ROLEX 24 at Daytona

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2026 ROLEX 24 at Daytona

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.

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.’’

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.

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

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