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2026 is the fourth season for the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. The series serves as a support ladder for the IMSA WeatherTech Championship. As a result, drivers must have either a silver or bronze categorization from the FIA to participate. It replaces the IMSA Prototype Challenge Series.
There are two VP Racing SportsCar Challenge classes, LMP3 and GSX.
- Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3): This division was introduced in 2017.
Several race car manufacturers produce chassis for this category: Ligier, Duqueine, Ginetta and Adess.
They are equipped with Michelin tires and powered by a 5.6-liter naturally aspirated Nismo V8 motor, which produces over 420 horsepower.
All vehicles must weigh no less than 950 kg.
- Grand Sport X (GSX): The cars in this category are prepared to meet international GT4 technical requirements.
This class includes cars such as the Ford Mustang GT4, BMW M4 GT4, Mercedes-AMG GT4, Audi R8, and Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.
Vehicles competing in this group produce between 400 and 450 horsepower and are capable of speeds over 160 mph.
There are ten events in 2026. Each race weekend hosts a pair of 45-minute contests with one driver per car and no pit stops. The exceptions are
Sebring, the second Circuit of the Americas, the first Virginia International Raceway and Road America, which are single-race events.
- January 16-18 - Daytona International Speedway
- February 27-28 - Circuit of the Americas
- March 6-8 - Sebring International Raceway
- May 7-9 - Circuit of the Americas
- June 5-7 - Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
- June 19-21 - Virginia International Raceway
- July 10-12 - Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
- August 14-16 - Road America
- August 21-23 - Virginia International Raceway
- September 30 - October 3 - Road Atlanta
Rounds ten and eleven of the 2026 IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge were held at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park during the track’s Chevrolet
Grand Prix weekend. LMP3 and Grand Sport X competitors raced in two 45-minute contests around the ten-turn 2.459-mile road course.
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The start of round eleven for the 2026 IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge and six LMP3 competitors charge into
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park’s turn one. At the head of the field is the No. 95 Toney Driver Development driver,
Wyatt Brichacek, in the team’s Ligier JS P325. Behind Brichacek is the No. 1 Gebhardt Motorsport USA Inc.
Duqueine D09 driven by Oscar Tunjo. Beside Tunjo is the No. 30 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P325 of Bijoy Garg.
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Oscar Tunjo, driving the No. 1 Gebhardt Motorsport USA Inc. Duqueine D09, crossed the finish second in round
ten at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park but was awarded the victory after the winner, Wyatt Brichacek,
was given a ten-second penalty. The next morning, he started on the outside of the front row.
However, he was unable to match the pace of Brichacek and finish second by a margin of 5.993 seconds.
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In the weekend’s first race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Westin Workman grabbed his seventh consecutive Grand
Sport X victory of the season driving the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO. Workman started on the
class pole and went unchallenged. However, on Sunday, his streak would come to an end. Workman jumped out
to a lead, but on lap 3, the Toyota slowed on the front straight. He was classified with an eighth-place finish.
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Wyatt Brichacek, driver of the No. 95 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P325, started race one from pole and led flag-to-flag.
However, he was assessed a ten-second time penalty for a false start.
Brichacek built up a thirteen-second lead, but a caution period late in the contest negated his advantage and
he was classified with a third-place result. On Sunday morning, he redeemed himself when he led from start to
finish for the class victory.
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Sunday morning and the Grand Sport X IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge competitors receive the Starter’s green flag.
Leading the contingent into Canadian Tire Motorsport Park’s corner one is the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4
EVO of the pole-sitter, Westin Workman. Immediately behind Workman are the No. 35 BMW M4 GT4 EVO driven by Courtney
Crone and Ismaeel Ellahi in the No. 25 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo.
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Ismaeel Ellahi opened his 2026 IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge campaign with a runner-up result in the Grand Sport X
category at Daytona International Speedway. However, the driver of the No. 25 CSM Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo missed
rounds three and four at the Circuit of the Americas. At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, he finished third in race one.
The next morning, Ellahi inherited the lead and won when Westin Workman retired.
