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International Motor Sports Association 

 

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.

Rebel Rock Aston Martin Powers to Daytona Michelin Pilot Challenge Win

The Four-Hour Form for Herta Hyundai Continues in TCR


 

January 23, 2026

By John Oreovicz and Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Race Results


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A winless 2025 season in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge did not sit well with Robin Liddell and Frank DePew.


 

In fact, the streak stretched nearly two years, since March 2024 at Sebring International Raceway. But Liddell and DePew, assisted by Andrew Davis, righted that wrong Friday at Daytona International Speedway by taking the Grand Sport (GS) class and overall victory in the BMW M Endurance Challenge to open the 2026 campaign.


 

Liddell took the No. 71 Rebel Rock Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo across the line ahead of the similar No. 14 Aston Martin fielded by Circle H Racing and driven by David Hampton, Thomas Merrill, and Martin Sarukhanyan by 2.691 seconds, with Bryce Ward and Daan Arrow trailing by 23.365 seconds in third in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4.


 

With 18 GS wins, Liddell ranks fifth all time in Michelin Pilot Challenge competition, while DePew has partnered the 52-year-old Scotsman for nine of those victories. Surprisingly, this marked Liddell’s first Daytona win in Michelin Pilot Challenge, beating his best result of second in 2015, a season where he and Davis won the GS championship. He is a past Rolex 24 class winner in GT in 2004, finishing second overall. 


 

This one came from deep in the 35-car field – the Rebel Rock Aston started 22nd and dropped to 33rd place on the opening lap – and was sparked by the decision to take four tires in the last pit stop rather than trying to save time by mounting just two. 


 

Liddell passed Merrill for the lead with 17 minutes remaining in the first of two four-hour events on the 10-race Michelin Pilot Challenge slate and pulled away to the finish. Meanwhile, Arrow rallied the No. 57 Mercedes-AMG to a podium finish as the Motul Pole Award-winning No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing Ford Mustang GT4 of Nate Cicero and Robert Noaker faded to sixth place in the closing laps.


 

“Happy days! Daytona has been not the best event for us over the years,” Liddell reflected. “I was very fortunate to win on the first time I was here in the Rolex 24. I thought I had it easy. Now it’s 22 years later and I think it’s the first win I’ve had here since that one.


 

“The Aston was phenomenal and the guys did a super job,” he continued. “Frank had a couple issues on the opening lap but gathered it together to gain some positions and hand it over to Andrew, who did a hell of a job. Everybody just did their thing. We’ve got a great team, and I think today showed that we can execute everything well when we had to.”


 

Liddell paid tribute to the decision to take four tires when the No. 71 car made its final pit stop one lap after the No. 14 car stopped and only took two.


 

“I’ve worked with Mike Johnson, who is the strategist on that (No. 14) car for a number of years, and I think they went for the undercut,” Liddell observed. “It was a quick stop, but we took enough fuel because I don’t like gambling on a yellow that might never come. We’ve got a kick-ass set of guys on the wheels and our guys bust our tire changes very quickly, so it was a no-brainer for us to take on four tires. 


 

“It took a long time to run him down, but obviously, eventually we got some breaks here and there in traffic,” he smiled. “He finally made a wee mistake into Turn 1, and I was able to sneak up the inside.” 


 

“It’s amazing,” DePew added. “We’ve had some really bad luck at Daytona in the past, and I can’t believe that we came here and won this race like this. It was a straight-up race; there was no crazy strategy, it was just good driving, good strategy, and we executed amazingly.”

 

TCR: Dupont, Brown Continue Four-Hour Form with Herta Hyundai

Cupra started fast. Honda looked fresh. Hyundai finished first.


 

Three of the four Touring Car (TCR) manufacturers factored in Friday’s four-hour BMW M Endurance Challenge at various points. But once again, the champions from Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian and its fleet of Hyundai Elantra N TCRs prevailed and did so in nearly as dramatic fashion as in 2025.


 

Denis Dupont and Preston Brown have gone back-to-back at Daytona, sharing the No. 76 Herta Hyundai, continuing their run of top form in four-hour races. They won at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2024 and Daytona in 2025, while coming second at Mid-Ohio in 2025. They only have one two-hour race win, at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2025.


 

The first three hours saw a high volume of yellow-flag running, and the race really came into its own in the last 90 minutes – or the majority of a standard-length two-hour Michelin Pilot Challenge race.


 

The polesitting Cupra and its counterparts fell by the wayside early with a myriad of penalties and incidents in the opening stanza, leaving their pace without a result for the day.


 

It appeared as though Mario Farnbacher would capitalize in a stand-in role at Pegram Racing, in the No. 72 Honda Civic FL5 TCR he shared with Riley Pegram. The younger Pegram, daughter of Larry, raced with Farnbacher this race as he stood in for the recuperating Larry. 


 

Farnbacher held off Bryson Morris in the No. 33 Herta Hyundai, before its final scheduled pit stop where it all came awry. The No. 72 car was assessed a drive-through penalty for tires without crew and then went off course at Turn 6 after the penalty was assessed after a right front tire went down. 


 

While Morris moved into the lead, Dupont then got ahead of Morris with 16 minutes to go. Exiting Turn 3, Dupont got a stronger run to Morris’ outside, attempted the pass into the kink and completed it at Turn 5. The ensuing momentum coupled with Morris’ slightly slower exit opened the door for Cameron Lawrence to capitalize at the next corner, going around the outside of the Morris on NASCAR 1 and 2 to go into second.


 

Dupont reflected on the move, a year after he’d also beat the same No.  33 Herta Hyundai in a photo finish to secure Herta’s first team win at Daytona. This was a much larger margin of victory though; Dupont beat Morris by 0.408 of a second today, after winning over Morris’ then-teammate Mark Wilkins by 0.067 of a second last year. 


 

“It’s great to do it twice in a row, pretty unique,” Dupont said. “It was pretty clean with Bryson. I think we fought for more than two hours. He was amazing to battle.” 


 

Brown described his view from the pit stand, as the sole co-driver with Dupont this race. Herta’s other three Hyundai entries all took advantage of the four-hour race to add a third driver. 


 

“I was focusing pretty hard because it’s great TCR racing,” Brown said. “The first three cars were nose-to-tail forever! It shows how well IMSA is doing with this series. Denis was biding his time. Two years ago we ran a third, and we finished second, and it was fine. I think it’s more that Denis and I are clicking, and we didn’t want to put anything new in the equation.” 


 

Lawrence, a past Rolex 24 class winner (2015 in Grand Touring Daytona) shared his second place No. 89 HART Honda Civic FL5 TCR with Chad Gilsinger and Tyler Chambers. An emotional and jubilant Lawrence celebrated with his family in victory lane moments after making the pass for second.


 

“That was a lot of fun!” Lawrence said. “We had some rough luck at the start, and not a great setup. We’d gotten a meatball flag and lost a lap. Then you just go and drive and hope it goes your way. That’s the kind of race you dream of; a ton of fun.” 


 

Gilsinger, a Michelin Pilot Challenge veteran and race winner, noted how the similar veteran HART team enjoyed a return to form after a run of tough races in their part-time schedule. The podium is HART’s first at Daytona since winning in ST in 2006, 20 years ago.


 

“I think I paced up and down pit lane at least 20 times,” Gilsinger laughed. “I was just saying when I got out, the luck had not been with us. We’d had suspension loose, gearbox leak. I knew we had the drivers and crew, and Cameron overcame the luck today!” 


 

Morris finished third in the No. 33 Hyundai he shared with full-season co-driver Mason Filippi, who’s set to run the Rolex 24 At Daytona tomorrow in the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R in Grand Touring Daytona (GTD), and series debutante Joshua Buchan of Australia.


 

The Michelin Pilot Challenge season resumes with the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 from Sebring International Raceway on March 20. 

 

 

Corvette Racing Aims for Fifth Rolex 24 Win from GTD PRO Pole

Sims Paces GTD PRO; Robichon Delivers Aston Martin’s First Daytona Pole in More than a Decade



January 22, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Updated results will be distributed as soon as they are available at results.imsa.com.


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A Corvette Z06 GT3.R earned a class victory at the 2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona. But it wasn’t fielded by the factory supported Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports team.


 

On Thursday, Alexander Sims took the first step toward winning this year’s twice-around-the clock classic at Daytona International Speedway by driving Pratt Miller’s familiar yellow No. 3 Corvette to the Motul Pole Award for the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class. 


 

Sims turned in the pole-winning lap with a little under four minutes remaining in the 15-minute GTD PRO qualifying session. It was a businesslike performance that demonstrated the flagship Corvette team’s level of preparation for the opening round of the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.


 

His time of 1 minute, 45.106 seconds (121.934 miles per hour) was well off the GTD PRO class record of 1:44.382 set by Seb Priaulx in 2024 as the 3.56-mile Daytona road course was graced with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s. Warm conditions are expected to continue into the weekend. 


 

Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports has earned four GT class wins at Daytona (2001, ’15, ’16, and ’21), including an overall triumph 25 years ago in 2001. Last year, a Corvette prepared by the team now known as 13 Autosport (formerly AWA) took the GTD class honors.


 

Five Corvettes are entered in this year’s Rolex 24, with the two Pratt Miller cars in the GTD PRO class joined by single 13 Autosport, DXDT Racing and DragonSpeed entries in Grand Touring Daytona (GTD). The five cars collectively completed 3,738 miles of testing in IMSA’s annual ‘Roar Before the 24’ at Daytona from January 16-18, with plenty of attention paid to the characteristics of Michelin’s new-for-2026 tires. 


 

Sims and his co-driver Antonio Garcia are the defending GTD PRO class champions for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports, which has won 15 manufacturer’s championships in American sports car competition since 2001. 


 

“The Michelins seem to be working pretty well at the moment,” Sims said after notching his third pole position in IMSA competition, and first since Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2024. He also won one of the Motul Pole Award 100 qualifying races at Daytona in 2021, which set the field. “There are small nuances between this year’s and last year’s tire. We’ve had cold conditions in the test and now warmer conditions today, and they’re behaving themselves nicely. It’s feeling good out there. Inevitably, you’ve got to adapt to the situation and the grip you have available.


 

“It’s just wonderful to do a low-fuel run here at Daytona on new tires,” he added. “The car just comes alive compared to the state that you drive in during practice where you’re focusing on race prep. The car is working well, and hopefully we can carry that into the race.”


 

Dean MacDonald placed the No. 59 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO third on the GTD PRO grid in a promising start for RLL Team McLaren in the first race for the team/manufacturer affiliation, and will advance to second on the grid.


 

The No. 1 car which had unofficially qualified second was found to have camber in excess of the permitted limit. That car's qualifying lap times are invalidated and the car is moved to the back of the category.


 

“Everything has been going well, and Dean is very fast in the car,” said Max Esterson, who along with Nikita Johnson and Juri Vips rounds out the No. 59 car’s lineup.


 

GTD: Robichon Tops Field for Aston Martin

Aston Martin introduced series of updates for the Vantage in 2025. With a year of development under the car’s wheels, it was the fastest GTD class qualifier for the 2026 Rolex 24 as Zacharie Robichon seized the Motul Pole Award in the Heart of Racing Team’s No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo with a lap timed at 1 minute, 45.113 seconds (121.926 miles per hour). It’s the first Aston Martin pole at Daytona since 2015. 


 

Robichon set the benchmark just past the halfway point of the 15-minute GTD qualifying period and watched the warming conditions prevent any of the other 21 entries from challenging his time. It was the sixth time the 33-year-old Canadian has earned a Motul Pole Award in IMSA competition and the second at Daytona (2020 with Pfaff Motorsports). He was also part of Wright Motorsports’ GTD class race-winning effort in 2022.


 

The top ten qualifiers were covered by 0.884 seconds and included six manufacturers (Aston Martin, Mercedes-AMG, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Porsche). 


 

“It feels really tight and the pole could have gone to any number of cars,” Robichon said. “I think we had really good timing and had a gap with plenty of open track. As is often the case here at Daytona, that’s pretty situational – getting a good clean lap.


 

“Ultimately, it’s a great place to start a 24-hour race,” he added. “But as we know, not necessarily the deciding factor. I’ve gotten the pole and won here before, but never in the same year. So, I’m looking to make those endings match.”


 

Philip Ellis, the 2025 GTD class champion with Russell Ward, qualified second in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 that they will share with Indy Dontje and Lucas Auer at 1:45.187 (121.840 mph). Robby Foley (co-drivers Patrick Gallagher, Jens Klingmann, and Francis Selldorff) did a nice job to recover from a punctured tire early in the session to post a late lap good enough for third place in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO (1:45.265/121.750 mph), while Charlie Eastwood rounded out a strong day for Corvette by running fourth in DXDT Racing’s No. 36 Z06 GT3.R he shares with Salih Yoluc, Mason Filippi and IndyCar star Scott McLaughlin.


 

The 64th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona starts at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 24. Flag-to-flag coverage will be streamed domestically on Peacock and available internationally via IMSA.TV or the official IMSA YouTube channel. American viewers can catch the start and the final two hours on NBC television.



Saturday’s 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona goes green at 1:40 p.m. ET. Live coverage starts on network NBC at 1:30 p.m. ET, with full flag-to-flag streaming on Peacock, IMSA.TV and IMSA’s Official YouTube channel internationally. 
 

Practice Results | WeatherTech Championship

Rolex 24 At Daytona

Daytona International Speedway - Thursday, January 22, 2026

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.

 

Rolex 24 At Daytona - Pole Winners

Press Conference Transcript

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2026) – Interviews with pole-winning drivers for the Rolex 24 At Daytona - Zacharie Robichon, Alexander Sims, Jeremy Clarke and Jack Aitken.


 

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everybody. We'll start with our GTD pole winner to your left, Zacharie Robichon, driver of the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo. His best time was 1:45.113 seconds. This was his sixth career IMSA pole, second pole here at Daytona. Also started from the pole in GTD class in 2020. His last pole came at Watkins Glen in June of last year.

The first to second place is covered by just .074 seconds. Top 10 covered by .884 seconds. Six different manufacturers in the top 10 in GTD. Zach's co-drivers are Tom Gamble, Dudu Barrichello, and Mattia Drudi, and Zach is the 2022 GTD class winner here at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Zach, congratulations on the pole. Obviously a huge field and pretty close margin there. What made the difference today?


 

ZACHARIE ROBICHON: Yeah, I think to your point, it feels really tight. I think it could have gone to any number of cars. I think I got really good timing. We found a good gap on the track, and as is often the case here in Daytona, it's kind of situational on getting that pole position, getting a good clean lap, especially on the banking if you can get a little bit of a draft it helps.

Ultimately a great place to start a 24-hour race, but as we know, not necessarily a deciding factor.


 

THE MODERATOR: We'll slide over to the center, and our GTD Pro Motul Pole Award winner, Alexander Sims in the No. 3 Corvette Racing Corvette CO6 GT3R. Alex's best time was 1:45.106 seconds. This is his third career IMSA pole. His last pole came at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in the GTD Pro Class in July of 2024.

This is his second pole here at Daytona. They won the 2021 GTLM qualifying race here. His co-drivers are Antonio Garcia and Marvin Kirchhofer. Alex is the 2024 WeatherTech GTD Pro champion alongside his co-driver Garcia. Looking for his first victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. His best results here previously were GTLM in 2021 and GTD Pro last year, second place finishes.

Alex, congratulations on your pole position. Seems like the Corvette was pretty fast there today certainly from our perspective. Tell us about it.


 

ALEXANDER SIMS: Yeah, Corvette was working really nicely in the qualifying session. It's quite a privilege, honestly, to be able to drive here on low fuel and the car just comes alive compared to most of the state that you drive in during practice where you're focusing on race prep.

So yeah, it was just nice conditions, able to get a nice gap, just focus on my own driving for a few laps, and yeah, hook it all together.

As I say, Corvette is working well, and hopefully we can carry that through to the race.


 

THE MODERATOR: We'll slide over to our LMP2 pole winner, Jeremy Clarke in the No. 43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA LMP2 07. Jeremy's best lap was 1:39.952 seconds. This is his second career IMSA pole, also his second consecutive IMSA pole. He qualified on pole for Motul Petit Le Mans to close out the 2025 season last October.

This is his first Rolex 24 at Daytona appearance. He is co-driving with Tom Dillman, Bijoy Garg, and Antonio Felix da Costa. His pole was just .008 seconds over PJ Hyett, top 6 in LMP2 covered by .882 seconds.

Jeremy, congratulations. Another close field, close margin. What made the difference in qualifying for you today, and what does that mean for the race this weekend?


 

JEREMY CLARKE: Yeah, I think we spent most of the roar kind of dialing in the car and honestly the temperatures have changed a lot since then. We worked pretty hard to try and figure out where the car window was going to be for this qualifying, and I think the team did a great job of getting the car where we needed it to be able to put down that lap.

As you said, the field is extremely tight. PJ was right there. Really, this track is so technical in some places but yet just takes a lot of courage through some of the fast corners, so it was all about kind of putting in the lap that you really needed to.


 

Q. It looked like the wind started to play a little bit bigger of a factor in that LMP2 session. Talk about that a little bit going into Turn 1.


 

JEREMY CLARKE: Yeah, into Turn 1 I had a couple little slides. It was tough to kind of get the right feeling. It felt like the wind kicked in right as the kind of apex crossed over and you'd lose the rear. You just had to really be patient and pay attention to what was happening, but definitely the wind, it felt like every lap it was doing something a little bit different, so it wasn't -- it just wasn't consistent.


 

Q. Alex, last year a Corvette took a class win here, but it was the 13 car as opposed to one of the Pratt Miller cars. Is there a sense of trying to restore honor for the victory team this year?


 

ALEXANDER SIMS: Well, I don't think it was lack of honor. To be honest we finished second right behind the Ford. We had a decent race last year, as well. It was great to see the AWAA car get the class win last year.

But yeah, our focus is pretty much on our program and what we're doing this year, trying to optimize everything we've got. Seems like the car is in a decent spot right now, but yeah, qualifying race versus race pace is a bit of a different story, so quite quickly our focus goes back on to high fuel runs and trying to get the car dialed in for that.


 

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by our GTP and overall Motul Pole Award winner here at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R, Jack Aitken. Jack's best lap was 1:33.939 seconds. This is his third career IMSA pole position, first at Daytona International Speedway. His last pole came in September 2024 at Indianapolis.

Cadillac's last Rolex 24 at Daytona pole was in 2024 with Pipo Derani in the No. 31. Top 9 in GTP were separated by .953 seconds. Jack's co-drivers are Earl Bamber, Frederik Vesti, and Connor Zilisch.

Jack, congratulations on the pole. It looks like as I mentioned there from front to back a pretty close gap. What do you expect as you look ahead to the race, and what did you have to do to score the pole here today?


 

JACK AITKEN: Yeah, as always with a qually here it's a little bit going into the unknown because there's not a big focus on qualifying through the practice sessions, and we're very tight on our tire allocation and time on track frankly, so we don't tend to want to spend it on qually sims.

I know some guys did this morning, so we took what we could from those runs to learn as much as we could about this new tire and then just rolled the dice a little bit.

It's a lot of fun because you go into the unknown and you have to judge it lap by lap quite a lot. And the car was a bit loose, which made it a bit scary at times, but clearly it's fast. Yeah, the Whelen Cadillac guys did a really good job to sort out a great car for me. So yeah, it was a lot of fun.


 

Q. How confident were you? At one point Renger obviously took pole from you. You had it first, then he took it. How confident were you that you were going to be able to come back and get that, and were you surprised there wasn't a little bit more at the very end of the session, that it wasn't challenged even more so?


 

JACK AITKEN: I could see Renger in front of me actually so it was a good gauge. When we finished the first laps, like flying laps, I could see it going away from me so I was like, that's not good.

Sort of got going after that and put a couple of good laps in even if they were scrappy, and I thought that's as good as I can do. I peeled off into the pits because these tires do have a peak and then a drop, so I was just hoping nobody had done anything really weird and gone out super late or anything because if you're just pounding around you're not going to improve.

But yeah, there was still nervous moments waiting in pit lane. It's a big moment to get your first pole here, so...


 

Q. This was the first qualifying with the new tire from Michelin. How was your experience with this one?


 

JACK AITKEN: It was -- there wasn't anything standout. I think most of the improvements and changes are something that you'll see more in the race with cold tire performance and the long stint performance has changed a fair bit.

But for qualifying over one lap, it peaks pretty hard just like it used to. Lap 4 or so is kind of when you get that peak grip and you've got a couple laps to do it, and if you don't, then it does drop away quite sharply.

It's still a good tire in that sense, but not a lot of changes from last year I would say.


 

Q. Jack, you mentioned the focus on race running. Kind of talk about your confidence level on long runs, particularly I know you haven't had a lot of representative running yet but stuff like double and triple stints. What do you think that's going to look like?


 

JACK AITKEN: I think, yeah, we're pretty confident with what we can do in terms of the medium and double stinting because I think that's -- even though the temperatures are getting a bit higher over the weekend, it'll be fun. It's a little bit ugly, but you can get it done.

The soft tire is also not looking bad, I would say. We haven't gone outright for a long run stint equivalent during practice because again, we just don't have the time, so it's lots of short runs, and they never quite behave the same as one big stint.

Looking at what others are doing, everyone was in the same boat a little bit. I think we're in decent shape, but it's very, very hard to tell, as always, at this point in the weekend. You'll get your answers, I think, a few hours into the race.


 

Q. Jack, a lot was made about this new "One Cadillac" mantra. What might that look like in the early stages of Saturday and Sunday's race?


 

JACK AITKEN: I don't think there's going to be any changes. It worked well last year, so it's good that we've got more than one Caddy towards the front, and they have been strong all week. The Wayne Taylor cars, as well.

I think the approach will be the same. We'll help each other out where we can and try not to make life too difficult if there's stuff that we can do to help each other in terms of strategy, we'll always look at that, as well, and it's just keeping the communication open.

I doubt there will be a fixed plan. It's always hard to do that with racing. But yeah.



FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

 

 

Porsche, Porsche, Porsche! Hear Them Roar

German Marque Completes Dominant Test Weekend Ahead of 64th Rolex 24


 

January 18, 2026

By John Oreovicz and Holly Cain

IMSA Wire Service

Practice 6 Results

Practice 7 Results


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The form guide for the 64th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona International Speedway isn’t too much clearer after three days of Roar Before the Rolex 24 testing than it was prior to the start.


 

Still, there was no denying Porsche’s consistent presence at the front of the overall and Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class field during each of the test days to start the new 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.  


 

Porsche cars and drivers paced four of the first six sessions at the Roar, running 1-2-3 in two sessions and 1-2 in another. And it’s not just the upgraded-for-2026 factory No. 6 and No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport entries that are showing speed. 


 

The No. 85 Porsche 963 fielded by JDC-Miller MotorSports, running in 2025 specification, ranked in the top two three times this weekend. Rising 21-year-old star Nico Pino was fastest overall Sunday morning in Session 6, lapping the 3.56-mile Daytona road course in 1 minute 37.099 seconds for an average speed of 131.989 mph in the yellow JDC-Miller GTP. A final test session open only to Bronze-rated drivers in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) classes was set for the afternoon.


 

The JDC-Miller driver lineup is the youngest in the 11-car GTP field, with Pino joined for the full season by 21-year-old Tijmen van der Helm and 23-year-old American Kaylen Frederick for Daytona and the other IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds.


 

“Nico does an exceptional job and has some experience in the factory cars, which helps us get an opinion as to where we are,” said JDC-Miller MotorSports team principal John Church. “He helps with development and sets a good benchmark, so that’s been really positive.”


 

Porsche ran 1-2-3 in GTP on Sunday morning, with the factory cars driven by Kevin Estre (No. 6) and Felipe Nasr (No. 7) placing second and third. They were followed by the No. 10 and No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.Rs (driven respectively by brothers Ricky Taylor and Jordan Taylor) and both BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8s (piloted by Kevin Magnussen and Rene Rast). The top seven GTP entries were covered by just 0.474 seconds.


 

Ben Hanley again led the LMP2 class in Session 6 in the No. 2 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07, lapping in 1:40.101 (128.030 mph). The No. 2 car paced LMP2 in four of the first six Roar sessions, three while in the hands of Hanley.


 

In Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), the No. 75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3 led the class for a fourth time, this one in the hands of team owner Kenny Habul at 1:47.530 (119.185 mph), the best lap turned by any GTD PRO car yet this weekend. The No. 75 is serving as an unofficial Australian All-Star car, with Habul joined by reigning Supercars champion Chaz Mostert and two-time IndyCar champion Will Power, who is making his WeatherTech Championship debut. Mercedes-AMG factory driver Maro Engel rounds out the No. 75 lineup.


 

Ford factory driver Joey Hand was slightly quicker than Habul in Gradient Racing’s GTD class No. 66 Ford Mustang GT3 at 1:47.421 (119.306 mph). The Mustang was the dominant GTD car over the weekend, with the No. 66 Gradient and No. 16 Myers Riley Motorsports entries leading five of the six sessions.


 

Leaders in the Sunday afternoon session for Bronze drivers were PJ Hyett (No. 99 AO Racing ORECA) in LMP2 and Brendan Iribe (No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO) in GTD.


 

Unannounced Livestream of Roar Session Draws Lots of Eyeballs

Saturday night’s Roar session once again proved a big draw with fans, those at track and those watching from home. IMSA streamed the two-hour practice live on its YouTube channel – including commentary but no graphics – and earned more than 105,000 live views, who shared more than 11,000 chat messages during the session. Since conclusion, the video has attracted more than 75,000 additional views.


 

IMSA President John Doonan was pleased with the response, particularly since the livestream happened spontaneously with no pre-promotion. It was even tagged "Surprise, you asked, here you go" on IMSA’s Official YouTube channel.


 

"It was really special,” Doonan said. "A bit of a surprise and a delight.”


 

2012 Rolex 24 Winner, NASCAR Star Allmendinger Happy to Be Back on Grid


 

It’s been five years since 2012 Rolex 24 At Daytona overall winner A.J. Allmendinger last competed in the marquee season opener, but the NASCAR Cup Series regular is excited to be back on the star-filled grid this year. He’s paired with Tom Blomqvist, Colin Braun and Scott Dixon in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 in the GTP class.

Allmendinger, who’ll make his 16th Rolex 24 start on January 24, conceded with a grin, “it’s been a lot of work” getting up to speed with the new prototype. A longtime friend with Rolex 24 car team co-owner Michael Shank, the IndyCar and NASCAR race winner doesn’t just compete to fill his impressive resume, he wants to help his team earn a new Rolex watch.


 

Allmendinger conceded he had to be nudged – just a bit – to rejoin the team for the 24-hour race.

 

“In a way, he had to talk me into it,’’ Allmendinger said of Shank. “More than anything, the last thing I want to do in life is let that guy down.

 

“I knew this car was very sophisticated even compared to five years ago, the last time I drove DPi. It’s been a lot of work and the team has been amazing working with me and kind of bringing me up to speed as quick as they could. I put a lot of effort into studying everything.”

 

The opportunity was particularly attractive considering Allmendinger was going to be paired with a decorated A-list of co-drivers.

 

“These guys are world-class,” he said. “And part of the stress-slash-fun is being up to speed to be with them. I don’t expect to be the fastest one out of all of them, but I do expect to be fast enough to do my job and my portion of the race and hand the car off to the guys with a shot to win.

 

“And at the end of the day, I think it’s shown me how much I missed being around the group, the camaraderie. You have teammates in NASCAR, but you’re not sharing the car. So that’s been a lot of fun.”

Tunjo, Workman Double Up at Daytona in Wet, Wild VP Racing Challenge Sunday Race

Both Drivers Overcome Adversity in Challenging Conditions


 

January 18, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Race Results


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Though Oscar Tunjo (Le Mans Prototype 3, P3) and Westin Workman (Grand Sport X, GSX) doubled up their wins in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge 2026 season opener, their second races of the weekend were anything but a sunny Sunday drive.


 

Both drivers overcame adversity and adverse conditions to score back-to-back wins to open their accounts in pursuit of the season championships.


 

With rain coming in right before the race Sunday at Daytona International Speedway – coincidentally, as it did last year in race two at Daytona – IMSA officials declared a wet start for all competitors to shift to wet-weather Michelin tires. 


 

Tunjo, driving the No. 1 Gebhardt Motorsport USA Inc. Duqueine D08, started on pole and led the opening eight laps, but the middle of the 45-minute race saw a round robin of leaders. First Tunjo’s teammate Danny Soufi in the No. 11 PINAXIS-ZONE 4 Racing Duqueine and then Brady Golan in the No. 30 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P325 took turns in the lead.


 

Golan, however, drifted off course on Lap 18 on a damp patch and into the wet grass at the Turn 4 kink, proceeding to hit the tire barrier in Turn 5. Following a lengthy yellow to remove debris, there was enough time to get in a one-lap dash around the 3.56-mile road course with a green-and-white-flag finish.


