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International Motor Sports Association    Lamborghini Super Trofeo series

International Motor Sports Association 

super trofeo series

 

www.imsa.com

 

About the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)

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

Vasser Sullivan Lexus Back on Top of GTD in Long Beach

Telitz, Pedersen Bring No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 to Win


 

April 18, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Results


 

LONG BEACH, Calif. – At a certain point, the dam was going to break for Vasser Sullivan Racing and its venerable Lexus RC F GT3 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship after a two-year winless drought. The last place where the team won on an important milestone in its history was a good place to do it.

 

Vasser Sullivan has entered 22 IMSA races (including this one) since their last class win at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach in 2024, and their previous largest winless streak was 12 races.

 

So the perfect pairing to break the drought in Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) was the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 of Aaron Telitz and Benjamin Pedersen. They shared the winning entry for team co-owners Jimmy Vasser and James “Sulli” Sullivan, with Vasser also celebrating the 30-year anniversary this week of his own Long Beach Indy car race win in April 1996 that led to an eventual championship at season’s end.



“It's such a big win for this Vasser Sullivan Lexus Racing organization,” Telitz said. “We've had a bit of a drought… It's been a couple of years since the RC-F went back in victory lane, but couldn't be more proud to do it here at the Grand Prix of Long Beach.”


 

The No. 12 car started sixth, somewhat quietly biding its time as Pedersen started the car before turning it over to Telitz at the scheduled pit stop. The win came following a decisive move from Telitz on a restart against the early pace-setting No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R which started from the pole position. Robert Wickens started up front and led the opening stint of 25 laps in 35 minutes and built a gap of more than five seconds.

 

“That was a fairytale stint,” Wickens said. “The Corvette Z06 GT3.R was just so nice to drive around this track. Every lap is a dream. We were a little nervous for our driver change on if we would lose time or at least maintain status quo. So, the goal for me was to build a gap, just in case. Mason did an amazing job, and I am pretty sure I just found out we had the fifth-fastest in the pit lane. I'll take that all day."

 

But a caution for contact between two Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) cars shifted the order, and while Wickens’ teammate Mason Filippi appeared poised to benefit, the complexion changed significantly after the restart.

 

Filippi had the edge, but Telitz made a move starting from the left-handed Turn 6 and completing into the right-handed Turn 8 on the inside.

 

“The Lexus RC F GT3 fires off really well on restarts; it gets the tires going really quickly, so I felt any restart was my chance to pounce,” Telitz said. “The 36 Corvette has been really good all weekend, and I feel like they didn’t turn the tires on as quickly.”

 

Filippi’s hopes then nosedived shortly thereafter, losing the lead when they engaged with a BMW prototype. The ferocious and hard-charging GTD field dropped Filippi four spots from second to sixth through Turns 4 to 8, and Filippi also his left side mirror.  

 

“We got stuck driving behind some of the lapped traffic there and got into it a little bit with the GTP car at the fountain,” Filippi explained. “Then we got pushed into the wall pretty hard by another car. When that happened, we lost kind of all of the momentum. Since it was right after a restart, everyone kind of came through.”

 

The beneficiaries included Robby Foley in his No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Albert Costa in the No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO, Corey Lewis in the No. 66 Gradient Racing Ford Mustang GT3 and Andrea Caldarelli in the No. 46 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Temerario GT3.

 

It’s worth noting the Telitz on Filippi pass wasn’t technically for the lead, as the sister No. 89 Lexus led the way in the hands of Jack Hawksworth. That car had parlayed an alternate strategy to try to vault itself in contention from the rear of the field following a ride-height violation discovered in post-qualifying technical inspection.

 

The team opted to switch drivers and start Hawksworth instead of Frankie Montecalvo, who promptly charged through the field. Once the No. 89 car pitted to ensure Montecalvo could finish and fulfill his driving requirements, it finished fifth. 

 

Telitz moved to the lead, leading home Foley by 5.055 seconds in the car he shared with Patrick Gallagher. Costa and Manny Franco finished third for Conquest, ahead of the No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO, the No. 89 Lexus and the No. 36 DXDT Corvette.

 

With the championship-leading No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo finishing 10th, it leaves Eduardo “Dudu” Barrichello unofficially 54 points clear of Foley and Gallagher and 103 ahead of Telitz and Pedersen.

 

The WeatherTech Championship resumes at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, May 3, with the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class joining the GTD and GTP fields. 

 

The Long Beach IMSA GTP Wait Is Over for Acura

Van der Zande’s Street Course Prowess Continues with Yelloly in No. 93 ARX-06


 

April 18, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Results


 

LONG BEACH, Calif. – It was a long time coming, but Acura and Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) claimed their first overall victory on the streets of Long Beach during the modern era of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – and more importantly, for the first time since Acura became the title sponsor of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach in 2019.


 

Nick Yelloly sped to the Motul Pole Award on Friday, then teamed with Renger van der Zande Saturday to guide the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 to the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) first-place trophy in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. They largely controlled the 100-minute sprint race to end several years of frustration for Acura and HRC, which both have headquarters in Southern California.


