DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Carmakers name it a mid-cycle refresh after they make small however vital element modifications to their merchandise, whether or not by means of refinements in powertrain and chassis know-how or performance-related styling tweaks.
The premier Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is experiencing a mid-cycle refresh of its personal in 2026.
4 of the 5 taking part producers – Acura, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche – are introducing up to date “Evo” (evolution) variations of their hybrid-powered race automobiles, and the Aston Martin Valkyrie will compete within the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona for the primary time.
As well as, each GTP competitor will likely be turning their first aggressive laps on a brand new design of Michelin tire that encompasses a distinctive visible id and improved warm-up traits.
All of it provides as much as a world of newness and uncertainty for when the 60-car discipline (unfold amongst 4 lessons) takes the inexperienced flag Saturday to race twice across the clock on the Daytona Worldwide Speedway street course that mixes a technical infield part with lengthy stretches of the observe’s iconic banked oval.
“Clearly, at all times wanting ahead to Daytona – it’s beginning the brand new yr,” stated Filipe Albuquerque, who owns two total Rolex 24 victories together with a category win. This yr, Albuquerque is sharing the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Collection.R with Ricky Taylor and Will Stevens.
“Quite a lot of preparation from Wayne Taylor Racing within the offseason; we’ve the ‘jokers’ (IMSA-homologated upgrades) on the Cadillac, so I’m actually excited to see the evolution, but in addition from our rivals as effectively. I feel we’ll solely know the true velocity of every one after we are on observe with all people on the identical time.
“New automotive livery, new helmet, new go well with. It’s like ranging from zero.”
Because the two-time defending GTP class champion and historic chief with 20 total victories by Porsche race automobiles relationship to 1968 (together with the final two years, with a further 4 that includes Porsche engines), Porsche is clearly the benchmark on the Rolex 24.
Porsche Penske Motorsport enters 2026 with aerodynamic revisions to the Porsche 963 and a revised driver lineup that leans closely on the roster that competed for Porsche the final three years within the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Three-time IMSA champion Felipe Nasr is PPM’s solely carryover full-season IMSA driver from 2025, joined full-time within the No. 7 Porsche 963 this yr by Julien Andlauer and Laurin Heinrich in IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races.
Laurens Vanthoor and Kevin Estre will share the No. 6 automotive, joined for IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup occasions by 2025 GTP co-champion Matt Campbell.
Each Porsche and Group Penske are celebrating vital milestones in 2026: the seventy fifth anniversary of Porsche Motorsport, and the sixtieth anniversary of Group Penske, which made its first official begin within the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona – the primary yr Daytona’s endurance race was prolonged to a full 24 hours.
“We would like extra,” stated Thomas Laudenbach, vp of Porsche Motorsport. “Within the anniversary yr of Porsche Motorsport and on the sixtieth birthday of Group Penske, we’ve clear targets: a 3rd consecutive Daytona victory with the Porsche 963, and we intend to compete for titles within the IMSA sequence once more in 2026.”
Cadillac boasts a three-car armada, with two Wayne Taylor Racing entries and the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Collection.R entry that carried Jack Aitken to a pair of late-season wins and second place within the 2025 GTP standings.
“We haven’t gone for a large revolution or something; we’re simply making an attempt to select off these little wins and preserve the ball rolling,” Aitken stated. “We’ve obtained a great driver lineup, we’ve obtained a great automotive, we’re proud of our crew. I feel we simply should be constant. There’s no magic mud; it’s simply being wise.”
Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian approaches 2026 with an upgraded model of the Acura ARX-06 and a way of stability after spending a lot of final yr catching up from lacking the 2024 GTP marketing campaign.
MSR’s full-season driver pairings of Tom Blomqvist/Colin Braun (No. 60) and Renger van der Zande/Nick Yelloly (No. 93) are assisted at Daytona by a gaggle of worldwide all-stars, together with IndyCar champions Scott Dixon and Alex Palou, NASCAR’s AJ Allmendinger and rising Japanese ace Kaku Ohta.
“I’ve executed this race yearly since 2004 and I adore it,” stated Dixon, a four-time Rolex 24 winner, together with three total victories. “Quite a lot of the instances you may get to the top of the race, and you can be racing 10 folks for the win within the final quarter-hour, which is insane.
“I simply love the vibe and the environment right here, they usually’ve positively constructed on it. The crowds are so much larger than they was once and there’s a lot producer assist. Quite a lot of positives.”
BMW is switching its IMSA associate group for GTP from Group RLL to WRT, which has anchored BMW’s effort in WEC for the reason that GTP components debuted in 2023. BMW has additionally shuffled its driver lineup and launched an Evo model of the BMW M Hybrid V8, leaving the automotive numbers (24 and 25) as just about the one parts of the venture unchanged from a yr in the past.
“There are such a lot of new issues,” stated Philipp Eng, co-driver of the No. 25 entry. “I’ve a brand new full-season teammate with Marco Wittmann. New crew, clearly, with WRT. There’s little question they’re among the best groups on this planet, so I’m very comfortable to be racing for them. We opened the efficiency window of the automotive. It’s nonetheless early days, however I feel we’ve an excellent overview of what to anticipate.
“I’m comfortable that winter break is over and we get to return racing.”
The Aston Martin THOR Group’s No. 23 Aston Martin Valkyrie was a well-liked addition to the WeatherTech Championship in 2025, and the sweet-sounding V-12 powered prototype makes its Rolex 24 debut this yr. Aston Martin ended the 2025 marketing campaign with the automotive’s first podium within the season finale at Michelin Raceway Highway Atlanta and hopes to maintain the momentum going.
“I feel continuity is de facto necessary and having just about every part the identical will assist us proceed on the trajectory we ended on final yr,” stated Ross Gunn, who co-drives full-time with Roman De Angelis. “I’m comfortable that we went that route.”
IMSA has turn out to be the world’s premier championship for the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class, and the Rolex 24 discipline encompasses a strong 13-car entry. Over the course of the season, Bronze-rated LMP2 drivers compete for the Jim Trueman Award, which incorporates an invite to compete within the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Manufacturing car-based automobiles constructed to the worldwide GT3 customary take pleasure in an excellent larger presence, with 15 entries set to compete in Grand Touring Daytona Professional (GTD PRO) and 21 pro-am driver mixtures slated for Grand Touring Daytona (GTD). Ten producers are represented – Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.
The sixty fourth operating of the Rolex 24 At Daytona begins with follow and qualifying Thursday and a remaining follow Friday. The inexperienced flag is ready to wave at 1:40 p.m. ET Saturday.
