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Source: Sports Car 365

Photo: GR Customer Racing GR Customer Racing has launched its Young Driver Academy, aimed to elevate the next generation of professional drivers through the Japanese manufacturer’s GT ranks. The initiative provides a pathway to identify and promote promising young drivers, based on their skills and performances, with a view to potential participation in the GR’s GT3 activities in 2027. The timing coincides with the expected full rollout of the GR GT3 to customers worldwide. According to a statement from GR Customer Racing, the expanded program has been developed into a “seamless ladder” that will go from GT4 to GT3. “This progression will be supported by Toyota’s global engineering and motorsport infrastructure, reinforced by the strong competitive foundation already provided by the GR Supra GT4 EVO2 in series around the world,” a statement read. The academy features a multi‑stage selection process. Candidates will initially compete in simulator sessions hosted at Toyota Racin...

Photo: BYD BYD is exploring options to enter the FIA World Endurance Championship and/or Formula 1, according a report by Bloomberg , in an effort to boost its brand’s exposure globally. The Chinese auto giant, which is the world’s largest EV manufacturer, is understood to be targeting the sale of 1.3 to 1.6 million units overseas by the end of this year, following the opening of factories in Hungary, Brazil and Thailand, in addition to a potential entry into Canada. According to Bloomberg, BYD is looking at several options amid motorsports’ shift towards hybrid technology, with both the WEC and F1 are understood to be on the radar. While not currently active in motorsports, BYD’s high-end Yangwang brand recently broke several records in Europe, with the all-electric U9 Xtreme model recording a top speed of more than 308 mph at the ATP test track in Papenburg Germany, with Marc Basseng at the wheel (pictured above). The car also achieved a new lap record for an electric super s...

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA The field has been narrowed to 15 finalists for the 2027-28 IMSA Diverse Driver Development (3D) Scholarship. The recipient, to be named in the fall, will receive benefits worth up to $300,000 to compete in one of four IMSA-sanctioned championships in 2027. The IMSA 3D Scholarship promotes and empowers drivers from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to participate in select IMSA-sanctioned series. The finalists chosen possess a desire to compete in IMSA, have strong previous race results and/or proven on-track potential in junior racing categories, plus the ability to create a compelling strategy to compete in a full season in one of four IMSA-sanctioned series: the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Michelin Pilot Challenge, VP Racing SportsCar Challenge or Mustang Challenge. The scholarship includes financial assistance from IMSA and is supported by a growing number of corporate partners: Michelin, VP Racing Fuels, OMP, Bell, RAFA Racing Club an...

Image: TR3 Racing TR3 Racing has confirmed a four-car entry in Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, which kicks off next week at Sebring International Raceway. The Florida-based team will be represented in all four classes of the single-make series featuring the Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2. Elias De La Torre and Will Bamber, who finished runner-up in the Pro class championship last year, return to the wheel of the No. 29 entry, with Martin Fuentes making a comeback in the No. 63 entry alongside Mateo Siderman in Pro-Am. TR3 will also enter single-driver efforts in the Am and LB Cup classes. Dean Neuls will return to the No. 70 Lamborghini in Am while Clay Wilson is set to contest the LB Cup season in the No. 37 entry. In addition to its success in the Pro class last year, TR3 took championship honors in Pro-Am with the driver pairing of Jason Hart and Conrad Geis, who will not return to the team for the upcoming campaign. “We’re proud to continue our partners...

Photo: Porsche Belgian young star Karel Staut and female racer Anna Cecchi emerged as the standout winners of the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama season opener at Sebring International Raceway. Fifteen-year-old Staut captured both 992 victories across the weekend, while Porsche Mobil 1 Female Driver Program racer Cecchi completed a Cayman sweep with back-to-back victories. This year marks the series’ sixth season of competition after its inaugural run in 2021, and drivers from across the country – and even abroad – gathered in Central Florida to kick off the calendar. Different Races, Same Result: Staut, Smith Snatch 992 Wins Two stories could be told about the two 992 races at Sebring, which featured a relaxed Race 1 on Friday and a hectic Race 2 on Saturday. Despite the varying conditions and with nearly 40 entries, the Pro-Am and Masters classes saw the same victors – Karel Staut with Kellymoss and Matt Smith with ACI Motorsports, respectively – on both d...

Photo: GT World Challenge Australia Tigani Motorsport’s James and Theo Koundouris will return to GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS this season with the brothers once again entered in the Am Cup in their Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. Veterans of Australian motorsport, the Koundouris brothers have more than four decades of racing experience and just shy of 600 races between them since making their official debuts back in 2003. Since their first appearance at the Bathurst 24 Hour race in 2003, where they raced in different cars, the brothers have competed in a range of national categories such as GT and production cars. While they spent their younger years racing against each other, they have been together in recent times tackling multiple Bathurst 12 Hour events as well as the GTWC Australia. Over the past two seasons in the GTWC Australia Am Cup, they have enjoyed 13 podiums in 17 races, making them one of the key contenders for the class. The pair got their first win in the s...