IMSA check at Daytona: First take a look at 2026 LMDh vehicles

With the official pre-season check at Daytona, the IMSA SportsCar Championship closed out 2025 and successfully opened the 2026 marketing campaign. Throughout operating at Daytona Worldwide Speedway, the 4 LMDh producers – Porsche, BMW, Cadillac and Acura – introduced updates to their GTP equipment.

Cadillac’s modifications had been probably the most hanging: the V-Sequence.R now incorporates a utterly redesigned rear wing factor, which is mounted considerably decrease. A brand new splitter with out diveplanes has additionally been launched, together with a brand new Brembo braking system.

Following {an electrical} replace at first of 2025, Cadillac has now used Evo Jokers quantity two and three. Every producer is allowed 5 Jokers till the top of 2027, with two extra tokens accessible for the prolonged homologation cycle by 2029 in addition to one styling-specific joker.

A specific highlight was on younger NASCAR sensation Connor Zilisch, who dramatically missed out on the Xfinity title and due to this fact lacked ample nationwide licence factors to take part within the WEC rookie check in Bahrain.

He drove the Motion Specific Cadillac #31 (Frederik Vesti/Jack Aitken/Earl Bamber/Zilisch) and is into account because the staff’s fourth driver for Daytona.

The BMW M Hybrid V8 appeared in its previously-revealed bodywork configuration, together with smaller kidney grilles and redesigned inner channels. Roughly fifty % of the bodywork is new.

The revisions goal primarily to enhance drivability. It stays unclear what number of Evo Jokers had been used for the improve; one token had already been spent on a brake replace in the course of the earlier winter.

#7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Felipe Nasr, Josef Newgarden, Matt Campbell, Julien Andlauer, Scott McLaughlin

Picture by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen by way of Getty Photos

Porsche additionally rolled out new aerodynamics, though the modifications featured solely on the 2 factory-run Penske entries.

The privateer JDC-Miller Porsche remained within the earlier specification however will probably be introduced as much as the brand new stage earlier than the official pre-event check, the Roar earlier than the 24, as required by the laws.

In contrast to Cadillac and BMW, Porsche’s modifications are much less apparent at first look. A brand new entrance splitter and a revised diffuser are the important thing elements, accompanied by suspension updates.

With this, Porsche has invested Joker quantity three and 4, leaving one token remaining till the top of 2027.

Acura launched up to date aerodynamics on the ARX-06 as nicely, however the modifications are much more refined than Porsche’s. New diveplanes and a frivolously modified rear finish are the primary visible variations.

A.J. Allmendinger, who returning to Daytona 24 Hours because the fourth driver for the primary time since 2021, accomplished his first laps in an LMDh automotive.

Most of those aero updates stem from the truth that IMSA and the WEC at the moment are sharing the identical Windshear wind tunnel in the US for homologation work.

The Sauber wind tunnel beforehand used for the WEC has since been taken over by the Audi System 1 program.

The Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH enters its second season as the one GTP automotive with out Evo Joker modifications. It was additionally the one automotive to come across issues in the course of the check, as Ross Gunn triggered a pink flag on the out-lap on account of {an electrical} subject.

Acura tops the timesheets within the first session
#93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06: Renger van der Zande, Nick Yelloly

#93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06: Renger van der Zande, Nick Yelloly

Picture by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen by way of Getty Photos

Lap instances had been recorded as nicely, although they historically carry little efficiency relevance at this check. The mixed outcomes had been as follows:

GTP

MSR-Acura #93 (Yelloly/van der Zande/Palou) – 1:35.725 (Session 1)
JDC-Miller-Porsche #85 (Aron/van der Helm/Campbell/Pino) – 1:36.015 (Session 4)
Penske-Porsche #6 (Andlauer/McLaughlin/Campbell/Nasr/Newgarden) – 1:36.143 (Session 2)
MSR-Acura #60 (Blomqvist/Braun/Dixon/Allmendinger) – 1:36.231 (Session 3)
Penske-Porsche #7 (Andlauer/McLaughlin/Campbell/Nasr/Newgarden) – 1:36.395 (Session 4)
WRT-BMW #24 (Frijns/Rast/Magnussen/D. Vanthoor/Eng) – 1:36.399 (Session 4)
WRT-BMW #25 (Wittmann/Rast/Magnussen/D. Vanthoor/Eng) – 1:36.459 (Session 4)
AXR-Cadillac #31 (Vesti/Aitken/Bamber/Zilisch) – 1:36.540 (Session 2)
WTR-Cadillac #10 (R. Taylor/Albuquerque/Stevens) – 1:36.595 (Session 2)
WTR-Cadillac #40 (J. Taylor/Deletraz/Herta) – 1:36.619 (Session 2)
THOR-Aston Martin #23 (De Angelis/Gunn) – 1:37.152 (Session 3)

LMP2

TDS-Oreca #11 (Lütke/Beche/Heinemeier Hansson/Milesi) – 1:39.176 (Session 2)
Pratt-Miller-Oreca #73 (P. Fittipaldi/Cumming/Espirito Santo/E. Fittipaldi) – 1:39.177 (Session 4)
APR-Oreca #04 (Kurtz/Quinn/Sowery/Jakobsen) – 1:39.188 (Session 2)
Inter Europol-Oreca #43 (Clarke/Dillmann/Garg/Siegel) – 1:39.224 (Session 1)
PR1-Mathiasen-BHA-Oreca #52 (Goikhberg/Keating/Thompson/Vautier) – 1:39.795 (Session 4)
AO-Oreca #99 (Hyett/Cameron/Edgar/Rasmussen) – 1:39.911 (Session 3)
United Autosports-Oreca #2 (Fayer/McElrea/Jensen) – 1:39.960 (Session 1)
Tower-Oreca #8 (Farano/Bourdais/Alvarez/Foster) – 1:40.045 (Session 4)
United Autosports-Oreca #22 (Goldburg/di Resta/Lindh/Saucy) – 1:40.210 (Session 2)
Intersport-Oreca #37 (Discipline/Jarvis/Lucas) – 1:40.242 (Session 4)

GTP and LMP2 ran classes 1 to five (Friday and Saturday), with the fifth session held after darkish.