 

The Acura marque triumphed at Long Beach in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class in 2008 under American Le Mans Series sanction and swept the LMP1 and LMP2 classes in 2009. But until Saturday, Acura had not taken overall victory at the legendary 1.968-mile, 11-turn track in IMSA’s Daytona Prototype international (2017-22) and GTP (2023-present) top classes.


 

It was reminiscent of the wait Honda endured from 1998 to 2003 in IndyCar racing as it tried to no avail to win in front of home fans on Japanese soil at Twin Ring Motegi. When Dan Wheldon finally broke through in 2004, it triggered a joyful celebration that longtime HRC and Acura associates still talk about.


 

With the No. 93 Acura carrying a new 76 Gas Station livery, van der Zande crossed the finish line 0.818 seconds ahead of the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R shared this weekend by Jack Aitken and Frederik Vesti, in his Long Beach debut filling in for Earl Bamber. 


 

The Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963s took third and fourth places, with the No. 6 car of Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor just ahead of the No. 7 team car of Felipe Nasr and Julien Andlauer that won the first two WeatherTech Championship races of the 2026 season.


 

Acura’s status as the title sponsor for the Grand Prix of Long Beach, and the “home race” win for van der Zande and Yelloly produced another outpouring of gratitude and excitement from the many Honda and Acura associates who attended the race.


 

“That’s the main topic from the day,” said van der Zande, who has now earned 21 race wins in top-level IMSA sports car competition, including six of the last 10 street races in the WeatherTech Championship. “Winning the Acura Grand Prix for Acura as an Acura driver, that makes it very, very special. 


 

“We were brought into this program, almost to win this one. There’s a lot of effort around Los Angeles to promote the Grand Prix, and this is home ground for Acura, so it’s fantastic to take the win we just did.”


 

Chuck Schifsky, National Motorsport Manager for Honda and Acura, was over the moon.

 

“A spectacular win for Acura!” he exclaimed. “Not only is it on our home ground, near HRC’s US headquarters in Santa Clarita, but the HRC group is responsible for the trackside engineering on the No. 93 car. It’s a huge win for that group. 


 

“We haven’t won since 2008 (and 2009) at Long Beach and haven’t won here in IMSA’s modern prototype era, so it’s great to be able to finally present ourselves with the trophy from the Acura Grand Prix.”


 

Yelloly led from the start, but lost the top spot to Aitken when he was balked by a Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class competitor just 13 laps in. While some competitors made pit stops for driver changes as little as 10 minutes into the race, the No. 93 ran longest, with Yelloly handing over to van der Zande after 38 minutes.


 

Almost simultaneously, the third of the five full-course cautions that punctuated the race fell, and van der Zande emerged in the lead when racing resumed with 47 minutes remaining. From there, he was able to hold off Vesti despite concerns about conserving his rear tires. On the pit wall, Yelloly remained confident. 


 

“It was a nail-biting finish, but I knew the guy behind the wheel could do the job, so I wasn’t too worried,” Yelloly said.


 

The No. 31 Cadillac has started the season with three consecutive podiums after closing out 2025 with a pair of victories. 


 

“We had a really good day,” said Aitken. “There’s a few key things you need to do on a street track like this - you need to have a good start, don’t make mistakes, and I think the No. 31 team ticked all those boxes. It was a really good run so I can’t complain too much, but definitely hungry for that win this year.”


 

Nasr, Andlauer, and the No. 7 Porsche continue to lead the GTP standings, with an interesting twist: their closest competitor early in the 2026 season is Laurin Heinrich. 


 

Heinrich is the No. 7 car’s third driver for Motul Petit Le Mans after winning at the first two IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds, the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Heading into Long Beach, he was announced with an extended program in the No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963, running the remaining sprint races and the Michelin Endurance Cup race at Road America. 


 

Heinrich and Tijmen van der Helm finished sixth at Long Beach, for the JDC-Miller team’s best result since the 2025 Rolex 24, which was also a sixth-place run. This puts Heinrich 35 points behind Andlauer and Nasr. Aitken is a further three points back, followed by the No. 6 Porsche duo.


 

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship remains in California for its next race, the Monterey SportsCar Championship, May 1-3 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

 

Acura Breaks Through for Long-Awaited IMSA Long Beach Win

Vasser Sullivan Lexus’ No. 12 RC F GT3 Captures the GTD Flag to End Its Drought


 

April 18, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Unofficial Results


 

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long-awaited win droughts ended under sunny Southern California skies in Saturday’s 100-minute Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, the third round of the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.


 

Acura won overall and Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), ending its pursuit of its first win at Long Beach since the manufacturer took over race title sponsorship in 2019. And in Grand Touring Daytona (GTD), Lexus snapped a two-year win drought since its last victory at Long Beach in 2024. 


 

From the Motul Pole Award, the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 of Nick Yelloly and Renger van der Zande captured the victory. That sentence made the race seem simpler than it was. 


 

The No. 93 car ran longer on the first stint to overcome a loss of track position from the lead, as Yelloly briefly lost the lead in traffic lapping a GT car to Jack Aitken in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R.


 

But after staying out long enough and then just being on the right side of a full-course caution flag, the No. 93 regained the lead once the cycle of pit stops was complete.


