enough IMSA experience that everything is possible. 


 

But luckily, I mean, he did again a great restart and he could win this race. Very proud of the whole team, of my teammates. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Ricky, this is the first win for yourself, but also for the Grello Porsche, which is an iconic livery globally. Can you talk about what it means to you to bring that car here, win here, especially against another car with another livery that gets a lot of attention? 


 

RICKY FELLER: Yeah, it makes me very, very proud. It's something special within all the Porsche cars. Every Porsche driver wants to drive it. Of course, if you win a race with it, it's already great. Now this is the beginning of a new chapter for the Grello in the U.S. That's the first victory. I'm pretty sure it won't be the last one. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Back to questions. 


 

Q. Thomas, can you talk about the battle with the AO car. It seemed like you pulled away quite a bit after you were able to get into Harry.


 

THOMAS PREINING: Yes, I got him at the restart with one and a half hours to go in turn one. After that I knew we had a fuel or energy disadvantage. I had to go all in. Every lap was a quallie lap until the last pit stop. 


 

I think the safety car would have been quite painful then, but in the end everything happened in the right way for us at the end. We were able to play our cards really well. We needed quick car, which we had. In the end, like I said, everything went perfectly. 


 

Q. It appeared on TV that both United cars had contact a little bit. Was that the case late in the race or no?


 

MIKKEL JENSEN: Yeah a lot of times. So I was unlucky with the GTs, catching them always in turn three. The only way for me to protect myself was just slowing down in turn three and four when nobody can pass you, then get my better run out of five. 


 

I got hit in the rear in turn three maybe three, four times. 


 

Q. Was it your car that had to do the wing change or...


 

MIKKEL JENSEN: I don't think so. 


 

Q. You didn't have any damage?


 

MIKKEL JENSEN: Yeah, yeah (smiling). 


 

Q. What does it mean, this is the first 1-2 finish for the team in IMSA history, for the team in IMSA? What does that mean for United?


 

MIKKEL JENSEN: It means a lot. I mean, it's my second race with the team. Obviously we'll be with them for the Hypercar project with McLaren. 


 

It's a great start to the journey to already be winning my second race with them and to see the team perform with a 1-2 finish here. I'm really proud to see that because we had some issues in Daytona to be up front on the pace, and also here in practice we didn't really look to be the strongest guys. 


 

I think we were surprised about our pace throughout the whole race. We had a fast car. The sister car was fast. Just super happy for the package that the team put together and made us able to be 1-2 today. 


 

Q. After all the success in Europe, how important was it for Grello to be successful quickly here in America?


 

RICKY FELLER: Yeah, I mean, it's very important. In the end we all come here to win. Daytona was not very on our side, especially in the end. Now I'm very happy that it turned out because, like Tommy said, there's a lot of work behind the scenes. 


 

It's not so easy for a German team to get all the people here, to get all the equipment here, to compete against teams that know the structure in IMSA, which is kind of very different to what we're used in Europe. It's not so easy to compete against them. 


 

I think we or the team did a great job with that. 


 

THE MODERATOR: You guys are tied for the points lead. Are you going to lobby to get to Laguna Seca? 


 

KLAUS BACHLER: Yeah, we need to speak after this (smiling). 


 

Q. Did you think it's a realistic possibility or no?


 

KLAUS BACHLER: Don't think so. The manager is standing behind there (smiling). 


 

Q. (Question regarding mascot outfits.)


 

THOMAS PREINING: In the end it's mascots that mechanics have ideas to make them. We need to speak to them, if you want them to dress differently for each race, fitting the local dress codes, I'm sure we can manage. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Beachwear for Laguna? 


 

THOMAS PREINING: I don't know what you wear in Watkins Glen, but we'll dress them accordingly. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, guys.


 

GTD


 

THE MODERATOR: We're joined now by our GTD winners, Lilou Wadoux and Simon Mann. 

Lilou, obviously huge win for the team here. What does it mean to you? 


 

LILOU WADOUX: Yeah, I mean, it's always nice to win here. Last year we were close, we were on the good way. We had issue with the engine. We were here to fight for the podium for sure. 

We had quite difficult weekend overall. In FP we had some issue. We were not really ready for the race. At the end the team did amazing job. My teammates, too. We had pretty good car for the race overall. Not only on the night. 


 

Yeah, we had quite a lot of issue during the race, but we had, like, a (indiscernible) and we come back on the top. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Simon, second win in three races. Tell us about it. 


 

SIMON MANN: Yeah, I mean, it was a really good race today. I think we were really competitive. Had to overcome some issues, as well, with the drive-throughs. 


 

But in the end the team did a fantastic job. My teammates as well did a really good job throughout the whole race. Antonio at the end. 


 

Yeah, to be able to win Sebring is for sure a pretty big bucket list moment, after Petit Le Mans at the end of the year, now hopefully we can continue this trend for the rest of the year. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. 


 

Q. Obviously the multiple drive-through penalties, I wanted to ask about the final hour. Antonio made contact with another car. Dropped down the running order. What goes through your mind when you see that take place when you know you have a car that's in the running for the win and that happens in the last hour?


 

LILOU WADOUX: No, I mean, for sure we knew that we were fast. Antonio was fast. We know he's really good here. He had a lot of good result. For sure when you are watching the TV, it's always easy to watch and say something. But when you are being the steering, is not the same story. 


 

At the end I think we cannot say anything because we were not on the car. At the end he did amazing job during the last two hours to come back. 


 

Today we won like a teammate star. But for sure he did an amazing job at the end. 


 

SIMON MANN: For me basically the same comment. I think he did a fantastic job. As Lilou said, it's very easy to judge from the outside. But behind the wheel is also another story. 


 

Q. (No microphone.)


 

SIMON MANN: For sure, you do get wound up. I think we all had faith and trust in Antonio at the end. I think IMSA is a very particular style of racing compared to Europe, for example. I think we all knew until the end anything is really possible, so... 


 

Q. Lilou, what does that mean to be the first female to be on top step of the class for the first time in 10 years?


 

LILOU WADOUX: Yeah, is always nice. At the end I'm happy to win this race, not only like a girl but like a driver. I mean, this not nothing to win the 12 hour of Sebring. Like he said, we won the Petit Le Mans last year. It's something special to win here and put this on the CV. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Lilou, you won Watkins Glen as well as Petit and now here. Obviously Road America is next on the list I guess. 


 

LILOU WADOUX: For sure is on the target. But it's always easy to say we want to win. For sure we have the championship. Let's see how we win on the championship. It's always on the target. We have to get points if we want to be on the fight until the end. We will see. 


 

Q. You're confirmed for the Endurance Cup this year, right? You're not doing the full season?


 

LILOU WADOUX: No. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much.


 

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Antonio Fuoco. 


 

Antonio, you guys overcame three drive-through penalties, quite a battle. You came away with a victory. What does that mean to you? 


 

ANTONIO FUOCO: Yeah, I mean, we still like to understand how we get three drive-through because I think two of them was not there, I would say. But we were not able to review with the steward, so... 


 

Anyway, we went through. I think was really chaotic race, some up and down. At the end we managed to win. I think how the guy did an amazing job, Lilou, Simon, all the team, to never give up until the end. 


 

On the last safety car, we were P7 I think, 26 minute to go, then we were able to win the race. I think it was a really good one. Quite similar to the one I won in 2022. I think Sebring is always like this, is always a lot of close race. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. 


 

Q. How did you work your way through on that final restart? Can you explain that. Was that one of your best drives in a GT car?


