The Vasser Sullivan Lexus as the sun rises over the Rolex 24 at Daytona (photo: Jared Bokanoski)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – IMSA’s highest yielding class when it comes to entries for this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona is once again GT Daytona. The pro-am GT3 category will see a 21 car grid representing nine different manufactures take the track for the Roar Before the 24 today at Daytona International Speedway. Titans of the automotive world such as the likes of Ferrari, Corvette, Porsche, Lamborghini and more make up a grid that could pass just as much for an exotic car show as it could a motor race.
In this article we’ll be previewing the entire GT Daytona grid going in order of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship’s teams’ standings from the 2025 season as we prepare for the start of the 2026 campaign.
The target everyone is chasing is once again the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. The back to back GT Daytona champions are looking to complete the three-peat heading into 2026 whilst also looking to return to Mobil1 Victory Lane at the World’s Center of Racing after their defense of their 2024 class victory resulted in a fourth in class finish. The team will retain the same four driver outfit that competed last season as defending driver’s champions of Philip Ellis and Russell Ward return alongside endurance drivers Indy Dontje and Lucas Auer.
Runner’s up in the GTD standings in the 2025 season were The Heart of Racing with their No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO. Formerly a two car GTP program the team will retain it’s GTD entry for 2026 alongside the highly touted and publicized Valkyrie GTP car. Three of the four drivers that finished on the podium with a third place finish in the Rolex 24 at Daytona last year will return to the team as Zacharie Robichon, Tom Gamble and Mattia Drudi all find themselves back in the seat. As for their fourth driver, it will be Brazilian drive Eduardo Barichello.
It’s the tenth and final year for the Lexus RC F GT3 car coming into 2026 with the new, long-anticipated Toyota GR GT3 finally unveiled to the world for 2027. Long time Lexus outfit Vasser Sullivan Racing will look to win their first Rolex 24 at Daytona… with a runner-up finish now six years into the rear view mirror this is a team that has seemed all but snake-bitten with two finishes higher than 12th place in the season opening event. It is a shuffled up lineup as Aaron Telitz and Frankie Montecalvo will be joined by former IndyCar driver Benjamin Pedersen as well as Toyota development driver 21-year old Frenchman Esteban Masson.
IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship mainstays Turner Motorsport will once again roll out their BMW M4 GT3 EVO to the track the trio of Patrick Gallagher, Robby Foley and Jens Kinglmann will all return to the team as Francis Selldorff steps in to replace the departing Jake Walker for the 2026 event. Selldorff, the former champion of the VP Sportscar Challenge GSX class, will be behind the wheel for the Michelin Endurance Cup rounds.
2025 Rolex 24 at Daytona polesitters and runners-up Wright Motorsports return to the grid for 2026, sporting a tweaked lineup for the 2026 season as team owner Adam Adelson will be joined for the full IWSC season by IndyCar driver Callum Illott who will be running a dual campaign across both series for 2026. Tom Sargent will once again return to the seat for the Michelin Endurance Cup while 2025 pole lap setting Elliott Skeer will join the team for Daytona.
Ferrari outfit Conquest Racing will once again see Manny Franco piloting the No. 34 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO 2 for Daytona with an entirely new cast of drivers stepping in, Franco will be re-united with 2024 full season teammate Albert Costa for 2026 as the pairing will be joined by Italian rising star Lorenzo Patrese and DTM’s Thierry Vermeulen.
The defending class champions of the Rolex 24 find themselves with a bit of a new look for the 2026 season. The newly branded “13 Autosport” will look to carry on where they left off as AWA as Orey Fidani, Matt Bell and Lars Kern return to the black and yellow colored Corvette Z06 GT3.R now joined by GT World Challenge Asia winner Ben Green. Green will be stepping in for Marvin Kirchhofer who will run the factory-backed Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports No. 3 for the Michelin Endurance Cup.
Inception Racing is another team similar to the aforementioned Winward Racing outfit who will retain their full lineup from 2025, the black and yellow No. 70 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO 2 will once again be piloted by Brendan Iribe, Ollie Milroy, Frederick Schandorff and David Fuminelli. The team who won at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be looking to improve on their 18th place showing from Daytona last season and add a set of watches to the trophy case.
Another Ferrari outfit making their return to the grid for 2026 is Triarsi Competizione. Team owner Onfrio Triarsi will once again pilot the No. 023 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO 2, his new teammates including Road America winning co-driver Kenton Koch, who moved over to the team following the midseason closure of Korthoff Competition Motors, Ferrari HyperCar driver Yifei Yi and Robert Megennis. The team is looking to bounce back at Daytona following a post race disqualification a year ago.
Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 45 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO 2 will return for the 2026 season. It’s once again the trio of Graham Doyle, Danny Formal and Trent Hindman however, the team will see a new fourth driver for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson joins the roster, marking his third attempt in the Rolex 24 and first in GT class machinery.
It’s the sophomore campaign for SRO mainstays DXDT Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. The Corvette based team will see their No. 36 at the hands of full time driver Mason Fillippi who moves up from the Michelin Pilot Challenge ranks, the returning Salih Yoluc and Charlie Eastwood as well as Indycar driver Scott McLaughlin.
Gradient Racing had a rocky first season with their No. 66 Ford Mustang GT3. A season that only contained one top five finish sets the stage for a wealth of improvement in 2026. A lineup that sees a return of Joey Hand and Till Bechtolshiemer now paired with Corey Lewis and Jake Walker.
AF Corse USA will once again field their No. 21 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO 2, Simon Mann and Lilou Wadoux both return, with Antonio Fuoco moving over from the departed Cetilar Racing outfit whilst Tomasso Mosca will round out the lineup.
van der Steur Racing will be the second of three Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO on the grid, piloted by Rory van der Steur, Valentin Hasse Clot, Sebastien Baud and Carl Bennett.
Lone Star Racing’s No. 80 Mercedes-AMG GT3 will once again see Scott Andrews and Ralf Aron at the helm, this time joined by Lin Hodenius and James Roe.
Magnus Racing will make their return to the highbanks on what the team is calling a “limited endurance schedule” in 2026. John Potter, Nicki Thiim and Spencer Pumpelly will be joined by former BMW driver Madison Snow who steps in for the now retired Andy Lally.
But what about the new teams for 2026?
Five teams that weren’t on the grid in GTD in 2025 will contest the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Dragonspeed will make the move to the Corvette Z06 GT3.R following a runner up finish in the GTD PRO championship to Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports. The No. 81 Corvette will be piloted by Henrik Hedman, Giacomo Altoe, Casper Stevenson and Matteo Cairoli.
RS1 will jump up from the Michelin Pilot Challenge series to field a Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) as one of three new Porsche outfits in the class for 2026. They will field the lineup of Eric Zitza, Dillon Machavern, Jan Heylen and Sven Muller aboard their No. 28 Porsche.
The other two new Porsche entries to the grid are the Nos. 123 and 912 for Muehlner Motorsports America and Manthey 1st Phorm respectively. For Muehlner it will be father and son duo of Dave Musail and Dave Musail Jr alongside Peter Ludwig and Ryan Yardley. Whilst Manthey will see Ryan Hardwick, Richard Leitz, Morris Schuring and Ricciardo Pera behind the wheel.
The final new team is the Myers Riley Ford Mustang GT3. The new No. 16 entry will see Riley move back to a GT capacity following their successes in both LMP2 and LMP3 over the years. With a driver lineup consisting of Sheena Monk, long time Riley driver Felipe Fraga, Jenson Altzman and former Lamborghini SC-63 driver Romain Grosjean.
You can find the full Rolex 24 entry list here
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