 

Van der Zande then needed to withstand a final stint charge from Aitken’s teammate Frederik Vesti, making his Long Beach debut up against the multi-time Long Beach race winner. Vesti quickly got within a few tenths of a second of van der Zande.


 

A final green flag flew with just over six and a half minutes remaining, and while Vesti remained within several tenths of a second, he was unable to make a move on van der Zande. 


 

The Dutchman won by 0.818 of a second over the Dane, en route to his second straight IMSA street race win (Detroit 2025), third Long Beach win in five years (2022, 2024) and sixth IMSA street race win in the last 10. 


 

“Perfect scenario for me Saturday in Long Beach; we had to work for it,” van der Zande said, surrounded by his family in victory lane. “Cadillac seemed very fast and I was barely holding on. The rear tires were completely gone. But we did it!


 

“I was in the zone and pulling away in traffic. Traffic for me in IMSA is where my experience counts. The Cadillac came so close. But man, that was great!” 


 

Behind the two up front, Porsche Penske Motorsport’s No. 6 Porsche 963 of Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor finished third ahead of the sister No. 7 Porsche 963.  


 

In GTD, Vasser Sullivan Racing’s weekend pace with its two Lexus RC F GT3 cars paid off with a win to snap a two-year winless streak, and 30 years since team co-owner Jimmy Vasser won at Long Beach in 1996 en route to an eventual Indy car season championship. 


 

The team’s No. 12 entry of Aaron Telitz and Benjamin Pedersen broke through for the win, as Telitz made a pass of Mason Filippi’s No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R with 40 minutes remaining following a restart. 


 

Filippi took over the No. 36 car from Robert Wickens, who was making his series return and called his first stint a “fairytale.” He led the bulk of his stint from the pole before pitting and making a successful and quick driver change, leading by several seconds. 


 

But the ferocious and hard-charging GTD field quickly got to Filippi, who lost time against a BMW prototype entry shortly after losing the lead. Filippi lost four more positions through Turns 4 to 8, dropping to sixth, and also lost his left side mirror in the process.  


 

The podium battle behind the No. 12 Lexus saw Turner Motorsport leap to second with its No. 96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher, a pair of Ferrari 296 GT3 EVOs from Conquest Racing and Inception Racing, and the aforementioned No. 36 DXDT Corvette.


 

Perhaps the hardest luck entry was the other Vasser Sullivan Lexus, the No. 89 car qualified by Frankie Montecalvo and started by Jack Hawksworth. Following a ground clearance violation that relegated the fastest qualifying car Friday to the rear of the GTD field, the team opted to switch drivers and start Hawksworth, who promptly charged through the field. The No. 89 car made it to the lead, but hadn’t pitted yet, and needed to do so with under 40 minutes remaining to ensure Montecalvo could finish and fulfill his driving requirements. That car finished sixth. 


 

The WeatherTech Championship resumes at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, May 3. 


 

 

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

Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Long Beach Street Course - Saturday, April 18, 2026

Unofficial race results available at results.imsa.com.


 

Unofficial points available at pitnotes.org/points.

GTP


 

No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian

  • 21st IMSA class win
  • Last win was in June 2025 at Watkins Glen in GTP with car #60
  • Sixth IMSA class win in GTP
  • First IMSA class win at Long Beach
  • Previous best finish at Long Beach was fourth (1 times) last in 2022 in DPi with car #60
  • First IMSA class win in 2026
  • Fourth win for Acura at Long Beach (2008 LMP1, 2009 LMP1, LMP2)
  • First win for Acura at Long Beach since 2009 in LMP1 and LMP2
  • Ninth win for the Acura/HPD series of prototypes at Long Beach
  • Last win for the ARX series at Long Beach was the HPD ARX-03a in 2013 in P1
  • Acura has won three of the past four IMSA street course races
  • Five of Meyer Shank Racing's past seven wins have been won from pole


 

Renger van der Zande

  • 40y 2m 2d from Dodewaard, Netherlands
  • 23rd IMSA class win in 127th start
  • Last win was at 2025 Detroit Street in GTP, 7 starts between
  • Third win at Long Beach in ninth start
  • Last win at Long Beach was in 2024 in GTP, 1 track starts between
  • First win in 2026 season in third start
  • Previous best finish in 2026 was fifth (1 times) last at Daytona in GTP
  • Renger van der Zande has won six of the past 10 IMSA street course races overall


 

Nick Yelloly

  • 35y 4m 15d from Solihull, England, United Kingdom
  • Third IMSA class win in 33rd start
  • Last win was at 2025 Detroit Street in GTP, 6 starts between
  • First win at Long Beach in fourth start
  • Previous best finish at Long Beach was second in 2023 in GTP
  • First win in 2026 season in third start
  • Previous best finish in 2026 was fifth (1 times) last at Daytona in GTP


 

GTD


 

No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing

  • 16th IMSA class win
  • Last win was in April 2024 at Long Beach in GTD with car No. 89
  • Breaks team winless streak of 21 races, their longest ever
  • 11th IMSA class win in GTD
  • Third IMSA class win at Long Beach
  • First IMSA class win in 2026
  • 3rd Long Beach win for the Lexus RC F GT3 (2023 GTD PRO, 2024 GTD)
  • Lexus also powered the 2006 DP/Overall winner at Long Beach