 

Tunjo was able to streak away by 5.089 seconds over Brian Thienes, the P3 Bronze Cup winner in the No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320, and Golan’s teammate Lincoln Day in the No. 95 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P325. Both Thienes and Day benefited from Golan and Soufi’s delays. 


 

“That was a pretty tricky race, I have to say one of the hardest of my career,” Tunjo said. “When I went out, it didn't look like it was that wet, but also for me it was a bit tricky because I was the leading car, so I didn't have a sense of where to brake and how to make everything. 


 

“I got some help from Valentino (Catalano, 2025 P3 champion and Tunjo’s 2025 teammate) from last year. And yeah, we changed the lead a few times. I went off a few times also, so it was not an easy situation, but very happy to come back. 


 

“I had some small issues with the car at the end of the race and bringing it into the flag was the main focus at the end with the win. I feel sorry for Golan and I hope he's OK, but happy to get the second win in a row and do it here in Daytona.” 

 

Workman Goes from First-to-Last-to-First

Workman’s second win of the weekend in GSX, driving the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, was even more eventful.


 

The polesitter pitted before the green flag to fix an air jack and then stopped on the backstraight after resuming from the pits to re-cycle the power steering. Either way, he would have to start at the back of the 12-car GSX and 22-car overall field. 


 

In just three laps, Workman had already climbed to fourth and by Lap 8, he made it past Justin Di Benedetto (No. 4 Di Benedetto Racing Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS) for the lead.


 

Both drivers had a healthy, clean battle following Workman’s comeback and Di Benedetto held on to be close enough to get the lead back. He was unable to do so after the one-lap dash and ended 1.142 seconds behind Workman. Sean Quinlan captured the GSX Bronze Cup win and finished third among all GSX entries in his No. 19 Stephen Cameron Racing Ford Mustang GT4.


 

“Even with all the issues, I regained confidence that we could still win the race,” Workman said. “The car is really good in the wet. Once I got to the lead, I pulled out a little gap. Then at the end there was a one-lap shootout, which was very fun. I kind of studied the driver behind me a little bit, and I knew if I drove it in a little deep in Turn 5, he would follow me and he would go in even deeper. He made a mistake and I was able to pull out a gap and win the race.”


 

Workman said he had only one tough pass among the 11 back to the front.


 

“I had one that was difficult because I knew the outside was a little bit faster, so I would catch some people off guard with that,” he explained. “There was one time I was trying to pass one of the BMWs. They didn't see me come around the outside and shoved me off a little bit but I regained it.”


 

Of the battle with Workman, Di Benedetto added: “Racing with Westin is awesome. Like, just pure clean racing, tricky conditions, and I think he gave us the absolute utmost respect.”


 

The next sprint weekend round of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge will be held at Circuit of The Americas, Feb. 27-28. A week later, P3 competitors will continue for their first IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge weekend at Sebring International Raceway, March 6-8, running alongside BMW M2 competitors. 

 

 

 

Michelin Pilot Challenge Roar Before the Rolex 24 Weekend Notebook

Burkhard Fastest, New Ford Customers, Next Generation Bell and More


 

January 18, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Combined Results (Sessions 1-4)

Session 5 Results


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Early session leaders in Friday’s first two sessions for IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge teams wound up being the fastest in the five-session weekend as part of the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test.


 

Morgan Burkhard, sharing the No. 2 CSM Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS with Gordon Scully and team newcomer Madeline Stewart, wound up with the weekend’s fastest time in Grand Sport (GS) in Friday’s first session. Burkhard lapped the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course in 1 minute, 52.800 seconds (113.617 mph).


 

"I'm super happy to start the season this way," Burkhard said. "We have put a ton of effort into this program over the off season and it's awesome to see it paying off. I'm excited to carry this momentum and the lessons learned into 2026 proper. This group of people is incredible to work with, I can't wait to see what we accomplish."


 

In Touring Car (TCR), Rocco Pasquarella topped the charts in the No. 5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Honda Civic FL5 TCR in session two. Pasquarella posted a best time of 1 minute, 57.565 seconds (109.012 mph). 


 

Some of the other weekend notes are below: 


 

TGM Busy Preparing New Ford

Asked for his initial reaction of his new Ford Mustang GT4, Team TGM’s Matt Plumb responded simply by laughing, “America.” 


 

In all seriousness, the driver of the No. 46 Team TGM Ford with Paul Holton was keen to highlight Ford Racing’s involvement supporting the all-American effort of all five of its drivers and the Ted Giovanis-led team.


 

Plumb, who’s tied with fellow Ford driver Billy Johnson (No. 59 KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4) for the most all-time wins in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge history with 24, noted how busy the offseason has been. Since acquiring these chassis, the team has tested at Daytona International Speedway, Sebring International Raceway and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta while also having time in Ford Racing’s simulator.


 

“They take care of their customers,” Plumb noted. “It’s been a great start with Ford for sure.” 


 

Giovanis and Hugh Plumb won last year’s GS Bronze Cup and will share their No. 64 Mustang GT4 with Kris Wilson at Daytona for Friday’s BMW M Endurance Challenge that opens the season.

 

Cicero Ready for First Full Season


 

While Team TGM is new to Ford for 2026, McCumbee McAleer Racing is not. The only change is its lineup to a full-season pairing of Nate Cicero and Robert Noaker, two of 14 Ford Racing Driver Development Team drivers announced Thursday who will share the team’s No. 13 Ford Mustang GT4.


 

Cicero, who won three Motul Pole Awards in his partial 2025 GS season, noted a noticeable step up in power from racing a Mazda MX-5 Cup car versus a GS Ford at this track. He and Jenson Altzman won their first race together at Road America, with Altzman finishing fourth in the 2025 GS standings. Altzman is set for his Rolex 24 At Daytona debut aboard the No. 16 Myers Riley Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 next week. 


 

“Super excited for the season; we don’t know everyone’s form yet, but we’re looking to build on what we did last year,” Cicero said. 

 

Next-Generation Bell with Toyota

Ford isn’t alone in building an internal ladder program; so is Toyota. Multiple drivers racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2s in Michelin Pilot Challenge and/or VP Racing SportsCar Challenge have come through its GR Cup series. 


 

One such example is Jaxon Bell, who shares the No. 23 Koch-Copeland Motorsports Toyota with Ford Koch for the full season and Jack Hawksworth at Daytona. Bell said this rise into a full-time GS entry has been years in the making.


 

“It’s the reason I drove in GR Cup, mainly; I was so determined to make it higher up with Toyota and drive the GT4 car,” said Bell, the son of veteran motorsports commentator (including on next week’s NBC Sports telecasts) and past IMSA champion and Rolex 24 race winner Townsend Bell. Townsend Bell has been a regular Lexus driver and brand ambassador for several seasons. 


 

The Bell/Koch pairing finished second at Michelin Raceway to cap a three-race Michelin Pilot Challenge trial run at the end of 2025 and may well contend for victories in their first full season in 2026.

 

Farnbacher Steps in to Aid Pegram Honda Switch

 

Two-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) title winner Mario Farnbacher is, for now, using his years of Honda sports car experience as a key point of emphasis to help Pegram Racing sort out its new No. 72 Honda Civic FL5 TCR for the father-daughter duo of Larry and Riley Pegram. For Farnbacher, this weekend’s test and Friday’s race are his only confirmed 2026 program, so he’s keen to make an impression and find another opportunity for further IMSA drives this year.


 

As for the Pegrams, their debut with Honda in the Touring Car (TCR) class after switching from Hyundai has come with a caveat. Larry Pegram will sit out Daytona following an incident in December but is recovering well and set to return at the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 at Sebring in March. Riley Pegram, then, will have extended seat time at Daytona as part of the team’s two-driver lineup rather than three. The elder Pegram made his name as an ace motorcycle racer with many brands, including with Honda in the mid-2000s. 

 

Morley Hails Switch to Cupra with Gou Racing

“It’s the best car I’ve ever driven through Turn 6 at (WeatherTech Raceway) Laguna Seca.”


 

The car in question that Jon Morley was talking about? The Cupra Leon VZ TCR, which is quite a statement from the San Francisco native who has logged tens of thousands of laps at the Monterey, Calif., track over his multi-faceted career. He noted this after testing the Audi RS3 LMS TCR and the Cupra back-to-back.


 

While the spine between the two chassis is similar, Morley noted a significant difference between how the Audi and Cupra drive. Morley hailed the Cupra’s handling and front-end stability. He’ll share the No. 55 Gou Racing Cupra at Daytona with the father-and-son duo of Eduardo and Eddie Gou. 

 

Odds and Ends


 

  • Drivers set to race in both the BMW M Endurance Challenge and Rolex 24 At Daytona as of now include Hawksworth, Spencer Pumpelly, Robert Megennis, Dillon Machavern, Robby Foley and Mason Filippi. Of those, Foley and Filippi are the only two with full-season programs confirmed in both series at this time, although others may run all WeatherTech Championship IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds in addition to their Michelin Pilot Challenge programs. 
  • Philip Ellis played the substitute role in Winward Racing’s No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 this weekend with Daan Arrow racing at the 24 Hours of Dubai alongside Bryce Ward. It’s a familiar role for Ellis alongside his primary WeatherTech Championship GTD commitments, and should the need arise for the team to call on him again as a third driver next week, it’d be a natural fit. 
  • Megan Ryder is also pulling double duty of a different kind. The TCR championship-winning Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian lead engineer of the No. 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR is set to be a race day assistant for the No. 52 BHA with PR1/Mathiasen ORECA LMP2 07 in the WeatherTech Championship. 


 

Michelin Pilot Challenge teams return to the track on Wednesday for practice ahead of Friday’s four-hour race.

 

Cadillac Moves into Contention but Porsche Still Leads Roar Testing

Albuquerque Tops Afternoon Session in No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Entry


 

January 17, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Practice 3 Results

Practice 4 Results

Combined Practice Results


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Cadillac rose to the top of the timing screens as temperatures rose Saturday at Daytona International Speedway for the second of three days of Roar Before the Rolex 24 testing ahead of next weekend’s 64th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona.


 

Filipe Albuquerque and the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R were quickest Saturday afternoon in the fourth of seven scheduled test sessions, prior to Saturday’s night session. But Albuquerque’s lap time of 1 minute, 36.731 seconds (132.491 mph) in the afternoon heat was almost two-tenths off the 1:36.549 lap (132.741 mph) turned by Laurens Vanthoor in the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 in the day’s earlier action. 


 

“It feels good, and we were P1 in that session,” said Albuquerque. “We’re continuing to evolve through the setup and the run plan that we have. It shows that we are doing the right things with the car but still have a lot to learn.


 

“The track is getting hotter and understanding how the car balance evolves is what we are targeting,” he added before preparing to head out for the only Roar session to be staged at night. “The car always comes alive in the night and it’s a dream car to drive. But the race never finishes in the night, so I think this (afternoon) was a very important session.” 


 

Cadillac may have moved out front Saturday afternoon, but Porsche still ranked 1-2-3 when times were combined after the first four Roar sessions. Felipe Nasr, who is sharing the two-time defending Rolex 24 winning No. 7 Penske Porsche this year with Julien Andlauer and Laurin Heinrich, turned the fastest lap thus far of the weekend (1:36.327) in Session 1 on Friday. The No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche in the hands of Nico Pino, Tijmen van der Helm and Kaylen Frederick continues to impress, splitting the two factory Porsche Penske Motorsport entries on the combined session sheet.


 

A Porsche race car has claimed overall victory in the Rolex 24 a record 20 times since 1968, with four additional overall wins as an engine supplier. Most recently, Porsche has won the last two years with the No. 7 car anchored by Nasr. He and Dane Cameron also co-drove the No. 7 Porsche to the 2024 Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class championship, a feat repeated by Porsche Penske Motorsports’ No. 6 car in 2025 with drivers Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet. This year, Campbell is the Michelin Endurance Cup driver in the No. 6 with Vanthoor and Kevin Estre. 


 

Acura and BMW are closely vying with Cadilac for second place in the overall pecking order despite a troubled couple days of testing for Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian’s No. 93 Acura ARX-06. The No. 23 Aston Martin Valkyrie also suffered a setback Saturday, requiring an engine change that kept it out of the afternoon session after Ross Gunn ran seventh fastest in the morning. The team was still working on it to start night practice.


 

Ben Hanley was the only driver to clock a sub-1:40 lap in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class Saturday as times were generally more than a second slower than Friday. Hanley lapped the 3.56-mile Daytona road course in 1:39.922 (128.260 mph) in the afternoon in the No. 2 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07, besting the 1:40.159 achieved by Mathias Beche in the morning in TDS Racing’s No. 11 ORECA.

Myers Riley Motorsports’ No. 16 Ford Mustang GT3 led both GT classes in both daytime sessions Saturday as the fastest of 21 Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) competitors again led all 15 entries in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) field. Felipe Fraga set the day’s GTD benchmark at 1:47.453 (119.270 mph) in the morning, while Romain Grosjean was quickest in the afternoon at 1:47.667 (119.033 mph).


 

Two-time IndyCar Series champion Will Power showed he’s a quick study in any environment by setting the fastest time of the day in GTD PRO in the No. 75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3 at 1:47.612 (119.094 mph). Tommy Milner (No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R) moved to the front Saturday afternoon at 1:47.810 (118.876 mph).


 

Power, the 20-year IndyCar veteran, will make his first WeatherTech Championship start in the upcoming Rolex 24. “It’s a fun car to drive and the guys that are the top guys in these cars are incredibly fast,” Power said. “It’s been great to learn from them.”


 

Two GT class competitors of note encountered mechanical difficulties Saturday. The No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R missed much of the morning with a clutch problem, while AO Racing’s No. 77 “Rexy” Porsche 911 GT3 R sat out the afternoon while undergoing an engine change. 


 

The Roar Before the Rolex 24 wraps up Sunday with two testing sessions, the last restricted to Bronze-rated drivers. The 64th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona takes place from January 22-25.

 

tunjo on Top to Start 2026 IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Season

Workman Delivers Debut Win in GSX


 

January 17, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Race Results


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Both polesitters for the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge 2026 season opener from Daytona International Speedway drove to controlled victories to kick off their campaigns.


 

Oscar Tunjo (overall and in Le Mans Prototype 3, P3) and Westin Workman (Grand Sport X, GSX) secured the top spots in the 45-minute race on a sunny Saturday afternoon ahead of a packed infield that included a bevy of scouts visiting the 3.56-mile track during the Roar Before the Rolex 24 weekend.


 

In P3, the story going in was how the 2025 generation cars would fare against the new-for-2026 third-generation entries. Tunjo, driving one of the 2025 era cars, the No. 1 Gebhardt Motorsport USA Inc. Duqueine D08, determined a strong start would dictate how his race would go.


 

Other than one moment in traffic where he briefly lost the lead to chief rival Brady Golan, in one of the new-for-2026 entries, the No. 30 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P325, Tunjo stayed out front. He beat Golan by 3.729 seconds but the race was often closer than that. 


 

“It was a really tough race, I have to say,” Tunjo said. “We knew it was going to be hard at the beginning. The new car, the turbo had big top speed. So yeah, it was tricky. We had some good fights. At some point, I think with 20 minutes to go, in traffic, I managed to pull a little bit of gap and then at the end, I had a little bit easier race.” 


 

It marks a strong start for the Colombian driver, who raced most VP Racing Challenge events in 2025 but not at Daytona. 


 

“It’s a dream come true to come to Daytona, firstly, and then to win is even more, and I'm doing it with a team that gives me the trust to do it,” he added. “I feel super proud of all the Gebhardt team, and it's a great beginning for the season. It's a long season, a long way, but starting off winning is always special.” 


 

Golan was second for the second straight year at Daytona after emerging ahead in a race-long battle with Danny Soufi, who finished third in the No. 11 PINAXIS-ZONE 4 Racing Duqueine D08. The 2025 P3 Bronze Cup champion, Brian Thienes, opened his 2026 account with the Bronze Cup win, placing fifth overall in P3 aboard the No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320.

 

Workman’s GT4 Debut Comes Up Aces

Westin Workman has developed a strong body of work in the sports car ladder system, primarily the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin and Toyota’s GR Cup series. But this weekend marked the Charlotte native’s debut in a GT4-specification car and in IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. 


 

He’s off to a strong start.


 

From pole, Workman banked an early lead in the GSX field north of eight seconds, and outside of one lap where he had a brief time loss, was never headed. Driving the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, Workman won by 10.247 seconds. It marks Toyota’s 14th straight GSX race win in the VP Racing Challenge, having won the final race of 2024 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and all 12 races in 2025. 


 

“It’s just a testament to the team, to myself and the people around me,” Workman said. “I couldn't be happier to be here. I am very grateful. This weekend is my first-ever time driving the car, so it was very good to kind of finally feel what this car has to offer.”


 

A race-long battle for second saw fellow series debutante Ismaeel Ellahi in the No. 25 CSM Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS finish slightly ahead of Canadian Justin Di Benedetto in the No. 4 Di Benedetto Racing Porsche. Sean Quinlan, who finished fourth, was the top-finishing GSX Bronze Cup entry in the No. 19 Stephen Cameron Racing Ford Mustang GT4.


 

The second 45-minute race of the weekend goes green at 1:20 p.m. ET Sunday, streaming on Peacock and internationally via IMSA’s Official YouTube channel. 
 

 
 

Royalty at the Rolex: Sir Scott Dixon in Search of Fifth Daytona Win

Four-Time Winner Also Has Longest Active Consecutive Start Streak at 23 Years


 

January 23, 2026

By Holly Cain

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – This winter, six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon was officially knighted in his native New Zealand, but he’s been Rolex 24 At Daytona royalty for decades.

 

Sir Scott Dixon, 45, returns to the weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway (Saturday, 1:30 p.m. ET start, NBC, Peacock, IMSA YouTube) for his race-leading 23rd consecutive start, competing for his fourth overall victory.

 

It’s been quite an offseason for the perpetually unpretentious champion Dixon, who demurely smiles talking about it all – clearly humbled by the great royal honor he’s received in the months leading up to the Rolex 24, his annual opening race of the season for the past two decades-plus.

 

“For me what I was most excited about was the recognition for motor racing and especially in New Zealand, but also around the world,” Dixon said. “A lot of times it gets overshadowed. And for me, also importantly, it was about the people who helped me.  

 

“I think when you look at knighthoods, it’s not necessarily about the performance that you do, it’s about community outreach and how the people in the country perceive you. That’s almost way more rewarding than any of the other accolades and it makes you want to do more too. That was the other exciting part.”

It’s a nice segway into the Rolex 24, where Dixon has had favored status for as long as he has raced – perpetually favored to win. This year is no different. He’ll co-drive with a trio of former Rolex winners: Colin Braun, Tom Blomqvist and AJ Allmendinger in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06.

 

On Thursday morning Dixon’s teammate Blomqvist led the final practice before time trials. In qualifying later Thursday afternoon, Blomqvist qualified the No. 60 car fifth on the 60-car grid and will move up to fourth following a post-qualifying technical infraction assessed to the unofficial pole winner. It showed speed in all the recent Roar Before the Rolex 24 practice sessions and with that driver lineup it is absolutely considered a contender come race time. 

 

“I love this race; I love endurance racing,” Dixon said emphatically. 

 

And it was love at first sight. 

 

He vividly recalls his first IMSA start in 1999 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta co-driving a Ferrari 333 SP Le Mans Prototype (LMP) with his longtime manager, racer Stefan Johansson and Jim Matthews. They finished well off the podium that day, but the sports car seed was planted for the then 19-year-old Dixon. 

 

He would go on to earn the first of his 59 victories in the IndyCar Series in 2001 and claim the first of his six series championships in 2003, ultimately making his Rolex 24 debut the following January, 2004. Perhaps it’s fitting he’s in the No. 60 IMSA car in the year when he could win his 60th IndyCar race. 

 

Two seasons later and 20 years ago, he won his first Rolex 24 At Daytona – the 2006 edition co-driving with a pair of his great friends, Ganassi teammates Casey Mears and the late Dan Wheldon.

 

And even in the decades since, even with a pair of Rolex watches added to that total, Dixon concedes that 2006 race will be among the most special victories of any kind in his highly-decorated career.

“The first here, I think, always,” Dixon said, quick to answer which win he cherishes most. “It was with Casey [Mears] and Dan Wheldon and a really fun era. The Target car was really special. Of course I loved the later ones (2015, pictured right) with Kyle Larson and TK (Tony Kanaan) too.

 

“Our car was always fun,” he added with a grin. “Even if our car didn’t win, we had the most fun for sure. Every memory for me here has been fun.”

 

His work in the race has inspired many. There are 10 IndyCar Series drivers confirmed for 2026 – including four Indy 500 winners – competing just this year in the Rolex 24. 

 

"I am super lucky to be his teammate not only in IMSA, but also INDYCAR for the last five seasons,” said reigning IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou, who is Dixon’s teammate at Chip Ganassi Racing and this weekend, driving the polesitting No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 in the Rolex 24. 

 

“I’ve been trying to learn as much as possible from Scott. He's one of these drivers that's unique in that he's able to make any race car work and he's able to prepare those cars in such detail. And then when he drives, it’s just amazing to see, especially for me as a fellow driver.

 

“So, obviously lots of respect. I think what is more impressive, and even difficult to do, is not only that he's done 23 consecutive Rolex 24 races, but at the pace that he's done it and at the best level. He’s always at the top! So to be able to do that for 23 seasons is incredibly impressive and I’m sure with Scott there is more to come."

 

It’s indicative of the universal respect for both Dixon’s tenure and success.

 

“I’ve always looked up to him, so the fact I’m able to race against him now is like a dream come true for me,’’ said Vasser Sullivan Racing’s Kyle Kirkwood, a driver for Andretti Global in IndyCar who competes against Dixon there and is making his sixth career Rolex 24 start. Kirkwood’s a Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) driver in the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3. 

 

“Twenty-three consecutive starts here, wow, that’s incredible. That just shows how much the guy loves racing and there’s a reason why he is where he is now and still doing things like that, because he absolutely loves it and he’s still so good at it.”

 

Despite all his legendary and massive success on track, the knighthood – the Knight Commander of the New Zealand Order of Merit – Dixon has consistently been equally regarded for the generosity away from the track – his work with children’s charities, his willingness to help make the world a better place in ways big and small.

 

His footprint on motorsports continues this weekend in Daytona Beach, where competitors and fans have already been saluting him for decades.

 

IMSA and NASA Launch Groundbreaking Space Act Partnership to Advance Data Science and Human Performance

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 23, 2026) – The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have entered into a Space Act Partnership to collaborate on cutting-edge research and technology exchange. 


 

The agreement, signed under NASA’s Other Transactions Authority (OTA), establishes a multi-year framework for joint Technical Interchange Meetings (TIMs) focused on telemetry, diagnostics and sensor methodologies.


 

Under the partnership, NASA and IMSA will host two TIMs per year, alternating between NASA centers and IMSA events. These sessions will facilitate the exchange of publicly available technical insights in areas such as machine learning for diagnostics, wireless networking and RFID applications.


 

“This partnership represents a unique fusion of aerospace and motorsports innovation,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “We’re proud to collaborate with NASA to explore how our respective approaches to telemetry and diagnostics can inform and elevate each other’s missions. The potential for cross-industry learning is immense.”


 

NASA will provide IMSA with technical overviews of its methodologies in telemetry data acquisition, prognostics and sensor technologies—critical components of human spaceflight. In turn, IMSA will share its expertise in vehicle telemetry and rapid-response data systems used in high-speed racing environments.


 

The first TIM is scheduled to take place at NASA’s Ames Research Center, followed by sessions at IMSA venues and NASA’s Johnson Space Center. No funds will be exchanged under the agreement; each organization will support its own participation.


 

The partnership underscores NASA’s commitment to leveraging commercial and non-traditional partnerships to accelerate innovation, while IMSA continues to push the boundaries of motorsports technology and safety.

 

IMSA and NASA Launch Groundbreaking Space Act Partnership to Advance Data Science and Human Performance

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 23, 2026) – The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have entered into a Space Act Partnership to collaborate on cutting-edge research and technology exchange. 


 

The agreement, signed under NASA’s Other Transactions Authority (OTA), establishes a multi-year framework for joint Technical Interchange Meetings (TIMs) focused on telemetry, diagnostics and sensor methodologies.


 

Under the partnership, NASA and IMSA will host two TIMs per year, alternating between NASA centers and IMSA events. These sessions will facilitate the exchange of publicly available technical insights in areas such as machine learning for diagnostics, wireless networking and RFID applications.


 

“This partnership represents a unique fusion of aerospace and motorsports innovation,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “We’re proud to collaborate with NASA to explore how our respective approaches to telemetry and diagnostics can inform and elevate each other’s missions. The potential for cross-industry learning is immense.”


 

NASA will provide IMSA with technical overviews of its methodologies in telemetry data acquisition, prognostics and sensor technologies—critical components of human spaceflight. In turn, IMSA will share its expertise in vehicle telemetry and rapid-response data systems used in high-speed racing environments.


 

The first TIM is scheduled to take place at NASA’s Ames Research Center, followed by sessions at IMSA venues and NASA’s Johnson Space Center. No funds will be exchanged under the agreement; each organization will support its own participation.


 

The partnership underscores NASA’s commitment to leveraging commercial and non-traditional partnerships to accelerate innovation, while IMSA continues to push the boundaries of motorsports technology and safety.

 

IMSA Labs Launches at Third Annual IMSA Technology Symposium

New Formalized Platform Provides Framework for Partner Innovation, Collaboration within the Series

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 23, 2026) – Building on IMSA’s decades-long role as a proving ground for advanced automotive and related technologies and in tandem with the exponential growth in data and AI-focused innovations, IMSA has launched IMSA Labs as a formalized platform for continued innovation and collaboration between the motorsports sanctioning body and its automotive and technology partners.


 

IMSA Labs provides a platform for partners to engage through three clear, yet flexible, pathways: Foundational, Program and Ecosystem to meet partners where they are and grow with them. 


 

The formal launch occurred today as part of the third annual IMSA Technology Symposium, held at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, on the eve of the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. At Daytona International Speedway and across the IMSA season, cutting-edge technologies and IMSA’s racing expertise featuring its 18 automotive partners unite, creating a dynamic environment where innovation is on full display.


 

“For decades, Michelin and the 18 auto manufacturers who compete in IMSA have relied on our platform as a true laboratory, using the pressure and unpredictability of motorsport to develop and validate breakthrough innovations,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “By combining IMSA’s rich portfolio of data signals with advanced AI technologies, we are now positioned to accelerate that legacy of innovation even further. 


 

“IMSA Labs represents a bold step into new territory, opening our doors to the world’s leading technology companies to test, refine, and prove their solutions in an environment where every millisecond matters. Together, we’re unlocking transformative value for our current partners while creating unprecedented opportunities for those who will join us in the future.”


 

While IMSA Labs is a new name and new platform, it essentially serves as a natural next chapter after the nearly 60 years where IMSA has served as a validation point for some of the most technologically advanced vehicles in motorsports. Many automotive technologies almost taken for granted now—such as turbocharging, anti-lock brakes, traction control, hybrid systems, all-wheel drive and rear-view cameras, to name but six—have been developed and battle-tested by manufacturers in IMSA racing for decades.


 

This new framework expands on what’s already been organically developing for years, with a more structured format that can bring the data behind-the-scenes fully to life. With the enhanced data revealed, fans can benefit from and engage with that data as they’re consuming IMSA content through both real-world and digital interactions. 


 

IMSA Labs is set to provide a governed, repeatable framework that allows partners to engage with confidence, clarity, and long-term impact. Additionally, IMSA Labs is set to provide the “connective tissue”—structure, governance, and program management—that allows ideas to move from concept to impact.


 

In a single sentence, if IMSA is the racing product, IMSA Labs is a holistic, all-encompassing name for the development platform within the racing product.


 

In some cases, that comes from partners already active within IMSA who have made those technological advancements. Three examples stand out as potential reference points:


 

  • AMD uses IMSA competition as a real-time compute and telemetry validation environment, where latency, reliability, and orchestration operate under irreversibility and public consequence. In an IMSA Labs context, this platform provides a governed surface for similar efforts to be structured, replayed, and extended.  
  • IMSA uses AWS for real-time data ingestion, edge distribution, and fan-facing systems operating at global scale, largely tied to its cloud services. IMSA Labs makes these kinds of workloads repeatable, comparable, and accessible under clear governance.
  • Bosch uses IMSA competition as a proving ground for sensor integrity and hybrid systems operating under real mechanical and environmental stress. IMSA Labs provides a governed surface where physical-to-digital behavior can be observed, compared, and extended across races and seasons.


 

With those examples as frameworks for other partners, IMSA Labs formalizes how partners engage with this ecosystem. 