 

ANTONIO FUOCO: I don't know if you follow last year, Barcelona, GT World Challenge, was quite similar. But I will say for sure one of the best because on the last restart, starting from P7, I went really aggressive through turn one, overtook two or three cars on one lap. Then from there I just try to push until the end. Then on the last lap, the Aston in front did a small mistake. I took the chance to drive on the outside through 11, 12. It work out. 


 

Again, I think I will put the last stint on the top three of GT race I did so far. 


 

Q. Curious about the few minutes left in the entire race, the GTP cars come through and slice through traffic. It kind of halted your run there to challenge for the lead. Was there a part of you after that, because it created a gap, that you thought I just ran out of time, I just need one more lap?


 

ANTONIO FUOCO: I mean, with the GTP, it's always 50/50. Sometimes it can be good, sometimes maybe they overtake you and you lose a bit more time compared to the guy in front. 

I think on the last lap I lost a bit compared to the last one. I was thinking that I have a chance, especially on the last corner, because I was able to get a bit more speed there. I was trying to think on the last lap even if I was a bit far, I was a bit better on sector two compared to them. I was thinking to try on the last lap on the last corner. Luckily made a mistake a bit early, so it was a bit more easy. 


 

Q. The last drive-through penalty came through the final hour after the contact. What was your vantage point in the incident? After the drive-through, were you driving angry at that point for the remainder of that hour?


 

ANTONIO FUOCO: I mean, I was already angry after the first one because I saw the image. I think we can review 100 time and someone need to explain me why I got the drive-through because I still didn't understand. I mean, we are here for racing. If you are on the inside where you need to overtake the car, especially if the line is one. 


 

Anyway, I don't want to complain. I was already quite upset since that one. I knew we had a good potential. Also I really like this track, so I know that on the last hour I can push and make a bit of difference. 


 

But again, one hour to go I think I was on the best place because we were P1, then we had the contact, which I think was a bit of a misunderstanding between us. We will talk with the other guys. 


 

Q. The first penalty was with the Ford, right?


 

ANTONIO FUOCO: Yeah. 


 

Q. Three and a half hours to go?


 

ANTONIO FUOCO: Yeah, exactly. 


 

Q. The other penalty after that was a pit lane penalty?


 

ANTONIO FUOCO: Yes. Too many over the wall. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Appreciate you coming in. 


 

ANTONIO FUOCO: Not too many over the wall. Just one guy was saying what we need to do.

We were the right people. Looks like we cannot do even this one. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.


 

FastScripts Transcripts by ASAP Sports

Unofficial Results, Points & Post-Race Nuggets | WeatherTech Championship

74th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

Sebring International Raceway - Saturday, March 21, 2026

Unofficial race results available at results.imsa.com.


 

Unofficial points available at pitnotes.org/points.

GTP

No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport

  • Third overall 12h Sebring win (2008, 2025)
  • Fifth class win at 12h Sebring (1966 GT+5.0, 1968 TA5.0, 2008 LMP2, 2025 GTP)
  • 45th IMSA class win
  • 13th win in GTP
  • Second consecutive win following win at Daytona with car No. 7
  • Second consecutive 12h overall win following win in 2025 with car No. 7
  • First team ever to win the 36 Hours of Florida multiple times (2025 & 2026), doing it in back-to-back seasons

 

Porsche

  • 20th overall 12h Sebring win
  • Second consecutive win following win in 2025 with Porsche Penske No. 7
  • Penske accounts for Porsche’s past three overall wins at Sebring (2008, 2025)
  • Sixth time that Porsche has won the 36 Hours of Florida overall (1968, 1973, 1982, 1985, 2025)

 

Felipe Nasr

  • 33y 7m 0d from Brasilia, Brazil
  • Third overall 12h Sebring win in 9th start
  • 10th different driver all-time to win three 12h Sebring’s overall
  • Second consecutive win at 12h Sebring following win in 2025
  • 16th IMSA class win in 72nd start
  • Second consecutive win following win at Daytona
  • Eighth win in GTP class in 29th start
  • Third driver to win 36 Hours of Florida in back-to-back years, first to do it with overall wins

 

Julien Andlauer

  • 26y 8m 16d from Lyon, France
  • First 12h Sebring overall win in 4th start
  • Previous best class finish at 12h Sebring was 3rd in 2023 in GTD
  • Previous best GTP finish at 12h Sebring in GTP was 8th in 2024
  • Second IMSA class win in 15th start
  • Second consecutive win following win at Daytona
  • Second win in GTP class in 4th start

 

Laurin Heinrich

  • 24y 5m 23d from Kurnach, Germany
  • First 12h Sebring overall win in 3rd start
  • Second class win at 12h Sebring 
  • Last class win at 12h Sebring was in 2025 in GTD PRO
  • Third-youngest driver to win the 36 Hours of Florida overall
  • Seventh IMSA class win in his 22nd start
  • Second consecutive win following win at Daytona
  • Second win in GTP class in his 2nd start


 

LMP2

No. 2 United Autosports USA

  • First IMSA class win at 12h Sebring
  • Previous best finish at 12h Sebring was third (1 times) last in 2024 LMP2 with car No. 22
  • Fourth IMSA class win
  • Last win was at 2025 Watkins Glen LMP2 with car No. 22
  • Finished 10th at Daytona
  • First IMSA 1-2 finish for the team

 

Mikkel Jensen

  • 31y 2m 21d from Hasselager, Denmark
  • Third win at 12h Sebring in seventh start
  • Last win at 12h Sebring was in 2022 in LMP2, 3 starts between
  • 13th IMSA class win in 34th start
  • All 13 wins have been in LMP2
  • Last win was at 2025 Road Atlanta in LMP2, 1 starts between 


 

Hunter McElrea

  • 26y 4m 0d from USA; New Zealander nationality
  • First win at 12h Sebring in third start
  • Previous best finish at 12h Sebring was second in 2024 in LMP2
  • Fifth IMSA class win in 13th start
  • All five wins have been in LMP2
  • Last win was at 2025 Road Atlanta in LMP2, 1 starts between

 

Phil Fayer

  • 47y 2m 9d from Montreal, Quebec, Canada
  • First IMSA class win in fourth start
  • Previous best finish was fourth (2 times) last at 2025 Road America in LMP2
  • First win at 12h Sebring in first start


 

GTD PRO

No. 911 Manthey

  • First IMSA class win in fifth IMSA event
  • Previous best finish was 5th (once) at 2026 Daytona GTD PRO with car No. 911
  • First class win at 12h Sebring in first entry into the event

 

Klaus Bachler

  • 34y 7m 22d from Judenburg, Austria
  • Third consecutive 12h Sebring class win in fourth start
  • Fourth IMSA class win in his 35th start, all in GTD PRO
  • Three of his four IMSA wins have come in the 12h Sebring (2023, 2025, 2026 GTD PRO)
  • Last win was at 2025 Laguna Seca in GTD PRO, 8 starts between
  • First win of 2026 season, finished 5th at Daytona in GTD PRO

 

Ricky Feller

  • 25y 9m 20d from Aarau, Switzerland
  • First IMSA class win in his 6th start
  • Previous best finish was 2nd at 2019 Road Atlanta in GTD
  • First 12h Sebring class win in 2nd start
  • Previous best finish at 12h Sebring was 4th in 2019 in GTD
  • First win of 2026 season, finished 5th at Daytona in GTD PRO

 

Thomas Preining

  • 27y 8m 0d from Linz, Austria
  • First IMSA class win in his 4th start
  • Previous best finish was 5th at 2026 Daytona in GTD PRO
  • First win in GTD PRO class in his 3rd start
  • First win at 12h Sebring in his 1st start
  • First win of 2026 season, finished 5th at Daytona in GTD PRO


 

