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International Motor Sports Association    Lamborghini Super Trofeo series

International Motor Sports Association 

super trofeo series

 

www.imsa.com

 

About the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)

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

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
 

 

Prototype Stars Eager for Sebring Battles Ahead

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


 

March 12, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

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


 

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


 

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


 

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

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

Passion, Fierce Competition Defines LMP2 Battle


 

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


 

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

 

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


 

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


 

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

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


 

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


 

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

 

 

Finalists Named for 2027-28 IMSA 3D Scholarship

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

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


 

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


 

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

 

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


 

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

MADDIE AUST, 21

Fort Worth, Texas


 

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

GIAN BUFFOMANTE, 17

Naperville, Illinois


 

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

ANDRE CASTRO,* 27

New York, New York


 

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

CHLOE CHAMBERS, 21

Inverness, Illinois 


 

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

SABRE COOK,* 31

Carmel, Indiana

 

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

JULIAN DACOSTA*, 18

Myakka City, Florida


 

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

ISMAEEL ELLAHI, 19

Mountain Lakes, New Jersey


 

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

HANNAH GRISHAM, 26

Scottsdale, Arizona


 

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

NICOLE HAVRDA, 20

Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada


 

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

THOMAS PASQUARELLA, 19

Boca Raton, Florida


 

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

MAX SCHWEID, 19

Boca Raton, Florida 


 

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

CAITLYN SINGLER, 21

Paradise, California


 

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

SAMANTHA TAN, 28

Stouffville, Ontario, Canada


 

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

KEAWN TANDON, 23

Thousand Oaks, California


 

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

WESTIN WORKMAN*, 21

Charlotte, North Carolina


 

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

 

 

 

Porsche Motorsport Not Slowing Down After 75 Years

Diamond Anniversary Celebration Kicks Off with Rolex 24 Win



March 9, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

First Impressions

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

Greatest Hits


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

People Power

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

Back to the Future

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


 

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


 

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

 

 

Manthey Impresses in Initial, Wider IMSA Foray

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



March 4, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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

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


 

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


 

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


 

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

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

Raeder/Manthey and Safety Car Photos Courtesy of Manthey

 

IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge Premieres at Sebring for

LMP3 Competitors

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


 

March 3, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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


 

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

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