 

The result is a clearer, more predictable, and more mutually beneficial way to collaborate—one that supports innovation while protecting the values that define IMSA: safety, sporting integrity, and competitive fairness. IMSA Labs is set to formalize the environment beyond the data at play. 


 

Partners can engage and connect at IMSALABS.com. The new website will further expand on the platform as more information and materials arise. 

 

Sentronics Becomes an IMSA Proud Technology Supplier

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 23, 2026) – Sentronics Limited has provided an expanding range of fuel flow measurement solutions to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship® since 2018. Now the UK-based global innovator in ultrasonic fluid flow sensor technology has signed a multi-year marketing agreement with IMSA to become a Proud Technology Supplier of America’s premier sportscar series and exploit its dynamic marketing opportunities to reach Sentronics’ key audiences beyond motorsport.


 

Sentronics’ work with IMSA began by supplying its FlowSonic® on-car fuel flow meters which delivered outstandingly accurate and repeatable fuel consumption data unaffected by temperature, vibration, or electrical interference and helped IMSA launch its modern regulatory regime. 2022 saw the introduction of the RigFlow® sensor to provide matching data from each entry’s pit lane refuelling tank. The innovative TrackCal® mobile calibration rig followed in 2023, allowing trackside recalibration of both devices with substantial cost and time savings to teams. A fourth Sentronics product is planned for roll-out during 2026 to bring IMSA even closer to an integrated full-loop energy monitoring system.


 

Neville Meech, Sentronics Limited Managing Director, said, “IMSA’s Proud Supplier programme gives us the perfect platform for leveraging our motorsport success. The technical relevance, exciting competition, and commercial opportunities offered by IMSA could not be a better fit for connecting with our target customers in transport industries worldwide as they work to meet the efficiency and sustainability challenges of the next decade.”


 

Eric Albrecht, Senior Director of Partnership Marketing and Business Development for IMSA, said, “Data drives IMSA, with Sentronics products playing a mission-critical role over many years for our organisation and its 18 competing automobile manufacturers and their teams.  As Sentronics expands further beyond motorsports into general automotive and other industrial sectors, we look forward to supporting their continued commercial growth.” 


 

About Sentronics: Sentronics Limited is an ultrasonic flow meter manufacturer located in Salisbury, England. Founded in 2013, Sentronics’ products harness innovative patented technology to make measuring fuel consumption and engine coolant/lubricant circulation precise yet easy. Homologated by the FIA, IMSA, and Indycar for regulatory use in the world’s premier motorsport championships, Sentronics also offers advanced solutions for demanding applications in the automotive, motorsport, maritime, defence, and industrial sectors.


 

About International Motor Sports Association (IMSA): The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 and owns a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA – a company within the NASCAR family – 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, IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, and Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) as well as five one-make series: Ferrari Challenge North America, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin, Mustang Challenge, and Porsche Carrera Cup North America. IMSA is the exclusive strategic partner in North America of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. This partnership allows selected IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. For more information, please visit IMSA.com and follow IMSA on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.


 

To discover more about Sentronics, please visit www.sentronics.com

For more information about Sentronics products and services, please contact sales@sentronics.com

For media enquiries, please contact Holly Holtom at hholtom@sentronics.com or +44 (0)1725 513703

 

 

BDO Becomes Official Digital Transformation Partner of IMSA Labs

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 23, 2026) – The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) today announced an expansion of its partnership with BDO USA designating the global advisory and professional services firm as the Official Digital Transformation Partner of IMSA Labs.


 

The enhanced relationship – which expands upon BDO’s status as a Proud Partner of IMSA – centers on a new collaborative initiative supporting IMSA Labs, the sanctioning body’s innovation engine focused on next‑generation data, technology, and competition‑enhancing solutions. IMSA Labs was introduced Friday as part of the third IMSA Technology Symposium at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.


 

“BDO has been a trusted partner to IMSA, and this expanded role underscores our shared focus on practical innovation,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “BDO’s work will give us clarity on where IMSA Labs can deliver the most value—commercially and competitively—while maintaining the agility to choose the best technology solutions for our community.”


 

Under the agreement, BDO will help IMSA outline how the program could grow, understand interest from potential partners, and build the basic business and technical plans that will shape IMSA Labs moving forward.


 

BDO’s work – which begins with this weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona – will remain independent of any specific technologies, ensuring IMSA maintains full flexibility in selecting partners for IMSA Labs. 


 

Learn more about BDO at www.bdo.com. 

 

 

IMSA Statement on Adjustment to GTD PRO Drive-Time

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 22, 2026) - Following review of the entered three- and four-driver GTD PRO line-ups for the Rolex 24 At Daytona, IMSA determined that an adjustment was necessary to maintain competitive balance for four-driver GTD PRO configurations incorporating a Bronze-rated driver. Accordingly, the minimum drive-time requirement for a Bronze-rated driver in GTD PRO has been reduced by one hour to three and a half (3.5) hours for this event.
 

New IMSA Michelin Sustainability in Racing Award Program Launches at Rolex 24 At Daytona

Tire Use, Energy Use, Finishing Position Factored in for GTP Winner Each WeatherTech Championship Race

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 22, 2026) – Michelin and IMSA have confirmed details of the new IMSA Michelin Sustainability in Racing Award, which will be presented to one Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) entry in each round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The award was announced as part of IMSA’s annual State of the Sport held at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in October 2025, during the Motul Petit Le Mans season finale weekend, with details finalized for the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 24-25, 2026. 


 

The award factors in three elements equally: tire use, energy use and running order/finish position to determine the GTP entry with the best overall sustainability accomplishments in a single race. The launch of the award coincides with the introduction of Michelin’s new GTP tire globally – the Michelin Pilot Sport Endurance – which will make its debut at the Rolex 24 At Daytona this week.  The tire incorporates 50 percent recycled and renewable materials and features a striking “Vision” tread pattern. 


 

Results for the award will be measured by tracking real-time data from each car, with Tire Use Rank, Energy Use Rank and Current Running Order/Finish Position rank all factored in. 


 

  • Tire use is simply the number of tires used throughout the race, a key strategy decision as teams often double stint tires to gain positions on the track, especially during the five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds. 
  • Energy use covers both the use of 80-percent renewable biofuel, and in the case of LMDh cars, regenerative electric power. 
  • Running position / Finish position is self-explanatory, covering where each car stands during the race and ultimately finishes.


 

The award rewards teams for efficiency while not giving up performance.  


 

With each category weighted equally, the three categories will be divided by three to produce a sustainability score for each car.    Like in golf, a lower score is better. The best Sustainability Score determines the winner of the award, which may not necessarily be the best-finishing car on course.  


 

Each race’s winner is recognized as part of the podium ceremonies with the lowest cumulative Sustainability Score recognized as the season champion and honored on stage at the IMSA WeatherTech Night of Champions. 


 

"IMSA and Michelin have always represented the pinnacle of innovation and competition in sports car racing, and the debut of the IMSA Michelin Sustainability in Racing Award elevates that legacy in a meaningful new way,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “A key pillar of our partnership with Michelin is a shared, long‑standing commitment to advancing technologies and practices that reduce environmental impact while preserving the spirit of endurance racing. This award celebrates the teams and manufacturers who are leading the charge toward a more sustainable future for our sport, and we’re proud to showcase their efforts on one of motorsport’s biggest stages."


 

“For more than 130 years, Michelin has seen racing as one of the greatest engines of progress,” said Raymond Cotton, director of motorsport for Michelin North America, Inc. “The IMSA Michelin Sustainability Award arrives with the launch of our Michelin Pilot Sport Endurance range made with 50 percent recycled and renewable materials. Together, they reinforce that performance and responsibility go hand in hand.”


 

The first IMSA Michelin Sustainability in Racing Award will be presented Sunday, January 25, as part of the post-race ceremonies for the Rolex 24 At Daytona and at all subsequent GTP rounds. 


 

Watch the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona starting live on network NBC, Saturday, January 24 at 1:30 p.m. ET with flag-to-flag streaming via Peacock. 

 

What to Watch for: 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona 

What’s New, What’s Not, and What’s Brewing in the Record Books


 

January 22, 2026

By David Phillips

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Admit it. This time of year, even the most enthusiastic gearhead grows a trifle weary re-re-hashing last racing season, clicking-on “breaking news” of new liveries, or prognosticating about new season adjustments and tweaks.


 

Beyond the talk, racing is about to begin. It’s almost time to fasten your seatbelts for the 2026 Rolex 24 At Daytona. 


 

Since 1966 and the first 24-hour race at Daytona International Speedway, branded the “24 Hour Daytona Continental,” the unofficial kickoff to the auto racing season starts in Florida. It’s a world class sports car racing featuring 12 of IMSA’s 18 automotive manufacturer partners, 60 cars, and 228 drivers from 32 countries that are among the world’s best to kick off the new IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup seasons.


 

Invariably, there is much new this weekend. It includes refreshed cars and driver rosters, new alliances between teams and manufacturers, and a bevy of already battle tested cars and lineups. 


 

What’s New, What’s Not


 

Participants and observers alike will be afforded their first official insights into the new cars, lineups and partnerships that will compete for race wins and championships between now and October’s Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. 


 

Some of the more notable developments in Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) include BMW’s evolution of its Hypercar program with Belgium’s BMW M Team WRT team now campaigning two BMW M Hybrid V8s in two global sports car championships. Porsche Penske Motorsport, meanwhile, is focusing all its considerable talents and resources on fielding the No. 6 and 7 Porsche 963s in IMSA, as it begins its pursuit of a third straight WeatherTech Championship crown.


 

In Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), perennial IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge title contenders Bryan Herta Autosport partner with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports to campaign the No. 52 ORECA LMP2 07. 

Rahal Letterman Lanigan (RLL) Racing launches RLL Team McLaren, where it will campaign the No. 59 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO in Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), returning to a category where the team enjoyed considerable success with BMW before tackling GTP the past couple of seasons. DragonSpeed, runners up in last year’s GTD PRO points race as well as three-time Rolex 24 winners, is switching to the GTD class with the No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Speaking of GTD PRO, 2024 champions AO Racing features an all new line-up anchored by the redoubtable Nick Tandy who is seeking his first IMSA full-season title in “Rexy,” aka the No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992). 


 

The early returns on some of these new or revised programs are promising. The PPM Porsches paced four of the six practice sessions in last weekend’s Roar Before The Rolex 24 test. Could it set the stage for the team’s third consecutive Rolex 24 win? Sheldon van der Linde’s No. 24 BMW set the pace in one of the night practice sessions and Dean MacDonald posted the opening practice session’s fastest GTD PRO time in the RLL McLaren. 


 

Status Quo


 

In contrast to their counterparts at BMW, Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian and Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing both return for second consecutive seasons with their longtime partner manufacturers (Acura and Cadillac, respectively) after relatively brief hiatus from those alliances in 2024. It’s a barometer of the fierce pace of development in GTP that even those abbreviated separations necessitated a period of re-adjustment when the teams and manufactures re-united last year. 


 

But those re-adjustments are now in the rear-view mirrors of the No. 10 and 40 WTR Cadillac V-Series Rs and the No. 60 and 93 Acura ARX-06s. Both should hit the ground running this weekend. The No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R enters with more stability than usual with the same trio of Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber and Frederik Vesti back after winning the last two races of 2025 and adding impressive youngster Connor Zilisch as its fourth driver. The Aston Martin THOR team returns for a sophomore season with its lineup intact after completing its rookie IMSA campaign last fall with the No. 23 Valkyrie’s mighty podium finish at Petit Le Mans, although has battled through mechanical gremlins in Roar testing ahead of the Valkyrie’s Rolex 24 debut. 


 

Pfaff Motorsports has a rare Rolex without change. It’s set to run the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 for a second straight year, although is set to switch to the new Temerario GT3 at Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The most familiarity comes for Vasser Sullivan Racing, as its No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 (in GTD PRO) and No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 (in GTD) appear set for one more go at Daytona for the venerable chassis in its tenth year in pursuit of its elusive first Rolex 24 win.  


 

In LMP2, the category is effective a spec class and comes down to which driver and team best executes racing with their ORECA chassis. It should come as no surprise then the top four in the ’25 team championship were separated by just 137 points. While three of that quartet are returning virtually similar lineups (Rolex 24 winners Daniel Goldburg with Paul Di Resta, Rasmus Lindh and Gregoire Saucy at United Autosports USA and AO Racing’s championship-winning duo of Dane Cameron and PJ Hyett supported by Jonny Edgar and Christian Rasmussen among them), last year’s bridesmaid TDS Racing boasts an all new cast of pilots headed by Tobi Lutke, Mathias Beche, David Heinemeier Hansson and Charles Milesi aboard the No. 11 ORECA. 


 

A pat hand or new blood; which approach is better? This weekend will begin to tell the tale.


 

Record Hunting

Per usual, the Rolex 24 boasts an outstanding line-up of celebrated drivers taking time away from their day jobs in other racing series to compete this weekend. But while IndyCar champions Alex Palou, Scott Dixon, Will Power and Sebastien Bourdais (pictured right), Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson, NASCAR winner A.J. Allmendinger and Australian Supercars champions Chaz Mostert and Scott McLaughlin get lots of ink, we would be remiss in overlooking the many IMSA regulars who have (or are on the cusp on setting) some records of their own. 


 

With two consecutive Rolex 24 victories, PPM’s Felipe Nasr will be looking for a third straight win this weekend – and his fourth Rolex Daytona as he took the GTD PRO win in 2022. There’s a six-pack of three-timers already: Nasr, Filipe Albuquerque, Colin Braun, Antonio Garcia, Richard Lietz and Jordan Taylor. 


 

And just to be clear, the aforementioned Dixon already has a trio of Rolex 24 overall wins to his credit and four total, the only four-timer in the field. He’ll be looking to add a fourth overall and fifth total Rolex Daytona to his timepiece collection this weekend. The legends with five overall wins? That’d be inaugural year IMSA Hall of Fame inductees Hurley Haywood and Scott Pruett as five-time winners of the Rolex 24 At Daytona.


 

Be sure to catch all the action on NBC, Peacock, YouTube and IMSA TV starting at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
 

 

Ready for the Top: NASCAR Star Zilisch Set for Rolex 24 GTP Debut

After LMP2 Win and GTD PRO Run, Zilisch Arrives in Top Class for First Time


 

January 22, 2026

By Holly Cain

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It's safe to say it did not take much convincing for longtime Action Express Racing Team Manager Gary Nelson and the Cadillac Whelen team to consider putting Connor Zilisch in its Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) car for this week’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.

 

“A few months ago we were all having dinner in Connecticut after a go-karting event and me and Connor were just talking about racing,” Zilisch’s Rolex 24 teammate, renowned sports car driver Earl Bamber recalled with a smile.

 

“I knew he’d won this race already and he was like, ‘is there any chance to do something with the Cadillac? I’d love to give it a go. Who do I talk to?’  

 

A couple conversations with Nelson and the IMSA-sanctioned November Test later. … and Zilisch’s name was placed alongside those of three other former Rolex winners - New Zealander Bamber, British/Korean driver Jack Aitken and Dane Frederik Vesti above the driver’s door of the No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R which will contend in the 11-car GTP class for the overall victory this weekend.

 

“I like him a lot,” the veteran Bamber said of the easy-decision to have Zilisch join the team.

 

“He’s won so many big races already and at that age he could be very big-headed and arrogant and he’s not. He’s not. For instance, I was asking him about all the oval wins he had last year and he just said, ‘most of those wins are because of the team not me.’

 

“For a kid that age to have that level of maturity and humbleness, you just know he’s going to make it. Most kids would be like, ‘I’m the greatest race car driver there is and he’s quite the opposite, very humble.’

 

And it shows. 

Zilisch’s perpetual smile and easygoing manner walking around the garage at Daytona International Speedway this week is genuine and refreshing – much like the 19-year-old’s trajectory in big-time racing.

 

But don’t mistake the awe-shucks and politeness vibe Zilisch gives off. He is purposeful and highly motivated and already well-regarded as an extraordinary generational racing talent. And competing in the Rolex 24 At Daytona two years ago is exactly where his career trajectory truly launched.

 

It was his very first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship start when a then 17-year-old Zilisch claimed a Rolex timepiece, co-driving to a Rolex 24 victory in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class with Era Motorsport. He had a good excuse for missing school, as he told his class at the time he was busy checking time in another way and getting a watch. 


 

He then followed that up immediately with a victory in the next legendary endurance race on the schedule, the historic Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Zilisch was two-for-two in IMSA’s grandest races. And he wasn’t even old enough to vote yet. 

“I don't think anybody's ever taken the exact same path as me before, but I like that, and I appreciate everything I've done in the past, and the opportunities I've gotten and the races I've gotten to drive in,” Zilisch said. 

 

“It's something I'm very grateful for and if I could go back and change something, I don't know if there's anything I'd want to change. I've really enjoyed the path that I've taken and the opportunities I've got and how hard I've had to work for each opportunity.”

 

The next big opportunity is moving into NASCAR’s highest ranks, competing for top 2026 rookie honors in the NASCAR Cup Series, where he will team at Trackhouse Racing – owned by former IMSA competitor Justin Marks - with another former Rolex 24 star, New Zealander Shane Van Gisbergen and championship contender Ross Chastain (who visited Zilisch at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test and toured the Cadillac transporter). Zilisch, Van Gisbergen, Scott McLaughlin and Ben Keating shared the No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R at the 2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona. 

 

Last year, with a pair of sports car racing’s most treasured trophies already in his possession, an 18-year-old Zilisch transitioned to stock cars fulltime competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the championship JR Motorsports organization – owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer and another former Rolex 24 competitor Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley. 

 

As with his IMSA debut, Zilisch had immediate success. He won a series best 10 races, set a record with 18 consecutive top-10 finishes and ended the season championship runner-up - the overwhelming Rookie of the Year.

 

“I just think he’s a superstar in general,” former Rolex 24 overall race winner A.J. Allmendinger said of Zilisch. 

 

This weekend the two will go head-to-head for the overall victory with Allmendinger – the 2012 Rolex 24 winner – driving the No. 60 Acura AR6-06 for Meyer Shank Racing in the same GTP Class. In February, the two NASCAR drivers will start their 2026 fulltime campaign going head-to-head again in the Daytona 500. 

 

“Maybe on the world-side of it because NASCAR is more North American-based, his name isn’t quite recognized yet, but in general, it will be,” Allmendinger said of Zilisch.

 

“You got a guy like that – we’ve already seen him win this race in LMP2 – and then go to Sebring and win, no doubt he’s super quick and I always just think anytime you’ve got guys like that who want to be in the race, we need to have them in the race.”

 

And Zilisch absolutely wants to be here, in fact, he hopes to compete every year in the Rolex 24 no matter where his “day” job takes him. It is that special to him.

 

“2026 is a year of making it to the top and getting to race in the highest level of all the series I’m racing in and that’s super exciting for me,” Zilisch said. “I’ve always wanted to race for the overall win at the Daytona 24 Hours and to be doing it with Cadillac and Action Express and an awesome group of teammates. There’s a lot of cool parts to this that came together and are making this event really special for me.”

 

“It’s been cool for me to kinda make my name and maybe people have higher expectations for me now,” he added. “But for me, I just focus on going out and doing my job and most of all having fun and enjoying it. 

 

“At the end of the day I’m living my dream out and getting to do what I love every weekend and that’s the coolest part for me.’’

 

Diverse Spectacle of Global All-Stars Hit the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona

The Worlds of F1, IndyCar, NASCAR and Supercars Join IMSA’s Best


 

January 22, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Daytona Beach is one of the world’s most popular vacation destinations. But the Florida hot spot’s main attraction for visitors this weekend lies about five miles inland on U.S. 92 from the scenic Atlantic oceanfront.


 

Appropriately, the road west is called International Speedway Boulevard, because it leads to Daytona International Speedway, site of the Rolex 24 At Daytona – the opening round of the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. It’s the 64th time the Rolex 24 will be staged. This year, it has assembled a diverse field of 228 drivers representing 32 nations for a race that plays out over 24 hours, yet is often not decided until the final few minutes.


 

Because the Rolex 24 is also a round of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, the race not only attracts additional entries that swell a typical WeatherTech Championship field of around 40 cars up to at least 60. It requires every full season competitor to add third or for most cars, fourth drivers, to their usual sprint race pairings. That creates opportunities for drivers from across the spectrum of motorsports to step out of their comfort zone to participate in one of the world’s most unique racing events.


 

Ten drivers with past F1 experience are in the field (Felipe Nasr, Will Stevens, Kevin Magnussen, Jack Aitken, Sebastien Bourdais, Logan Sargeant, Paul Di Resta, Pietro Fittipaldi, Romain Grosjean, Marcus Ericsson). 


 

Ericsson is also one of four Indianapolis 500 winners in the Rolex 24 field (Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Will Power) and one of more than a dozen drivers with significant or current ties to Indy car racing. That includes Power, who is set to make his first Rolex 24 start in the No. 75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class.


 

Other notable guest stars in this year’s Rolex 24 field include rising NASCAR star (and sports car racing graduate) Connor Zilisch, fellow NASCAR (and ex-IndyCar) driver AJ Allmendinger and Indy car racer-turned-broadcaster James Hinchcliffe, among others.

“I love it,” declared four-time IndyCar Series champion and reigning Indy 500 winner Alex Palou, who compliments regular drivers Nick Yelloly and Renger van der Zande in the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06, joined at Daytona by Japanese Super Formula star Kaku Ohta. 


 

“It’s one of those things that is so different from what I’m used to – racing for 24 hours, having traffic during the race, and sharing a car. I learn so much from those amazing drivers and the level of competition is super high in all the classes in the IMSA paddock. I’m always learning and just trying to get a lot of laps as I can to prepare for my season.”


 

Scott Dixon, Palou’s IndyCar teammate at Chip Ganassi Racing, has contested the Rolex 24 every year since 2004, giving him the longest active participation streak. Dixon owns three overall Rolex 24 victories (2006, ’15, ’20) and another class win (2018), and this year he’s also part of the Meyer Shank Acura effort, teaming in the No. 60 ARX-06 with Colin Braun, Tom Blomqvist, and Allmendinger (another Rolex 24 overall winner).


 

“One, it’s a great way to start the year, but two, going back to the first time I did Petit Le Mans in 1999 with Stefan Johansson and Jim Matthews (in a Doran Racing Ferrari 333SP), endurance racing is something I have always enjoyed,” said Dixon. “The prototype racing has definitely evolved. By 2004 or ’05 there were 30 or 35 of them and the field was stacked, but it was kind of weird too because maybe only ten finished. There was a lot of attrition, and you really had to try to be smart with the car in how you drove it and looked after it. Now you might have a field of only 11 or 12, but a high percentage of them are likely to finish.”

Scott McLaughlin’s career has taken him from Australian Supercars to Indy cars, where he is a mainstay with Team Penske. McLaughlin has contested the Rolex 24 the last three years in either LMP2 or GTD PRO. He tested a Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 GTP prototype last year and is eager to take on the Rolex 24 in the top class someday. This weekend, he’s in the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R in GTD, to mark his third different WeatherTech Championship class.


 

“I just think it’s one of the crown jewels of the year,” McLaughlin remarked. “It’s just a good way to get started on the year and get things going with being a racecar driver again. You can pound as many laps as you want in a go kart or lift as many weights as you want in a gym, but nothing really prepares you for racing moments and traffic and stuff and I enjoy it. Ultimately, I’d love to be doing it outright at some point in my career.”


 

Kyle Kirkwood, coming off a three-win IndyCar campaign for Andretti Autosport and a past IMSA winner at both the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and Motul Petit Le Mans, is back for another Rolex run in GTD PRO in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3. He appreciates the teamwork that goes into sports car racing.


 

“It’s a lot of fun because it’s such a different discipline and there’s something satisfying as a driver about sharing a car with three or four guys,” Kirkwood related. “You do some laps in the car and sometimes you feel something you’re kind of unsure about. You say you’re a little confused about what kind of read the car gives you, but if you have two or three other guys that jump in the car and say the same thing as you, it’s a very satisfying feeling. It’s very confidence inspiring.”


 

Colton Herta is leaving the IndyCar Series this year to compete in Formula 2, with the goal of graduating to the Cadillac F1 Team in 2027 or ’28. But the 25-year-old wants to continue opening his season at Daytona in the Rolex 24 provided he does make the jump.


 

“I love this race; ideally, what my schedule would look like is I’m here ever year, even if I make it to Formula 1,” he said. “It’s super fun. The racing is great, and the formula they have in GTP is very exciting. It’s an exciting car to drive, it’s exciting to watch, and most importantly, the racing is fun. This is a really hard race to win; it’s such a prestigious event, and I think that’s why it attracts so much on the driver side and the manufacturer side.”


 

While the Rolex 24 features dozens of ‘guest’ drivers in an endurance role – many of them champions and stars in their usual form of racing – they tend to let the core drivers start and finish the race. But the WeatherTech Championship regulars enjoy racing twice around the clock at Daytona every bit as much.


 

“If you look at this race last year, with 45 minutes to the end it looked like we were going to win but we eventually finished P4 because we had this issue with the splitter,” said Philipp Eng, who shares the No. 25 M BMW M Hybrid V8 this year with Marco Wittmann. “That’s why I love racing in this championship – you can finish last, but you can also win if you don’t have the quickest car that day with how the yellows fall and all that. You just never know. It’s always very open and the racing is so good and so tight.”


 

The Rolex 24 at Daytona takes the green flag at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 24 on network NBC. Peacock (USA), along with IMSA.TV and the official IMSA YouTube channel (international) will stream flag-to-flag uninterrupted coverage, and NBC will return to broadcast final two hours.


 

 

 

Meet the Full Field for the 2026 Rolex 24 At Daytona

Sixty Cars and More Than 220 Drivers Are on the Grid for the 64th Running of the Endurance Classic

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 21, 2026) – The complete field of cars for the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona gathered on the Daytona International Speedway circuit for the annual full-field photo today. Sixty cars across four classes (Grand Touring Prototype, Le Mans Prototype 2, Grand Touring Daytona Pro and Grand Touring Daytona) are set to compete in the iconic race that opens the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season starting Saturday afternoon.


 

Beyond the 60 cars on-track, the helmets for the 228 drivers from 32 countries entered were present in Victory Lane for a new photo.


 

Additionally, please find today's drone video asset from the full field shoot at this link.


 

NBC Sports offers complete coverage of the 24-hour race across its platforms. Catch the race start live on NBC network starting at 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday, with the broadcast returning to NBC for the conclusion of the race from noon-2 p.m. Sunday.


 

The entire race also streams live, flag-to-flag, on Peacock in the U.S. and on IMSA's Official YouTube channel and IMSA.TV outside the U.S. The IMSA Official YouTube channel includes the full IMSA Radio coverage of the race as well.


 

(Mandatory Credits: Full-Field and Helmet Photos: IMSA/Lumen Digital Agency;Video: IMSA/Beverly Hills Aerials)

64th Rolex 24 At Daytona – GTP and LMP2 Team-by-Team

Here’s Who’s Set to Vie for Prototype Class Wins to Start 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Season


 

January 21, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As in 2025, there’s 24 total prototypes set to tackle the Rolex 24 At Daytona to kick off the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. There’s a slight variation for 2026 with 11 Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) and 13 Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) entries, compared to an even 12/12 split in 2025.


 

Porsche Penske Motorsport has won the last two Rolex 24s in 2024 and 2025, with Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian winning the previous two before that in 2022 and 2023. Wayne Taylor Racing won four of five from 2017 through 2021. 


 

LMP2 has been more wide-open, with four different winning teams (Era Motorsport twice, Proton Competition, DragonSpeed and United Autosports USA) winning in the last five years. 


 

Here’s the prototype team-by-team breakdown for 2026:


 

Grand Touring Prototype (GTP)

 

No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963

Kevin Estre/Laurens Vanthoor/Matt Campbell


 

There’s no questioning the strength of the revised No. 6 Porsche 963 for 2026. This is the result of Porsche Penske Motorsport’s now IMSA-only lineup blending champions from multiple series into its two GTP cars. Vanthoor, a two-time IMSA (2019 GT Le Mans and 2021 Grand Touring Daytona) champion, and Estre won the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar title together. One of IMSA’s quirkiest stats is that Estre, who hasn’t attempted a full-time IMSA season since 2014, remains in search of his first IMSA win after 22 starts. The elder Vanthoor has 13 of them, including the first three races of 2025 split across Penske’s No. 7 car at Daytona International Speedway and Sebring International Raceway and a GTD cameo win aboard AO’s “Rexy” No. 177 Porsche 911 GT3 R at Long Beach. 


 

Campbell is as strong a third driver as they come. The 2025 GTP champion with Mathieu Jaminet has a revised program for 2026 running the three longest IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races at Daytona, Sebring and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Also a 13-time IMSA race winner, Campbell has two past Rolex 24 wins on his resume, in 2022 in Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and 2024 in GTP. If his even year trend holds, he could be eyeing a third unique Daytona timepiece. 