 

Aaron Telitz

  • 34y 4m 5d from Birchwood, WI
  • Sixth IMSA class win in 69th start
  • Last win was at 2023 Watkins Glen in GTD, 24 starts between
  • First win at Long Beach in fifth start
  • Previous best finish at Long Beach was third in 2025 in GTD
  • First win in 2026 season in third start
  • Previous best finish in 2026 was ninth (1 times) last at Daytona in GTD


 

Benjamin Pedersen

  • 26y 11m 7d from Copenhagen, Denmark
  • First IMSA class win in 10th start
  • Previous best finish was third (1 times) last at 2025 Daytona in LMP2
  • First win at Long Beach in first start
  • First win in 2026 season in third start
  • Previous best finish in 2026 was ninth (1 times) last at Daytona in GTD

 

Acura Attempts an Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Win from Pole 

Yelloly Delivers No. 93 ARX-06 the Top Spot; Wittmann, BMW in Second


 

April 17, 2026

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Provisional Starting Grid


 

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Ahead of Saturday’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Acura topped the close competition on display throughout a busy day of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship action.


 

Nick Yelloly put Acura in the best possible position to earn the manufacturer’s first win in the flagship Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class in its ‘home’ race. Yelloly lapped the 1.968-mile Long Beach street course in 1 minute, 11.626 seconds (98.913 mph) in the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 to claim the Motul Pole Award for Saturday’s 100-minute contest, the first sprint race of the 2026 WeatherTech Championship season.


 

An Acura ARX-06 set the GTP track record and started from pole position at Long Beach in 2023, the first year for the revived GTP class. But Acura, which has U.S. headquarters in nearby Torrance, hasn’t claimed victory in the top sports car class of the popular Southern California festival that it has supported as title sponsor since 2019. Acura has won at Long Beach before, but it’s been since 2009 in the American Le Mans Series.


 

Yelloly was the first driver to break the 1:12 barrier in Friday’s 15-minute qualifying session, and he was consistently able to string together fast laps culminating in his pole-winning effort. But it was a close-run thing, because Marco Wittmann got within 0.030 seconds with his last lap of 1:11.656 (98.872 mph) in the No. 25 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8. 


 

Louis Deletraz also improved on his final lap in the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R to 1:11.833 (98.628 mph) to move up to third as four manufacturers (Acura, BMW, Cadillac, and Porsche) were represented in the top five. 


 

“We haven’t had the poles and the results that we needed so far this year, so to start on pole position here at our home Grand Prix is the most important thing and I’m just super proud,” said Yelloly, whose co-driver in the No. 93 Acura is Renger van der Zande. “We knew we had a good car in free practice, so I knew it was just a matter of executing the best I could. Had a couple good laps in the end, so that was nice.”


 

Acura has now claimed two Long Beach poles with the hybrid-powered ARX-06, two more with the previous generation ARX-05 that competed in the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class, and one apiece for the earlier ARX-01a and ARX-01b. All were powered by engines designed and produced by Honda Racing Corporation USA, located in Santa Clarita, California.


 

This was Yelloly’s third pole in IMSA competition; he recorded his last at the 2025 WeatherTech Championship race at Road America and the other came on the Detroit street circuit.


 

The 35-year-old Englishman revealed he particularly enjoys driving on street courses, and van der Zande particularly talked Yelloly’s street course pace up in a pre-race media session.


 

“I’ve always been a fan of flirting with the walls and getting away with it, and today was great,” he said. “That’s been consistent in my career in everything I’ve done. I was able to push, and inch closer to the wall each lap. The Michelin tires held up well, especially for a softer compound, and I was just able to have fun.”


 

A spread of just 0.938 seconds covered the GTP field in qualifying, and it was even closer in practice, with a 0.645-second spread in the 60-minute morning session and 0.754 seconds during 90 minutes of afternoon running.


 

The joy for Acura and Meyer Shank was slightly tempered by Colin Braun’s Turn 8 incident in the afternoon session. The No. 60 Acura ARX-06 sustained enough damage in the left-front impact to require a chassis change and the entry will start from 11th place.

 

The WeatherTech Championship cars will remain idle until the start of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 18. The race will be broadcast live on NBC and streamed on Peacock; international viewers can stream via IMSA.TV or the official IMSA YouTube channel. 

 

Wickens Returns to IMSA, Ascends to GTD Pole in Long Beach

Post-Qualifying Tech Inspection Moves Canadian to the Front of the Field


 

April 17, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Provisional Starting Grid


 

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Robert Wickens will have the best possible vantage point for his return to IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition on Saturday in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (4 p.m. ET, NBC).


 

The co-driver of the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R, now adorned in a new blue and gold Wealthspire livery, initially qualified second in the car he shares with Mason Filippi. However, a ride-height infraction revealed in post-qualifying technical inspection moved the No. 89 car to the rear of the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) grid and Wickens’ Corvette to the head of the class grid.


