Laurin Heinrich placed on a livid cost that ended with a last-lap cross to win it for buyer outfit JDC-Miller MotorSports at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
The 24-year-old German chased down Whelen Cadillac’s Earl Bamber and the 2 battled, with the race-winning sequence taking place with a courageous transfer in Flip 3 that saved them side-by-side earlier than Heinrich secured the highest spot in Flip 5 earlier than happening to win, together with co-driver Tijmen van der Helm, by 0.758s over Bamber on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile pure terrain street course.
It marks Heinrich’s eighth profession class win and third win on the observe, having gained the previous two years in GTD Professional. It marks the third high class victory for JDC-Miller MotorSports, first within the GTP period.
Heinrich, who additionally co-drives a lot of the endurance rounds with Porsche Penske Motorsport, assumes the general championship lead by 21 factors over Aitken (1396-1375).
#65 Ford Racing: Christopher Mies, Frederic Vervisch
Picture by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen by way of Getty Photos
It marks the fourth consecutive podium consequence (three runner-ups) in as many races to begin the 2026 IMSA season for Whelen Cadillac, who began on the entrance row with Jack Aitken. Marco Wittmann (BMW Crew M WRT) took the ultimate spot on the rostrum to complete third.
Frederic Vervisch, with co-driver Christopher Mies, took the GTD Professional class win for Ford Racing. The mix of Danny Formal and Trent Hindman claimed the GTD victory for Wayne Taylor Racing.
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The Race
#40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing: Jordan Taylor, Louis Deletraz
Picture by: Artwork Fleischmann
Pole-sitter Louis Deletraz ( #40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing) led the sphere to the inexperienced flag in an easy begin into Flip 1 as the remainder of the GTP runners settled in. Moments later, although, the #60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 of Tom Blomqvist was on the mistaken finish of contact and ended up off beam in Flip 3, however was in a position to proceed on.
Deletraz started catching the again of the GT subject inside the opening 10 minutes, with second-place man Aitken (Whelen Cadillac) carving by the backmarkers with him because the duo constructed up a 3s benefit over Nick Yelloly (Acura Meyer Shank Racing) in third.
#60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian: Tom Blomqvist, Colin Braun
Picture by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen by way of Getty Photos
13 minutes in, Filipe Albuquerque, operating in #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac, ended up with a left-rear tire difficulty – as a consequence of potential contact with Gradient Racing’s #66 Ford Mustang GT3 of Jake Walker – and was pressured to pit lane for service and despatched again out, solely to return moments later and go behind the wall with a suspected suspension difficulty.
Aitken continued to hound Deletraz for the lead as the 2 battled by visitors, with the latter holding serve by the opening 24 minutes regardless of the strain.
The primary lead change occurred on the 25-minute mark as Aitken made an outdoor cross round Deletraz on the Andretti Hairpin, which additionally got here with slight contact within the door as Deletraz slid up.
Aitken was in a position to rapidly prolong a spot of over 3s only a few minutes later.
#31 Cadillac Whelen: Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber
Picture by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen by way of Getty Photos
There was no change among the many leaders of GTD Professional and GTD by the opening 40 minutes, by Jack Hawksworth (Vasser Sullivan) and Lorenzo Patrese (Conquest Racing), respectively.
Deletraz dove to pit lane from second and handed over his #40 Cadillac V-Collection.R to Jordan Taylor after practically 45 minutes within the opening stint.
#6 Porsche Penske Motorsport: Laurens Vanthoor, Kevin Estre
Picture by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen by way of Getty Photos
Patrese pitted from the lead after 48 minutes in his #34 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO and handed off to Albert Costa. Because of the cease, Winward Racing’s Russell Ward elevated to the highest spot briefly earlier than pitting and making a driver change to Philip Ellis, which put Costa again to the highest spot in GTD.
Nevertheless, a hearth on the again of the exhaust of the Conquest Racing Ferrari introduced Costa again into the pits from the lead, with the group needing to extinguish the fireplace and maintain him on pit street to survey the difficulty. The difficulty vaulted the #45 Wayne Taylor Racing into the GTD lead, with Trent Hindman on the wheel of the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2.
#9 Pfaff Motorsports: Andrea Caldarelli, Sandy Mitchell
Picture by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen by way of Getty Photos
Hawksworth pitted from the GTD Professional lead a couple of minutes later for service, however remained within the seat as a substitute of handing off to Ben Barnicoat. Neil Verhagen (Paul Miller Racing) took over the category lead.
Aitken pitted from the general lead and handed off to Earl Bamber after 58 minutes, which put the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8 of Dries Vanthoor (BMW M Crew WRT) to the general race lead. Vanthoor pitted and handed off to Sheldon van der Linde, and was in a position to cycle again to the lead over Bamber courtesy of a shorter service cease.
The battle for the lead was underneath a blanket with 1hr34m to go as van der Linde led Bamber and Jordan Taylor had been separated by 0.7s.