 

No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963

Felipe Nasr/Julien Andlauer/Laurin Heinrich

 

Nasr serves as the anchor amidst a relatively younger lineup in Porsche’s No. 7 entry, as one of IMSA’s top drivers over the last decade. The three-time series champion (2018 Prototype, 2021 Daytona Prototype international, 2024 GTP) and three-time Rolex 24 winner (2022 GTD PRO, 2024 GTP, 2025 GTP) has a chance to win his third straight Rolex overall this year, a feat last achieved by his fellow Brazilian Helio Castroneves from 2021-23. 


 

Andlauer and Heinrich have different roles for 2026, having both progressed through Porsche’s GT ranks. Andlauer will step up to a full-time IMSA GTP seat after racing Porsche’s 963 in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2025. He’s a past 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner (2018 GTE Am) but is in search of his first IMSA win. Heinrich, the 2024 GTD PRO champion with AO’s “Rexy” No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 R and five-time IMSA winner, completes the lineup as Michelin Endurance Cup third driver. 


 

No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R

Ricky Taylor/Filipe Albuquerque/Will Stevens


 

A quiet 2025 season for Wayne Taylor Racing’s longstanding No. 10 car ended better than it started, as the Cadillac V-Series.R led the GTP field in the final five races with three podium finishes. None were wins, but it was clear as the year went on the longtime pairing of Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque were coming more to grips with the Cadillac as the WTR team returned to racing with the GM brand. The pairing finished sixth in points.


 

Taylor (2017 and 2021 overall) and Albuquerque (2018 and 2021 overall, 2013 class) have combined for five Rolex 24 wins, so they know how to position their car for success toward the end of the race. Stevens is lesser experienced at Daytona specifically but still knows his way around the Cadillac package. He won the manufacturer’s first race in WEC as part of a Cadillac 1-2 in Brazil last July. 

 

No. 23 Aston Martin THOR Team Aston Martin Valkyrie

Ross Gunn/Roman De Angelis/Alex Riberas/Marco Sorensen


 

The last “first” for the new Aston Martin Valkyrie will take place this January, as the Valkyrie is making its Rolex 24 race debut. The car tested at Daytona in November 2024 ahead of its global race debut at Qatar in February 2025 and its IMSA debut at Sebring in March. The Valkyrie comes to its first Rolex 24 with a year’s worth of racing mileage across two championships already banked, including what was an impressive double race finish on debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.


 

Gunn, De Angelis and Riberas ended 2025’s IMSA season on a high with the car’s first podium finish, a second place at Motul Petit Le Mans. De Angelis was part of Heart of Racing Team’s last Rolex 24 win, a GTD class triumph in 2023. A strong finish would bode well for its continued progress and improvement in its second season of competition. 

 

No. 24 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8

Dries Vanthoor/Sheldon van der Linde/Robin Frijns/Rene Rast


 

BMW’s young but experienced pair of two younger racing brothers – Vanthoor and van der Linde – now pair up in the No. 24 car for BMW M Team WRT’s first full IMSA season, but they will be split in BMW’s two WEC entries. Call this one the “van” car, as both impressed in their first full IMSA campaigns in 2025. Vanthoor won at Road America with Philipp Eng, leading a BMW 1-2 over van der Linde’s entry, and established himself on the scene with four consecutive Motul Pole Awards in the first four races to start the year.


 

Frijns and Rast are dependable extra pairs of hands, with Rast the only one of this quartet who’s won a Rolex. He won a pair of GT class races – GRAND-AM Rolex GT in 2012 and IMSA GTD in 2016 – in Magnus Racing-run entries, first a Porsche and then an Audi. Winning three Rolex races with three different German brands would be quite a feat.

 

No. 25 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8

Philipp Eng/Marco Wittmann/Kevin Magnussen/Raffaele Marciello


 

A slight revision of the lineups across the now BMW M Team WRT-run entries sees Eng shift across from the No. 24 car to the No. 25 for 2026 with Wittmann. Eng was the only of the four full-season GTP drivers with a past year of experience in 2025, but now all three of his full-season teammates (Vanthoor, van der Linde and Wittmann) have gone through a full calendar. Eng enjoyed a strong 2025 season with a win at Road America and a fourth-place finish in points. He won his lone Rolex 24 in the GTLM class in 2019, driving the No. 25 BMW M8 GTE. Wittmann scored his first GTP podium as part of the Road America BMW 1-2 in second place this past year.


 

Magnussen is back for endurance rounds. The F1 veteran shifted to sports car racing with BMW ahead of 2025 and is enjoying his post-open-wheel career; he already had a full season of IMSA in 2021, where he won at Detroit in a Chip Ganassi Racing-prepared Cadillac with Renger van der Zande. Marciello’s success has primarily been in GT machinery more than prototypes, but he’s quick and experienced. 

 

No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

Jack Aitken/Earl Bamber/Frederik Vesti/Connor Zilisch


 

For the first time in several years, the Cadillac Whelen No. 31 entry has more carryover than change in the driving lineup. Finishing on a high to end 2025 with back-to-back wins at the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks and Motul Petit Le Mans to ascend to second in GTP points has given the group momentum to return to its championship-winning ways. 


 

What has eluded the No. 31 car for years, though, is a Rolex 24 victory. This car has been close but has not ever taken a Rolex 24 checkered flag. Action Express Racing’s last Rolex 24 win came in 2018 with the No. 5 Mustang Sampling branded entry. Bamber, too, needs a Rolex 24 win to match former teammate Nick Tandy and complete his own personal set of overall 24-hour race triumphs, having also done so at Le Mans, the Nurburgring and Spa-Francorchamps. While Aitken, Bamber and Vesti are in search of their first Rolex 24 win too, it’s fourth driver Zilisch – a top NASCAR prodigy – who already has a watch to his name with an LMP2 triumph on debut in 2024. 

 

No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R

Jordan Taylor/Louis Deletraz/Colton Herta


 

Wayne Taylor Racing’s third year with two cars feels like it has the potential to move forward from an oft-challenging 2025 season returning back to Cadillac. The No. 40 car finished second at Watkins Glen but wasn’t higher than seventh in any other race last year.


 

Taylor (2017, 2019 overall and 2021 GTLM) and Herta (2019 GTLM, 2022 LMP2) already have multiple Rolex 24 wins to their name with Deletraz, a four-time European Le Mans Series LMP2 champion, now looking to add his first Rolex 24 triumph to a 24-hour class win he achieved at last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans (LMP2 Pro/Am). WTR knows how to win, too, having won three straight and four of five from 2017-21, including three of those four with Cadillac. 

 

No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06

Colin Braun/Tom Blomqvist/Scott Dixon/AJ Allmendinger


 

No car has more experience in the field with Dixon (set for his race-leading 23rd consecutive Rolex 24 start since 2004), Braun (his 22nd straight since 2005), Allmendinger (his 16th overall since 2006, all from 2006 through 2021 except 2017) and Blomqvist (his fifth straight since 2022) set to combine for 66 total starts in this race. Combined, they’ve got 10 Rolex 24 wins (Dixon four including three overall, Braun three with one overall, Blomqvist two overall and Allmendinger one overall). After this car finished second last year, they’re already close to regaining the top step of the podium last achieved in 2023. Blomqvist’s first four Rolex 24 starts have netted two wins and two runner-up finishes. 


 

The return to action after a year break in 2024 featured some peaks and valleys as the team reacclimatized back to action. Braun and Blomqvist added a win at Watkins Glen and a last-to-third podium in Indianapolis. After ending seventh in points in 2025, a step back up to title contention feels like it could come in 2026.

 

No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

Tijmen van der Helm/Nico Pino/Kaylen Frederick


 

John Church’s team has never backed down from a challenge and comes into the 2026 Rolex 24 looking to emulate its 2016 Rolex 24 win in Prototype Challenge a decade later. Running as the lone privateer entry in GTP, JDC-Miller puts up a decent effort and tends to contend late in the race more often than not. In its first two Rolex 24s with the GTP car, the No. 85 car has finished a solid sixth on both occasions.


 

Youth is the name of the game here with the three drivers outside the Porsche works stable. Van der Helm (21), Pino (21) and Frederick (23) are a combined 65 years old – just one year older than this year’s Rolex 24 race number of 64 – yet already have a combined eight Rolex starts between them. Van der Helm and Pino have four apiece, with Pino scoring the LMP3 pole and finishing second in 2023. Frederick makes his debut this year. 

 

No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06

Renger van der Zande/Nick Yelloly/Alex Palou/Kaku Ohta


 

Where both the second car and the driver lineup as a unit were new together in 2025, the HRC US-crewed second Acura MSR entry overachieved more often than not and finished higher of its two cars in the 2025 GTP standings. Yelloly and van der Zande combined for three straight pole positions and a win in Detroit over the summer months, ultimately ending fifth in points.


 

Dutchman van der Zande is the only one of this quartet with a Rolex 24 win to his name, with back-to-back overall wins in 2019 and 2020. Yelloly has experienced 24-hour success elsewhere, with class or overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2025 LMP2), Spa-Francorchamps and the Nurburgring, so he just needs a Rolex for his own 24-hour set. Palou, the four-time IndyCar Series champion, seeks his first IMSA win with Ohta now a more established quantity in North America after impressing in a handful of 2025 starts across both Acura’s No. 93 GTP and an Era Motorsport LMP2.

 

Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2)

 

No. 2 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07

Phil Fayer/Ben Hanley/Hunter McElrea/Mikkel Jensen

 

The No. 2 United entry had a quiet 2025 season with a best finish of fourth and adds several new elements for 2026. Fayer was in the car for both races where the team posted its best 2025 result and steps up to a full-season program this year. Key additions come in the form of ex-TDS Racing drivers Jensen and McElrea, who completed a double repeat at Indianapolis and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in LMP2 en route to their second straight Michelin Endurance Cup LMP2 title. Hanley is a past Rolex 24 winner (2020, LMP2) so is a dependable and experienced pair of hands. 

 

No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA LMP2 07

George Kurtz/Alex Quinn/Toby Sowery/Malthe Jakobsen


 

Kurtz’s success across the globe in endurance sports car racing has seen him win many key races (including Michelin Endurance Cup races at Sebring, Watkins Glen and Michelin Raceway), but he’s yet to capture his first Rolex 24 aboard his trademark No. 04 CrowdStrike by APR entry. Locked in with the trio of youngsters in Jakobsen, Sowery and Quinn that have established themselves as three of the fastest LMP2 drivers globally, this car always has win potential at its disposal. 

 

No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07

John Farano/Sebastien Bourdais/Sebastian Alvarez/Kyffin Simpson


 

Longtime IMSA participant Tower Motorsports continues its pursuit of another major endurance class win, after three straight Motul Petit Le Mans triumphs from 2020 through 2022. While the team won the Rolex 24 on the road in 2025 in LMP2, a technical infringement found post-race sent the team to the rear of class. Nonetheless, with a consistent lineup including two-time Rolex 24 winner Bourdais (2014 overall, 2017 class), the car should once again be a contender in 2026. 

 

No. 11 TDS Racing ORECA LMP2 07

Tobi Lutke/Mathias Beche/David Heinemeier Hansson/Charles Milesi


 

It’s mostly change for TDS Racing in 2026 following the retirement of its longtime driver Steven Thomas, with the team opting for a programming update … literally. IMSA’s two pair of programmers, Lutke and Heinemeier Hansson, shift over from Era Motorsport alongside fellow newcomer Beche, who has experience with TDS in Europe including a 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 class pole last year. Rolex 24 extra Milesi, the team’s lone holdover, led November testing and is a rapid driver.

 

No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07

Naveen Rao/Logan Sargeant/Jacob Abel/Ferdinand Habsburg


 

Era Motorsport knows its way to Daytona’s victory lane, having done so in 2021 and 2024. An entirely adjusted lineup for 2026 will try to add a third win. Past F1 driver Sargeant is set for his Rolex 24 debut, following his toe-in-the-water in the last two races of 2025 driving with Rao at PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports. These two switch to Era, joined by Habsburg and Abel. Habsburg is an LMP2 class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Abel is a past Indy NXT runner-up gaining sports car experience after his first IndyCar season.

 

No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07

Daniel Goldburg/Paul Di Resta/Rasmus Lindh/Gregoire Saucy


 

Goldburg enjoyed a breakout 2025 season, marred only by two tough races at Road America and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta that dented his potential championship-winning effort. Nonetheless, the defending Rolex 24 LMP2-winning No. 22 entry will look to repeat this race with three-quarters of the lineup intact. The only change is the inclusion of Saucy, United’s WEC driver in its McLaren 720S GT3 EVO last season, in for James Allen. 

 

No. 37 Intersport Racing ORECA LMP2 07

Jon Field/Oliver Jarvis/Seth Lucas/Job Van Uitert


 

A concoction of talent is spread across the returning Intersport Racing entry, back as a full-fledged team for the first time in more than a decade in top-level North American sports car racing. Field got his sea legs back underneath him with a Rolex 24 start last year, with two-time Rolex 24 winner Jarvis (2022 overall, 2013 class) alongside for the season. Younger drivers Lucas and Van Uitert complete the quartet, with Lucas back in an LMP2 car after a year in a Mercedes-AMG GT3. 

 

No. 43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA LMP2 07

Jeremy Clarke/Tom Dillmann/Bijoy Garg/Antonio Felix da Costa


 

Inter Europol’s first full IMSA year on its own after a championship-winning partnership with PR1/Mathiasen in 2024 produced a near encore, dented primarily by bad luck. When the car finished, it either won or finished second. When it didn’t, it was ninth or worse, and Dillmann’s injury at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park also took him out of the seat over the summer. This is still a team that won the LMP2 class at Sebring (with Dillmann, Clarke and Garg) and Le Mans (with Dillmann, Nick Yelloly and Jakub Smiechowski) in 2025, and it will be a force to be reckoned with both in January and for the season. 

 

No. 52 Bryan Herta Autosport with PR1/Mathiasen ORECA LMP2 07

Misha Goikhberg/Harry Tincknell/Parker Thompson/Ben Keating


 

The “blending of worlds” is a good way to describe this year’s variant of the No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen ORECA, now aligned with Bryan Herta Autosport and with a combination of new and old drivers. Goikhberg has past prototype experience and is a Rolex 24 class winner in LMPC, 10 years ago. Keating’s back with PR1 in pursuit of his second Rolex 24 as well (2015 GTD), with a sole focus on LMP2 rather than running two cars as has been his tradition. Tincknell’s an experienced pro with many key endurance race wins on his resume – although none at the Rolex 24 – and Thompson shifts up from Lexus’ GT entry into LMP2.  

 

No. 73 Pratt Miller Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07

Chris Cumming/Pietro Fittipaldi/Manuel Espirito Santo/Enzo Fittipaldi


 

Pratt Miller flew under the radar during its return to prototype competition with its LMP2 entry in 2025, with a best finish of sixth. It will seek to improve upon that in year two with an unchanged full-season lineup of Cumming and Pietro Fittipaldi but slight changes in the additional drivers. Espirito Santo made his IMSA debut at Watkins Glen last year. Rolex 24 extra Enzo Fittipaldi, Pietro’s younger brother, is set for a Stateside season of racing this year as he will race full-time in Indy NXT, as both Fittipaldis carry on the legacy of their grandfather, F1 and IndyCar great Emerson Fittipaldi.

 

No. 83 Af Corse Usa ORECA LMP2 07

Francois Perrodo/Nicklas Nielsen/Dylan Murry/Matthieu Vaxiviere


 

Af Corse Usa was one of several LMP2 cars that came up just short of the class win at the 2025 Rolex 24. Back with three of the same four contenders, with the only change from one experienced Bronze-rated driver in Luis Perez Companc to another one in Francois Perrodo, expect a similar challenge for class contention here. Nielsen, a Ferrari factory driver, won the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans overall. 

 

No. 99 AO Racing ORECA LMP2 07

PJ Hyett/Dane Cameron/Jonny Edgar/Christian Rasmussen


 

The “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” axiom applies to AO Racing’s “Spike” for 2026, with an unchanged lineup as the defending LMP2 champions and Jim Trueman Award winner, Hyett, seek to add a second major 24-hour race win to their ledger. Hyett, Cameron and Louis Deletraz shared the winning LMP2 Pro/Am AO by TF entry at last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Earlier at Daytona, late-race mechanical gremlins dashed a potential AO win in January. Five-time IMSA champion Cameron and Rasmussen both won the Rolex 24 in 2024 in GTP and LMP2, respectively, and Cameron and Hyett were part of AO’s summer of 2025 hot streak that included back-to-back wins at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Road America. 

 

No. 343 Inter Europol Competition ORECA LMP2 07

George Kolovos/Nick Cassidy/Jakub Smiechowski/Nolan Siegel 


 

Inter Europol adds a second car to this year’s Rolex 24, with drivers primarily from its Asian Le Mans Series effort. Smiechowski was part of the team’s 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning LMP2 entry in both 2023 and 2025. Cassidy has been either second or third in the last three FIA Formula E series championships. Siegel has impressed sporadically in his year and a half in IndyCar, plus has won both the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and Motul Petit Le Mans in LMP2. 

 

 

64th Rolex 24 At Daytona – GTD PRO and GTD Team-by-Team

Here’s Who’s Set to Vie for GT Class Wins to Start 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Season


 

January 20, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – There’s 36 GT cars split between the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s two GT classes in the 2026 Rolex 24 At Daytona: 15 Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), matching the class-high from 2025, and 21 Grand Touring Daytona (GTD). 


 

They’re split among nine manufacturers, with BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche with entries in both classes. McLaren is only in GTD PRO and Aston Martin is only in GTD. 


 

Ford broke through for the Rolex 24 GTD PRO win in 2025 while Chevrolet claimed the GTD win with customer squad AWA.


 

Here’s the GT team-by-team breakdown for 2026:

 

Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO)

 

No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO

Neil Verhagen/Connor De Phillippi/Max Hesse/Dan Harper


 

Paul Miller Racing’s not quite scaled the Rolex 24 mountain since its 2020 GTD win with Lamborghini but has a strong single BMW entry for 2026. Verhagen and De Phillippi are two of BMW’s top GT pros, with De Phillippi having won a Rolex 24 in GT Le Mans (GTLM) in 2019. Endurance extras Hesse and Harper are two IMSA sophomores who enter on the high of winning twice last year (Watkins Glen and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta), en route to securing the Michelin Endurance Cup GTD PRO title. 


 

No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R

Antonio Garcia/Alexander Sims/Marvin Kirchhoefer


 

Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ longtime No. 3 car returned to the top of the GT mountain in 2025, claiming the Corvette Z06 GT3.R’s first GTD PRO championship. Garcia now has a six-pack of championships, five since IMSA reunited in 2014, with Sims adding a GTD PRO title to his 2023 Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) crown. New third driver Kirchhoefer is the only one of the trio with a recent Rolex 24 win, having been part of customer team AWA’s 2025 Corvette triumph in GTD. Garcia has three Rolex 24 wins (2009 overall, 2015 and 2021 class) while Sims seeks his first Rolex to add to his IMSA championships and dry yet biting British wit and humor.

 

No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R

Tommy Milner/Nicky Catsburg/Nico Varrone


 

Like Garcia, Milner’s record with Corvette stretches nearly two decades, though it’s now been a full decade since his only Rolex 24 win as part of an epic Corvette 1-2 battle for GT Le Mans (GTLM) supremacy in 2016. His last IMSA win is more recent, but still already five years ago in 2021 at VIR, also in GTLM. Catsburg, a sharp and speedy Dutchman behind the wheel, was part of Corvette Racing’s last Rolex 24 win in 2021 with Garcia and Jordan Taylor in GTLM. Varrone is the most recent Rolex 24 winner of the trio, having also been part of an AWA Rolex 24-winning lineup (Le Mans Prototype 3 in 2023).

 

No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2

Andrea Caldarelli/Sandy Mitchell/Mirko Bortolotti/James Hinchcliffe


 

Pfaff’s Rolex 24 in 2026 will be a unique event, as its only intended race where they’ll have the same car to benchmark its 2025 performance. The venerable and multi-time winning Huracán GT3 Evo2 will make its last scheduled start with Pfaff at the Rolex 24, before both team and Lamborghini plan to debut the all-new Temerario GT3 at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March. Lamborghini banked three straight Rolex 24 GTD wins from 2018 to 2020, with Bortolotti (2018 and 2019) and Caldarelli (2020) on board. Mitchell also adds his factory chops to the lineup with Pfaff’s resident Canadian, Hinchcliffe, back for his ninth attempt at the race. 

 

No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3

Jack Hawksworth/Ben Barnicoat/Kyle Kirkwood


 

When original band members go their separate ways, the longing of past glory days tend to resonate and spur reunions. That’s the story for the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing crew in 2026, where old becomes new again with the team’s most successful lineup in its history reuniting after a year apart. Hawksworth, Barnicoat and Kirkwood have wins in three IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races – Sebring, Watkins Glen and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta – but they don’t have a Rolex 24 triumph. Hawksworth and Barnicoat have a GTD PRO title together too in 2023. After a fragmented season where Barnicoat got injured and Hawksworth shifted to GTD, the band is back together for at least one more run with the venerable Lexus RC F GT3, now set for its 10th season of competition. 

 

No. 033 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO

James Calado/Miguel Molina/Alessio Rovera/Riccardo Agostini


 

Triarsi Competizione’s statement of intent for its GTD PRO debut is found with this quartet of Ferrari aces anchoring the team’s No. 033 Ferrari 296 GT3. Calado and Molina are overall 24 Hours of Le Mans winners with Ferrari, with Calado also boasting three IMSA career wins including the 2024 Rolex 24 (GTD PRO) and two Motul Petit Le Mans wins. Rovera also has a Le Mans class win to his name (2021 GTE Am) and Agostini has been Triarsi’s reliable designated workhorse in limited IMSA appearances. 

 

No. 48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3

Scott Noble/Jason Hart/Maxime Martin/Luca Stolz


 

Winward Racing’s first GTD PRO effort features a blend of Mercedes-AMG factory pros in Martin and Stolz and the pro-am pairing of Noble and longtime coach Hart. With Stolz absent during the Roar test due to a schedule conflict, it’ll provide the Noble and Hart pairing even more track time. Winward has won the race twice in GTD, including on its debut in 2021. If it repeats the feat in GTD PRO in its first go-around, it will be quite an accomplishment. 


 

No. 59 RLL Team McLaren McLaren 720S GT3 Evo

Nikita Johnson/Max Esterson/Dean MacDonald/Juri Vips


 

Perhaps GTD PRO’s most eclectic lineup is the combination that RLL Team McLaren has assembled to drive its new No. 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo. In Vips, they have a talented Estonian who’s made sporadic IndyCar starts with RLL and is new to sports car racing. In Esterson, they have an iRacing veteran returning Stateside after running in Formula 2 and having made a successful IMSA debut at last year’s Motul Petit Le Mans in JDC-Miller’s Porsche 963. MacDonald is a McLaren racing veteran but an IMSA rookie; youngster Johnson has junior open-wheel formula success but is new to sports cars. Four race rookies, a new car and a new class will make for a learning experience for all involved. 


 

No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO

Daniel Serra/Davide Rigon/Alessandro Pier Guidi


 

It’s hard to count out Risi Competizione as a contender, and after a year’s hiatus working as part of a technical alliance with DragonSpeed, the traditional red No. 62 Ferrari is back for 2026. Risi won on its last solo attempt at the Rolex 24 in 2024, thus ending one of Giuseppe Risi’s longest waits in his iconic career. Three of the same four drivers from that lineup are back; only James Calado is absent and will race the three-headed monster of Serra, Rigon and Pier Guidi (a 2025 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD champion) in GTD PRO’s second Ferrari, fielded by Triarsi Competizione. 

 

No. 64 Ford Racing Ford Mustang GT3

Dennis Olsen/Ben Barker/Mike Rockenfeller


 

The No. 64 Mustang, now in an evo package, is mostly new for the 2026 Rolex 24, even with many strong 2025 elements still at play. In the hands of Seb Priaulx, the car took the Rolex 24 pole, and the trio of Priaulx, Mike Rockenfeller and Austin Cindric finished third. Here’s where things differ, driver-wise. Cindric filled in for the injured Ben Barker, who’s now back for 2026 and slated to line up alongside Olsen for the full season. Olsen was part of the race-winning No. 65 car last year, thus securing his first Rolex 24 win. Rockenfeller, the No. 64 car’s lone 2025 holdover who swept both the Rolex 24 and 24 Hours of Le Mans overall in 2010, shifts to the third driver Michelin Endurance Cup extra role. 

 

No. 65 Ford Racing Ford Mustang GT3

Christopher Mies/Frederic Vervisch/Seb Priaulx


 

The defending GTD PRO class winner at the Rolex 24 has two-thirds of the same driver lineup back, with the one change adding the Rolex 24 pole winner (Priaulx). Mies and Vervisch opened 2025 on a high but failed to finish higher than fifth the rest of the season, so they’ll seek to improve on that having been through a full IMSA season together. Priaulx, by contrast, shifts from the No. 64 car and will run the three longest Michelin Endurance Cup races. He’s a four-time IMSA race winner, having won twice in each of 2024 and 2025. 

 

No. 69 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3

Anthony Bartone/Fabian Schiller/Maximilian Goetz/Jules Gounon


 

The combination of the Bartone Bros. Racing drag racing group and sports car experts GetSpeed combined to provide an excellent debut appearance in the WeatherTech Championship GTD PRO ranks at the 2025 Rolex 24, finishing fifth. A podium would be an excellent achievement for its sophomore effort, with Bartone joined by a trio of Mercedes-AMG hot shoes. 

 

No. 75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3

Kenny Habul/Maro Engel/Will Power/Chaz Mostert


 

Power made his U.S. racing debut with the Derrick Walker-run outfit labeled as “Team Australia” in his Champ Car days more than 20 years ago. The two-time IndyCar Series champion and 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner is set for his long-awaited Rolex 24 debut with the closest IMSA entry to a “Team Australia” equivalent. Paired with longtime friend Habul, who he’s known since the 1990s, and fellow Aussie Mostert – a past Rolex 24 class winner (2020 in GTLM) and 2025 Supercars champion – the 75 Express entry is nearly an all-Aussie affair. Mercedes-AMG veteran Engel, a German who’s a past Rolex 24 winner (2021 GTD, 2023 GTD PRO), adds both speed and experience. 

 

No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R

Nick Tandy/Harry King/Alessio Picariello


 

Although Tandy’s never won a full-season IMSA championship, one of the best of his generation has a chance to add more accolades in his new role with AO Racing’s now iconic “Rexy” No. 77 Porsche. He’s won at all WeatherTech Championship cities en route to 25 career IMSA wins; the only exception is his Detroit win came at Belle Isle, not the current downtown circuit. He has a pair of Michelin Endurance Cup titles (2021 GTLM, 2025 GTP). He started 2025 on a heater, winning the first three GTP races at Daytona, Sebring and Long Beach driving for Porsche Penske Motorsport. Despite a challenging second half he’ll look to recapture his GT magic in a new class. King, a 25-year-old Brit, is new to IMSA but has a pedigree that rivals some of AO’s other younger finds in Laurin Heinrich and Seb Priaulx. Picariello was part of the team’s Sebring winning lineup in 2025 and is back for an encore as third driver this season. 

 

No. 911 Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R

Thomas Preining/Ricardo Feller/Klaus Bachler/Ayhancan Guven


 

In past years, a European team’s extra entry to the Rolex 24 would draw big eyeballs, so Manthey’s return to the race for the first time since 2018 should be quite an occasion. Particularly since it will run its famous “Grello” livery made famous in major endurance races globally, most notably at the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife. Bachler is set to make his 10th Rolex 24 start and seeks to improve upon a best finish of fourth, achieved twice. He’s got three IMSA wins, two at Sebring and one at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Preining, Bachler’s Austrian countryman, has a pair of Rolex 24 starts in Andretti and Proton Porsches the last two years. Swiss driver Feller has four IMSA starts, all in 2019 with a Montaplast by Land Audi, including the Rolex 24. Guven, the team’s fourth driver, finished second in GTD in the 2025 Rolex 24 and enters on the high of winning the 2025 DTM title with Manthey in “Grello.” 


 

Grand Touring Daytona (GTD)

 

No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3

Aaron Telitz/Benjamin Pedersen/Frankie Montecalvo/Esteban Masson


 

Some driver changes come to the trademark No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus in 2026 as the RC F GT3 prepares for its 10th and likely final season of active competition with Toyota’s new GR GT3 having been unveiled in December 2025. Telitz and Montecalvo are the holdovers, having been regular podium finishers and occasional race winners for most of those years, although Telitz returns back to the No. 12 GTD entry after one disjointed year with several co-drivers in the team’s No. 14 GTD PRO car. Pedersen is new here, having run a full season of LMP2 in 2025, now making a move to GT racing. In 2023, he was the fastest rookie qualifier in Indianapolis 500 history and race rookie of the year. Lexus and Toyota have their eye on Masson for the future, a global LMP2 talent set for his IMSA racing debut. 