 

It is Wickens’ first career pole in WeatherTech Championship competition, coming in his seventh series start and first since the Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway last August. He raced in a specially equipped Bosch hand control Corvette starting last year and does so again this year in the series’ five sprint races.


 

In each of the last five GTD races at Long Beach, the winning entry has started within the top three. The winner has come from pole in 2021, 2022 and 2024. Only in 2017 has the GTD winner come from outside the top three, and that was from 13th.


 

"A bit of a redemption from last year, even making it through FP2 and having a clean weekend this year compared to last,” Wickens said after the 15-minute session concluded, but before technical inspection had occurred. “DXDT Racing and Corvette Racing are doing an amazing job. The car is so nice to drive. 


 

“Hopefully with a little more experience, I can get a little more from the car and from the hand control system from Bosch. Going into this weekend, if you told me I’d be on the front row, I would have taken it.”


 

Early session leader Danny Formal rolls off second in the No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 he shares with Trent Hindman.  The No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, which won the first two poles of the year by Zacharie Robichon in Daytona and Eduardo “Dudu” Barrichello in Sebring, respectively, will start third Saturday with Barrichello sharing his car with Spencer Pumpelly.


 

Two-time defending GTD champions Winward Racing, with Russell Ward and Philip Ellis in the No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3, and Turner Motorsport with Patrick Gallagher and Robby Foley in the No. 96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, complete the top five.


 

Some other notables in qualifying:


 

  • The Pfaff Motorsports’ No. 46 Lamborghini Temerario GT3 qualified eighth in the hands of series debutant Zachary Vanier, which he’ll share with Andrea Caldarelli.
  • Defending Long Beach GTD winner AO Racing’s No. 177 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) needed a recovery effort from its crew following a red flag-causing incident in Practice 2, which meant the car lost its fastest qualifying lap. Mikkel Pedersen put the No. 177 car in ninth and he’ll share with Harry King.
  • Matt Bell (No. 13 13 Autosport Corvette Z06 GT3.R) topped the first practice, but co-driver Orey Fidani will start from P16 on the grid after an incident in qualifying.


 

Saturday’s race goes green at 4 p.m. ET on NBC, also streaming on Peacock, IMSA’s Official YouTube channel and IMSA.TV.

 

 

Qualifying Results | WeatherTech Championship

Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Long Beach Street Course - Friday, April 17, 2026

Qualifying Results


 

Practice 2 Results

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.

 

 

Practice Results | WeatherTech Championship

Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Long Beach Street Course - Friday, April 17, 2026

Practice 2 Results

Practice 1 Results

Practice Results | WeatherTech Championship

Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Long Beach Street Course - Friday, April 17, 2026

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.
 
 

Lamborghini Super Trofeo Heads West to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

Pro Class Sees Several Changes for Rounds 3 and 4 of 2026 Season


 

April 28, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Year-to-year continuity won out over slightly revised lineups when it came to the overall and Pro class wins to start the 2026 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America season at Sebring International Raceway in March. But two key changes have emerged in the Pro lineups since Sebring ahead of the cross-country trip West to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in picturesque Monterey, California for Rounds 3 and 4. 


 

The trip to WeatherTech Raceway also marks the last new North American venue for the new Hankook L63H tire, which debuted mid-year through 2025 at Watkins Glen International and has provided additional grip and durability to competitors. The WeatherTech Raceway track was repaved a couple years ago but is still an abrasive surface as sand and gravel often blows onto the track. 


 

Pro


 

TR3 Racing started with a perfect Sebring weekend, as Will Bamber and Elias De La Torre IV in their No. 29 TR3 Racing, Lamborghini Miami, Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2 secured two poles and two race wins for a maximum 32 points. 


 

In the interim, Bamber has shifted to XONINE Racing’s No. 33 Lamborghini Chicago, Huracán alongside Darius Trinka while TR3 welcomes back Dennis Lind to share the No. 29 Huracán with De La Torre from Monterey onwards. The No. 33 XONINE entry finished fifth both races at Sebring.


 

That leaves the points leaders set to diverge on two different paths in Monterey and creates an opportunity for Wayne Taylor Racing’s entries – and the rest of the field – to close the gap or overtake. 


 

Hampus Ericsson and Nick Persing in the No. 1 Wayne Taylor Racing, Lamborghini Palm Beach, Huracán banked a pair of runner-up finishes at Sebring and enter eight points back. Persing has been the driver to beat at WeatherTech Raceway the last two years at his closest venue to home. The Morgan Hill, California resident and Boise State University student swept both Pro races in 2025, including in a photo finish over Ericsson and Danny Formal’s entry in Race 2. He also won in ProAm in 2024. 


 

ANSA Motorsports may be poised to reach the top step this weekend for the first time in Pro since 2024, too. They’ll enter with a new lineup. In 2025, two Lamborghini Young Driver Program Shootout winners Enzo Geraci and Colin Queen shared a podium. Nico Jamin will fill in for Queen this weekend at Monterey alongside Tommi Gore, into his second weekend, aboard ANSA’s No. 4, Lamborghini Broward, Huracán. 


 

Precision Performance Motorsports’ Brandon Gdovic, running a striking orange livery highlighting the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, had a quietly strong start in Sebring with fourth both races in his No. 46 PPM, Lamborghini Palm Beach, Huracán. 