GTD

No. 21 AF Corse USA

  • Third IMSA class win at 12h Sebring
  • Last win at 12h Sebring was in 2022 GTD with car No. 47
  • Sixth IMSA class win
  • Last win was at 2025 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta GTD with car No. 21
  • Third IMSA class win in GTD
  • #21 finished 5th at Daytona
  • Overcame three drive through penalties (3:27, 3:17, 0:37 remaining)


 

Antonio Fuoco

  • 29y 10m 1d from Cariati, Italy
  • Second win at 12h Sebring in fifth star
  • Last win at 12h Sebring was in 2022 in GTD, 3 starts between
  • Second IMSA class win in 19th start, both coming in 12h Sebring

 

Simon Mann

  • 25y 2m 19d from United Kingdom
  • First win at 12h Sebring in fifth start
  • Previous best finish at 12h Sebring was third in 2022 in GTD
  • Second IMSA class win in 21st start
  • Last win was at 2025 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in GTD, 1 start between

 

Lilou Wadoux

  • 24y 11m 11d from Amiens, France
  • First win at 12h Sebring in third start
  • Previous best finish at 12h Sebring was 13th in 2024 in LMP2
  • First female to earn class win at 12h Sebring since Christina Nielsen in 2016
  • Third IMSA class win in 12th start
  • Last win was at 2025 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in GTD, 1 start between
  • Second win in GTD class in seventh start

 

 

Porsche Penske Motorsport Completes Second Straight Sebring 1-2 Sweep

No. 7 Porsche 963 Wins First Two IMSA Races, “36 Hours of Florida” Two Years in a Row 


 

March 21, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Unofficial Race Results


 

SEBRING, Fla. – For Porsche Penske Motorsport, the unofficial “36 Hours of Florida” now has been made the “72 Hours of Florida” covering two different IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship seasons. 


 

In the 74th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, with Roger Penske giving the command to start engines, the pair of Porsche 963 cars captured their second straight race to start the IMSA season for a second year in a row. 


 

The only difference today was which Porsche 963 finished up front in both Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) and overall, and that came down to the wire in the final hour.


 

The No. 7 Porsche 963 has captured all four of those wins over two years, with the trio of Felipe Nasr, Julien Andlauer and Laurin Heinrich following up their 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona triumph with the win in Saturday’s 74th running of the second Florida endurance classic. They led a Porsche 1-2 ahead of the sister No. 6 car shared by Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and Matt Campbell.


 

Nasr has secured his third Sebring win – all overall (2019, 2025) – with Heinrich adding an overall win to his 2025 Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) win with AO Racing and Andlauer capturing his first Sebring triumph. Nasr is also the first driver to win the the “36 Hours of Florida” overall back-to-back.


 

The two Penske Porsches led 273 of 343 around Sebring’s challenging yet iconic 3.74-mile, 17-turn circuit. Combined with the two Penske Porsches leading 521 of 705 laps at Daytona –  these two Porsches have led 794 of 1,048 in these two races to start the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) season. With JDC-Miller MotorSports also leading 46 laps in Daytona, all Porsche 963 cars have led 840 of 1,048 laps this season.


 

This win came after a roller coaster ride of lead changes between the No. 7 Porsche 963 and sister No. 6 Porsche 963 of Estre. While Estre had the lead on the pit sequence, then Nasr regained it on another one, two more on-track lead changes on-track culminated with Nasr’s bold inside pass of Estre going into Turn 17 with 64 minutes remaining. 


 

Estre then needed to defend from Jack Aitken’s No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R and Sheldon van der Linde’s No. 24 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 to keep second, while Nasr was able to build a lead north of five seconds prior to the final pit stops inside the final 50 minutes. 


 

Nasr held the gap once the cycle completed and after a final restart with just under 15 minutes remaining and drove his car home to the flag by 1.515 seconds over Estre. With the No. 31 and 24 cars fading late, the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R snuck a podium with Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque and Will Stevens. 


 

Just as Porsche finished 1-2 in GTP, Porsche did the same in GTD PRO with two different teams.


 

Manthey, renowned for its global GT success and celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026, now has its first IMSA win on the scoreboard with its iconic ‘Grello’ livery adorning its No. 911 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992). Klaus Bachler now adds his third Sebring GTD PRO win in four seasons – with three different Porsche teams (Pfaff Motorsports, AO Racing) – alongside Thomas Preining and Ricardo Feller, who both won their first IMSA races. 


 

AO came up just short of going back-to-back at Sebring, in the Michelin Endurance Cup race debut of its “Roxy” pink dinosaur livery variant of the No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992). Alessio Picariello finished second alongside Nick Tandy and Harry King. 


 

It was Preining’s pass around the outside of King at Turn 1 for the lead with 79 minutes to go that made the difference and delivered the win for Manthey. Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports finished third with its No. 4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Tommy Milner in his 20th Sebring start, Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone. 


 

The Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) battle saw another 1-2 in the fight among ORECA LMP2 07s, with United Autosports USA delivering its first IMSA 1-2 finish. On this evening, Mikkel Jensen, Philip Fayer and Hunter McElrea shared the winning No. 2 ORECA over the sister car, the Paul Di Resta, Daniel Goldburg and Rasmus Lindh No. 22 ORECA, which survived multiple run-ins with on-track signage and tape. Tower Motorsports’ Tristan Vautier finished third in the No. 8 ORECA he shared with John Farano and Sebastian Alvarez.


 

The GTD battle came down to an Aston Martin versus Ferrari fight, with a fast but frantic drive from the No. 21 Af Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO overcoming a clean run by the polesitting No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo.


 

Antonio Fuoco delivered a furious comeback charge in the final 15 minutes to go from seventh to the win on the final lap in his No. 21 Ferrari he shared with Lilou Wadoux and Simon Mann. Fuoco made the move on Tom Gamble’s No. 27 Aston Martin through the esses at the top of the course, past Turn 10 into the Turns 11 and 12 complex. Gamble shared his car with Eduardo “Dudu” Barrichello and Zacharie Robichon. 


 

Fuoco’s last hour included a penalty assessed for incident responsibility contacting another GT Ferrari and a warning for failure to adhere to controlled powertrain parameters. Neither setback ended his charge. 


 

After a frenetic final hour, the WeatherTech Championship heads next to the streets of Long Beach, Calif. for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 17-18. The GTP and GTD classes will be in action. 

 

 

Porsche Penske Out Front To Start 74th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

Tower, Paul Miller BMW, Af Corse Ferrari Lead Other Classes


 

March 21, 2026

By Holly Cain

IMSA Wire Service

Hour 4 Results

Hour 4 IMEC Results


 

SEBRING, Fla. – Under blue Florida skies and comfortable temperatures, racing legend Roger Penske issued the starting command for Saturday’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring to the delight of another huge enthusiastic crowd.

 

Four hours later, Penske’s Porsche team quite convincingly held the overall and Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) lead of an action-filled 74th edition of the traditional IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship endurance race at the venerable Sebring International Raceway.  

 

The defending Sebring-winning No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 came out of the pits in front of its sister car, the No. 6 Porsche 963, during a fourth caution period closing out the first quarter of competition on track and then held position on the restart before moving into a 2.3-second lead at the four-hour mark and the team looking very much in the same form as they finished the 2025 edition of the race.

 

Tristan Vautier held the point in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class, the sole car bypassing a pit stop and staying on track during that caution period, giving the No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 the lead over Jonny Edgar and the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA LMP2 07.

 

Max Hesse claimed the lead in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class on the restart right at the four-hour mark, his No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW GT3 EVO getting around Riccardo Agostini in the No. 033 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO at the green flag.

 

And in the GTD class, Antonio Fuoco jumped back out toward the convincing margin he had earned in his No. 21 Af Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO, ahead of Callum Ilott in the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992). 