 

No. 13 13 Autosport Corvette Z06 GT3.R

Orey Fidani/Matt Bell/Lars Kern/Ben Green


 

Bob Akin Award winner Fidani got his and the team’s 2025 season off to a fantastic start with a GTD win at the Rolex 24. The biggest change for 2026 comes on the team name door, as the rebranded 13 Autosport team sees a greater investment by Fidani into the program itself with technical and team support from the AWA outfit that’s been present for several years. Also new is British driver Ben Green, who is new to the U.S. but has a successful global GT record and will be among those to watch as Rolex 24-only fourth drivers. 

 

No. 16 Myers Riley Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3

Felipe Fraga/Sheena Monk/Jenson Altzman/Romain Grosjean


 

A contender for the most eclectic GTD lineup in 2026, the new Myers Riley Mustang features the Brazilian ace Fraga shifting from prototypes to GT, experienced female driver Monk adding her third different GT3 car in as many years, Ford Racing Junior Team driver Altzman continuing to expand his racing resume and popular French/Swiss driver Grosjean maintaining his Riley Motorsports relationship built at Lamborghini with a return to Ford for the first time in 16 years. When there’s a new combination of team, drivers, car and class, it doesn’t usually produce first-time success. But this is the legendary Riley team we’re talking about, and a car that won this race in GTD PRO last year, so success isn’t just a hope; it’s an expectation. 


 

No. 19 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo

Rory van der Steur/Valentin Hasse-Clot/Sebastian Baud/Carl Bennett


 

Back for its second Rolex 24, the van der Steur Racing entry posted a more than respectable sixth-place finish in 2025. Van der Steur and Hasse-Clot continue as this entry’s first two drivers. Baud joins as third driver for the Michelin Endurance Cup rounds, after racing a McLaren in the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship season with a best finish of second. Bennett, a Thai driver, makes his IMSA debut after occasional Hypercar starts for the former Isotta Fraschini program a few years ago.

 

No. 21 Af Corse Usa Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO

Simon Mann/Lilou Wadoux/Antonio Fuoco/Tommaso Mosca


 

What is quickly becoming a Rolex 24 regular, a Mann-driven No. 21 Af Corse Ferrari is back for a sixth successive January endurance classic. This time the car and team enter on the high of a championship-winning 2025; Mann, Wadoux and Alessandro Pier Guidi won the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD title last year, with the trio also winning the season finale Motul Petit Le Mans. Wadoux, the first female driver confirmed for the 2026 Rolex 24, also has a Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen win on her resume. Fuoco has a past Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring win, and he’s also an overall winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Ferrari. Mosca’s the newest member of this quartet, on for Daytona only.

 

No. 023 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO

Onofrio Triarsi/Kenton Koch/Robert Megennis/Yifei Ye


 

Triarsi’s now traditional No. 023 car is set for what’s already its fourth Rolex 24. This is as strong of a lineup as a GTD entry can field, in the form of Triarsi himself alongside Koch, who enjoyed a breakout 2025 season finishing second in the GTD full-season championship. These two won together at Road America. Megennis is set for a Rolex 24 return after a brief Triarsi cameo at Motul Petit Le Mans where he showed his pace in limited running. Ye is set for his IMSA debut and enters on a high with an overall 24 Hours of Le Mans win to his name in 2025 in the Af Corse-run No. 83 Ferrari 499P. 

 

No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo

Tom Gamble/Dudu Barrichello/Zacharie Robichon/Mattia Drudi


 

Heart of Racing Team is back to a single Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo in the GT classes this year with its Valkyrie now set for a Rolex 24 debut in GTP. This car retains three of the same four drivers as in 2025, when it nearly matched its 2023 GTD class victory. Robichon is the lone Rolex 24 class winner (2022 GTD) amidst this driving quartet, but it’s another strong one. Gamble and Robichon were part of this team’s Watkins Glen win in 2025 while Drudi has a major 24-hour race win to his name as part of Aston Martin’s overall victory at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in 2024. Barrichello, the son of multi-time F1 race winner and multi-time Rolex 24 starter Rubens, will make his Rolex 24 debut. 

 

No. 28 RS1 Porsche 911 GT3 R

Jan Heylen/Eric Zitza/Dillon Machavern/Sven Mueller


 

RS1 steps up from the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, where it won the 2025 Grand Sport (GS) class championship, into a Michelin Endurance Cup entry for 2026. Heylen spearheaded the GS title, his second, and is joined by Florida businessman Zitza. Machavern has RS1 time as well from Michelin Pilot Challenge GS. Heylen has 11 past Rolex 24 starts including a 2022 GTD win, while Machavern and Mueller both also have race experience.  

 

No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO

Manny Franco/Albert Costa/Lorenzo Patrese/Thierry Vermuelen


 

Some of Conquest’s new in 2026 is old, while the rest of its new is actually new. The “old” new is Costa, back in a somewhat surprising reunion after he and the team parted ways following their 2024 Motul Petit Le Mans GTD win. However, with Daniel Serra back at Risi Competizione in GTD PRO and DragonSpeed shifting to GTD, Costa has made a U-turn back to reunite with Franco and Conquest. The “new new” are young Europeans Patrese and Vermuelen, who have extensive Ferrari experience. Vermuelen is linked to the Verstappen.com Racing GT program, so has gained from Max Verstappen’s insights and experience. Patrese ended 2025 on a high, scoring the pole at Motul Petit Le Mans in a different GTD Ferrari. 


 

No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R

Mason Filippi/Charlie Eastwood/Salih Yoluc/Scott McLaughlin


 

While it appeared for most of fall as though Robert Wickens would increase his role to a full-time effort with DXDT Racing in 2026, that changed in the run-up to December’s entry list release. Alas, ahead of DXDT’s second IMSA season, the promise on display throughout most of 2025 has the chance to break through for a big result. Filippi is set for his second Rolex 24, having raced in LMP3 in 2023. Eastwood is one of GM’s rising stars, split across Corvette GT3 programs such as this one and Cadillac’s Formula 1 simulator. Yoluc is his longtime co-driver. McLaughlin, the multi-time IndyCar race winner and Supercars champion, is set to fill the “star” extra fourth seat occupied by Pipo Derani in 2025. 

 

No. 44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo

John Potter/Spencer Pumpelly/Nicki Thiim/Madison Snow


 

Magnus Racing’s ride into the 2026 Rolex 24 comes with one major change – Andy Lally not part of the lineup following his end of full-time driving at the 2025 edition. Potter’s team presses on with longtime co-driver Pumpelly, Thiim and team newcomer Snow to create a fun quartet. Potter (2012 and 2016) and Pumpelly (2006 and 2011) are multi-time Rolex 24 GT class winners with Snow adding a 2020 GTD win. Thiim doesn’t have a Rolex 24 win but does have 24-hour triumphs at Le Mans in class (2014) and Spa-Francorchamps overall (2024). 

 

No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2

Danny Formal, Trent Hindman, Graham Doyle, Marcus Ericsson


 

As close to a rinse-and-repeat lineup as exists in GTD, the trio led by Formal, Hindman and Doyle are set to continue aboard WTR’s Huracán GT3 Evo2. Formal is buoyed by his incredible form in last year’s Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America season, where he won both the Pro North American title and World Final title to end the season. Hindman, a 2019 GTD WeatherTech Championship-winning driver among multiple other IMSA titles, remains one of IMSA’s young veterans poised for continued long-term success. Doyle’s entering off a title too, having won the Super Trofeo Am title last year. Formal and Hampus Ericsson drove together to the Super Trofeo titles in 2025 and to start 2026, Formal will have a chance to race alongside Hampus’ older brother Marcus, the 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner, now set for his third Rolex 24 start. Coincidentally, they’ve all been in even years (2022, 2024, 2026) and with now three different cars and classes (Cadillac DPi, Acura GTP, Lamborghini GTD).

 

No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3

Russell Ward/Philip Ellis/Indy Dontje/Lucas Auer


 

The GTD standard-bearer, Winward Racing has a chance to go for a three-peat of GTD championships in 2026. It’s a rare achievement in IMSA competition. Included among Winward’s success was its famous debut win at the Rolex 24 in 2021, and a follow-up second win in 2024 with three of the same four drivers, only with Daniel Morad in the fourth spot alongside Ward, Ellis and Dontje. Yet last year’s fourth place may stand as one of the team’s hallmark races, overcoming a throttle assembly issue to gain most of its seven laps back and position it for more championship success. 

 

No. 66 Gradient Racing Ford Mustang GT3

Jake Walker/Corey Lewis/Joey Hand/Till Bechtolsheimer


 

Gradient Racing pieced together a solid first season with its new Ford Mustang GT3 in 2025 with separate sprint and endurance race lineups and is set to deploy the same approach for its second year with the car in 2026. Walker is the lone driver set for all races, having impressed with Turner Motorsport’s BMW M4 GT3 in both WeatherTech Championship and IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge appearances last year. Lewis, a 2020 Rolex 24 class winner, is an experienced pair of hands who will join Walker for the sprint rounds and the Rolex 24. Hand and Bechtolsheimer share the Ford for all endurance rounds; Hand’s one of Ford’s longtime aces and two-time past Rolex 24 winner (overall in 2011, class in 2017).

 

No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO

Brendan Iribe/Frederik Schandorff/Ollie Millroy/David Fumanelli


 

Bookend finishes of 18th place to start and end 2025 left the Optimum Motorsport-run, Inception Racing-entered Ferrari shy of its goals for the year. The trio of Iribe, Schandorff and Millroy scored an overdue first IMSA win at Indianapolis but contact at the start at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta ended both Iribe’s Bob Akin Award hopes and the team’s Michelin Endurance Cup chances. Little changes for 2026 except the new EVO package, aimed in large part at creating better in-traffic flow. If the No. 70 crew can avoid the bad luck that hurt it in 2025, they’ll rank higher in the pursuit of greater 2026 success.  

 

No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 

Scott Andrews/Lin Hodenius/James Roe/Ralf Aron


 

Lone Star Racing continues into its third consecutive Rolex 24 with previous finishes of eighth and 13th the last two years. This is a younger lineup with Andrews, known for his pace, the most experienced driver in the group with four past Rolex 24 starts including a win on debut in LMP3 in 2021. Roe and Aron are set for their sophomore starts at after debuting in 2025 while Hodenius, 19, is set to make his Rolex 24 debut this year. 

 

No. 81 DragonSpeed Corvette Z06 GT3.R

Henrik Hedman/Giacomo Altoè/Casper Stevenson/Matteo Cairoli


 

DragonSpeed’s shift back to GTD from GTD PRO is aimed at Bronze-rated Hedman, Elton Julian’s longtime driver, securing the Bob Akin Award and the invitation on offer to the 24 Hours of Le Mans that goes with it. Coincidentally, he’s the only one of the four drivers in the team’s new Corvette Z06 GT3.R with a past Rolex 24 win on his resume, in LMP2 in 2020. The other three young chargers are all impressive in their own right, although they’re also all new to Corvette. Altoè won three Motul Pole Awards in 2025 in DragonSpeed’s Ferrari and Stevenson shifts over from Heart of Racing Team’s Aston Martin; both won their first IMSA races in 2025. Cairoli has five prior Rolex 24 starts in either Porsche or Lamborghini entries.

 

No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO

Robby Foley/Patrick Gallagher/Francis Selldorff/Jens Klingmann


 

Turner Motorsport will seek to improve upon a year of fourths in 2025. It was the team’s best result on three occasions, as well as the team’s finish in the GTD championship. Longtime friends Foley and Gallagher are back for their fourth season together as co-drivers, and the 2024 runners-up have win potential readily at their disposal. Selldorff continues his rise through Turner’s internal IMSA ladder and graduates into its WeatherTech Championship GTD program for 2026 as its Michelin Endurance Cup third driver. He made key strides in the Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2025. Klingmann is the team’s Rolex 24 fourth driver stalwart. 

 

No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R

Adam Adelson/Callum Ilott/Tom Sargent/Elliott Skeer


 

Wright Motorsports started its 2025 at the Rolex 24 with a pole and runner-up finish before embarking on a year that was the model of consistency, ending between fifth and seventh in six of the remaining nine races. That 2025 peak came with Skeer securing the Motul Pole Award and finishing second with Adelson, Sargent and Ayhancan Guven. There’s a change this year with IndyCar driver and occasional sports car driver Ilott now slotting into a full-time role, with Skeer its fourth Rolex 24 driver. Adelson, now the Wright team owner, is coming off a championship year in IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX), where he won both Daytona races last year. 

 

No. 123 Muehlner Motorsports America, LLC Porsche 911 GT3 R

Ryan Yardley/Peter Ludwig/Dave Musial/Dave Musial Jr.


 

Muehlner Motorsports America makes its IMSA return after several years away, having last competed at the Rolex 24 in the LMP3 class in 2022 with two cars. The Belgian team has a definitive pro-am lineup, highlighted by 2025 Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion Yardley in what will be his WeatherTech Championship debut. Ludwig is set for his first Rolex 24 start since driving a Muehlner Porsche in 2011, while the father-son duo of the two David Musials completes the quartet. Both raced at Daytona in 2025 IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge competition in Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 entries. 

 

No. 912 Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R

Ryan Hardwick/Riccardo Pera/Morris Schuring/Richard Lietz


 

Hardwick (2022 GTD Rolex 24 winner, two-time Bob Akin Award recipient) makes his IMSA return aboard the Manthey 1st Phorm No. 912 Porsche. Together with Lietz and Pera, the same trio enters on a high of winning the FIA WEC LMGT3 championship in 2025 and are united at the Rolex 24 as Manthey is set to run for the Michelin Endurance Cup in GTD this season. Lietz is one of Porsche’s most successful 24-hour aces with six class wins at Le Mans and three at the Rolex 24. Schuring, a young Dutchman, is a Porsche driver who should be one to watch in his Rolex 24 debut. He was part of Manthey’s 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans winning LMGT3 entry.  

 

 

 

IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Features Largest Field in Six Years to Start 2026

51 Cars for BMW M Endurance Challenge in Daytona is Largest Since 2020


 

January 19, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is equal parts maintaining its core quality of entries and expanding both the quality and quantity across its Grand Sport (GS) and Touring Car (TCR) classes to open the 2026 season at Daytona International Speedway.


 

With 49 cars testing during the Roar Before the Rolex 24 and the grid expanding to 51 for this week’s four-hour BMW M Endurance Challenge, the series boasts its largest Daytona car count since 2020. That year’s split of 51 cars was divided into 33 GS and 18 TCR. This year, there will be 35 GS and 16 TCR entries. 


 

GS Field Wide-Open Following RS1 Graduation to WeatherTech Championship


 

Starting in GS, the same seven manufacturers present from 2025 carry into 2026. BMW leads the way with nine cars, while Ford follows closely with eight. Porsche runs six cars, Aston Martin five, Toyota four, Mercedes-AMG two and McLaren one.


 

Defending champions RS1 step up to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, leaving the GS title race wide open. Jan Heylen is back for Daytona as part of BGB Motorsports’ entry with Spencer Pumpelly and Thomas Collingwood in their No. 83 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS. Everyone down from second to 12th in the championship is back for 2026; those that finished second through fifth have as good a chance as any to emerge on top.


 

From Jeff Westphal and Sean McAlister (No. 39 CarBahn by Peregrine racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO) to Austin Krainz and Stevan McAleer (No. 27 AutoTechnic BMW M4 GT4 EVO) in BMWs to the new young pairing of Nate Cicero and Robert Noaker (No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing Ford Mustang GT4) and the experienced duo of Michael Cooper and Moisey Uretsky (No. 44 Ibiza Farm Motorsport McLaren Artura GT4), any or all could once again contend for the title. Cooper and Uretsky won Daytona last year and the last two races of 2025.

Turner Motorsport has a dual threat with four past GS champions (Dillon Machavern and Luca Mars in No. 95, Vin Barletta and Robby Foley in No. 96) aboard its pair of BMW M4 GT4 EVOs. 


 

Further past champions Matt Plumb (No. 46 Team TGM) and Billy Johnson (No. 59 KOHR Motorsports) resume their battle to break their tie on 24 victories as the series’ winningest driver, now both driving Ford Mustang GT4s following Team TGM’s switch. They’ll share their cars with Paul Holton (No. 46) and Robert Michaelian (No. 59) respectively; KOHR’s second car of Evan Slater and Ray Mason (No. 60 Ford) will honor the life of the late NASCAR star Greg Biffle and his family with a Grainger-blessed tribute livery in Daytona. TGM’s second car, the No. 64 Ford features defending Bronze Cup GS champions Ted Giovanis, Hugh Plumb and regular Daytona third driver Kris Wilson.


 

Both Rebel Rock Racing’s No. 71 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 EVO (Frank DePew and past GS champion Robin Liddell) and Winward Racing’s No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 (Daan Arrow and Bryce Ward) are good for wins but will look to rebound after winless 2025s. Steven Cameron Racing/Racing to End Alzheimer’s (Sean Quinlan and Greg Liefooghe in their No. 19 Ford Mustang GT4) was a quiet but solid top-10 finishing entrant in 2026 and seeks to join the list of winners, as does past TCR champions Mikey Taylor and Chris Miller driving UniTronic JDC-Miller MotorSports’ No. 17 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS in its second year in class.


 

Legends and young stars also dot the class. The new-look Random Vandals Racing entries feature IMSA’s all-time winningest driver, Bill Auberlen, and three younger stars in IMSA 3D Scholarship recipient Nicky Hays, IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge GTDX Bronze Cup champion Samantha Tan and past Michelin Pilot Challenge race winner Robert Megennis split between its No. 38 (ST by Random Vandals, Tan and Auberlen) and No. 92 (Random Vandals, Hays and Megennis) cars. 


 

Past series champion Owen Trinkler is another making a welcome return, as part of VRC Motorsports Group LLC’s new No. 91 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS with Dan Ammann and Darren Law for Daytona. Toyota has a targeted young driver approach in its four GR Supra GT4 EVOs: keep an eye out for any and all of 2025 VP Racing Challenge GSX champion Kiko Porto and Varun Choksey (No. 12 RAFA Racing), Jaxon Bell and Ford Koch (No. 23 Koch-Copeland Motorsports), Caio Chaves and Thiago Camilo (No. 54 PANAM Motorsport) and Harrison Goodman and Lucas Weisenberg (No. 67 BSI Racing).


 

There are seven women in GS, including the aforementioned Tan. There’s an all-female lineup of Hannahs Grisham and Greenemeier aboard Heart of Racing Team’s No. 26 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 EVO. Madeline Stewart graduates from Porsche Carrera Cup North America in CSM’s No. 2 Porsche Cayman GT4 RS CS. 


 

Megan Tomlinson steps up from Touring Car (TCR) to GS in the No. 22 Shopify Racing Powered by TWOth Porsche with her father Ron. Then there’s two wife and husband teams; Aurora Straus shares with Kenny Murillo shortly after they tied the knot in the No. 24 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4. Christine and Ben Sloss are back for their second season in the No. 10 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 EVO, one of several quality Bronze Cup entries.


 

CarBahn (No. 37) and Auto Technic (No. 26) have extra BMW entries for Daytona, 89x Motorsports (No. 8 Aston Martin Vantage GT4) and LAP Motorsports (No. 30 Ford Mustang GT4) are back after partial 2025 seasons, Circle H Racing (No. 14 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 EVO) switches team names and cars, while additional series newcomers include Medusa Motorsports (No. 4 Ford Mustang GT4), VPX Motorsport (No. 7 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS) and Thunder Bunny (No. 66 BMW M4 GT4 EVO). 

 

TCR Field Spread More Evenly Across Four Manufacturers


 

Hyundai has had strength in numbers the last several Touring Car (TCR) seasons, but a wider spread is evident heading into 2026. Hyundai has still won the last six TCR manufacturer championships (2020 through 2025) and six of the last seven driver titles (2019 through 2023, 2025) but will have to work hard to defend their crowns in 2026.


 

As ever, the Bryan Herta Autosport w/Curb Agajanian quartet of Hyundai Elantra N TCRs expect to contend. And also as usual, there’s slight refreshes of the lineup for two of its four cars. Mason Filippi now joins Bryson Morris in the team’s No. 33 Hyundai, with 2019 TCR champion Mark Wilkins and Madison Aust uniting in the No. 98 Hyundai. Wilkins and Filippi essentially trade between the No. 33 and 98 from this year, while Aust moves from the team’s developmental No. 9 car into Herta’s flagship No. 98 car for her second season.


 

Last year’s runner-up Denis Dupont and Preston Brown remain unchanged in the No. 76 Hyundai, and veteran Jon Miller and Lance Bergstein are set for a full year with Herta in their No. 18 Elantra. The two-time and defending TCR champion, Harry Gottsacker, shifts to the third driver slot alongside Miller and Bergstein at least for Daytona. Rockwell Autosport Development, a Herta-affiliated entry, prepares for its first full year with Hyundai with its new-look lineup of Doug Oakley and Daniel Hanley.


 

Cupra enters on a high from a two-win finish to 2025 for its second year, expanding from two to four cars. The Victor Gonzalez Racing Team expands back to two cars, with Franco Girolami joining Tyler Gonzalez for a full season in its No. 99 Cupra Leon VZ TCR and newcomers William Tally and Steven Clemons sharing the sister No. 21 car. The aligned forces of Gou Racing and series newcomers Stallion Motorsports will also seek to impress. The father-son Eduardo and Eddie Gou share their No. 55 Cupra while the all-Brazilian pairing of 2025-’26 IMSA 3D Scholarship recipient Celso Neto and Raphael Reis seek to score their first wins in IMSA in Stallion’s No. 77 Cupra.

Honda, too, has a quartet of contenders. MMG’s LP Montour and Karl Wittmer nearly won the 2025 TCR title and will look to leap two spots in 2026 in their No. 93 Honda Civic FL5 TCR, joined at Daytona by Dai Yoshihara. KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering seeks a bounce back campaign in its second year with Honda while Pegram Racing’s father-daughter pairing of Larry and Riley Pegram switches from Hyundai this year. Veteran part-timers HART will once again return for another season as their schedule allows.


 

That leaves Audi with the fewest cars, three, but still strength in its effort. Baker Racing ascends as the brand’s most voluminous entry with a pair of RS3 LMS TCRs; James Vance, the father-and-son pair of Dean and Sam Baker and Indy car veteran Bruno Junqueira impressed more often than not in 2025 but didn’t have full results to justify the promise. The returning RVA Graphics by Speed Syndicate effort won at VIR last year and seeks additional success in 2026.


 

The Michelin Pilot Challenge has two one-hour practice sessions, Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET and Thursday at 8:45 a.m. ET. Qualifying takes place Thursday 1:15 p.m. ET. A final 30-minute practice session takes place Friday morning at 9:10 a.m. ET before the green flag of the four-hour race at 1:45 p.m. ET. Live coverage streams on Peacock (U.S.) and IMSA’s Official YouTube channel (outside the U.S.).

Fast Facts

BMW M Endurance Challenge

Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla.  

Jan. 21-23, 2026


 

  • Race Day/Time: Friday, Jan. 23, 1:45 p.m. ET
  • Live Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 1:40 p.m. ET, Peacock in the U.S., globally on IMSA.tv and IMSA YouTube ad-free courtesy of Michelin
  • Circuit Type: 3.56-mile, 12-turn road course
  • Classes Competing: Grand Sport (GS), Touring Car (TCR)
  • Race Length: Four hours

 

Michelin Pilot Challenge Track Records

  • GS: Luca Mars, Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS, 1:52.117 / 114.309 mph, January 2025 (Qualifying)
  • TCR: Bryson Morris, Hyundai Elantra N TCR, 1:56.457 / 110.049 mph, January 2025 (Qualifying)


 

2025 BMW M Endurance Challenge Winners

  • GS: Michael Cooper/Moisey Uretsky, No. 44 Accelerating Performance (Ibiza Farm Motorsport) McLaren Artura GT4
  • TCR: Denis Dupont/Preston Brown, No. 76 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR
 

Rolex 24 Offers ‘Refreshing’ Start to 2026 Global Racing Season

GTP ‘Evo’ Versions Are Tip of the Excitement Iceberg for 64th Running of Iconic Endurance Event


 

January 19, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Carmakers call it a mid-cycle refresh when they make small but significant detail changes to their products, whether through refinements in powertrain and chassis technology or performance-related styling tweaks.


 

The premier Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is experiencing a mid-cycle refresh of its own in 2026. Four of the five participating manufacturers – Acura, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche – are introducing updated “Evo” (evolution) versions of their hybrid-powered race cars, and the Aston Martin Valkyrie will compete in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona for the first time. 


 

In addition, every GTP competitor will be turning their first competitive laps on a new design of Michelin tire that features a unique visual identity and improved warm-up characteristics. 


 

It all adds up to a world of newness and uncertainty for when the 60-car field (spread among four classes) takes the green flag Saturday to race twice around the clock on the Daytona International Speedway road course that combines a technical infield section with long stretches of the track’s iconic banked oval. With its January date and diverse field of drivers from around the world, the Rolex 24 has long served as the opening race of the new year not only for the WeatherTech Championship, but for fans of all forms of racing. 


 

Anticipation and excitement for the event is higher than ever this year. Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher revealed all signs are trending towards a potential attendance record for this year’s race. But no one is more amped than the drivers.


 

“Obviously, always looking forward to Daytona – it’s starting the new year,” said Filipe Albuquerque, who owns two overall Rolex 24 victories along with a class win. This year, Albuquerque is sharing the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R with Ricky Taylor and Will Stevens.


 

“A lot of preparation from Wayne Taylor Racing in the offseason; we have the ‘jokers’ (IMSA-homologated upgrades) on the Cadillac, so I’m really excited to see the evolution, but also from our competitors as well. I think we will only know the true speed of each one when we are on track with everybody at the same time.


 

“New car livery, new helmet, new suit. It’s like starting from zero.”


 

As the two-time defending GTP class champion and historic leader with 20 overall victories by Porsche race cars dating to 1968 (including the last two years, with an additional four featuring Porsche engines), Porsche is clearly the benchmark at the Rolex 24. Porsche Penske Motorsport enters 2026 with aerodynamic revisions to the Porsche 963 and a revised driver lineup that leans heavily on the roster that competed for Porsche the last three years in the FIA World Endurance Championship.


 

Three-time IMSA champion Felipe Nasr is PPM’s only carryover full-season IMSA driver from 2025, joined full-time in the No. 7 Porsche 963 this year by Julien Andlauer and Laurin Heinrich in IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races. Laurens Vanthoor and Kevin Estre will share the No. 6 car, joined for IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events by 2025 GTP co-champion Matt Campbell. 


 

Both Porsche and Team Penske are celebrating significant milestones in 2026: the 75th anniversary of Porsche Motorsport, and the 60th anniversary of Team Penske, which made its first official start in the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona – the first year Daytona’s endurance race was extended to a full 24 hours.


 

“We want more,” said Thomas Laudenbach, vice president of Porsche Motorsport. “In the anniversary year of Porsche Motorsport and on the 60th birthday of Team Penske, we have clear objectives: a third consecutive Daytona victory with the Porsche 963, and we intend to compete for titles in the IMSA series again in 2026.”

Cadillac boasts a three-car armada, with two Wayne Taylor Racing entries and the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R entry that carried Jack Aitken to a pair of late-season wins and second place in the 2025 GTP standings.


 

“We haven’t gone for a massive revolution or anything; we’re just trying to pick off those little wins and keep the ball rolling,” Aitken said. “We’ve got a good driver lineup, we’ve got a good car, we’re happy with our crew. I think we just need to be consistent. There’s no magic dust; it’s just being sensible.”


 

Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian approaches 2026 with an upgraded version of the Acura ARX-06 and a sense of stability after spending much of last year catching up from missing the 2024 GTP campaign. MSR’s full-season driver pairings of Tom Blomqvist/Colin Braun (No. 60) and Renger van der Zande/Nick Yelloly (No. 93) are assisted at Daytona by a group of international all-stars, including IndyCar champions Scott Dixon and Alex Palou, NASCAR’s AJ Allmendinger and rising Japanese ace Kaku Ohta.


 

“I’ve done this race every year since 2004 and I love it,” said Dixon, a four-time Rolex 24 winner, including three overall victories. “A lot of the times you can get to the end of the race, and you could be racing 10 people for the win in the last 15 minutes, which is insane. 


 

“I just love the vibe and the atmosphere here, and they’ve definitely built on it. The crowds are a lot bigger than they used to be and there’s so much manufacturer support. A lot of positives.”