 

ProAm


 

Danny Formal shifted into ProAm to start 2026 alongside Graham Doyle, but the change of class didn’t produce a change in result for the three-time Pro champion. Formal and Doyle swept the weekend at Sebring in their No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing, Lamborghini Palm Beach, Huracán. It’s rare to find a track on the schedule where Formal hasn’t won recently, and it’s been a “relative” dry spell going back to 2023 to find the last time Formal won in Monterey – he swept Pro that weekend with Kyle Marcelli. 


 

Behind them, both Kaizen Autosport and Forty7 Motorsports started strong in Sebring. Both Seth Henry and Wyatt Foster (Kaizen) and Lindsay Brewer and Keawn Tandon (Forty7) got a second and third place apiece. 


 

TR3’s Mateo Siderman and Martin Fuentes rebounded from last-place grid spots to fourth in both Sebring races, while TB Autosports’ Marcelli and Mathieu Boucher and Alliance’s Jack William Miller and Angelo Dinkov also scored top-fives in Sebring. 


 

Am


 

The Am battle at Sebring was eventful throughout the weekend with Nick Groat (No. 57 XONINE Racing, Lamborghini Chicago, Huracán) and Dean Neuls (No. 70 TR3 Racing, Lamborghini Miami, Huracán) splitting the wins and David Staab (PPM) and Johan Schwartz (89x Motorsports) scoring two podiums apiece. Groat, Staab and Schwartz are in a three-way tie for the lead with Neuls only two points behind. Both Staab and Groat won Monterey Race 1 last year, Staab in Am and Groat in LB Cup. 


 

LB Cup 


 

Just as Am was exciting to watch at Sebring, so too was LB Cup. Ray Shahi (No. 65 Taurino Racing, Lamborghini Newport Beach, Huracán) and Rocky T. Bolduc (No. 99 Topp Racing, Lamborghini Greenwich, Huracán) split the wins with Philippe Touchette (TB) and Clay Wilson (TR3) also scoring podiums. 


 

Lamborghini Super Trofeo practices on Friday with qualifying Saturday morning and the two 50-minute races Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT) and Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET (10:35 a.m. ET). Races stream via Peacock, IMSA’s YouTube channel and Lamborghini’s YouTube channel.


 

2025 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Monterey Race 1 Winners:

  • Pro: Nick Persing, No. 8 Wayne Taylor Racing
  • ProAm: Andy Lee/Slade Stewart, No. 14 Flying Lizard Motorsports
  • Am: David Staab, No. 48 Precision Performance Motorsports
  • LB Cup: Nick Groat, No. 57 ONE Motorsports


 

2025 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Monterey Race 2 Winners:

  • Pro: Nick Persing, No. 8 Wayne Taylor Racing
  • ProAm: Anthony McIntosh/Brendon Leitch, No. 69 Wayne Taylor Racing
  • Am: Graham Doyle/Glenn McGee, No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing
  • LB Cup: Adrian Kunzle, No. 42 MLT Motorsports
 

California Ties Mean More for IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Competitors Racing at Monterey

Baker’s Dozen: 13 Californian Drivers in GS at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca


 

April 27, 2026

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – For IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge competitors, particularly those with California ties, this year’s trip to Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will mean more.


 

The series schedule will shift slightly in 2027, as a return to Lime Rock Park in September means WeatherTech Raceway – for now – will drop off the Michelin Pilot Challenge calendar after this season. That adds extra incentive for those California drivers and teams to make this year’s race in Monterey memorable.


 

There are 13 Californian drivers, all in GS, and three California-based teams among the 45 cars (split 31 in GS, 14 in TCR) on the Monterey entry list. 


 

One entry off to a strong start in 2026 is the lone GS entry featuring two California residents on a California-based team, which features primarily California crewmembers. Sonoma, Calif.-based Stephen Cameron Racing’s No. 19 Ford Mustang GT4 of Palo Alto’s Sean Quinlan and San Francisco’s Gregory Liefooghe is keen to improve on some strong early-season results.


 

The No. 19 orange and purple Mustang survived the chaotic start to the last race at Sebring and banked its second top-10 finish in as many races to start the year. With finishes of eighth and seventh, Quinlan and Liefooghe enter Monterey sixth in points. 


 

Two other teams that have won at Monterey are based in California, as well. Rohnert Park, Calif.’s Murillo Racing features Santa Rosa’s Kenny Murillo driving alongside wife Aurora Straus in the team’s No. 24 Mercedes-AMG GT GT4. Murillo won there in 2023 in GS. 


 

San Francisco-based CarBahn by Peregrine Racing has multiple Californians in its two BMW M4 GT4 EVOs with Steve Wetterau (No. 37) from Newport Beach and Sean McAlister (No. 39) from Beverly Hills. CarBahn won at Monterey in 2020 with Jeff Westphal and Tyler McQuarrie. 