Lamborghini Temerario GT3 makes debut
#9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini: Andrea Caldarelli, Marco Mapelli

#9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini: Andrea Caldarelli, Marco Mapelli

Picture by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen by way of Getty Photos

GT vehicles joined the motion within the third session on Saturday morning and had Sunday (classes 6 and seven) all for themselves.

A lot consideration was targeted on the brand-new Lamborghini Temerario GT3, run by Pfaff Motorsports. Pfaff plans to introduce the Temerario at Sebring; for the 24 Hours of Daytona, the staff will discipline the confirmed Huracan one final time.

This marked the Temerario’s first look on American soil, following improvement work in Europe, together with an endurance check at Le Castellet. It was additionally the primary time the automotive ran on the Michelin tyres utilized in IMSA.

The French producer introduced a brand new technology for 2026 as nicely. In a curious second, the AF Corse Ferrari #21 (Mann/Mosca) appeared illegally on 2025-spec tyres, incomes a 30-minute penalty throughout which the Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo was not permitted to run.

Like Ferrari, each Porsche and Ford launched updates to their GT3 vehicles. Throughout all three manufacturers, the objective is to widen the working window and enhance drivability for beginner drivers.

Ford additionally goals to extend front-end downforce, which is seen by two massive flaps on either side on the nostril part.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing appeared for the primary time with a newly-acquired McLaren 720S GT3 in GTD Professional, following the lack of its BMW LMDh program.

Additionally new was a second Mercedes-AMG GT3 from Winward Racing, set to race at Daytona and partly operated by mechanics from the DTM.

IndyCar star Will Energy returned with 75 Specific Racing after beforehand competing for the staff within the Indianapolis 8 Hours. He set aggressive instances.

Solely eight GTD vehicles participated within the check. The GT outcomes had been as follows:

GTD Professional

Winward-Mercedes #48 (Noble/Hart/Martin/Stolz) – 1:47.152 (Session 6)
75-Specific-Mercedes #75 (Habul/Grenier/Energy) – 1:47.187 (Session 7)
RLL-McLaren #59 (MacDonald/Vips/Esterson) – 1:47.684 (Session 6)
Manthey-Porsche #911 (Preining/Pera/Hardwick) – 1:47.700 (Session 7)
Vasser-Sullivan-Lexus #14 (Hawksworth/Barnicoat/Kirkwood) – 1:47.999 (Session 7)
Multimatic-Ford #65 (Mies/Vervisch/Priaulx) – 1:48.092 (Session 3)
Pfaff-Lamborghini #9 (Mapelli/Caldarelli/Perera) – 1:48.102 (Session 6)
Paul Miller-BMW #1 (Harper/Hesse/Verhagen/de Phillippi) – 1:48.161 (Session 4)
Multimatic-Ford #64 (Barker/Olsen/Rockenfeller) – 1:48.218 (Session 7)

GTD

Winward-Mercedes #57 (Ellis/Ward/Dontje/Auer) – 1:47.156 (Session 5)
Magnus-Aston Martin #44 (Potter/Pumpelly/Thiim) – 1:47.537 (Session 3)
RS1-Porsche #28 (Zitza/Heylen) – 1:47.677 (Session 3)
Wright-Porsche #120 (Adelson/Skeer/Sargent/Llott) – 1:47.873 (Session 7)
Myers-Riley-Ford #16 (Monk/Fraga/Altzman/Grosjean) – 1:47.956 (Session 3)
Vasser-Sullivan-Lexus #12 (Telitz/Pedersen/Montecalvo/Masson) – 1:47.958 (Session 3)
AF-Corse-Ferrari #21 (Mann/Mosca) – 1:48.146 (Session 6)
WTR-Lamborghini #45 (Formal/Hindman/Doyle) – 1:48.290 (Session 6)

Every one of many seven classes featured at the least one interruption. The primary pink flag was triggered by the aforementioned Valkyrie subject.

The second session noticed two stoppages attributable to LMP2 entries: Misha Goikhberg crashed at Flip 5, whereas Jon Discipline spun off. Discipline, now 70 years outdated, returns to IMSA after a 14-year hiatus. Each vehicles made it again to the pits below their very own energy.

Within the third session, Spencer Pumpelly stopped within the Magnus Racing Aston Martin with an alternator drawback. Within the fourth session, Dane Cameron spun after what gave the impression to be a free wheel on the AO-run Oreca.

The night time session was interrupted twice to take away particles. The sixth session was additionally stopped as soon as for a similar purpose. The ultimate pink flag of the check was brought on in session seven by a tyre failure on the RS1 Porsche.

The sixty fourth version of the 24 Hours of Daytona begins with the official Roar earlier than the 24 check from 16-18 January 16–18, whereas the race weekend runs from 21-25 January.

Pictures from Daytona November check

#65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3: Christopher Mies, Frederic Vervisch, Sebastian Priaulx