 

BMW is switching its IMSA partner organization for GTP from Team RLL to WRT, which has anchored BMW’s effort in WEC since the GTP formula debuted in 2023. BMW has also shuffled its driver lineup and introduced an Evo version of the BMW M Hybrid V8, leaving the car numbers (24 and 25) as virtually the only elements of the project unchanged from a year ago.


 

“There are so many new things,” said Philipp Eng, co-driver of the No. 25 entry. “I have a new full-season teammate with Marco Wittmann. New team, obviously, with WRT. There’s no doubt they are one of the best teams in the world, so I am very happy to be racing for them. We opened the performance window of the car. It’s still early days, but I think we have a very good overview of what to expect. 


 

“I’m happy that winter break is over and we get to go back racing.”


 

The Aston Martin THOR Team’s No. 23 Aston Martin Valkyrie was a popular addition to the WeatherTech Championship in 2025, and the sweet-sounding V-12 powered prototype makes its Rolex 24 debut this year. Aston Martin ended the 2025 campaign with the car’s first podium in the season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and hopes to keep the momentum going.


 

“I think continuity is really important and having pretty much everything the same will help us continue on the trajectory we ended on last year,” said Ross Gunn, who co-drives full-time with Roman De Angelis. “I’m happy that we went that route.”


 

But there is so much more to the Rolex 24 than the exotic GTP prototypes and the race for the overall victory, and any of the other three classes could deliver a barnburner finish. 


 

IMSA has become the world’s premier championship for the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class, and the Rolex 24 field features a robust 13-car entry. Over the course of the season, Bronze-rated LMP2 drivers compete for the Jim Trueman Award, which includes an invitation to compete in the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Production car-based cars built to the international GT3 standard enjoy an even bigger presence, with 15 entries set to compete in Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and 21 pro-am driver combinations slated for Grand Touring Daytona (GTD). A total of 10 manufacturers are represented – Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche. Eight compete in both classes, while Aston Martin is only in GTD and McLaren is only in GTD PRO. The annual Bob Akin Award for Bronze drivers also includes a Le Mans invitation.


 

Detailed team-by-team previews of all 60 cars will follow in the next couple days. 


 

The 64th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona begins with practice and qualifying Thursday and a final practice Friday. The green flag is set to wave at 1:40 p.m. ET Saturday.


 

Coverage of all 24 race hours will stream domestically on Peacock and internationally on IMSA.TV and the official IMSA YouTube channel. NBC will broadcast the start at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, then rejoin for the final two hours beginning at noon Sunday.

 

  

A Powerful Trio of Changes Displayed at Roar Test

Will Power’s Debut, DragonSpeed’s New Corvette Power; Powerful Biffle Tribute Adorns KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4


 

January 17, 2026

By Holly Cain

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Among the star-studded entry list for the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona is a racing superstar making his debut in the famed twice-around-the-clock race.

 

Two-time IndyCar Series champion and 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner Will Power set a fast time in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class in Saturday afternoon’s session during Roar Before the Rolex 24 testing. Power said he’s enjoyed taking in the new competitive scenery in preparation for his first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race on the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course.

 

The 44-year-old Australian, who is moving from a 17-year tenure at Team Penske in the IndyCar Series to the Andretti Global team in 2026, will actually be competing against his new teammates Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson next weekend.

 

“I’m really enjoying it, it’s a real big event that I’ve wanted to do for a long time,’’ said Power, who is driving with fellow Australians Kenny Habul and Chaz Mostert and German Maro Engel in the No. 75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3. “I’m really happy to be here.’’

 

This week marks only the second time Power has turned any laps on the famed Daytona track after also participating in the IMSA-sanctioned test in November.

 

“I’m having a lot of fun,” Power repeated. “I like it. It’s a different style of racing dealing with cars motoring by you and having to navigate a lot of traffic and being very aware of what’s going on around you. Fun.’’

 

Power conceded that the Rolex 24 has long been on his bucket list.


 

“I’ve always been a bit too late to the game talking to teams, but good timing (now). It’s funny that I hadn’t done it (previously) because I’d wanted to do it for a long time but always been so focused on being prepared in IndyCar. But I’m late enough in my career now, I’ve done it long enough, I don’t think it would affect that. So really ready to go and enjoy it.’’

 

DragonSpeed Joins Corvette Contingent

Corvette has welcomed its fifth full-season team to the WeatherTech Championship with DragonSpeed joining the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) competitive mix with its No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R. The Rolex 24 that starts January 24 will mark the racing debut in the Corvette for all four drivers. Giacomo Altoè, Henrik Hedman and Casper Stevenson are here this weekend with Matteo Cairoli absent at a schedule conflict. The first three here are determined to capitalize on this weekend’s testing; Hedman noted a successful shakedown shortly after taking the car’s delivery late last year.  

 

“It was my first-ever laps in the Corvette,’’ said Altoè, who was a key cog in DragonSpeed’s near GTD PRO title run alongside Albert Costa in 2025. “It's amazing and a very different feeling than what I'm used to. Of course, I needed a few laps to adapt. Handling was different but it's also very different with how I'm seated in the car with the seating position, the sound, how the car works. 

 

“I still need to go through all the systems so there is a lot of homework to do. I just need to find out what the car needs and we will keep progressing.” 

 

KohR Motorsports Pays Tribute to Biffle with Special Livery

IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge team KohR Motorsports is running a special tribute on one of its cars to NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, who died along with family members and friends in a plane crash December 18 in North Carolina. The No. 60 KohR Ford Mustang GT4 is carrying a paint scheme honoring the Biffles during Roar testing this weekend and again for the series’ season-opening race, the BMW M Endurance Challenge on Friday at Daytona.


 

The Mustang – with the special livery and the hashtag #BeLikeBiff – is sponsored by Roush and carries the No. 60 – all reminiscent of Biffle’s early career when he drove a No. 60 Ford owned by Jack Roush to the 2002 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship. 

 

The connection between Biffle and the team goes much deeper. Biffle’s work with Angel Flight helped provide needed supplies to regions of western North Carolina in the wake of 2024’s Hurricane Helene. The Angel Flight organization has been something that J.C. Waidler, KohR’s motorsports director of marketing and public relations, has been involved in for three decades.

 

“It’s not necessarily a motorsports thing, it’s what he meant to people off track,’’ Waidler said. “A lot of people who don’t follow NASCAR heard about what Greg and (wife) Christina did for people during the hurricane.’’

 

Dean Martin, who is co-driving the Mustang with Ray Mason and Evan Slater, was adamant that the tribute was “the right thing to do.’’ 

 

“It’s not even so much about what Greg did in racing,’’ Martin said. “It’s more of his humanitarian efforts. A lot of people don’t even realize just how much he’s done. 

 

“It was a common goal,’’ Martin said of the hurricane relief, “And this is admiration for him and what he’s done outside of racing.’’

 

 

 

Herta, Zilisch and AO’s ‘Rexy’ LEGO Turn Heads to Start 2026 Roar Test

Two Young American Drivers and One of IMSA’s Popular Teams Undergoing

Rapid Growth 


 

January 16, 2026

By Holly Cain and John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Colton Herta arrived at Daytona International Speedway for this week’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Roar Before the Rolex 24 test sessions essentially already in “race mode.” It’s been a particularly busy last few months for the American open-wheel star and past Rolex 24 At Daytona class winner.

 

The 25-year-old Californian and recent IndyCar Series headliner has just completed his first test laps in the Hitech TGR car he’ll race in the FIA Formula 2 Series this season. In addition to competing in F2, Herta has been named test driver for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team’s 2026 debut schedule. 

 

This week, however, Herta is again taking to the Daytona road course in preparation for the annual twice-around-the-clock sports car classic, co-driving the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R in the headlining GTP (Grand Touring Prototype) class with Jordan Taylor and Louis Deletraz.

 

It’s a race Herta genuinely looks forward to competing in. And next weekend he’ll attempt to add an overall class victory to the two-trophy haul he already owns in the renowned event – claiming class wins in 2019 (Grand Touring Le Mans) and 2022 (Le Mans Prototype 2) which already has elevated him among the winning ranks in the great 24-hour classic.

“A lot of us open-wheel guys always use this as a pathway to getting ready for our season because it’s always in January and we can get in the car and warm up a little bit. I think that’s where some of the attractiveness comes from,’’ Herta said of his fondness for the Rolex 24.

 

“It is super special and this race is always one that hopefully for the rest of my racing career I can do every year. I love doing this one and all the endurance races, but this one is super special because it’s the hardest to win.’’

 

It may only be January, but Herta smiled and conceded the past few months have been the busiest time of his young career – something he considers to be nothing but positive.

 

“It’s been a crazy year already, already been in different cars before even coming here,” he said. “I’ll need to be a little bit of a chameleon, able to change shades and get in different race cars and adapt quickly. That will be the name of the game this year for me.”


 

On his day one of the Roar, Herta added: "I’m happy with how the first day went. It’s always nice when you get to drive race cars. This Cadillac V-Series.R is super fun. It sounds great. It’s great to drive inside the cockpit, it does what you want as a driver. All happy signs from me for Day 1."

 

Zilisch on the Marquee

Two years ago at Media Day for the Rolex 24, Connor Zilisch was a wide-eyed 17-year-old kid who had nearly won the Mazda MX-5 Cup championship and was about to embark on a stock car career. He went nearly unnoticed in a room packed with sports car and IndyCar stars, and even a few drivers with Formula 1 pedigree.

 

Fast forward 24 months and Zilisch – who nearly won the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series (now O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) championship and is moving up to the NASCAR Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing – was arguably the most in-demand driver at Thursday’s Media Day for the 2026 Rolex 24.

 

He’s still just 19, but Zilisch has emerged as a major star wherever he competes. And while he’s set to enjoy a long and prosperous career at NASCAR's top level, the young North Carolina native will always hold sports car racing in high esteem. 

 

“It’s certainly been a wild ride,” Zilisch reflected. “Since the first time I was here 24 months ago today, a lot has changed in my life, and for the better. I’m super grateful.” 

 

Zilisch co-drove to the LMP2 class victory for Era Motorsport in his Rolex 24 debut, and he’s set to make his third start in the Daytona enduro on January 24. Not surprisingly given his meteoric career path, he’ll compete in the top GTP class, in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R. It’s his third class in as many seasons, after the LMP2 debut and a one-off Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) appearance in 2025 as part of an all-star Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R he shared with Scott McLaughlin, Shane van Gisbergen and Ben Keating.

 

“I get to race in the GTP class for the first time and try to chase a Rolex watch with three other teammates who don’t have one yet. It’s going to be an awesome weekend for all of us,” he said. “I hope I can come back and do this event every year if possible.”

 

AO’s ‘Rexy’ LEGO is Built from Success

In only its fourth year competing, two-time championship-winning team AO Racing may still be a relative “newcomer” to the WeatherTech Championship. However, it’s quickly risen up the popularity charts with the sport’s fans. 

 

Not only does AO Racing boast a talented and championship two-class lineup – its No. 99 ORECA LMP2 07, “Spike, the LMP2 Dragon” won last year’s LMP2 title with owner-driver PJ Hyett and Dane Cameron, and its No. 77 Rexy/Roxy the Dinosaur GTD PRO car hoisted the big trophy in 2024 – AO Racing’s creative car livery has become a hugely popular draw on the grid.

 

So much so that the iconic LEGO brand has recently released the team’s green GTD PRO class Porsche 911 GT3 R as a LEGO TECHNIC building set: the Rexy GT3 RAWR (LEGO Technic Porsche 911 GT3 R REXY AO Racing Car).

 

As with the decorated race team itself, the LEGO version has been an immediate success.

 

The 1,313-piece set, which even includes working airjacks, was released January 1, sold out on the LEGO website within 24 hours and on retail websites in two days, according to a team spokesperson. Fans and LEGO enthusiasts can order the sets on LEGO.com, however, and the team says they will be on sale in stores soon. 

 

This year’s AO Racing driver lineup for the Rolex 24 includes Hyett, Cameron, Jonny Edgar and Christian Rasmussen in the No. 99 ORECA that finished fifth in class last year. Veteran Nick Tandy joins new co-drivers Harry King and Alessio Picarello aboard the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche in GTD PRO, which finished eighth in class in 2025.


 

LEGO Photo courtesy of AO Racing

 

Sustainability, Range Set to Highlight Michelin’s New GTP Tire

Positive Feedback from November Test Sets the Scene for Rolex 24 Debut


 

January 14, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – At first glance, Michelin’s new Pilot Sport Endurance prototype tire reveals a the proverbial “wow” factor. Its tread looks highly unusual, with a glistening color and pattern that differs from any other prototype tire in motorsport. But its purpose is more than just stunning looks: it’s also about delivering equally stunning performance while achieving enhanced sustainability targets. 


 

Michelin, the Official Tire of IMSA, brings not one but two new tires to WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition in 2026. The new Pilot Sport Endurance tire for Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) is the headliner, while the Grand Touring Daytona classes will shift to more of an evolutionary tire: the Pilot Sport Pro GT H1+. 


 

The prototype tire emerges as the result of a final yearlong run of testing across four circuits: two globally at Lusail International Circuit in Qatar and Le Castellet in France, and two domestically at Sebring International Raceway and Watkins Glen International. 


 

The purpose is to maintain the existing tire line peak performance and balance, while delivering improved warm-up, better consistency and wear while also maintaining the durability over the double stints it’s required to run as part of both Michelin and IMSA’s respective sustainability targets.


 

This range of circuits covered low-to-medium severity tracks, and moderate-to-significant temperatures ranging anywhere from 70 degrees ambient and track to near 100 degrees ambient and well over 100 degrees on track at Watkins Glen.


 

As the tire is developed for both IMSA GTP cars and FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercars – cars in both LMDh and LMH specification – it runs a wide gamut of vehicles. 


 

All the while, the enhanced sustainability goal was a major factor in the development.

“The goal was to produce a racing tire with 50 percent recycled and renewable material in the tire, which is a first,” explained Hans Emmel, Michelin's corporate racing manager for the WeatherTech Championship. “That was one of the stated targets. And in doing so, we didn't want to lose performance. 


 

“We need to keep the same peak performance that we have, but at the same time acknowledge we needed to improve warm-up, so the drivers have a better feel for the tire on their out laps.”


 

It’s a fair and honest assessment from the manufacturer, as the warm-up period often took multiple laps in the opening stages of a stint. Driver feedback proved a big part in the change to the new Pilot Sport Endurance tire, which appears to have resolved that.


 

“We’re hearing about improved consistency and slightly better wear,” Emmel said. “After the morning test session (at Daytona), I've got a lot of feedback from drivers in different teams that the warm-up is definitely better and the consistency is directionally better.”


 

Indeed, the IMSA-sanctioned November test at Daytona marked the first full-scale test for 2026 where the new Pilot Sport Endurance tire was available to all competitors. Those that stuck around at either or both of Sebring or Watkins Glen may have sampled the tire in those respective sessions.


 

Ricky Taylor, co-driver of the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R, was particularly pleased with the change.


 

“They did an amazing job with the new tire,” said the elder Taylor brother. “We only ran on the medium today, and even, like, no matter where we were in the temperature window, the warm-up was really good. Deg seemed no worse. But the warm-up was significantly better. I think every driver hears that and is breathing a big sigh of relief.” 


 

Ross Gunn, co-driver of the No. 23 Aston Martin THOR Team Aston Martin Valkyrie, had an opportunity to compare and contrast from Watkins Glen.


 

“This tire is definitely noticeably easier to get up to temperature, and we felt that immediately in Watkins Glen,” said the Englishman. “It was the hottest day of the year there, but still it was good learning.”


 

Double stinting tires has become a hot topic in the prototype paddock the last several years, and Michelin took note of it when building, testing and designing the new tire. The sustainability targets come with a need for double stinting at the five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds. The warm-up challenge tended to have a knock-on effect early, where teams rarely desired to take new tires to account for the warm-up period but adapted over time.


 

“Coming in in 2023, these were brand-new cars and brand-new tires,” Emmel reflected. “And I think it took some time for the teams to learn their cars, to learn how they interact with the tires, for everybody to learn about how the tires function and what temperature windows they function the best, and how to put them in that window.


 

“The teams have learned a tremendous amount about how to get heat into the tires when they need to and how not to put that into the tires when they don't want to, depending on the conditions. That naturally leads to using the tires over a longer duration, so it’s more effective and easier for the teams to implement.”


 

That’s particularly pertinent at Daytona, where ambient and track temperatures can be as cold as the low-to-mid 30-degree Fahrenheit range but can also rise to north of 70 degrees ambient and 80s on track. 

The new GT tire isn’t a wholesale change, instead more of an evolution. Per Jeff Fischer, Michelin motorsports series manager for the WeatherTech Championship, the changes come after identifying two key areas of enhancement.


 

“There's two changes to it,” he said. “One is improved bead fit on rims of all the different GT OEMs, and the second is a change to the tread profile to improve thermal robustness at hotter condition tracks. There’s no change to the compound or any other casing or construction changes. We just identified a few small areas that we can continue to make improvements and accommodate the need of the competitors in the category and composition for the tire to be robust for this series.”


 

The 2026 season will be the eighth season together where Michelin supplies all cars amidst the WeatherTech Championship. Additionally in IMSA, Michelin also supplies two Challenge series, Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin and Ford’s Mustang Challenge. On a given weekend, that means Michelin may supply more than 100 cars, compared to its previous time building bespoke tires with different compounds in the open-competition era of GT Le Mans for five manufacturers and nine to 10 cars. 


 

“You look at how many different manufacturers won and how many different teams won, and the thing they all had in common is they are all running at the same tire,” Fischer said. “So to be able to offer a product that's so competitive, all the manufacturers and teams that choose to be here are all part of making such a good battle.”


 

Emmel added, “I think it rolls back into more of a track-to-street message, and certainly the fact that Michelin wants to use motorsports as a laboratory. Michelin, as a company, has a very publicly stated goal of having 40 percent of materials going into its roadgoing tires, be recycled or renewable materials by 2030. We just introduced the Michelin Pilot Sport Endurance tire with 50 percent. 


 

“We're already doing it in motorsports, so that's that perfect example of motorsports is the laboratory to figure out and innovate how we can move forward on the street with all of our products available.”

The only thing more voluminous than tires at an event, it seems, is fan count, as Emmel and Fischer reflected about Motul Petit Le Mans. 


 

“I can say being here since 2019, I don't even have to see numbers,” Emmel said. “I can see it in the paddock. I can see it in the grid walks. I can see it in the amount of people camping in the infield at Road America, for example, or Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Every year at Petit, I think they can't get any more people there and year after year, you see it and it's exciting. 


 

“And I can tell you one thing too, is I've seen a lot more younger people, if you will, it seems like the demographic age as shifted down a bit, which is exciting, and I think fairly positive. I think that sports car racing, and racing in general is becoming more and more popular with a younger age group and we're excited to be part of it. And I think the manufacturers are and committed sponsors as well.”


 

Fischer added, “Every event we go to the paddock and pit lane are completely full, which means that we and IMSA are doing something right to attract racers to come race here, race with the best tires in the world, the best tracks in the world in front of great fans. It's awesome. It's a racing boom. And we’re trying to figure out how to grow even more.” 

 

 

IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Set to Start 2026 Season in Daytona

Variety Of Manufacturers, Talent Present Throughout Field for Fourth Season


 

January 13, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – For its first three seasons, the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge has revealed potential stars and teams poised to ascend throughout other IMSA-sanctioned championships. The drivers and teams set to compete at Daytona International Speedway to start the 2026 season seek to do the same.


 

A total of 20 cars, split between nine Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) and 11 Grand Sport X (GSX) cars, will race a pair of 45-minute, single-driver, sprint races. Starting strong is a good indicator of title success; Valentino Catalano (LMP3), Adam Adelson (GTDX) and Kiko Porto (GSX) all swept the Daytona races last year to set up for eventual championship runs. 


 

The LMP3 field heads into 2026 with several elements of newness, both in terms of new eligible third-generation LMP3 cars and also four additional two-hour, two-driver endurance races joining the five two-race sprint weekends. 


 

Defending champions Gebhardt Motorsport are back with a three-car Duqueine D08 effort for Daytona. Oscar Tunjo will wear the team’s championship-winning No.  1 on his car, having won twice in a partial 2025 campaign that did not include Daytona starts. Meanwhile Danny Soufi (No. 11) and Jeremy Siffert (No. 31), grandson of the late Formula 1 and Le Mans race winner Jo Siffert, complete the trio. The 2024 LMP3 team champions FastMD with Remstar enter its Duqueine for Farhan Siddiqi (No. 87), one of three Bronze Cup LMP3 entrants.


 

Meanwhile the new Ligier JS P325 will make its U.S. race debut as the first new third-generation LMP3 car in 2026, with talented youngsters Brady Golan (No. 30) and Lincoln Day (No. 95) aboard Toney Driver Development’s pair of Ligiers and Travis Hill (No. 2) in the rebranded Shopify Racing Powered by TWOth Ligier. Golan finished second in the first Daytona race last year. Forte Racing continues to field the previous generation Ligier JS P320 for Bronze Cup veterans Brian Thienes (No. 77) and Jon Hirshberg (No. 86). Thienes finished second overall in 2025 and won the Bronze Cup. 


 

The GSX field has several potential contenders as well, with entries from five different manufacturers: Toyota, Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW and Ford. Toyota has four of its GR Supra GT4 EVO2s entered while Porsche has four 718 GT4 RS CS cars in the field. Aston Martin, BMW and Ford have a single Vantage GT4, M4 GT4 EVO and Mustang GT4 apiece.


 

Defending champions RAFA Racing, entered as Ave Motorsports, will look to reprise their win run from 2025 after claiming 10 of the 12 wins as part of Toyota’s perfect 12-for-12 season (BSI Racing won the other two). 


 

BSI alumnus Westin Workman (No. 8) will contend following his success in both Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin and Toyota GR Cup, the latter of which he won a championship last year. RAFA team founder Rafael Martinez steps into VP Racing Challenge this year in the team’s No. 68 entry. They replace outgoing GSX and GSX Bronze Cup champions Kiko Porto and Ian Porter, respectively. Jon Brel (No. 81 Kingpin Racing Toyota) produced a podium at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in his series debut last year and Cecilia Rabelo (No. 98 PANAM MOTORSPORT Toyota) completes the Toyota quartet.


 

For Porsche, Justin di Benedetto returns as its highest-finishing driver from 2025 in his No. 4 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS, having come fourth last year with two podiums. Grammy Award-winning music producer Jim Jonsin, Martinez’s 2025 co-driver in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, will race against him in 2026 on-board the No. 808 Porsche fielded by sports car veteran outfit, Goldcrest Motorsports. Series newcomers Dan Ammann (No. 91 VRC Motorsports Group LLC), an HSR Endurance Cup champion, and Ismaeel Ellahi (No. 25 CSM), a veteran sim racer, are also in contention. 


 

IMSA veteran Sean Quinlan (No. 19 Stephen Cameron Racing Ford Mustang GT4), newcomer Tiger Tari (No. 26 AutoTechnic Racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO) and occasional runner Mike Fitzpatrick (No. 89 89x Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage GT4) will fly the flags for their respective brands to start the year. Quinlan’s Stephen Cameron team scored a GSX podium at Daytona last year, as his Michelin Pilot Challenge co-driver Gregory Liefooghe finished second in the season opener. All three are Bronze Cup contenders along with Jonsin, Ammann, Martinez and Brel.


 

VP Racing Challenge teams have two practice sessions Friday with qualifying Saturday morning. Races are at 2:00 p.m. ET and local time Saturday and 1:20 p.m. ET and local time Sunday, streaming on Peacock and internationally via IMSA’s Official YouTube channel. 


 

Fast Facts

IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge

Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla.

January 16-18, 2026

  • Race Days/Times: Saturday, Jan. 17, 2:00 p.m. ET; Sunday, Jan. 18, 1:20 p.m.
  • Peacock Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 2:00 p.m. Saturday and 1:20 p.m. Sunday (available outside the U.S. on IMSA.tv and IMSA Official YouTube Channel)
  • Circuit Type: 3.56-mile, 12-turn road course
  • Classes Competing: Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3), Grand Sport X (GSX)
  • Race Lengths: 45 minutes

 

VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Track Records

  • P3: Bijoy Garg, Ligier JS P320, 1:43.091 / 124.317 mph, January 2023 (Qualifying)
  • GSX: Luca Mars, Ford Mustang GT4, 1:53.740 / 112.678 mph, January 2024 (Race 1)


 

2025 VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Race 1 Winners:

  • P3: Valentino Catalano, No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08
  • GTDX: Adam Adelson, No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R
  • GSX: Kiko Porto, No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2


 

2025 VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Race 2 Winners:

  • P3: Valentino Catalano, No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08
  • GTDX: Adam Adelson, No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R
  • GSX: Kiko Porto, No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2

 

 

IMSA Partners with Airbnb for Entitlement of New IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge Debuting in 2026

VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Set for a “Championship-within-a-Championship”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 9, 2026) – The endurance race portion of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge will feature a new name: the IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge, announced today in a new, multi-year agreement.


 

The IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge will provide an endurance racing platform for Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) and BMW M2 Racing (M2) class competitors in four two-hour endurance races sanctioned by IMSA that will take place on four United States Auto Club (USAC) event weekends in 2026.


 

Airbnb’s branding and marketing presence will be visible across multiple aspects in 2026 for competitors that participate in these races. Races are set to live stream on IMSA’s Official YouTube channel. 


 

“IMSA has always been about innovation and creating unique experiences for our fans, competitors, and partners,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “The introduction of Airbnb as the entitlement partner for the IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge is a perfect example of that spirit.  It is our vision that these additional endurance format events can be yet another launch pad for teams, mechanics, engineers, and drivers who want to grow with in the IMSA platforms.  Hopefully even to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the not-too-distant future.”


 

Within the IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge, LMP3 and M2 teams can field two drivers in their cars, with a minimum of one rated either Bronze or Silver. A Gold-rated second driver is permitted while Platinum drivers are prohibited.


 

The four endurance races are part of a nine-race overall LMP3 schedule that covers both these four races and five sprint race weekends, which comprise two 45-minute races per weekend. The M2 class will compete exclusively in the four IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge races.


 

The IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge is set to take place at four classic road course venues in 2026. New third generation LMP3 cars and existing second generation LMP3 cars are eligible to compete in the LMP3 class. All competitors in the M2 class will use BMW M2 Racing models. 


 

The IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge kicks off with a trip to Sebring International Raceway on March 6-8. Additional races occur at Circuit of The Americas on May 7-9, VIRginia International Raceway on June 19-21 and Road America on August 14-16.

 

 

Applications Being Accepted for 2027-28 IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship

Winner Will Receive up to $300,000 in Benefits and Chance to Race in One of Four IMSA-Sanctioned Series

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 8, 2026) – Now set for its fifth year, applications are open and being accepted for the 2027-28 IMSA Diverse Driver Development (3D) Scholarship. 


 

Up to $300,000 in benefits is available to the scholarship recipient with thanks to IMSA and several corporate partners. As in 2026-27, the recipient will be able to select one of four IMSA-sanctioned series in which they can compete.


 

To learn more about the IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship and apply, click here.


 

The IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship promotes and empowers drivers from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to participate in an IMSA series. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and/or describe how they have overcome obstacles to reach goals. They must possess a strong desire to compete in IMSA, have outstanding 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.


 

In 2025, the first scholarship recipient, Jaden Conwright, won his first Michelin Pilot Challenge race in Touring Car (TCR) at VIRginia International Raceway. Last year’s 2025-26 recipient, Celso Neto, scored multiple podiums and finished fourth in the TCR championship. Nicky Hays is this year’s recipient and is set to embark on a full season in Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) in a Random Vandals Racing BMW. Neto returns for his sophomore season in TCR with new team Stallion Motorsports and its Cupra. 


 

“Going into its fifth year, the IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship is making its impact on the IMSA paddock with the success and accolades achieved by its recipients,” said Brandon Huddleston, vice president, IMSA Partnership Marketing and Business Development. “It’s with sincere thanks to so many forward-thinking IMSA partners who have committed to this scholarship and are working to further it, grow it, and sustain it for up-and-coming drivers.” 


 

The scholarship provides a full-season premium prepaid entry fee for the first year to drive in one of the four series and 50 percent of the prepaid entry fee for the second season. It also includes tools to bring deserving drivers into IMSA and position them for holistic success both on and off the racetrack.


 

The application window for the 2027-28 scholarship is open now through February 6. The application process includes a summary of the driver’s on-track history and accomplishments, their marketing abilities through social media and existing partners/sponsors, and a video that provides insight into their interviewing skills.


 

After a thorough review of all applications, finalists will be notified later that month and will then begin IMSA-developed modules. Previous topics included marketing, business development, personal branding, media training, nutrition and how to approach teams and represent an automotive manufacturer. The final step for finalists is 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.