 

There’s a bevy of other Californians in GS, too. Thomas Merrill (Salinas) is one of WeatherTech Raceway’s most experienced drivers and looks to add another podium to his Daytona opener in the No. 14 Circle H Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo he shares with David Hampton. Jaxon Bell (son of past IMSA champion, Lexus veteran and NBC Sports commentator Townsend) of Pacific Palisades races here in his No. 23 Koch-Copeland Motorsports Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 with Ford Koch. 


 

Heart of Racing Team’s Hannah Grisham (No. 26 Aston Martin) hails from Glendora, LAP Motorsports’ Clayton Williams (No. 30 Ford) is from Oakley, Bob Michaelian is from Seal Beach in his No. 59 KohR Motorsports Ford, Allen Patten is from San Jose in his No. 66 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin, Lucas Weisenberg is from Orange in his No. 67 BSI Racing Toyota, and 2026-27 IMSA 3D Scholarship recipient Nicky Hays hails from Huntington Beach in his No. 92 Random Vandals Racing BMW.


 

It’s not a Californian leading the GS points after two races – it’s actually Texan Bryce Ward and Dutchman Daan Arrow – in the team’s No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 with two podiums in two starts. Winward is a past Monterey GS winner too, in 2019 with Russell Ward and Dominik Baumann. 


 

The elder Ward and Arrow lead Turner Motorsport’s Dillon Machavern and Luca Mars by 40 points, AutoTechnic Racing’s Austin Krainz and Stevan McAleer by 100, Sebring winners Moisey Uretsky and Michael Cooper of Ibiza Farm Motorsport and McCumbee McAleer Racing’s Robert Noaker and Nate Cicero by 140, and the aforementioned Quinlan and Liefooghe by 150.


 

TCR sees Bryson Morris and Mason Filippi out front in their No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR by 40 points over three different pairings: Sebring winners Franco Girolami and Tyler Gonzalez (Victor Gonzalez Racing), Lance Bergstein and defending TCR champion Harry Gottsacker (BHA) and Madison Aust and past TCR champion Mark Wilkins (BHA).


 

Michelin Pilot Challenge teams will have a busy Friday with two practice sessions before qualifying. The WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120 will go green on Saturday at 3:45 p.m. ET (12:45 p.m. PT) with live streaming flag-to-flag on Peacock and on IMSA’s Official YouTube channel, commercial free courtesy of Michelin.

Fast Facts

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca – Monterey, Calif. 

May 1-2, 2026


 

Race Day/Time: Saturday, May 2, 3:45 p.m. ET

Peacock Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 3:40 p.m. ET (globally, ad-free, courtesy of Michelin via IMSA's Official YouTube channel)

Circuit Type: 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course

Classes Competing: Grand Sport (GS), Touring Car (TCR)

Race Length: Two hours

 

Michelin Pilot Challenge Track Records

  • GS: Michael de Quesada, McLaren Artura GT4, 1:27.455 / 92.455 mph, May 2024 (Qualifying)
  • TCR: Bryan Ortiz, Honda Civic FL5 TCR, 1:29.175 / 90.347 mph, May 2024 (Qualifying) 


 

2025 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120 Winners

  • GS: Jan Heylen/Luca Mars, No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS
  • TCR: Preston Brown/Denis Dupont, No. 76 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR

 

Storylines

  • California Ties: Thomas Merrill (Salinas), Sean Quinlan (Palo Alto), Greg Liefooghe (San Francisco), Jaxon Bell (Pacific Palisades), Kenny Murillo (Santa Rosa), Hannah Grisham (Glendora), Clayton Williams (Oakley), Steve Wetterau (Newport Beach), Sean McAlister (Beverly Hills), Bob Michaelian (Seal Beach), Allen Patten (San Jose), Lucas Weisenberg (Orange) and Nicky Hays (Huntington Beach) are from California and get to race in their home state. 
  • IMPC Hits the Pacific Coast: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca marks the Michelin Pilot Challenge series’ lone trip out west to the Pacific Coast for 2026. 


 

Who’s Hot?

  • Winward Racing: Back-to-back podium finishes have positioned Winward first in the GS championship standings.  
  • Victor Gonzalez Racing: With three wins in the past four TCR races dating to the end of 2025, the No. 99 VGR Cupra Leon VZ TCR has been one to watch. 


 

Who’s Good Here?

  • Mark Wilkins and Harry Gottsacker: Wilkins (No. 98) is the lone active two-time TCR winner in Monterey and Gottsacker (No. 18) the lone active two-time TCR pole winner.

 

Previous WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120 Winners in 2026 Field (15)

  • Mark Wilkins (2): TCR – 2021, 2023 
  • Preston Brown (1): TCR – 2025 
  • Gabby Chaves (1): TCR – 2020 
  • Denis Dupont (1): TCR – 2025 
  • Mason Filippi (1): TCR – 2023 
  • Harry Gottsacker (1): TCR – 2021 
  • Billy Johnson (1): ST – 2007 
  • Tim Lewis (1): TCR – 2022
  • Luca Mars (1): GS – 2025 
  • Stevan McAleer (1): ST – 2016 
  • Chris Miller (1): TCR – 2024 
  • Kenny Murillo (1): GS – 2023 
  • Mikey Taylor (1): TCR – 2024
  • Owen Trinkler (1): GS – 2018 
  • Jeff Westphal (1): GS – 2020