 

Patience was not necessarily an early theme for this round-the-clock event with a handful of incidents forcing four early cautions and putting six cars among the 55-car, four-class field into repair-and-catch up mode.

 

It was all a byproduct of the hard racing on track even in the earliest laps of this crown jewel event around the 3.74-mile, 17-turn course. And the marquee GTP cars were not immune with aggressive moves and bold strategy calls made throughout the 11-car class.

 

French driver Kevin Estre drove the No. 6 Penske Porsche to its first lead of the day, overtaking polesitter, Britain's Jack Aitken two hours into the race with a bold move on the inside exiting Turn 17. 

 

“I think we had the pace and it seems that the first four or five laps people were looking to see what the pace was going to be,” Estre said. “The track is quite slow today compared to what we had all week actually. We are like two seconds off, so everyone was trying to see where we’re going. 

 

“Then when we started to hit traffic, that’s where opportunities came for me and I could pass. Everything seems all right but definitely the traffic management is not easy.”

 

No sooner had Estre and Aitken pitted during caution for a driver change then the pole-winning No. 31 now steered by Earl Bamber was hit by Laurens Vanthoor in the No. 6 while the field was still under the yellow flag. The contact was ruled “inconclusive” with no penalty issued. 


 

This did, however, necessitate another pit stop for Bamber’s team to replace the engine cover and rear body cover of the No. 31 Cadillac dropping it to the rear of the GTP field but still running at pace after the repairs.

 

“It was interesting,” Bamber said. “The Porsche took us out under the safety car. We were just warming tires and he just smashed the back of us. The guys did a really good job to change everything and we sort of got back through and we are just managing a few issues and we’re just in the middle of the pack there.”

 

Current IndyCar Series championship leader Kyle Kirkwood noted the intense action thus far as well, as his GTD PRO polesitting No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3 managed to run among the top three or four cars in class in the opening hours.

 

“People are racing hard, it’s a couple hours in and I’m already getting lunged at by some guys and getting hit,” said Kirkwood, a 2024 Sebring class winner with the team.

 

“Personally, I don’t think that’s the smartest racing but maybe it’s necessary for now because over the years all the cars have gotten so close at the race starts now. I was trying to play it clean out there but other guys weren’t. You’re having to defend more now you typically are. Feels like the end of the race right now.

 

“Our car’s okay, definitely not as good in the daytime as I think we’ll be at night. But we’re in a good position. We’re not the fastest car on track but we’ve got a good fight in it.”


 

Heat was also a factor with the track temperature going from just under 80 degrees Fahrenheit on track to start the race north of 110 degrees four hours later. 


 

At the four-hour mark, the first Michelin Endurance Cup points are awarded. Three of the four class leaders in the race - the No. 7 Porsche 963 (GTP), No. 1 PMR BMW M4 GT3 EVO (GTD PRO) and the No. 21 Af Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO (GTD) - also lead their respective Endurance Cup standings for the season. Although Tower’s No. 8 ORECA led LMP2 in the race, AO Racing’s No. 99 ORECA is the top-scoring LMP2 car through five segments this season in class.


 

Race coverage continues to be streamed on Peacock in the U.S., IMSA.TV, and the official IMSA YouTube channel internationally, with NBCSN television joining in progress at 5 p.m. ET.

 

Bamber, De La Torre Double Up in Lamborghini Super Trofeo at Sebring

Doyle, Formal Also Sweep in ProAm; Neuls, Bolduc Score Am, LB Cup Triumphs


 

March 20, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Race 2 Unofficial Results

 

SEBRING, Fla. – The second race of the 2026 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America season at Sebring International Raceway featured the same overall winner, but in a much more dramatic fashion.


 

It took Will Bamber’s bold move with 14 minutes remaining into Turn 1 in his No. 29 TR3 Racing, Lamborghini Miami, Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2 and a safe launch out of the corner ahead of the pit-exiting Hampus Ericsson in the No. 1 Wayne Taylor Racing Huracán to ensure Bamber and co-driver Elias De La Torre could complete a weekend sweep in the Pro class.


 

Most of the first 30 minutes in the 50-minute race was run behind the Lamborghini Urus Safety Car following a pair of incidents, which shifted the mandatory pit window back to a later period of 20 minutes to 10 minutes left rather than the usual 30 minutes to 20-minute stint.


 

That also affected the strategy, where most of the field – including De La Torre from the lead – opted to pit at the first available opportunity once the revised pit window opened and the race went back to green.


 

The combination of a swift pit stop and Bamber’s push on the out lap ensured he had just enough pace to sweep through to the lead as Ericsson’s teammate, Nick Persing, tried an overcut strategy to keep the lead by going longer on-track. Bamber took the win today by 1.877 seconds.


 

“That was the dramatic part, but it really came down to everything before it,” Bamber admitted. “One small mistake and we would have been behind. His in lap had to be so good, the pit stop had to be good, and the out lap had to be good to. I had to go for it; hopefully it looked good on TV!”


 

De La Torre added, “You always hope to be in front the whole season, but you have to see what happens! I think we have a great team getting the car ready. If we can continue working together like we do, we have a great shot from here.” 


 

Behind them, ANSA Motorsports secured its first podium finish of the weekend with Lamborghini Young Driver Program Shootout winner Colin Queen sharing his No. 4 Huracán with Jamaican driver Tommi Gore, a series newcomer.


 

ProAm followed in similar fashion to Race 1 on Thursday, with the same winners prevailing once more. Danny Formal and Graham Doyle doubled up in their No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing, Lamborghini Palm Beach, Huracán.


 

“Overall, a great day and weekend,” Formal said. “Two overall top-fives and two ProAm wins. Phenomenal job by Graham, fastest race lap in both Race 1 and 2 shows how good the WTR crew is. They gave us rocket ships and we couldn’t ask for a better weekend.”


 

The podium finishers behind them were the same as well, albeit in a different order. Kaizen Autosport’s Seth Henry and Wyatt Foster in their No. 44 Huracán improved from third to second, while Forty7 Motorsports’ Lindsay Brewer and Keawn Tandon were third today in their No. 77 Huracán after finishing second on Thursday.


 

Both Am and LB Cup had new winners, as TR3 Racing added its second class win of the day while Topp Racing returned to the top in its series return.


 

Dean Neuls banked five podium finishes in 2025, but the driver of the No. 70 TR3, Lamborghini Miami, Huracán had not yet finished on the top step. He finished up top today ahead of Johan Schwartz in his No. 89 89x Motorsports Huracán and David Staab in his No. 48 Precision Performance Motorsports Huracán. Both Schwartz and Staab finished on the podium both days.


 

“It’s been a lot of work, but it feels so amazing,” Neuls said. “I had a ProAm car in front of me the last few laps of the race and P2 and P3 behind me breathing down my neck! I did everything I could to get by the guy in front but couldn’t. They’re quick drivers though. I’ve not been so happy to see a checkered flag!”  

There was late-race drama in LB Cup, as Rocky T. Bolduc got on the board for the first time in 2026 in his No. 99 Topp Racing, Lamborghini Greenwich, Huracán. Courtesy of a late-race pass on Race 1 winner Ray Shahi in the No. 65 Taurino Racing Huracán, Bolduc moved to the lead in the waning minutes, and Philippe Touchette in his No. 11 TB Autosports Huracán got past Shahi as well. Shahi held on for third.


 

“Let me tell you, as my wife says, every setback has got a comeback,” said Bolduc, who finished fifth in Race 1 after a drive-through penalty was assessed. “We did exactly that with this move forward. It was amazing racing against these guys. Ray gave me a run for my money and Philippe is a fast driver.” 