Laurin Heinrich (JDC-Miller MotorSports) was operating fourth making an attempt to chase the leaders however pressed too exhausting and went off beam into the Andretti Hairpin moments later and dropped to fifth, with Acura Meyer Shank’s Colin Braun getting by.
#1 Paul Miller Racing: Neil Verhagen, Connor De Phillippi
Picture by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen by way of Getty Photos
The primary warning of the race got here out with 1h29m left after Matt Bell (13 Autosport) went off beam and stopped in Flip 2. Bell climbed out and was left shaking his head at his stopped Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
The following pit stops noticed points for the BMW, with the #25 being hindered by their teammate within the #24 sister automobile, whereas the #40 suffered a difficulty when the automobile was dropped whereas the left-rear wasn’t but hooked up and wanted to be raised again up. The mix of brief stops and points shook up the operating order, with Felipe Nasr (#7 Porsche Penske Motorsport) biking as much as the lead, forward of Renger van der Zande (#93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing) and Bamber. Laurens Vanthoor, within the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport machine for Kevin Estre, was in fourth, with J.Taylor in fifth.
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Nick Tandy (AO Racing) cycled to the highest in GTD Professional, with Ben Barnicoat (Vasser Sullivan) now in for Hawksworth in second. Tom Gamble (Coronary heart of Racing) led GTD, forward of Robby Foley (Turner Motorsport) in second.
The restart got here with just below 1hr15m remaining, with Nasr, not on new tires, leaping to a strong hole on van der Zande and Bamber, the primary automobile on new tires.
The #40 Cadillac made its last pit cease with 1h1m remaining, electing for simply vitality replenishment and never a brand new set of tires.
#5 JDC-Miller MotorSports: Tijmen van der Helm, Laurin Heinrich
Picture by: Artwork Fleischmann
With 1h remaining, Nasr held a 0.6s lead over van der Zande, whereas Bamber was 1.4s behind in third. Tandy remained within the GTD Professional lead by 0.6s over Barnicoat, whereas Gamble held serve in GTD.
Bamber dove to pit lane with 54m left from third, taking a gasoline fill and no tires.
Nasr continued to remain out, gapping to a 1.5s lead over van der Zande with 50m left. Bamber, operating seventh, continued to claw the undercut hole, going from 33.5s to 31s behind and masking the delta for when the race chief would make its last pit cease. The #93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing machine of van der Zande pitted from second, and took proper aspect tires together with gasoline replenishment.
Nasr’s continued push led to him going huge in Flip 1 and locking up briefly with 42m left, but additionally prolonged his delta benefit over Bamber, operating fifth, to 32.4s.
Nasr was lastly in a position to dive to pit lane with 40m to go, with a recent set of tires and gasoline, biking out to sixth, however considerably behind Bamber, who cycled as much as fourth.
The #25 BMW of Marco Wittman and #5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 of Heinrich cycled to the entrance briefly earlier than pitting moments later, however got here out instantly behind Bamber in third and fourth, respectively.
#23 ASTON MARTIN THOR Crew: Ross Gunn, Roman De Angelis
Picture by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen by way of Getty Photos
Blomqvist, who had but to pit, assumed the race lead and was logging slower lap instances making an attempt to protect gasoline with 35m left.
Callum Ilotttook over the GTD class lead for Wright Motorsports by operating blazing fast laps early in his stint, however was put right into a fuel-save effort with 33m left whereas additionally holding a 13s benefit over van der Steur Racing’s Scott Andrews.
Blomqvist remained out entrance with 20m left, however in determined want of a warning with a purpose to make it to the top on vitality, operating at 14 %. Bamber sat second with a powerful 37 % left.
The highest 4 of GTD Professional, led by AO Racing’s Tandy, had been all roughly 4 minutes in need of gasoline, with fifth-place runner Frederic Vervisch (Ford Racing) the primary comfy on gasoline however 10s behind at school.
Ilott stayed out entrance in GTD, but additionally wanted a warning with simply sufficient gasoline to make one other six laps, roughly, with 18m to go.
#60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian: Tom Blomqvist, Colin Braun
Picture by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen by way of Getty Photos
Blomqvist pitted with simply over 15m left, vaulting Bamber to the general race lead. Ilott’s quest to avoid wasting gasoline got here up brief, pitting from the GTD lead with 11m left, handing the result in Hindman of Wayne Taylor Racing.
Tandy led the way in which to the pits with 7m left for these high 4 in GTD Professional that had been struggling for gasoline, selling Vervish to the highest spot at school.
Heinrich, now operating second, started clawing into Bamber’s lead, dropping it from 2.4 to 0.6s with 5m left. And was there on the rear wing with lower than 3m to go and chomping for the lead.
With two laps to go, the 2 made contact whereas navigating visitors and Bamber was in a position to construct a slight hole going by GT backmarkers.
Heinrich and Bamber ended up side-by-side, however Heinrich was in a position to lastly get by between Turns 4 and 5 to safe the highest spot and drive off to victory.
Vervisch secured it in GTD Professional, with Hindman coasting to the win in GTD.
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