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The No. 11 PINAXIS – ZONE 4 Racing Duqueine D09 is piloted by Danny Soufi.
Soufi is second in the IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge LMP3 standings. His record includes four podium finishes.
Soufi qualified and finished third in Saturday morning’s contest. However, a ten-second penalty given to Wyatt Brichacek
gave him a runner-up result. The next day, in round eleven, Soufi started and finished in the fourth position.
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One of the benefits of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge is that it provides additional track time for drivers
competing in the Michelin Pilot Challenge series. Caio Chaves is a regular in the Michelin series and shared the
No. 54 Toyota GR Supra with Thiago Camilo. The pair finished eighth in class after contact.
Chaves fared much better Saturday morning when he finished second in the No. 98 PANAM MOTORSPORT Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO.
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Courtney Crone entered this year’s IMS VP Racing SportsCar Challenge with a wealth of racing experience.
Her resume includes Formula 4, Lamborghini Super Trofeo, and, most recently, the F1 Academy.
This season, Crone is driving the No. 35 CarBahn Motorsports BMW M4 GT4 EVO. She finished fourth in Saturday
morning’s round ten. In the finale, Crone benefited from Westin Workman’s retirement to grab second place.
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| POS. | CLASS | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
| 1 | LMP3 | Oscar Tunjo | Duqueine D09 | 32 | - |
| 2 | LMP3 | Danny Soufi | Duqueine D09 | 32 | - |
| 3 | LMP3 | Wyatt Brichacek | Ligier JS P325 | 32 | - |
| 4 | LMP3 | Travis Hill | Ligier JS P325 | 32 | - |
| 5 | LMP3 | Bijoy Garg | Ligier JS P325 | 32 | - |
| 6 | LMP3 | Brian Thienes | Ligier JS P325 | 31 | - |
| 7 | GSX | Westin Workman | Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO | 29 | - |
| 8 | GSX | Caio Chaves | Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO | 29 | - |
| 9 | GSX | Ismaeel Ellahi | Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo | 29 | - |
| 10 | GSX | Courtney Crone | BMW M4 GT4 EVO | 29 | - |
| 11 | GSX | Justin Di Benedetto | Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS | 29 | - |
| 12 | GSX | Dan Ammann | Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS | 29 | - |
| 13 | GSX | Jon Brel | Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO | 29 | - |
| 14 | GSX | Rafa Martinez | Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO | 29 | - |
| 15 | GSX | Ray Mason | Ford Mustang GT4 | 28 | - |
| 16 | GSX | Tiger Tari | BMW M4 GT4 EVO | 28 | - |
| 17 | LMP3 | Farhan Siddiqi | Duqueine D08 | 26 | - |
| POS. | CLASS | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
| 1 | LMP3 | Wyatt Brichacek | Ligier JS P325 | 34 | - |
| 2 | LMP3 | Oscar Tunjo | Duqueine D09 | 34 | - |
| 3 | LMP3 | Bijoy Garg | Ligier JS P325 | 34 | - |
| 4 | LMP3 | Danny Soufi | Duqueine D09 | 34 | - |
| 5 | LMP3 | Travis Hill | Ligier JS P325 | 34 | - |
| 6 | GSX | Ismaeel Ellahi | Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo | 31 | - |
| 7 | GSX | Courtney Crone | BMW M4 GT4 EVO | 31 | - |
| 8 | GSX | Justin Di Benedetto | Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS | 31 | - |
| 9 | GSX | Jon Brel | Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO | 30 | - |
| 10 | GSX | Tiger Tari | BMW M4 GT4 EVO | 30 | - |
| 11 | GSX | Rafa Martinez | Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO | 29 | - |
| 12 | GSX | Dan Ammann | Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS | 29 | - |
| 13 | LMP3 | Brian Thienes | Ligier JS P325 | 18 | - |
| 14 | GSX | Westin Workman | Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO | 3 | Did Not Finish |
| - | GSX | Caio Chaves | Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO | - | Did Not Start |
| - | GSX | Ray Mason | Ford Mustang GT4 | - | Did Not Start |
| - | LMP3 | Farhan Siddiqi | Duqueine D08 | - | Did Not Start |
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