 

Shahi reflected on a positive weekend despite a missed double: “It was a great weekend at least as I was leading today with three minutes left; there was another car parked under the bridge. I took evasive action to avoid it, and I went wide on the marbles and brushed the wall. My competition passed there. But it’s been a good week. This new team is amazing.” 


 

The weekend double winners also lead their championships heading out of Sebring, with Bamber and De La Torre starting strong in Pro and Formal and Doyle doing the same in ProAm. With two podium finishes apiece in Am, Staab and Schwartz are unofficially tied for the points lead along with Race 1 winner Nick Groat, with Race 2 winner Neuls just behind. LB Cup is similarly close, with Shahi unofficially and marginally ahead of Touchette and Bolduc.


 

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America heads to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for Rounds 3 and 4 in a little over a month, from May 1-3. 

 

Ibiza Farm Returns McLaren Name to Victory Lane at Sebring

Gonzalez Cupra Runs Away with Win

 

March 20, 2026

By Holly Cain and John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Race Results


 

SEBRING, Fla. – Ibiza Farm Motorsports is quickly establishing itself a true master of the master tracks with co-drivers Moisey Uretsky and Michael Cooper claiming their fourth IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge victory Friday afternoon – and first of the season. The win comes on yet another of the country’s most famous circuits, Sebring International Raceway.


 

With a strong qualifying effort, Uretsky, 43, of Miami, started second and was ahead of the 10-car accident as the field took the green flag at the iconic Sebring road course. Uretsky put the No. 44 McLaren Artura GT4 to the front and ultimately handed it over to Cooper to hold off the 33-car Grand Sports (GS) Class, finishing 2.506-seconds ahead of Daan Arrow in Winward Racing’s No. 57 Mercedes AMG GT GT4 to claim the trophy in the two-hour Alan Jay Automotive Network 120.


 

It is the Ibiza Farm team’s first victory at the venerable Sebring track, adding to an impressive list of the team’s winning venues including the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta just last season.


 

It also returned the McLaren name to Sebring victory lane, more than 66 years since Bruce McLaren won the one and only Formula 1 race here in 1959. McLaren also teamed with Mario Andretti to win the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 1967.


 

While the margin of victory was substantial, it was not an easy drive, however. For anyone.


 

A huge chain reaction crash happened coming out of Turn 17 as the 49-car, two-class field approached the green flag to start the race. The melee eliminated 10 cars and brought out a nearly 30-minute caution period before the race re-started. 


 

“I was on the timing stand and Moisey (Uretsky) was in second,’’ recalled the 36-year-old New York-native Cooper. “IMSA races are always amazing and can be chaotic and crazy at times. That start was a little too much maybe. But then from there it was a good clean run for everyone. 


 

“On [another] restart [later in the race], I worked past a couple cars real easy. I think some people didn’t take tires, maybe, and I was able to capitalize. The temperature today was much higher and people were sliding wide a lot of places and just making mistakes. As long as I was neat and tidy I was able to capitalize on all that and bring it home for Ibiza Farm and McLaren.”

 

Arrow and co-driver Bryce Ward finished second ahead of Turner Motorsport driver Dillon Machavern, who brought the No. 95 Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT4 EVO home third after an impressive and spirited drive in the final minutes of the race. Machavern, whose co-driver was Luca Mars, passed a pair of cars in the last half hour and then had to hold off Tiago Camilo in the No. 54 PANAM Motorsport Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 and Stevan McAleer in the No. 27 AutoTechnic Racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO. 


 

“Super interesting start and that made things very interesting especially after a year when there were no cautions here so we really didn’t know what to expect,’’ said the 30-year old Virginian Machavern.


 

“That changed up our strategy quite a bit. The Turner Motorsport boys put an awesome car out there and [we were] really out there trying to conserve [fuel] as much as we could. The light came on the last lap. We had a really good battle with McAleer to get around but once we were clear we were able to conserve. Hats off to the guys over the wall and the strategy. 


 

“That’s what it’s all about. That’s what makes this racing fun."


 

TCR: Gonzalez Cupra Runs Away with Win

Michelin Pilot Challenge race wins don’t come much more convincing than the Touring Car (TCR) class triumph Franco Girolami and Tyler Gonzalez posted Friday at Sebring International Raceway in the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120.


 

Victor Gonzalez Racing played the strategy perfectly in a two-hour contest that started with 30 minutes of running behind the Safety Car due to a multi-car accident approaching the start line in the Grand Sport (GS) class. When a majority of TCR competitors stopped during a second caution period just after minimum drive time of 40 minutes, VGR kept Girolami in the car until the No. 99 Cupra Leon VZ TCR made its last pit stop and installed Gonzalez in the car with 50 minutes to run.


 

When the two front running cars made their final stops with about half an hour remaining, Gonzalez found himself with an 11.1-second lead, and he pulled away during a caution-free run to the checkered flag to cross the line 13.988 seconds ahead of the No. 18 Bryan Herta Autosport w/Curb Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR shared by Harry Gottsacker and Lance Bergstein. 


 

BHA Hyundais also claimed third and fourth place, with the No. 33 of Mason Filippi and Bryson Morris heading home Mark Wilkins and Madeline Aust in the No. 98. It was Bergstein’s first career podium finish in Michelin Pilot Challenge competition, while fourth place matched Aust’s career best.


 

Tyler Gonzalez, who is not related to team owner Victor Gonzalez, drove Hyundais for VGRT until the team switched marques to Cupra in mid-2025. Gonzalez and Eric Powell then ended the season with victories at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.


 

Now he and Girolami, who has extensive experience racing the Cupra Leon VZ TCR in championships around the world, have claimed the laurels in their second start together.


 

VGR won its class at Sebring for the second time (2022) and the team has now scored all three of Cupra’s victories in IMSA competition. Tyler Gonzalez has been part of all three.


 

“I just have to say hats off to the Victor Gonzalez Racing Team,” Gonzalez said. “These guys have been on it all weekend and all through the offseason to get these Cupra Leon TCRs ready for us and Franco drove a great stint. He did all the work, honestly. I just had to get in and not make any mistakes. I’ve done a lot of laps here and I knew the track was going to get super greasy. We just had to keep the tires under us.”


 

Girolami was almost shocked to have tasted victory so quickly at the start of his IMSA career.


 

“I’m so happy to win for the first time in America and my first time at Sebring,” he said. “Tyler did an amazing job and all the way through he’s helped me because I didn’t know the track. I’m so surprised to be here – it’s just amazing.”


 

Gonzalez in turn heaped praise upon his new teammate.


 

“The Cupra is definitely different, and it took some getting used to – I’m not going to lie.” he said. “It’s been great to have Franco here because he’s driven these cars for so long and helped with their development.


 

“I’m teaching him a lot of things about racing in the States, and he’s teaching me a lot about the car. It’s a really good pairing.”


 

The next round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge will be held May 1-2 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. 
 

Aitken, Cadillac Ascend to Top of Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Grid

Goikhberg Secures LMP2 Pole for BHA with PR1/Mathiasen


 

March 20, 2026

By Holly Cain

IMSA Wire Service

Qualifying Results


 

SEBRING, Fla. – The defending Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring race-winning Porsches paced the opening practice sessions at the iconic Sebring International Raceway, but a Cadillac will lead the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship field to green on Saturday.

 

Perhaps it was a bit of redemption for Sebring’s pole-winning driver Jack Aitken, who drives for Cadillac Whelen in the No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R. Aitken was fastest in qualifying at the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, but started that race from the rear following a violation discovered in post-qualifying technical inspection.

 

In Sebring, Aitken will lead the 11-car Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) and full 55-car field to the green flag in the car he shares with Earl Bamber and Frederik Vesti. This is Aitken’s third Motul Pole Award and 21st for the Action Express Racing team, which has won Sebring three times (2015, 2019, 2023).