 

Previous WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120 Pole Winners in 2026 Field (3)

  • Harry Gottsacker (2): TCR – 2020, 2022
  • Sean McAlister (1): GS – 2025 
  • Mark Wilkins (1): TCR – 2025 


 

Previous WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120 Winning Teams in 2026 Field (8)

  • Bryan Herta Autosport (4): TCR – 2020, 2021, 2023, 2025
  • CarBahn (1): GS – 2020 
  • JDC-Miller MotorSports (1): TCR – 2024 
  • KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering (1): TCR – 2022
  • Murillo Racing (1): GS – 2023 
  • Team TGM (1): GS – 2018 
  • Turner Motorsport (1): ST – 2009
  • Winward Racing (1): GS – 2019 


 

Previous WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120 Winning Manufacturers in 2026 Field (8)

  • Porsche – 6
  • Audi – 5
  • Hyundai – 4
  • BMW – 3
  • Mercedes-AMG – 3 
  • Aston Martin – 2
  • Ford – 2
  • McLaren – 1 

 

IMSA and ASE Announce Multi-Faceted Partnership to Strengthen the Technician Pipeline and Elevate Consumer Confidence

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 28, 2026) – The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) today announced a multi-faceted partnership that will aim to combat some of the challenges within the industry for each of IMSA’s 18 participating manufacturers — while raising the standard of service the motoring public receives at every dealership service center those manufacturers stand behind.


 

Each manufacturer that races within IMSA operates its own dealer network, and most of those dealers feature service centers that care for millions of vehicle owners every year. However, there is a critical, persistent and ongoing staffing shortage of skilled technicians to support each dealer and service center — a gap the motoring public feels directly whenever a vehicle needs maintenance or repair. With IMSA and ASE working together, this partnership will provide an aligned and integrated pipeline of ASE Certified technicians prepared to work on the same sophisticated manufacturer vehicles customers drive every day.


 

The collaboration brings together two industry leaders who share a commitment to continuous learning, verified expertise, and sustained success. The layered approach will work with a three-pronged effort:


 

  • Expand awareness of ASE Certification as the trusted benchmark for service professionals
  • Identify career pathways in the transportation industry
  • Position ASE as a major driver in meeting manufacturer needs


 

“ASE is excited to partner with IMSA to highlight the critical role of ASE Certified technicians — the men and women who meet the highest independently verified standards in the industry, on and off the track,” said Dave Johnson, president and CEO of ASE. “Every time a driver hands over their keys at a dealership service center, they deserve the confidence of knowing an ASE Certified technician is working on their vehicle. IMSA’s commitment to innovation and STEM education aligns perfectly with ASE’s mission, and together we are elevating the visibility of technician careers and showing how advanced training is vital to the safe service and repair of today’s technically advanced vehicles.”


 

For the motoring public, ASE Certification is the clearest, most trusted signal that a technician has demonstrated the knowledge, training and hands-on skill to service today’s increasingly complex vehicles. Every ASE Certified technician has passed rigorous, independently developed exams and verified hands-on experience — giving vehicle owners peace of mind that their car, truck or SUV is in qualified hands. Because the 18 manufacturers competing in IMSA depend on their dealer service networks to deliver that same quality and trust long after the sale, the alignment between IMSA’s OEMs and ASE Certified service staff translates directly to safer vehicles, more reliable repairs, and confidence for vehicle owners nationwide.


 

The program also aligns ASE and IMSA STEM initiatives. IMSA STEM powered by Gainbridge and Konica Minolta is now in its second year operating at both IMSA race events and digitally. The aim is to shift the focus from simply advanced degrees to greater advanced training. Essentially, this will outline what a training/career technical education path will look like compared to a standard four-plus year college degree.


 

“Building the next generation of technicians to service the cars on the road is as important as developing the next generation of talented drivers, crew members and workers within the IMSA paddock as a whole,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “We’ve seen remarkable participation in our IMSA STEM events already, and with this new partnership between IMSA and ASE, we’re confident that the ASE Certified technicians emerging from this pipeline will be the trusted hands the motoring public relies on at our manufacturer partners’ service centers nationwide as they work toward their certifications.”


 

Beyond the career development opportunity, there will be promotional elements of the partnership. ASE’s alignment with IMSA provides a window to the 18 manufacturers as well as IMSA’s 10-plus million sports car enthusiast fans — reinforcing the message that when the motoring public brings a vehicle in for service, an ASE Certified technician is the standard they should expect and the assurance they deserve.


 

About the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE):

Established by the automotive industry in 1972 as a non-profit organization, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is a driving force in the transportation industry. As an independent third party, ASE upholds and promotes high standards of service and repair through the assessment, certification and credentialing of current and future industry professionals, and the prestigious ASE Blue Seal logo identifies professionals who possess the essential knowledge and skills to perform with excellence. Today, there are ASE Certified professionals at work in dealerships, independent shops, collision repair shops, auto parts stores, fleets, schools and colleges throughout the country. For more information about ASE, visit www.ase.com. 


 

About the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA):

The 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, 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 – 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 part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. This partnership enables 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.

 

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