 

Finalists should be revealed in March, with the 2027-28 recipient set to be announced in the fall.


 

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. 

 

 

Entry List Notebook – 2026 Roar Before the Rolex 24

Two Weeks in Daytona Set to Launch 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Season


 

January 7, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The field is set to launch the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, first with today’s release of the entry list for next week’s Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. As this test is mandatory for all teams participating in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the entry list for the Roar should look substantially the same as the entry list for the race when it is released next week. 


 

As ever, the Roar and the Rolex 24 combines a range of IMSA champions, past and potentially future Formula 1 drivers, IndyCar race winners and NASCAR stars. Most of the driver lineups are confirmed with only a handful of updates and additions from the mid-December Rolex 24 entry list release. With the withdrawal of Team Tonis’ entry, a field of 60 cars is now set to compete – split 11 Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), 13 Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), 15 Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and 21 Grand Touring Daytona (GTD). 


 

The Roar test features seven total sessions over three days. All four classes are active over two sessions Friday, January 16, three sessions Saturday, January 17 and a morning session Sunday, January 18. The seventh and final session of the weekend on Sunday afternoon is reserved for Bronze-rated drivers only. 


 

That leads into the Rolex 24 race week itself, with two practice sessions Thursday, January 22 sandwiching qualifying, a final practice on Friday, January 23 and the race start on Saturday, January 24 at 1:40 p.m. ET with live coverage starting on network NBC at 1:30 p.m. ET and streaming flag-to-flag on Peacock. 


 

Fast Facts

64th Rolex 24 At Daytona

Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Florida

January 22-25, 2026

Race Day/Time: Saturday, January 24 – 1:40 p.m. ET (WeatherTech Championship | IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Round 1)

NBC Network Coverage: LIVE, Saturday, January 24 – 1:30-2:30 p.m. ET; Sunday, January 25, 12:00-2:00 p.m. ET

Peacock Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET in the U.S.; International feed coverage available on IMSA.tv and IMSA Official YouTube Channel (outside the U.S.)

Live Qualifying Stream: Thursday, January 22 – 2:05 p.m. ET on Peacock and IMSA.tv (in the U.S.) and IMSA Official YouTube Channel (outside the U.S.)

Circuit Type: 3.56-mile, 12-turn road course

Classes Competing: Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), Grand Touring Daytona (GTD)

Race Length: 24 hours

Track Social Media: 

Event Hashtags: #IMSA, #Rolex24 


 

WeatherTech Championship Track Records – Daytona International Speedway

GTP: Pipo Derani, Cadillac V-Series.R, 1:32.656 / 138.318 mph, January 2024

LMP2: Paul-Loup Chatin, ORECA LMP2, 1:35.532 / 134.154 mph, January 2022

GTD PRO: Seb Priaulx, Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), 1:44.382 / 122.780 mph, January 2024

GTD: Parker Thompson, Lexus RC F GT3, 1:44.494 / 122.648 mph, January 2024


 

2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona Motul Pole Award Winners:

GTP: Dries Vanthoor, No. 24 BMW M Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8

LMP2: Daniel Goldburg, No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07

GTD PRO: Mike Rockenfeller, No. 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3

GTD: Elliott Skeer, No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)


 

2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona Winners:

GTP: Nick Tandy/Felipe Nasr/Laurens Vanthoor, No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963

LMP2: Rasmus Lindh/James Allen/Paul Di Resta/Daniel Goldburg, No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07

GTD PRO: Christopher Mies/Frederic Vervisch/Dennis Olsen, No. 65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3

GTD: Orey Fidani/Matthew Bell/Lars Kern/Marvin Kirchhoefer, No. 13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R


 


 

Storylines

  • Global All-Stars: As usual at the Rolex 24, a wide range of drivers from across Formula 1, NASCAR and IndyCar join the wealth of international sports car stars that race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship full-time. Among the extras to watch this year: Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Connor Zilisch, AJ Allmendinger, Kevin Magnussen and Colton Herta in the GTP class; Logan Sargeant (LMP2); James Hinchcliffe, Kyle Kirkwood, Will Power and Chaz Mostert (GTD PRO); and Romain Grosjean, Scott McLaughlin and Marcus Ericsson (GTD). 
  • At Least 30 Countries: Proving the “international” is true in the International Motor Sports Association and the flags flying above Daytona’s famed “International Horseshoe,” at least 30 countries will be represented in the race.
  • Rolex 24 and IMSA Title Three-Peat Pursuits: Porsche Penske Motorsport kicks off its run to attempt winning both a third straight Rolex 24 overall and its third straight IMSA GTP championship. Winward Racing, meanwhile, seeks its third straight GTD title and a third Rolex 24 win to add to its 2021 and 2024 triumphs.
  • A Dozen Manufacturers: A total of 12 of IMSA’s 18 automotive manufacturers race in the Rolex 24, with others sprinkled in additional IMSA-sanctioned championships at Daytona. The dozen present in Daytona include Porsche with a race-high nine cars, along with Ferrari, Chevrolet, Mercedes-AMG, BMW, Aston Martin, Ford, Acura, Cadillac, Lamborghini, Lexus and McLaren. All LMP2 entries utilize ORECA chassis powered by Gibson engines. 
  • What’s New to Watch: A mix of new teams, new drivers and one new car – the Aston Martin Valkyrie makes its Rolex 24 debut – will look to impress in their first outings in this race. With BMW M Team WRT taking over the BMW GTP program, RLL Team McLaren shifts to GTD PRO and brings the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo back to IMSA after a year’s absence. There’s also new Michelin GTP and GT tires and multiple evo kits across both the GTP and GT ranks.
  • What May be Saying Farewell: With Toyota’s new GR GT3 car on the way, the 10th try for the Lexus RC F GT3 may be Vasser Sullivan Racing’s last with this model to gain its elusive first Rolex 24 win. Additionally, the three-time Rolex 24-winning Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 may be set for its final Rolex run as well, with the new Temerario GT3 readying for its race debut in March’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. 
  • Family Ties: There are multiple sets of brothers and family connections in the field. In GTP, Jordan and Ricky Taylor and Dries and Laurens Vanthoor will go head-to-head. In LMP2, brothers Enzo and Pietro Fittipaldi share the same car. And in GTD, a father-son pairing of Dave Musial Sr. and Dave Musial II share a car. 


 

With most of the field confirmed, there will be more than 60 Rolex 24 winners, more than 50 IMSA champions and more than 50 24 Hours of Le Mans winners in this year's field, with potentially more in each category to come.


 

Rolex 24 At Daytona Winners in 2026 Rolex 24 Field (65)

  • Scott Dixon (4): DP/Overall – 2006; P/Overall – 2015; GTLM – 2018; DPi/Overall – 2020 
  • Filipe Albuquerque (3): GT – 2013; P/Overall – 2018; DPi/Overall – 2021 
  • Colin Braun (3): PC – 2014; LMP2 – 2020; GTP/Overall – 2023 
  • Antonio Garcia (3): DP/Overall – 2009; GTLM – 2015, 2021 
  • Richard Lietz (3): GT – 2012; GTLM – 2014; GTD – 2022 
  • Felipe Nasr (3): GTD PRO – 2022; GTP/Overall – 2024, 2025
  • Jordan Taylor (3): P/Overall – 2017; DPi/Overall – 2019; GTLM – 2021 
  • Tom Blomqvist (2): DPi/Overall – 2022; GTP/Overall – 2023 
  • Mirko Bortolotti (2): GTD – 2018, 2019
  • Sebastien Bourdais (2): P/Overall – 2014; GTLM – 2017
  • Matt Campbell (2): GTD PRO – 2022; GTP/Overall – 2024 
  • Indy Dontje (2): GTD – 2021, 2024 
  • Philip Ellis (2): GTD – 2021, 2024 
  • Maro Engel (2): GTD – 2021; GTD PRO – 2023 
  • Joey Hand (2): P/Overall – 2011; GTLM – 2017 
  • Colton Herta (2): GTLM – 2019; LMP2 – 2022
  • Oliver Jarvis (2): GT – 2013; DPi/Overall – 2022
  • Alessandro Pier Guidi (2): GTD – 2014; GTD PRO – 2024
  • John Potter (2): GT – 2012; GTD – 2016
  • Spencer Pumpelly (2): GT – 2006, 2011
  • Rene Rast (2): GT – 2012; GTD – 2016
  • Nick Tandy (2): GTLM – 2014, GTP/Overall – 2025 
  • Ricky Taylor (2): P/Overall – 2017; DPi/Overall – 2021 
  • Renger van der Zande (2): DPi/Overall – 2019, 2020
  • Russell Ward (2): GTD – 2021, 2024 
  • AJ Allmendinger (1): DP/Overall – 2012 
  • Scott Andrews (1): LMP3 – 2021 
  • Matthew Bell (1): GTD – 2025 
  • James Calado (1): GTD PRO – 2024 
  • Andrea Caldarelli (1): GTD – 2020 
  • Dane Cameron (1): GTP/Overall – 2024 
  • Nicky Catsburg (1): GTLM – 2021 
  • Roman De Angelis (1): GTD – 2023 
  • Connor De Phillippi (1): GTLM – 2019
  • Paul Di Resta (1): LMP2 – 2025 
  • Philipp Eng (1): GTLM – 2019 
  • Orey Fidani (1): GTD – 2025 
  • Felipe Fraga (1): LMP3 – 2022 
  • Misha Goikhberg (1): PC – 2016
  • Daniel Goldburg (1): LMP2 – 2025 
  • Jules Gounon (1): GTD PRO – 2023 
  • Ben Hanley (1): LMP2 – 2020 
  • Ryan Hardwick (1): GTD – 2022 
  • Henrik Hedman (1): LMP2 – 2020 
  • Ben Keating (1): GTD – 2015
  • Lars Kern (1): GTD – 2025 
  • Marvin Kirchhoefer (1): GTD – 2025 
  • Kenton Koch (1): PC – 2016 
  • Corey Lewis (1): GTD – 2020 
  • Rasmus Lindh (1): LMP2 – 2025 
  • Christopher Mies (1): GTD PRO – 2025 
  • Tommy Milner (1): GTLM – 2016
  • Chaz Mostert (1): GTLM – 2020 
  • Dennis Olsen (1): GTD PRO – 2025 
  • Christian Rasmussen (1): LMP2 – 2024 
  • Davide Rigon (1): GTD PRO – 2024 
  • Zacharie Robichon (1): GTD – 2022 
  • Mike Rockenfeller (1): DP/Overall – 2010
  • Daniel Serra (1): GTD PRO – 2024 
  • Madison Snow (1): GTD – 2020 
  • Marco Sorenson (1): GTD – 2023 
  • Laurens Vanthoor (1): GTP/Overall – 2025 
  • Nico Varrone (1): LMP3 – 2023 
  • Frederic Vervisch (1): GTD PRO – 2025 
  • Connor Zilisch (1): LMP2 – 2024


 

IMSA Champions in 2026 Rolex 24 Field (52)

  • Antonio Garcia (7): American Le Mans Series GT – 2013; WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021; GTD PRO, 2025; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2015
  • Ben Keating (7): WeatherTech Championship LMP2 – 2021, 2023; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2017, 2018, 2019; LMP2 – 2021, 2022
  • Felipe Nasr (7): WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2018; DPi 2021; GTP – 2024; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Prototype – 2018; DPi – 2019; GTP – 2024, 2025
  • Dane Cameron (6): WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2014; Prototype – 2016; DPi – 2019; GTP – 2024; LMP2 – 2025; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTP – 2024 
  • Mikkel Jensen (5): WeatherTech Championship LMP2 – 2021; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup LMP2 – 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025
  • Colin Braun (4): WeatherTech Championship PC – 2014, 2015; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup PC – 2014; WeatherTech Championship LMP3 – 2022
  • Tommy Milner (4): American Le Mans Series GT – 2012; WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2016; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2016, 2021
  • Madison Snow (4): WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2018, 2023; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2020; GTD PRO – 2024 
  • Jordan Taylor (4): GRAND-AM DP – 2013; WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2017; GTLM – 2020, 2021 
  • Philip Ellis (3): WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2024, 2025; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2024
  • Felipe Fraga (3): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2019; LMP3 – 2022, 2023
  • Alexander Sims (3): WeatherTech Championship GTP – 2023; GTD PRO – 2025; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTP – 2023 
  • Ricky Taylor (3): WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2017; DPi – 2020; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup DPi – 2021 
  • Russell Ward (3): WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2024, 2025; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2024
  • Filipe Albuquerque (2): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Prototype – 2017; DPi – 2021 
  • Tom Blomqvist (2): WeatherTech Championship DPi – 2022; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup DPi – 2022 
  • Matt Campbell (2): WeatherTech Championship GTD PRO – 2022; GTP – 2025 
  • Joey Hand (2): American Le Mans Series GT – 2011; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2018
  • Trent Hindman (2): WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2019; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2021 
  • Hunter McElrea (2): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup LMP2 – 2024, 2025
  • Oliver Jarvis (2): WeatherTech Championship DPi – 2022; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup DPi – 2022 
  • Nick Tandy (2): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2021; GTP – 2025 
  • Renger van der Zande (2): WeatherTech Championship PC – 2016; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup DPi – 2020 
  • Laurens Vanthoor (2): WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2019; GTD – 2021 
  • Scott Andrews (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup LMP3 – 2021 
  • Earl Bamber (1): WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2019 
  • Ben Barnicoat (1): WeatherTech Championship GTD PRO – 2023 
  • Roman De Angelis (1): WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2022
  • Tom Dillmann (1): WeatherTech Championship LMP2 – 2024 
  • Indy Dontje (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2024
  • John Farano (1): WeatherTech Championship LMP2 – 2022 
  • Jon Field (1): American Le Mans Series LMP675 – 2002 
  • Jules Gounon (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD PRO – 2023 
  • Jack Hawksworth (1): WeatherTech Championship GTD PRO – 2023 
  • Ben Hanley (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup LMP2 – 2023 
  • Dan Harper (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD PRO – 2025 
  • Laurin Heinrich (1): WeatherTech Championship GTD PRO – 2024
  • Max Hesse (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD PRO – 2025 
  • Jan Heylen (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2021 
  • PJ Hyett (1): WeatherTech Championship LMP2 – 2025 
  • Brendan Iribe (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2022 
  • Kenton Koch (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD 2023
  • George Kurtz (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup LMP2 – 2023 
  • Simon Mann (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2025
  • Alessandro Pier Guidi (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2025
  • John Potter (1): GRAND-AM North American Endurance Cup GT – 2012 
  • Davide Rigon (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD PRO – 2022 
  • Zacharie Robichon (1): WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2021 
  • Daniel Serra (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD PRO – 2022 
  • Luca Stolz (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2018 
  • Neil Verhagen (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD PRO – 2024
  • Lilou Wadoux (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2025

 

24 Hours of Le Mans Winners in 2026 Rolex 24 Field (59)

  • Richard Lietz (6): GT2 – 2007, 2010; GTE Pro – 2013, 2022; LMGT3 – 2024, 2025
  • James Calado (3): GTE Pro – 2019, 2021; Hypercar/Overall – 2023 
  • Antonio Garcia (3): GT1 – 2008, 2009; GTE Pro – 2011 
  • Alessandro Pier Guidi (3): GTE Pro – 2019, 2021; Hypercar/Overall – 2023
  • Earl Bamber (2): LMP1/Overall – 2015, 2017
  • Oliver Jarvis (2): LMP2 – 2017, 2024
  • Ben Keating (2): GTE Am – 2022, 2023
  • Tommy Milner (2): GTE Pro – 2011, 2015
  • Nicklas Nielsen (2): GTE Am – 2021; Hypercar/Overall – 2024 
  • Francois Perrodo (2): GTE Am – 2021; LMP2 Pro-Am – 2024 
  • Mike Rockenfeller (2): GT2 -2005; LMP1/Overall – 2010 
  • Daniel Serra (2): GTE Pro – 2017, 2019 
  • Jakub Smiechowski (2): LMP2 – 2023, 2025 
  • Will Stevens (2): GTE Am – 2017; LMP2 – 2022
  • Harry Tincknell (2): LMP2 – 2014; GTE Pro – 2020 
  • Nico Varrone (2): GTE Am – 2023; LMP2 Pro-Am – 2024 
  • Filipe Albuquerque (1): LMP2 – 2020 
  • Julien Andlauer (1): GTE Am – 2018 
  • Ben Barnicoat (1): LMP2 Pro-Am – 2024
  • Mathias Beche (1): LMP1-L – 2014 
  • Sebastien Bourdais (1): GTE Pro – 2016
  • Colin Braun (1): LMP2 Pro-Am – 2023
  • Dane Cameron (1): LMP2 Pro-Am – 2025
  • Matt Campbell (1): GTE Am – 2018
  • Nicky Catsburg (1): GTE Am – 2023
  • Albert Costa (1): LMP2 – 2023 
  • Antonio Felix da Costa (1): LMP2 – 2022
  • Louis Deletraz (1): LMP2 Pro-Am – 2025
  • Paul Di Resta (1): LMP2 – 2020 
  • Tom Dillmann (1): LMP2 – 2025 
  • Charlie Eastwood (1): GTE Am – 2020 
  • Kevin Estre (1): GTE Pro – 2018 
  • Robin Frijns (1): LMP2 – 2021 
  • Antonio Fuoco (1): Hypercar/Overall – 2024
  • Bijoy Garg (1): LMP2 – 2024 
  • Ferdinand Habsburg (1): LMP2 – 2021 
  • Joey Hand (1): GTE Pro – 2016 
  • Ben Hanley (1): LMP2 Pro-Am – 2021
  • Ryan Hardwick (1): LMGT3 – 2025 
  • Henrik Hedman (1): LMP2 Pro-Am – 2021 
  • David Heinemeier Hansson (1): GTE Am – 2014 
  • PJ Hyett (1): LMP2 Pro-Am – 2025
  • George Kurtz (1): LMP2 Pro-Am – 2023
  • Maxime Martin (1): GTE Pro – 2020 
  • Charles Milesi (1): LMP2 – 2021 
  • Miguel Molina (1): Hypercar/Overall – 2024 
  • Riccardo Pera (1): LMGT3 – 2025 
  • Alessio Rovera (1): GTE Am – 2021 
  • Morris Schuring (1): LMGT3 – 2024 
  • Nolan Siegel (1): LMP2 – 2024 
  • Marco Sorensen (1): GTE Am – 2022 
  • Nick Tandy (1): LMP1/Overall – 2015 
  • Jordan Taylor (1): GTE Pro – 2015
  • Nicki Thiim (1): GTE Am – 2014 
  • Dries Vanthoor (1): GTE Am – 2017
  • Laurens Vanthoor (1): GTE Pro – 2018
  • Yifei Ye (1): Hypercar/Overall – 2025 
  • Nick Yelloly (1): LMP2 – 2025 
  • Salih Yoluc (1): GTE Am – 2020 


 

IndyCar Champions in 2026 Rolex 24 Field (3)

  • Scott Dixon (6): 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2020
  • Alex Palou (4): 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025
  • Will Power (2): 2014, 2022


 

Indianapolis 500 Winners in 2026 Rolex 24 Field (3)

  • Scott Dixon (1): 2008 
  • Alex Palou (1): 2025
  • Will Power (1): 2018


 

Supercars Champions in 2026 Rolex 24 Field (2) 

  • Scott McLaughlin (3): 2018, 2019, 2020
  • Chaz Mostert (1): 2025

 

 

Lexus’ Champion Duo Reunites for RC F GT3’s Likely Swan Song

With New Toyota GR GT3 On the Way, a Potential “Last Dance” Beckons


 

January 5, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It’s been darn near a decade since Jack Hawksworth first drove a Lexus RC F GT3. It was December 2016, and the occasion was the IMSA Winter Test at Daytona International Speedway.


 

Fast forward to November 2025, and Hawksworth was back at Daytona for another IMSA-sanctioned test – still wheeling a Lexus RC F GT3, but now with more than 100 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship career starts, 12 race wins and the 2023 Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class championship added to his résumé.


 

On December 4 in Tokyo, Toyota Gazoo Racing unveiled the GR GT3, the car that is set to replace the RC F GT3 as GR’s worldwide production-based sports car platform in 2027. But until then, Hawksworth has one more season of IMSA competition to look forward to in the Lexus. As a bonus, Vasser Sullivan is reshuffling its driver lineup and Hawksworth will be reunited his ’23 championship-winning co-driver Ben Barnicoat in the No. 14 RC F GT3 running in the GTD PRO class.

Barnicoat and Hawksworth were teamed together from 2022-24, and they never finished lower than fifth in the GTD PRO standings. Last year, Hawksworth transferred to Vasser Sullivan’s No. 12 GTD entry, which he and Parker Thompson guided to fourth in that class’ points chase. Meanwhile, Barnicoat and Aaron Telitz endured a character-building year in the No. 14 GTD PRO car; in fact, Barnicoat sustained injuries in a March mountain biking accident that forced him to miss three races as the team rotated in multiple co-drivers.


 

The final decision to team Hawksworth and Barnicoat in the No. 14 GTD PRO car (with IndyCar star Kyle Kirkwood joining them for IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds) was not confirmed until after the November Daytona test. But both drivers seemed confident that they would be reunited for another championship run. 


 

“It’s been a good combination in the past, so it kind of makes sense,” Hawksworth said between sessions at Daytona shaking down a brand-new Lexus RC F GT3 chassis. “We’re already preparing for 2026, and it’s nice to get back out there. It’s the beginning of the marathon. Before you know it, we’ll be at the Roar (Roar Before the 24 test sessions), then the race (the Rolex 24 At Daytona). That’s the one race that’s eluded us as a team so far.


 

“At the end of last year, we started to come back strong, but there was some stuff as a team we needed to improve this past season,” he added. “The team has taken some good steps. Personnel wise, we’re genuinely way more prepared than last season. Sometimes it’s good to freshen things up as well. We’re as confident as we can be.”


 

Barnicoat is eager to turn the calendar to 2026 and put behind a year when if it could go wrong, it generally did. He’s particularly enthusiastic about again sharing a car with his friend and fellow Englishman Hawksworth.

“Obviously I had the best memories I’ve had in IMSA racing with Jack and Kyle,” Barnicoat said. “What me and Jack achieved from the end of 2022 to the end of 2024 was really special; it was the peak and highlight of my career. When you start racing in IMSA and sports cars, you dream of being champions and winning the big races. We’ve won Petit (Motul Petit Le Mans) and Sebring (Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring), so we just need to tick off Daytona as a trio.”


 

While not eager to dwell on the star-crossed 2025 campaign, Barnicoat was willing to discuss it. 


 

“2025 will easily go down as the worst and toughest year of my career,” he noted. “Hopefully I don’t have to experience anything like that again. It was obviously awesome to recover, bounce back, get back in the car, but the second half of the season was a bit mixed. The results weren’t what we wanted them to be. We didn’t get the reward as a team for a challenging year. 


 

“It’s the first season that we haven’t had a podium in the No. 14 since I’ve been there, which was a big shock and a disappointment. But at the same time, that kind of last kick was a huge step of motivation – let’s work hard and do everything we can to make sure we start everything perfectly in Daytona.”


 

Hawksworth and Barnicoat were happy to see the GR GT3 finally revealed to the public; the car has been demonstrated in disguised form over the past year at events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed to build interest and anticipation. But they will have one more year racing the RC F GT3 in conjunction with the new car’s development for its 2027 racetrack debut. 


 

“If we have a completely new package, maybe it’s a hindrance because gremlins, teething issues can come and get you,” Barnicoat noted. “We’ve learned a lot over 10 seasons with this car and I think we have the best shot we’ve had. This the one race that’s eluded us. We haven’t put all the pieces together yet to finally take home the big win and get the Rolex watch.”


 

The 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship opens January 16-18 at Daytona International Speedway with the Roar Before the Rolex 24, followed Jan. 22-25 by the 64th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

 

 

Rockenfeller, Ford Seek to “Write Some More History Together”

In Revised Michelin Endurance Cup Role, Rockenfeller has Long Race Focus in 2026


 

December 30, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Although he’s now 42, Mike Rockenfeller is practically ageless. He still looks as young and drives as fast as his younger teammates within the Ford Multimatic Motorsports stable of Mustang GT3 drivers. He can easily be viewed one of sports car racing’s greatest drivers, ambassadors and gentlemen of the millennium with his affable attitude and incredible insights. 


 

The German driver best known as “Rocky” made his early mark coming up the sports car ladder with two distinct German brands: Porsche and Audi. In 2010, he won both the Rolex 24 At Daytona and 24 Hours of Le Mans overall in the same year; the Rolex aboard an Action Express Racing Riley-Porsche closed cockpit Daytona Prototype and Le Mans in a factory Audi R15 TDI Plus diesel LMP1 open prototype. He’s the second most recent driver to do that, as Fernando Alonso did so in 2019 with a Cadillac DPi-V.R at the Rolex 24 and a Toyota TS050 Hybrid in LMP1 at Le Mans.


 

But in recent years, “Rocky’s” manufacturer presence has been distinctly American. He raced both GT and Daytona Prototype Corvettes off-and-on through the mid-2010s, and then was the sports car expert who guided Jimmie Johnson, Jenson Button and the Hendrick Motorsports collaborative Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZR1 to take NASCAR back to Le Mans in 2023. He also ran select NASCAR Cup Series races for Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club team when it still ran Chevrolets. 


 

Since 2024, “Rocky” has been a “blue oval” man through and through. He’s been back in a full-time seat in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as part of Ford’s Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) effort, and through the end of 2025, was the only driver Ford kept in that full-time role for both seasons.

For 2026, things change a bit. After Rockenfeller and Harry Tincknell shared the No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3 in 2024 and Rockenfeller and Seb Priaulx then partnered to be the proverbial veteran and young charger pairing in 2025, both “Rocky” and “Sebby” shift to Michelin Endurance Cup roles in 2026 split between the Nos. 64 and 65 cars. 


 

Rockenfeller seems to feel something different with Ford than he did with the German brands he raced with earlier in his career. As he reflected during the IMSA-sanctioned November test, being part of Ford means going back more than a century and building on it as Ford continues its global motorsports ramp-up to be one of the world’s most pre-eminent motorsport manufacturers.


 

“Where I’ve come from, I was not surprised… but at Charlotte when they did the season launch two years ago, I’d just joined the program so I only understood it somewhat,” Rockenfeller explained. “But they do NASCAR. Off-road. Baja. Obviously sports car racing. They will do F1. Then Hypercar/GTP… yes, it’s Europe for now, but hopefully they come to the U.S. It’s unreal how big their program is. The Red Bull F1 thing I hope will be very successful, super cool and exciting. The range they go is unreal.”


 

Ford’s perception is changing globally, too, he noted. 


 

“For me coming from different brands and joining a new one, in Europe, Ford is a different brand than what it is in the U.S.,” Rockenfeller said. “Here, it’s massive. There, the Germans are quite big. That’s normal. 


 

“But I always had friends driving Ford. A friend of mine in go-karts has three Ford dealerships. I always looked at it, but I never imagined I’d race for Ford. To get to know the family and Jim Farley and all of them, (Mark) Rushbrook, it’s such a family. And they’re emotional with racing. They really love it, and you can see it in the programs they do.”


 

Rockenfeller then proceeded to tell just how much of the Ford family presence the manufacturer wanted to share with its drivers.


 

“The first year in Detroit, we went to the Henry Ford House, where he basically lived. It’s kind of a museum almost,” he said. “It’s unreal to hear the stories; Edsel and that. It’s unreal. To hopefully write some history together is great. I feel such a part of it. To identify, it takes a bit of time. You need to know the cars, the people, and success and not success together. Year three … this year changed a lot for me. I feel like I’m there now.”


 

Indeed, the leap Ford made in IMSA from year one in 2024 to year two in 2025 with the Mustang GT3 was paramount. Rockenfeller won the Motul Pole Award for the Rolex 24 and the duo finished third with third driver Austin Cindric, who was deputizing for the injured Ben Barker. The sister No. 65 car won the Rolex with Frederic Vervisch, Christopher Mies and Dennis Olsen.

Ford’s No. 64 car enjoyed major success as the year progressed with two wins on the streets of Detroit – notably cast against the corporate headquarters and backdrop of crosstown rivals General Motors – and then the six-hour TireRack.com Battle On The Bricks in Indianapolis. With one other podium (second at Road America), Rockenfeller and Priaulx finished third in GTD PRO points.


 

“Every victory is special in its own,” Rockenfeller admitted. “Detroit is the only street circuit (for GTD PRO). It’s cool scenery and it’s different. I love to race in cities anyway but that’s the only chance on the calendar to do so. We don’t do Long Beach. Then obviously that’s the home race for Ford Motor Company and GM is there. It’s a big battle between us. To come out on top was the highlight. 