 

When asked Friday about last month’s Daytona qualifying, Aitken managed a smile and said he still considers the team’s qualifying work this season “a pole and a half.”

 

“I think it's going to be fairly inconsequential,” Aitken conceded of starting up front in the historically competitive round-the-clock Sebring event, where he captured his first IMSA win in 2023. “But it's lovely to be on pole. It's nice to show how the team is working, putting out a good car, to get the bragging rights on some points. 

 

“At the end of the day, we started last in '25 because of an issue, and we were into the lead in less than two hours with the help of yellows and stuff. It's kind of neither here nor there. We saw a lot of cars further down the grid were very quick in night practice and over longer runs yesterday.

 

“Fully expect they're going to make their way through, as well,” he added of the Porsches. 

 

Aitken’s lap of 1 minute, 46.153 seconds (126.835 mph) in Friday’s sunny, temperate weather conditions was 0.109 of a second faster around the historic 3.74-mile, 17-turn course than Tom Blomqvist, who will start alongside Aitken on the front row in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06. He’ll share that car with Colin Braun and six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon, the 2009 overall Sebring polesitter.

 

The 15-minute session featured plenty of inspired pole attempts with the lead changing more than a half dozen times among the field. Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing’s Filipe Albuquerque was third fastest in the No. 10 Cadillac V-Series.R and will share the second row with the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963, whose sister car, the defending race-winning No. 7 Porsche will roll off sixth among the 11 GTP cars.

 

“Definitely we're aware of how strong some of the other cars are,” Aitken said. “They don't show any signs of dropping out of the fight. If anything, they tend to somehow get quicker as the weekend goes on. I'm not taking much stock from what we've just seen in qualifying. 

 

“I believe they'll be right there from quite early in the race. We've got some homework to do still to find what we need to win this thing. That's all we can do.”


 

LMP2: Goikhberg Captures First IMSA Pole

Meanwhile there was an equally as dramatic session to decide the 12-car LMP2 class starting grid.

 

Misha Goikhberg claimed the Motul Pole Award in the No. 52 Bryan Herta Autosport with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07. He was second in the session behind AO Racing’s PJ Hyett, but Hyett lost his fastest lap for causing a red flag during practice. Goikhberg’s best time was 1:51.182 (121.098 mph).

 

It marks the first IMSA pole for Goikhberg, who will start on pole in the No. 52 ORECA LMP2 07 he shares with Parker Thompson and Harry Tincknell alongside the No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07 in Saturday’s race. PR1/Mathiasen, however, now has 42 poles, 30 in LMP2 and five at Sebring.

 

“It's very exciting,” Goikhberg said, “It's my first qualifying attempt in a Prototype for this team. We didn't have the smoothest of weekends. The team did a lot of work overnight. Yeah, it's a great, great place to start the race. 

 

“I think we know where we need to adjust to have an even better race car for tomorrow.” 

 

The defending Sebring-winning No. 43 Inter Europol Competition, defending LMP2 champion No. 99 AO Racing and Rolex 24-winning No. 04 CrowdStrike by APR ORECAs completed the top five on the grid.

 

Hyett’s No. 99 AO Racing ORECA needed two laps to set the pole, and it appeared his second fastest lap would be good enough to do so. But while turning in a flying lap in the final minute of the 15-minute session, Hyett dropped the left two tires off track slowing his time just enough to place him fourth on the grid.



The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring starts at 10:10 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 21. Full coverage will be streamed on Peacock in the U.S., IMSA.TV, and the official IMSA YouTube channel internationally, with NBCSN television joining in progress at 5 p.m. ET.

 

Hawksworth Flies to New GTD PRO Qualifying Record at Sebring

Barrichello 2.0 Lines Up on GTD Pole in IMSA Qualifying


 

March 20, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Qualifying Results


 

SEBRING, Fla. – Meet the new Sebring qualifying GT track record holder … same as the old one.

 

Jack Hawksworth eclipsed his own previous mark set two years ago under ideal conditions Friday afternoon at Sebring International Raceway to capture the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) Motul Pole Award in his No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3.

 

Hawksworth’s best lap – set not long after Lexus was named the Official Vehicle of both Sebring International Raceway and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring – was 1 minute, 58.480 seconds (113.639 mph) around Sebring’s bumpy but iconic 3.74 miles and 17 corners. His prior benchmark was 1:58.714 set in 2024.

 

Behind Hawksworth, Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Neil Verhagen was second fastest at 1:58.886 (113.251 mph) in the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO, the last entry in the 12-car GTD PRO field to lap under 1:59. His co-drivers are Connor De Phillippi and Max Hesse.

 

Six manufacturers were represented among the top seven GTD PRO qualifiers, with Lexus, BMW, Porsche, McLaren, Chevrolet and Ferrari all in a row.

 

The 2024 pole for Hawksworth eventually translated into a victory with co-drivers Ben Barnicoat and Kyle Kirkwood in GTD PRO. The same trio seeks an encore performance in their first attempt to repeat in 2026, after Barnicoat was injured in 2025 and Hawksworth was racing the team’s GTD Lexus.

 

Hawksworth is celebrating his milestone 100th start with the Lexus IMSA program this weekend, and it couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. This is Hawksworth’s 14th pole position with Lexus; he has also achieved 32 podiums and 11 race wins, including GTD PRO class victories at the 2024 Sebring 12 Hours and a 2020 sprint race.

 

“It was a clean lap; there were no errors or mistakes, and I was pretty happy with it,” Hawksworth said. “It’s not as if it was lairy or flashy or anything like that. I was just able to get every corner 99 percent right. The car was phenomenal, and there’s no better place to start than at the front.

 

“Track records are always nice, and it’s super cool to be starting my 100th race with Lexus from the pole,” he continued. “But I still put race wins above poles, so let’s see what we can do tomorrow.”

 

Like all GTD and GTD PRO competitors, Vasser Sullivan and Lexus are learning the nuances of the new-for-2026 Michelin GT tire, designed to combine longer, more consistent wear and a more environmentally sustainable construction.

 

“We’re still learning and still kind of chipping away at it,” said Hawksworth. “This track is so peaky with the tire, so you have to do the lap when it’s at its best. There’s been some big changes with the team in the offseason, and I think we’ve come back a lot stronger this year. There’s a really good vibe in the team, and we’re just trying to get better every day.

 

“We had a decent longer run with some decent teams and competitive cars (in Practice 3),” he added. “We feel we’re right in the mix with them but know it’s going to be real tough. We’ll look forward to the challenge and do what we can.”

 

GTD: Barrichello 2.0 Is Best

The Heart of Racing Team and its No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo may be fond of the number two so far in GTD qualifying in 2026. Two races, two different drivers, two different Motul Pole Award winners.

 

Today’s newest IMSA polesitter is a second-generation driver in Eduardo “Dudu” Barrichello. His co-driver Zacharie Robichon won the pole at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

 

In an exciting 15-minute qualifying session, four drivers traded the top spot back and forth. Ultimately, Barrichello – the 24-year-old son of 11-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner and four-time Rolex 24 starter Rubens Barrichello – claimed the top spot in the car he shares with Robichon and Tom Gamble.

 

The younger Barrichello, who is a rising star in worldwide sports car racing, was the first driver in the 19-car GTD field to circulate the Sebring course in under two minutes.

 

But shortly thereafter, Antonio Fuoco threw down a 1:59.014 lap in his No. 21 Af Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO. Robby Foley and the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO briefly entered the mix before two-time defending Sebring winner Philip Ellis dropped in a 1:58.881 in his No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.

