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Photo: Toyota The recently unveiled GR GT3 is set to make its North American debut in next year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona according to Lexus Racing and Gazoo Racing North American director of motorsport Jeff Bal. The all-new GT3 car, officially unveiled late last year , will race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship under the Gazoo Racing nameplate, as part of a company restructuring that will see all sports cars, except for Toyota’s FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar program, under the GR brand beginning next year. “Right now our plans are to introduce the GT in other series later this year, possibly, if all goes well,” Bal told Sportscar365. “Then we plan to run it here next year. When asked when the GR GT3 would make its North American debut, Bal reaffirmed Daytona is the “current plan.” “We haven’t officially announced it yet but we’re leaning towards Rolex 24 in 2027,” he said. Bal confirmed that Vasser Sullivan Racing, will contest a full season with the Lex...

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA Tom Blomqvist sent Acura Meyer Shank Racing to the top of the timesheets as official practice for this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona began on Thursday morning. Blomqvist set his best lap of 1:35.415 with just over 30 minutes remaining in a largely incident-free 90 minutes of running aboard the No. 60 Acura ARX-06, following a relatively low-key Roar Before the 24 for the Honda-owned marque. The British driver’s benchmark time was almost a full second up on the fastest time set in the Roar by Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Felipe Nasr, with the top eight cars all beating the benchmark laid down by Nasr in the first Roar session. Porsche’s two works entries were second- and third-fastest as Kevin Estre was second-fastest aboard the No. 6 car on a 1:35.520, 0.014 seconds ahead of Nasr’s No. 7. Filipe Albuquerque set the best lap among the Cadillac contingent in the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R to go fourth, while the best of the BMW M Hybrid V8s, th...

Photo: Javier Jimenez/DPPI Wayne Taylor Racing has expressed its hope of returning to the 24 Hours of Le Mans for a second consecutive appearance in the French endurance classic according to team co-owner Wayne Taylor. The factory Cadillac IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP squad, which was granted a single Cadillac V-Series.R entry last year, is in a holding pattern according to Taylor, as it awaits a final decision from Cadillac on its possible additional entries. Both WTR and fellow IMSA GTP squad Action Express Racing joined full-season FIA World Endurance Championship operation Hertz Team JOTA representing the brand at Circuit de la Sarthe in 2025, in what marked the first four-car Cadillac appearance in the modern era. It’s unclear if Cadillac would be able to secure invites for both teams, although IMSA’s ‘at large’ invite, typically given to its GTP championship-winning team from the previous year, will not go to Porsche Penske Motorsport. This is because the P...

Photo: SUPER GT SUPER GT looks set to cut short its fuel supply deal with the ETS Racing Fuels brand and switch to an alternative supplier for the upcoming season. The Japanese series has been using carbon-neutral fuel products supplied by German firm Halterman Carless and its ETS brand since 2023 in both classes as part of its commitment towards reducing its environmental footprint. However, multiple team sources have indicated to Sportscar365 that GT500 manufacturers are preparing to go into the new season using a new domestically-produced 10 percent ethanol fuel blend produced by ENEOS and raBit. This is the same product that will be utilized in Japan’s Super Formula series. The current generation of two-litre turbocharged engines that power the GT500 cars are based on the same framework, the so-called ‘Nippon Racing Engine’, also used by Honda and Toyota in the single-seater championship. SUPER GT’s switch in fuel comes at the same time manufacturers are preparing to go int...

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA Mike Skeen has been a last-minute call-up for Friday’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season-opening BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona International Speedway, having been brought into KohR Motorsports’ lineup in GS. Skeen has replaced team owner Dean Martin as the third driver in the No. 60 Ford Mustang GT4, alongside full-season drivers Evan Slater and Ray Mason. Martin did not turn any laps in the car, carrying a tribute livery to the late Greg Biffle, during last weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24 pre-season test. “I can’t wait to be back in the IMSA Michelin Pilot garages at Daytona and racing with KohR Motorsports,” said Skeen. “I have raced against them many times and they are always front runners. “Likewise, I have raced against Evan many times in Trans-Am, sometimes as teammates and sometimes not, but he is always at the sharp end of the field. I think we will be in the hunt for a strong result. “Ray has been a consistent competitor I’ve kno...

Photo: Jessica Johnk/Porsche Porsche Motorsport North America has named Ryan Yardley and Tom Sargent to its Selected Driver roster for this year. Yardley, the reigning Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion, joins as a new Selected Driver in the program, which saw Sargent, Loek Hartog and Riley Dickinson serve in the role in 2025. The award provides direct manufacturer support, expanded race opportunities, and mentorship across GT and endurance racing platforms. “We’ve watched both of these talented divers improve their craft through Porsche single-make racing here in North America and each has earned this honor,” said Porsche Motorsport North America President and CEO Volker Holzmeyer. “We’re proud of Ryan and Tom and look forward to watching their careers develop in the United States and around the world as PMNA Selected Drivers.” Yardley claimed his first-ever Carrera Cup North America title with three wins and 14 podiums out of 16 races in a battle with Dickinson that ...

Photo: Julien Delfosse/DPPI Team WRT has formally confirmed that Valentino Rossi will return to the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS this year at the wheel of one of its BMW M4 GT3 EVOs, and he will be partnered by fellow works drivers Max Hesse and Dan Harper. Seven-time MotoGP champion Rossi had already revealed he would be making a return to the GTWC Europe this year in a BMW after his two-season spell with WRT in the FIA World Endurance Championship came to an end,  but more details about his program have now been announced. He will be partnered by Hesse for the category’s Sprint Cup competition at the wheel of the No. 46 BMW, the GTWC Europe season marking the latter’s first full campaign with the squad. The pair will then be joined by Harper for the Endurance Cup rounds — the Northern Irishman having also only made sporadic appearances with WRT in the past. Rossi scored two wins during his previous three-season spell with the team in the GTWC Europe with a be...