“Indy was so cool; we were second the year before. We knew it was a strong place for us. To win with ‘Sebby’ was good as we just started working together this year and it turned out to be a pretty good combo. 


 

“Then at Indy, it was special to have the whole family (as part of new IMSA Resilient Racers program) there enjoying it, taking the pictures, being on the podium. Especially as a father of three, you understand what matters in life. You think racing is the most important or when you’re doing it. But there’s a lot more in life, to share emotions and give something back. That’s very special.”


 

For 2026, Rockenfeller will share the No. 64 car with Olsen and Barker, who are set to embark on the full-season effort. That means Rockenfeller’s IMSA goal for 2026 is trophy hunting at the three longest Michelin Endurance Cup rounds, and notably, adding another Rolex watch to his 2010 one. Missing out in 2025 stung, he admitted.


 

“In the end, to win you need to be perfect,” he said. “The other car had a better setup and we didn’t. The last two tenths, probably. They deserved it! I’m happy they did. Obviously, I’m a Ford driver, so it’s good for all of us if the car wins. 


 

“In the end we had a strong season. I’m sure the big goal is to win the championship. If you ask me what do you prefer, I don’t know if I would pick between 24 and the championship. Probably the championship. It gives a better picture of the whole year. 


 

“But at Daytona, I’d like to get a free watch and not have to buy one!”

 

 

“All” Back in the Acura Meyer Shank Racing Family

Allmendinger Return Highlights Vastly Experienced No. 60 Acura Lineup


 

December 29, 2025

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian is as serious and professional as any team in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship paddock. But team owner Mike Shank can possibly be viewed as most casual, ‘rock and roll’ team principal among his peers.


 

So maybe it’s appropriate to say that Shank is “putting the band back together” by welcoming the return of AJ Allmendinger to the team for the 64th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona International Speedway. 


 

Allmendinger, now a star in the NASCAR Cup Series for Kaulig Racing, is a Michael Shank Racing alumnus with 15 past starts in IMSA’s season-opening endurance racing classic (2006 through 2021, with the exception of 2017), including overall victory in 2012 with co-drivers Justin Wilson, Ozz Negri, and John Pew.


 

“The guy’s pretty damn cool,” observed Allmendinger, who recently joined MSR at Daytona for the IMSA-sanctioned November Test, where he turned laps in the No. 60 Acura ARX-06. “Mike’s a lot of fun. He’s a racer. He bleeds for this sport. He put his house and everything up.”

It’s a new, more complex Acura prototype and a markedly different Shank organization since Allmendinger made his last Rolex 24 appearance with the team in 2021 – and worlds apart since the then-IndyCar racer made his MSR debut in 2006. He has fond memories of teaming with the late Wilson to help grow ‘the little team that could’ into an American sports car racing powerhouse.


 

“Mike reached out to the Indy car team I was driving for in 2005 to ask would Justin and I want to come run Rolex next year,” Allmendinger recalled. “We ran it January ’06 and it just kind of took off from there. He called me back the next year and it grew for every year straight. It’s been a fun ride and hopefully this isn’t the last one. We’ll see if there’s more.


 

“I saw Mike’s new shop, and wow!” he continued. “It’s a little different than the GRAND-AM days with the same eight guys working on the car. What a beautiful shop…there’s a lot of cool pictures of us in there.”

While Allmendinger was able to get reacquainted with some familiar faces, his biggest task at the sanctioned test was to get to grips with the No. 60 Acura he will share in the Rolex 24 with full-season WeatherTech Championship drivers Colin Braun and Tom Blomqvist and six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon, who is the team’s IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup pilot. 


 

Although not all 61 entries have been finalized, the No. 60 car is likely to be the most experienced driver lineup in the Rolex 24 field with more than 60 career starts in the race. 


 

Dixon has started every Rolex 24 since 2004, while Braun is just one year behind him. This means Dixon is set for his 23rd consecutive Rolex start in 2026 and Braun his 22nd. Meanwhile, Blomqvist has opened his Rolex 24 career with finishes of first, first, second, and second. No pressure for Allmendinger to slot back in, then… 


 

“There’s definitely a lot to this car – it’s a proper race car,” he admitted. “The last time I was in (an IMSA prototype) was the (Acura ARX-05) DPi in ’21. There’s lots of buttons and it’s tricky to drive – what’s the threshold of not too much braking or too much? I found ‘too much’ right away! I’m trying to learn as quick as I can. I don’t want to be the slow guy and let them down. I know I’ll be the weak link, I just don’t want to be the weakest link in the chain. 


 

“I want to hold my weight; that’s the biggest thing,” he added. “It’s my job to run good stints and hand the car back off looking the same as it started. I told Mike, ‘I don’t want to let you down.’ He said, ‘Ain’t gonna happen - you never have.’”

Braun, 37, groaned when reminded he has participated in the Rolex 24 every year since he was 16. His first run came 20 years ago this year in 2005, as part of a “Team 16” Porsche GT effort with three teenagers and fourth driver and coach Ross Bentley, who now cohosts the “It’s Not The Car” podcast with Braun’s dad Jeff, a longtime engineer currently working with 13 Autosport, and veteran automotive journalist Sam Smith. All four drivers in the No. 60 have posted overall Rolex 24 wins.


 

Braun and Blomqvist won the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International in June to highlight what was a mixed bag of results in 2025. After a year’s absence from IMSA’s top prototype class, MSR and its drivers quickly understood that the car had changed considerably from when the No. 60 duo won at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta (the Motul Petit Le Mans) to finish a close third in the 2023 GTP standings.


 

“Last year, we had a great Daytona; that was perfect for a new team to get together and knock out a solid P2 result,” Braun remarked. “Then there were some growing pains, I think, kind of getting it all going. But I feel the second half of the year was pretty strong as a group for the for the HRC and MSR guys, and we hit the end of the season with some good momentum and knew what we needed to work on over the off season. 


 

“I feel like we’re in a really good place and excited to go to year two with all that experience and knowledge in our pocket,” he added. “We’re not, in a way, going to everywhere kind of ‘new’ again. Obviously, we had 2023, but with the break, it was kind of like restarting in ‘25. This feels like the ‘real’ second year of the program, so it’s good.”


 

Braun said he and Allmendinger have never shared a car, though they both competed in separate MSR entries in the 2009 Rolex 24.


 

“Teammates, I guess, but he was in the other car,” Braun laughed. “It’s been fun, man. He’s a cool dude. Obviously, a great race car driver, and he fits in with our culture good, so it’s fun. It’s good times.” 


 

The 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship kicks off with the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, January 16-18, followed Jan. 22-25 by the 64th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

 

 

IMSA STEM Curriculum Reflects on Successful First Year and Sets Its 2026 Schedule

Program For High School Students Set to Continue Online and at Six More Weekends in 2026

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 18, 2025) – Throughout 2025, IMSA highlighted Science, Technology Engineering, and Math elements to premier the IMSA STEM curriculum across both six IMSA race markets, as well as online as part of its new partnership with Gainbridge® and an expanded partnership  with Konica Minolta. With the first year of the program in the books, it’s worth reflecting on what was achieved for students across the U.S. and Canada.


 

The IMSA STEM curriculum was developed in conjunction with EVERFI who works with 60,000+ teachers and their schools throughout the country, providing interactive, game-based lessons, at no cost to the schools, teachers or students. 


 

In 2025, with curriculum developed in conjunction with EVERFI, the IMSA STEM program reached more than 14,000 students, more than 420 schools and nearly 500 teachers, primarily through an online resource.  In addition, 180 students attended the six on-site programs held at IMSA race venues during the 2025 season, roughly 30 per program.


 

Students completed a pre-course survey before and post-course survey at the end of the program. Students increased their knowledge of engineering career opportunities across two modules – Building & Moving and Engineering Careers Within Auto Racing – by 65 percentage points while nearly half, 49 percent, expressed at least some degree of interest in a career in auto racing after completing the two modules. Perhaps more importantly, 93 percent of those students identified potential career paths they did not know existed prior.


 

“Everfi, IMSA and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway put together such a cool day for us,” a Purdue Polytech High School teacher relayed after the IMSA STEM curriculum day at the TireRack.com Battle On The Bricks in Indianapolis. “Our students got to learn about careers in manufacturing, Motorsports and engineering in general, and it has been such a breath fresh air to see students see why the classes that they're taking in STEM especially matter in the real world.”


 

A student who attended the same day added, “For me, the activities were great. Every single one was very informative and interesting. Like I said, I loved talking to the race teams about the data collection. It was crazy to be so close to the race cars  as we were walking from location to location.”

The first of six IMSA STEM curriculum days of 2025 premiered during the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test at Daytona International Speedway. A group of 30 students from two local high schools in Volusia County, Port Orange-based Spruce Creek High School and Atlantic High School, visited the track on Friday and went through four specific stations that ladder up to the STEM curriculum. 


 

Students ran through the following four stations at Daytona, with similar stations occurring throughout the year:


 

  • Tires, Traction and Tread at the Michelin Tire Center, focusing on Physics and Engineering
  • Data-Driven Racing at the IMSA Engineering Center, focusing on Data Science and Technology
  • Engineering Safety at the IMSA Tech Inspection Area, focusing on Material Science
  • IMSA Technology Lab – Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) Hybrid Electrified Race Car at the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R garage, focusing on Physics and Engineering


 

“I'm so proud that we could kick this off this year,” IMSA President John Doonan said during the Roar. “It's something, that I think is incredibly important for the entire sport. I have a personal interest and fascination with it, simply because I have had an experience and been able to do this previously in IMSA.” 


 

For 2026, the IMSA STEM curriculum program will continue at the same six venues as in 2025. Four of the six events come in the front half of the season while students are still in school through the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix weekend at the streets of Detroit, with a continuation of the program in the fall. 


 

2026 IMSA STEM SCHEDULE​


 

  • Daytona International Speedway – 1/16​
  • Long Beach Street Circuit – 4/17​
  • WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca – 5/1 ​
  • Detroit Street Circuit – 5/29​
  • Indianapolis Motor Speedway – 9/18​
  • Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta – 10/1

 

NBC Sports to Present 160+ Hours of 2026 IMSA Coverage Across NBC, Peacock and NBCSN

2026 Schedule on NBC Features 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 24-25, Battle on the Bricks on Sept. 20, Petit Le Mans on Oct. 3, and More

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 18, 2025) – From Daytona to Indy to Watkins Glen, NBC Sports will present more than 160 hours of IMSA coverage in 2026, headlined by the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, across NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN.


 

NBC Sports’ 2026 IMSA schedule includes over 15 hours of live coverage on NBC broadcast network and over 160 hours on Peacock, with over 140 hours exclusively on Peacock. Notable races on the WeatherTech Championship schedule include the historic 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 24-25, Six Hours of The Glen on June 28, the Battle on the Bricks from famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sept. 20, and the season finale Petit Le Mans from Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Oct. 3. 


 

NBC’s live coverage includes the start and finish of January’s Rolex 24 At Daytona; flag-to-flag coverage of the Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 18; Detroit Grand Prix on May 3; GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway on Aug. 23; September’s Battle on the Bricks; and the opening hours of the 10-hour Petit Le Mans in October. 


 

Additionally, a special 2026 season preview show will be presented on Jan. 3 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. A 2026 season review special will also be presented on NBC and Peacock on Oct. 11 at 2:30 p.m. ET.


 

Peacock will serve as the streaming home of the WeatherTech Championship with flag-to-flag live coverage of all races as well as exclusive coverage of qualifying and portions of select endurance races, including the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Six Hours of The Glen, and Twelve Hours of Sebring.


 

NBCSN, NBC Sports’ recently-launched 24/7 linear network featuring a wide range of marquee sporting events and programming, will present simulstreamed coverage of select races this season, including the final portions of the Twelve Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans as well as the entire race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.


 

Peacock will once again present live coverage of IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, and IMSA-sanctioned Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, Ford Mustang Challenge, and Porsche Carrera Cup races in 2026.


 

NBC Sports’ motorsports play-by-play commentator Leigh Diffey – the “Voice of Speed” – will lead IMSA coverage, along with 1990 Rolex 24 winner and former IMSA GT driver Calvin Fish (analyst) and former CART Championship Car driver Brian Till (analyst).


 

Below is NBC Sports’ 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule:
 

Connor Zilisch Confirmed in Cadillac Whelen GTP Entry for 2026 Rolex 24

Past Rolex 24 Class Winner, Young NASCAR Phenom Back for Third Start


 

December 9, 2025

Staff Report

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Connor Zilisch has been officially confirmed as part of the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R for the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona. He’ll join the previously announced trio of Earl Bamber, Jack Aitken and Frederik Vesti to kick off the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.


 

“I’m excited to be with Action Express Racing for the Rolex 24 At Daytona,” Zilisch said. “The Rolex 24 is one of my favorite races and I’m thrilled to be with one of the best teams in the IMSA paddock. I’m very thankful to everyone at GM and Cadillac Racing for their help in making this happen. This is such a cool opportunity. We had a solid test in November at Daytona. I really enjoyed working with all the guys on the Whelen team and can’t wait to get back there for the race.” 


 

He’ll make his third straight Rolex 24 start in as many classes. In 2024, he premiered in the No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07 in Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) and won on debut. Last January, he was part of an all-star No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R in Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO). 


 

He tested the Cadillac GTP car for the first time at the IMSA-sanctioned November test at Daytona International Speedway. Meeting with media in-between sessions, Zilisch explained how well he adapted to the new car.


 

“It was awesome,” he said. “Very different, but at the same time similar to things I've driven in the past. It's kind of a mixture between the LMP2 car and the Corvette GT3 that I drove this year. A little heavier than the P2. More power, really cool. A lot of new controls and things that I have to learn, and it was a lot of fun getting to feel it out and just run a lot of laps.”


 

Zilisch has Daytona road course experience dating to his time in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin.


 

“The first time I came to Daytona racing was in MX-5 Cup,” he said. “And I've loved it ever since, and just being able to race in the 24 hours is something that I dreamed of as a kid and that's why I always come back and keep doing it. And, you know, it's my third time doing it and my third different car that that I've done it in. I'm just excited for the opportunity to even be here today and get this chance to test the car. It's been such a dream of mine to get to drive in the highest class of IMSA and doing that today has been really cool.”


 

The 19-year-old won 10 races and finished second in his first full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2025 (soon to be renamed O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026) and will graduate full-time into the NASCAR Cup Series ranks next year. 

 

 

 

 

Capacity Grid Set Again for 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona

Full Field Set for Fifth Straight Year to Open 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Season


 

December 9, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Roar Before the Rolex 24 Entry List

Rolex 24 At Daytona Entry List


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – For the fifth consecutive year, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will open its new season with a capacity grid set to run the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The full field of 61 cars set to contest the 64th running has been revealed with roughly six weeks to go until cars hit the track for the mandatory Roar Before the Rolex 24 test January 16-18, then Rolex 24 At Daytona race weekend January 22-25. 


 

There are 11 Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), 14 Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), 15 Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and 21 Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) cars making up the 61 entries. A total of 12 of the 18 participating OEMs in IMSA are part of the Rolex 24 lineup (Acura, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche).


 

Included as always are a mix of IMSA champions blended with open-wheel and NASCAR stars. The pursuit of a custom Rolex timepiece and the points to start the season off on the right foot remain the goal ahead of North America’s annual January endurance racing classic to kick off the global motorsports calendar. 


 

Grand Touring Prototype (11 Cars, 5 Manufacturers: Acura, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Porsche)

 

The GTP grid for the fourth year of the class sees all four of the LMDh specification manufacturers – all except Aston Martin – set to debut some degree of car and aerodynamic updates at the race. The drivers gracing the 11 cars in class have strong backgrounds and resumes across all forms of motorsport.


 

Fittingly, there are 11 full-season IMSA champions in the class (Laurens Vanthoor, Matt Campbell, Felipe Nasr, Laurin Heinrich, Earl Bamber, Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor, Colin Braun, Tom Blomqvist, Renger van der Zande and Roman De Angelis) with nine of them looking to add another full-season crown this year. Campbell and Heinrich are IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup extras for two-time IMSA and Rolex 24 defending winners Porsche Penske Motorsport in the Nos. 6 and 7 Porsche 963s, respectively.


 

Beyond the IMSA champions, GTP also includes marquee 24-hour race overall or class winners at either Daytona or Le Mans featuring Filipe Albuquerque (both); previous Daytona winners Rene Rast, Philipp Eng; and Le Mans winners Kevin Estre, Julien Andlauer, Louis Deletraz and Nick Yelloly.


 

The endurance extras for Daytona also feature prominently with six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon and four-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou split between the Nos. 60 and 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 entries, NASCAR star AJ Allmendinger in the No. 60 Acura, Formula 1 reserves Frederik Vesti (Mercedes-AMG) and Colton Herta (Cadillac) in the No. 31 Whelen and No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.Rs, respectively, and past F1 driver Kevin Magnussen back with BMW in the No. 25 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8. Dixon, Allmendinger and Herta all have Rolex 24 overall or class wins on their résumés. 


 

For nearly a decade, the Rolex 24 overall winner has been on a series of “streaks.” Cadillac won four straight from 2017 to 2020, with Acura winning the next three from 2021 to 2023, and Porsche winning the last two in 2024 and 2025. BMW last won the Rolex 24 overall as an engine provider in 2013, a Riley DP chassis with Chip Ganassi Racing, while Aston Martin has never won overall and most recently won in the GTD class with Heart of Racing Team in 2023.


 

Le Mans Prototype 2 (14 Cars, All ORECA LMP2 07)

 

LMP2 can be one of the toughest classes to predict at the Rolex 24 with four different team winners in the last four years. United Autosports USA enters as defending winners and is one of two teams in the class with two cars, the other being Inter Europol Competition. Daniel Goldburg, Paul Di Resta, Rasmus Lindh and newcomer Gregoire Saucy are set to race the No. 22 car while its refreshed No. 2 lineup includes two-time defending Michelin Endurance Cup LMP2 champs Mikkel Jensen and Hunter McElrea alongside Phil Fayer and Ben Hanley.


 

AO Racing is keen to add its first Rolex 24 for “Spike,” the LMP2 Dragon with an unchanged quartet of Dane Cameron, PJ Hyett, Jonny Edgar and Christian Rasmussen in the team’s No. 99 car. This entry nearly won in 2025 but for late-race mechanical woes; alas, they went on to win the LMP2 Pro/Am class at Le Mans, two straight IMSA races and the LMP2 title.


 

Strong lineups also feature from Tower Motorsports, CrowdStrike Racing by APR, TDS Racing, Inter Europol Competition and Af Corse USA, teams which have all won marquee IMSA endurance rounds but not yet won at Daytona. Era Motorsport has two Rolex 24 wins but a new lineup including ex-F1 driver Logan Sargeant set for his Rolex 24 debut. Pratt Miller Motorsports will look to translate its GT success into LMP2 form ahead of its second season, and features brothers Pietro and Enzo Fittipaldi – grandsons of F1 and IndyCar champion Emerson Fittipaldi – sharing its No. 73 car.


 

PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports has several Rolex 24 wins but goes for a new one this year partnered with Bryan Herta Autosport as the multi-time IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Touring Car (TCR) champions with Hyundai stepping into prototype racing in 2026. Intersport Racing and Team Tonis complete the entries, both new-for-2026 WeatherTech Championship teams but both featuring a mix of past experience across other sports car series in previous years.


 

Grand Touring Daytona Pro (15 Cars, 9 Manufacturers: BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche)

 

The first four years of GTD PRO at the Rolex 24 have also produced parity, with four different brands having taken the checkered flag. Porsche won the first go-around in 2022, with Mercedes-AMG winning in 2023, Ferrari in 2024 and Ford in 2025. Each of those four has a contender or two competing in 2026. 


 

Porsche comes with AO’s “Rexy,” the green dinosaur now driven by Nick Tandy, Harry King and Alessio Picariello and a second striking livery in the “Grello” yellow and green Manthey entry. Defending winners Ford are back with its two Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3s, albeit with revised driver lineups. Mercedes-AMG has three customer-run entries from Winward Racing, GetSpeed by Bartone Bros. Racing and 75 Express. Ferrari sees Risi Competizione back on its own after a year in a technical alliance with DragonSpeed, along with Triarsi Competizione stepping up to GTD PRO.


 

That leaves five other manufacturers looking for their first GTD PRO Rolex win.


 

Chevrolet won in GTD in 2025 but has not tasted top-class GT spoils at Daytona since 2021. Its two Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs are up for the task, including defending WeatherTech Championship GTD PRO champions Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims joined by Marvin Kirchhoefer in the No. 3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Lamborghini, a three-time Daytona winner in GTD, is giving its venerable Huracán GT3 Evo2 one final GTD PRO run before the anticipated debut of its new Temerario GT3 at Sebring. Pfaff Motorsports won that 2022 race with Porsche in GTD PRO’s debut and now looks to give the Huracán one more big 24-hour race win. 


 

Lexus’ RC F GT3 has won major enduros at Sebring, Watkins Glen and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta but not at Daytona. BMW earned back-to-back GTLM victories in the Rolex 24 in 2019 and 2020, but is still looking for a win with its GT3 race car. Could partner team Paul Miller Racing deliver the BMW M4 GT3 EVO a win? 


 

Lastly, a mashup of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and McLaren sees a new McLaren 720S GT3 EVO back in GTD PRO for the first time in three years. RLL knows how to find its way to victory lane at Daytona having gone back-to-back in GTLM in 2019 and 2020. 


 

With primarily sports car stars in this category, the extras of note include two-time IndyCar champion Will Power set for his Rolex 24 debut with 75 Express and five-time IndyCar race winner Kyle Kirkwood in Vasser Sullivan’s Lexus.


 

Grand Touring Daytona (21 Cars, 9 Manufacturers: Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche)

 

Since the merger of GRAND-AM and the American Le Mans Series created what we know now as the WeatherTech Championship in 2014, the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class has been the most voluminous of entries at the Rolex 24 with anywhere from 18 to 29 entries. That stays true once more in 2026 with another 20-plus car grid set to compete in this year’s race.


 

Similar to GTD PRO, there’s been recent parity among class winners the last four years. Porsche won in 2022, Aston Martin in 2023, Mercedes-AMG in 2024 and Chevrolet in 2025. 


 

Defending class winners AWA will seek to defend under a rebranded name of 13 Autosport with three of the four drivers it won with last year: Orey Fidani, Matt Bell and Lars Kern with newcomer Ben Green in the No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Winward Racing, the 2021 and 2024 winners, begin their pursuit of their third straight GTD title with Russell Ward and Philip Ellis anchoring the No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 they share with Indy Dontje and Lucas Auer. 


 

Beyond those four brands, entries from BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini and Lexus ensure there’s also nine manufacturers in this class too as there are in GTD PRO. Ford’s new-look No. 16 Myers Riley Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 includes ex-F1 and IndyCar driver Romain Grosjean among its drivers. 


 

Among the 21 entries, no one manufacturer has more than four cars (Ferrari and Porsche have four apiece), so no one manufacturer’s deck is too stacked.


 

On-track action begins with the Roar test January 16-18, with the Rolex 24 track activity January 22-25.

 

 

Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Seeking Strong 2026 Bounce Back 

Optimism Abounds After November Test in Daytona


 

December 2, 2025

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The second half of the 2025 season was very good for the Cadillac V-Series.R. 


 

The Cadillac Whelen No. 31 entry shared by Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti won the last two races of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, elevating Aitken to second place in the final Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class driver standings, with the team also moving into the runner-up position at season’s end. Meanwhile, both V-Series.Rs fielded by Team Jota finished 1-2 to earn the brand’s first FIA World Endurance Championship top class victory at the Sao Paulo 6 Hours.


 

Conspicuously absent from the list of 2025 Cadillac race winners are Wayne Taylor Racing. Much was expected from WTR’s reunion with the General Motors racing program and the Cadillac brand, which in 2017 produced a Prototype class championship for the driver pairing of brothers Ricky and Jordan Taylor in the then-new Cadillac DPi-V.R. 


 

Both Taylors subsequently left the team owned by their father, Wayne Taylor (himself a three-time IMSA champion as a driver) and won championships elsewhere – Ricky the 2020 Daytona Prototype international (DPi) title with Acura Team Penske, and Jordan a pair of GT Le Mans (GTLM) crowns with Corvette Racing in ’20 and ’21. Ricky returned to WTR in 2021, followed three years later by Jordan as the team expanded to run two cars for the first time, in conjunction with Acura and the Andretti Global organization.


 

There were growing pains. Both WTR Acuras took race wins, but the No. 10 car shared by Ricky Taylor and longtime co-driver Filipe Albuquerque dropped from second in the 2023 DPi standings to sixth in ‘24, one spot behind the team’s new No. 40 entry driven by Jordan Taylor and Louis Deletraz. 


 

The switch to Cadillac for 2025 was intended to feel like a homecoming for the Taylor family and many longstanding members of the team. But GTP prototypes are complicated racing cars; the learning curve was steep, and two years of philosophies, habits, and procedures accumulated running the Acura ARX-06 had to be purged from the memory banks. The drivers and crews sometimes struggled to get the best from the Cadillac V-Series.R, as neither of the WTR cars qualified higher than fourth or finished better than fifth in the season’s first four races.

Still, the second half of the ’25 campaign left WTR with plenty of reason for optimism, even if it went winless in GTP (it did win a race in GTD and also secured the Lamborghini World Final Pro title in addition to Pro, Am, Team and Dealer titles for Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America).


 

Wayne Taylor was able to celebrate his team’s first double podium at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International, as the No. 40 and No. 10 Cadillacs finished second and third respectively. The No. 10 notched additional second place finishes at Detroit at Indianapolis, as Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor scored the third-most points from Rounds 5-9 of the WeatherTech Championship, just 50 points fewer than the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac collected over that span of races.


 

Potential is clearly there, and the Taylor brothers came away from the recent IMSA sanctioned test at Daytona International Speedway buoyed by optimism after their first laps experiencing the ‘Evo’ updates on the Cadillac V-Series.R.


 

“Everything was new last year, and we basically had just the Roar (“Roar Before the 24” test sessions) and maybe one other day of testing before the Rolex 24,” said Jordan Taylor. “The Rolex itself was kind of like a big test session for everyone to understand what the car does and how the tools influence it. Now having a whole year under our belt was important. Every time we go on track, we feel like we learn something new; we were learning all the way through Petit (the 2024 IMSA season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta). 


 

“I think there’s only so much you can do away from the track with sim work and prep, but once you get it on track, you really see where you are.”

“When we came to this (November IMSA-sanctioned) test last year, it was chaos,” added Deletraz. “It was a good chaos, but you were learning all the time. Every track we went to, we needed to create a database and learn. To come back with the same car as 11-12 months ago is so much smoother and easier. And the upgrades are great. Everything targeted semes to be working, and it’s very positive to drive. It’s different but it definitely feels improved.”

 

Ricky Taylor was recently drafted in by Cadillac to drive at the WEC’s annual rookie test at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain as part of an increased effort by the manufacturer to share information between its teams that compete in IMSA (Wayne Taylor Racing and Whelen) and the JOTA Sport team that runs the two V-Series.Rs in WEC. 


 

In fact, Whelen’s full-time IMSA drivers Aitken and Earl Bamber will also contest the full 2026 WEC slate in Jota’s No. 38 Cadillac, teamed with Sebastien Bourdais. There’s one weekend conflict between the two (Long Beach IMSA and Imola WEC in April), where Vesti is expected to reprise his substitute role for Bamber alongside Aitken in the No. 31 Whelen car. 


 

“It was just a good opportunity to drive the car more, and it was my first time on the Brembo brakes,” said Ricky Taylor. “Everybody else had had tested the Brembos but me, so it was a good chance for me to get a little taste as well as to create a bit of a crossover between Jota and WTR and just exchange some notes and see you how they do some stuff differently, how we do it. And just trying to make ourselves better.


 

“I think the unique thing about how Cadillac has set it up is there’s going to be three different teams with three different approaches, and you’re going to get to tackle the same problems,” he added. “(Whelen) does things so differently to the way WTR does things, and JOTA lives a totally different life than either of us. We push each other, but at the end of the day, everything is fully open - GM makes sure of that. It’s been interesting, and really good.”


 

There’s expected third driver consistency too for Michelin Endurance Cup rounds, with Will Stevens (No. 10) and Colton Herta (No. 40) on for Daytona, Sebring and Michelin Raceway. The No. 40 car cycled through three different third drivers in 2025 (Kamui Kobayashi, Brendon Hartley, Norman Nato) while F2-bound Herta, a Cadillac Formula 1 test driver, returns to the team after racing as its third driver in 2024. 


 

The 2026 WeatherTech Championship season opens with the traditional Roar Before the Rolex 24 test sessions at Daytona International Speedway Jan 15-18, followed Jan. 22-25 by the 64th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
 

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