 

Barrichello then stopped the clocks at 1:58.856 (113.279 mph) to secure his first career pole position in IMSA competition. In fact, it was Barrichello’s first-ever IMSA qualifying session.

 

It was the first 12-hour race pole at Sebring for an Aston Martin since Pedro Lamy was the top qualifier in the GT1 class in 2006; Aston Martin has claimed poles since at Sebring in other sports car championships.

 

“It was a great session for us,” Barrichello stated. “I was a bit nervous because it was my first qualifying in IMSA – new team, new championship – so there were a lot of firsts. But it was good fun. I think the car was good; we had a good balance and really hit the ground running from Free Practice 1. Happy I did a decent job. We showed our qualifying pace is good and hopefully our race pace is as well.

 

“This track makes it so much fun,” he added. “We had the car dialed in, though it’s a very different setup for qualifying and the race, where you have to do long stints. I’m just so thankful to be here. It’s a super great opportunity and such a privilege to be at Sebring. I just have to enjoy it.”

 

Ellis and the No. 57 Winward Mercedes-AMG he shares with Russell Ward and Indy Dontje held on for second, while Foley held on for third in the Turner BMW. His co-drivers are Patrick Gallagher and Francis Selldorff.

 

As in GTD PRO, there was considerable parity in GTD, with six marques qualifying in the top eight.

 

A total of 55 cars among four classes will take the green flag for the 74th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at 10:10 ET on Saturday, March 21. Full coverage will be streamed on Peacock, IMSA.TV, and the official IMSA YouTube channel, with NBCSN television joining in progress at 5 p.m. ET. 

 

 

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

74th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

Pole Winners Qualifying Press Conference Transcript

SEBRING, Fla. (March 20, 2026) - Transcript from qualifying for Saturday's 74th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.


 

THE MODERATOR: We're pleased to be joined by our pole award winners. Jack Hawksworth, Jack, could you talk about obviously a strong lap here to get the pole. You've done this before. Led to a win last time. 


 

JACK HAWKSWORTH: Yeah, no, was super happy with it. Obviously still always one of the races you got circled. After a tough Daytona to kind of bounce back, the team has done a really, really good job. Phenomenal car in qualifying. 


 

Get to start from the best place on the grid tomorrow. Last time I had a pole was at this race and we went on to win. Hopefully we can try to do the same tomorrow. 


 

It's going to be super tough, a super competitive class, a lot of good cars. Excited to go racing. 


 

THE MODERATOR: We're also joined by Dudu Barrichello. Dudu, congratulations. First pole. What does it mean to you? How excited are you for tomorrow's race? 


 

DUDU BARRICHELLO: Yeah, it was a great session for us. My first-ever qualifying here in IMSA. A bit nervous before that. New team, new championship. It was a lot of firsts. 


 

Yeah, it was good fun. I think the car was good. We had a good balance. We really hit the ground running from FP1. So yeah, I think I did a decent job. We'll be starting from a good place tomorrow. 


 

THE MODERATOR: We also are joined by Misha Goikhberg. Misha, first pole. You've been doing this a while. How exciting is it for you to get the pole here? 


 

MISHA GOIKHBERG: No, it's very exciting. It's my first qualifying attempt in a Prototype for this team. We didn't have the smoothest of weekends. The team did a lot of work overnight. Yeah, it's a great, great place to start the race. 

I think we know where we need to adjust to have an even better race car for tomorrow. 


 

THE MODERATOR: We'll go to questions. 


 

Q. Have you ever been in a situation where another car went quicker than you in qualifying but you still got a pole?


 

MISHA GOIKHBERG: No. He did throw it off in T17, so he was trying (smiling). 


 

Q. Jack, when we talked on the teleconference the other day, we talked about the hundred races for Lexus. You said what matters are the poles and the wins. Do track records matter?


 

JACK HAWKSWORTH: Yeah, they're always nice (smiling). 


 

Obviously it's my hundredth race. It's super cool to be kind of starting on pole, get the track record. That's really nice. I find that cool. 


 

Although I'd still put race wins above poles. See how we do tomorrow. 


 

Q. That Lexus logo is right behind you on the wall. Is there more pressure of that here?


 

JACK HAWKSWORTH: I think it's pressure coming into the weekend. Honestly, from the minute we rolled out in FP1, I think we were surprised at how competitive we've been. We came off the back of really being uncompetitive at Daytona. We knew we were going to be better at this race. But we're more in the mix than we thought we were. 


 

Like I say, there's some fast cars. Having the support of Lexus here, the signage on the straight, the big Lexus logo over the top of the bridge, certainly adds a little bit of pressure. We feel support from the manufacturer. Excited to hopefully have a good race tomorrow. 


 

Q. Misha, this is your first time in Prototypes in a long while. We know what you used to be able to do. When you assess yourself against the quality of the other cars, where do you think you measure up, especially after getting this pole position?


 

MISHA GOIKHBERG: Well, it's no secret I got downgraded last year, so I'm enjoying the newly minted status of a bronze. Hopefully it will result in lots of wins and a championship. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Guys, congratulations. Best of luck tomorrow. Thank you. 


 

Now we're joined by our overall pole winner, Jack Aitken. Jack, congratulations. Obviously you look at the times there, there's not quite 3/10ths first to fourth. Top nine within a second. What did you have to do to get the pole here today? How competitive do you expect this field to be? 


 

JACK AITKEN: Very. From what we saw in practice, it was some really quick cars out there. We were up there. I think we were trying to find a little bit of something, especially as the conditions were cooling off. It's one of the coolest Sebrings that we've had for a few years. 


 

Just getting the tire to work with you is a bit of a job. We know that we're relatively strong in qualifying. Again, I have a fantastic car. The Whelen Cadillac was giving me a lot of confidence. It's a really tough lap around here, so I don't think anybody gets a perfect lap, but we were closest. 


 

It's a lot of fun. I enjoyed it a lot. We're going to keep doing our homework tonight and expect we're going to have some stiff competition tomorrow. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Questions. 


 

Q. A lot of GTP teams have been not concerned but cautious about the tires usage this weekend because there's 11 sets. Same number as last year. With the new tire and everything, does that cross your mind?


 

JACK AITKEN: Yeah, it's always a concern. The way the race runs, it kind of pushes you to a double stint early in the race when it's hot, which is pretty unpleasant. We've had to do it in previous years, and it's not been a major issue. It's been unpleasant for everybody, but you're all in the same boat. 


 

This year we are going into a bit of the unknown because nobody has pushed that much mileage on the tire in practice this weekend. We'll see. I'm sure it will be fine. The new Michelin has been a pretty nice little upgrade from the previous tire, fixed a few issues that we had. I wouldn't expect the degradation is going to be especially worse. Like I said, it's been one of the coolest Sebrings, so that's going to help us as well just to control the tire temps. 


 

Q. Have you guys or JOTA done any long runs on the new tire in testing before?


 

JACK AITKEN: We have. But not at Sebring. And Sebring is a pretty brittle track for that. Personally I'm expecting it to go in a similar vein to previous years, but we'll be prepared if it looks like it's going to go sideways late in the double stint. 


 

Q. How much more do you think you had in that?


 

JACK AITKEN: In a perfect world where I get tons of laps with the tire at its peak, there's probably another half second in there, realistically. Like I said, it's a really tough lap because of the bumps. The way you have to set the car up around here is going to be a bit on a knife-edge. Going through turn one, sunset, even today we got a big tailwind going through 15 and 16, it's really tough to keep the car on the track and four wheels going in the right direction. I think we saw a few spins from previous sessions. 


 

It's going to be the same up and down the grid. Everybody will have a similar story, I'm sure. 


