Vasser Sullivan Lexus Wins GTD PRO; Winward Mercedes-AMG Takes GTD
By Tony DiZinno
BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – Tom Dillmann and Jeremy Clarke started first and finished first in their No. 43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA LMP2 07, to capture the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) headlining Chevrolet Grand Prix for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for their first IMSA win of 2026. But how they got there was not as straightforward as that simple statistic.
Late-race splashes for fuel nearly upended the running order in the class, as second-to-last stops north of 50 minutes remaining forced teams to either run hard and potentially need the splash or hope for a yellow flag and eliminate the need to pit once more.
With green running for more of the second half of the two-hour, 40-minute race, it did come down to pit stops toward the end. As the LMP2 teams nailed their final execution on pit lane, it ensured the drivers’ efforts on track in traffic and racing each other were not wasted.
In fact, the No. 43 crew’s stop of 34.269 seconds on pit lane for its final splash was quicker than the rival No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR entry of 35.470. That allowed Dillmann to stretch his gap over Alex Quinn, who finished second by 9.796 seconds in the No. 04 car he shared with George Kurtz. Dane Cameron and PJ Hyett completed the LMP2 podium in their No. 99 AO Racing ORECA.
Strategic execution on pit lane made a key difference in the two GT classes, as well. Slick work from the Vasser Sullivan Racing crew helped deliver Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat their second straight win (Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen) in Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), sharing their No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3.
The No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) and No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO completed the GTD PRO podium.
Winward Racing returned to the top of the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) ranks after a difficult stretch of races for their second win of the year (Rolex 24 At Daytona). The win came from a combination of good pit stops and Philip Ellis moving past his GTD rivals after a restart to ensure he and Russell Ward won in their No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3. They’re the first GTD entry to two wins in 2026.
Championship contenders Vasser Sullivan Racing with its No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 and Turner Motorsport with its No. 96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO completed the GTD podium.
In the Chevrolet Grand Prix, the best-placed of five Corvettes entered in two GT classes was the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R in fourth in GTD PRO.
Across the Canadian drivers and teams in action, none of the five Bronze-rated Canadians made the LMP2 podium. Pfaff Motorsports and 13 Autosport also encountered challenging afternoons in the two GT classes.