 

Q. Daytona, a lot of y'all talk about qualifying doesn't seem to matter as much. Is it a different story here? Does qualifying matter more here?


 

JACK AITKEN: Maybe matters twice as much. 24 hours to a 12 hour (smiling). But still not a lot. 


 

No, I think it's going to be fairly inconsequential. It's lovely to be on pole. It's nice to show how the team is working, putting out a good car, to get the bragging rights on some points. 


 

At the end of the day, we started last in '25 because of an issue, and we were into the lead in less than two hours with the help of yellows and stuff. It's kind of neither here nor there. We saw a lot of cars further down the grid were very quick in night practice and over longer runs yesterday. Fully expect they're going to make their way through, as well. 


 

Q. At the end of Daytona, you were incredibly upset with how close you were. How do you put that behind you, turn the page?


 

JACK AITKEN: Luckily I was over it a week or two after (smiling). It always hurts immediately after 'cause you just get out the car, there's lots of ifs, woulds, maybes. 


 

I think realistically, looking back at the race with the benefit of hindsight, the winners did a fantastic job over the whole race and were fairly dominant. We did well to run them as close as we did. 


 

This a whole new weekend. I'm not really carrying any of that baggage or anything like that. 


 

Q. How confident are you in the pace when the Porsches were kind of showing their hand, being quickest in the practices leading up until today?


 

JACK AITKEN: I think, like I said earlier, we know that we're relatively strong in qualifying. It's been the trend over previous years. Even with the Evo upgrades and stuff we have working on the car now, I think it seems to be similar. One and a half pole positions this year. I'll say two (smiling). I've still got the trophy. 


 

Definitely we're aware of how strong some of the other cars are, like the ones you mentioned. They don't show any signs of dropping out of the fight. If anything, they tend to somehow get quicker as the weekend goes on. I'm not taking much stock from what we've just seen in qualifying. I believe they'll be right there from quite early in the race. 


 

We've got some homework to do still I think to find what we need to win this thing. That's all we can do, yeah. 


 

THE MODERATOR: Jack, congratulations. Thanks for coming in. Best of luck tomorrow. 


 

JACK AITKEN: Thank you.


 

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

 

Qualifying Results


 

Practice 3 Results

Practice 2 Results

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.

 

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
 

 

Stability, Longevity Have Defined Corvette’s Garcia, Milner at Sebring 

Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Leaves Sebring with P3, P4 Results


 

March 30, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – With the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring now complete, it’s worth looking at the list of drivers boasting the race’s most consecutive starts. One common denominator clearly emerges: Corvette Racing.


 

Jan Magnussen sits at the top with 21 consecutive starts at the most historic track in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, 16 of them with the Corvette program. Next up with 20 are Johnny O’Connell and Oliver Gavin, two more drivers with strong Corvette association. Gavin was in the commentary booth for NBC Sports’ broadcast of this year’s race after spending time on-site early in race week. 


 

This year, Antonio Garcia joined Sebring’s “20 Consecutive Starts” club (18 in a Corvette), with his Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports colleague Tommy Milner right in his wheel tracks. Milner’s first Sebring appearance came in 2006, five years before he joined forces with Corvette, and he would have matched Magnussen’s mark had he not missed the 2022 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours - instead notching a second-place finish for Corvette Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 1,000-mile race during the same Sebring “SuperSebring Weekend.” This year, therefore, merely marked Milner’s 20th Sebring 12 Hours overall, with 16 consecutive – still an impressive record. 


 

Garcia earned four class wins Sebring (2009 in his Corvette Racing debut, ’15, ’17, and ’22), while Milner added triumphs in 2013 and ’16. Sebring is one of only three tracks on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule where Corvette Racing has competed in every one of its 27 years, with 14 class wins the most it has achieved at any venue.


 

How has Corvette Racing amassed such a record of longevity and excellence? 

“It starts with making the right choices for drivers,” said Doug Fehan, the longtime program manager for General Motors and Corvette from 1999-2020. 


 

Fehan was on hand at Sebring this year as an ambassador for Mobil 1, which presented a patriotic red, white, and blue livery on the Nos. 3 and 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvettes competing in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class. Mobil 1 (via an ExxonMobil brand) has served as the title sponsor of the Sebring 12 Hours since 1995, and Sebring recently announced a contract extension. 


 

“If you pick the right drivers the first time, there’s no need for change,” Fehan added.


 

Garcia and Milner are ample proof of that. Garcia boasts no fewer than six class championships and 31 race wins in American sports car competition, the most recent coming in GTD PRO just last year with his current co-driver Alexander Sims. Milner’s record includes 21 victories and a pair of championships, including the 2016 IMSA Grand Touring Le Mans (GTLM) title.

And while both are in their 40s, neither shows any sign of slowing down. Milner, Nicky Catsburg, and Nico Varrone in the No. 4 headed Garcia, Sims, and Marvin Kirchhoefer in the No. 3 in a 3-4 finish for Corvette at Sebring, with Milner and the No. 4 holding down third place in the GTD PRO standings early in the 2026 campaign. 


 

Garcia, 45, was teamed full time with Magnussen from 2012-19 before being paired more recently with Jordan Taylor (2020-23) and Sims (2024-present). He’s won championships with all three, and expressed surprise when told he was on pace to tie Magnussen’s consecutive Sebring start record next year. 


 

“I did probably 12 or 13 Sebring races with him, and I think I won three with Jan,” Garcia reflected. “I learned a lot from him. Next year we’ll be tied, and hopefully I can make it one more than him!


 

“Twenty is just a number, but it’s definitely a good number,” he continued. “I’m glad that out of those 20 I was able to win a few – and lose quite a few others! But overall, I always have fun at Sebring. Every time coming to this race is special. It’s been a while since my first one, but I still learn something every year.”


 

With attention focused on Garcia’s consecutive Sebring start streak, Milner’s 20-start milestone received comparatively little fanfare.


 

“It’s crazy, I’d never really considered that I’ve spent half my life here racing cars at Sebring,” said Milner, who only hit the 40-year-old mark in January. “But obviously, that makes me happy. I’ve always said I drive race cars to avoid a real job, so I’m very fortunate to be in this position still racing at the top level of sports car racing here in IMSA with Corvette.


 

“Not that I’m at the end of my career - certainly at the latter little bit of it - I have a greater appreciation for these milestone moments to reflect on my career a little bit,” he added. “I hope to make some more good memories, obviously, but just cool to be a part of IMSA and sports car racing for as long as I have, and to see it grow like it has recently, is good to see. The car counts are up and the enthusiasm from the fans is incredible.”


 

With rare exception like at Sebring, Corvette Racing’s entries were always associated with a yellow livery. The car underneath the paint or wrap has advanced through four generations of production Corvette (from C5 to C8), but the driver lineup has undergone little turnover. 


 

Garcia is in his 18th year with Corvette Racing, Milner’s 16 years match Magnussen’s tally, while Oliver Gavin tops them all with 19 (2002-20). Ron Fellows (1999-2007) and Johnny O’Connell (2001-10) were also key program anchors for Corvette.


 

“That tells you about the continuity of this team,” observed Garcia. “I think about loyalty and how much we grew up together – not only as drivers, but by whatever we could put in to make the team stronger – it definitely made a difference. It wasn’t only me; Tommy has been with us almost the same amount of time. 


 

“I’m sure we brought to the team a lot of experience. With new guys that came in or with others before us, I just think we kept going and made Corvette Racing bigger and bigger and better and better.”


 

Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports has a bit of a break before its next race, with GTD PRO off until WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, May 1-3. That said, Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs are expected to be in action from customer teams 13 Autosport, DXDT Racing and DragonSpeed in GTD at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 17-18.

 

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