DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – IMSA’s Resilient Racers program returns for a second consecutive year at the next IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship round at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Done in collaboration with IMSA’s two proud charity partners, the Austin Hatcher Foundation and Camp Boggy Creek, the program looks to build on a successful 2025 debut.
September marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and the IMSA Resilient Racers program was created to raise awareness and funds so both charities can continue providing vital resources, programs, and care to children and families who are bravely facing pediatric cancer and other serious illnesses.
A total of 25 of the 42 Resilient Racers families will attend the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, giving them the chance to be a part of an IMSA race weekend with opportunities to meet the team and drivers they’ve been paired with and see their name on the race car (and also in IMSA’s Fan and Spotters Guides).
Fans can support the Resilient Racers program – and their favorite team – by making a donation at this link which will benefit both the Austin Hatcher Foundation and Camp Boggy Creek. Since race teams – and fans – love competition, fans can assign their donation to their favorite WeatherTech Championship team, providing bragging rights to the team that raises the most money for the IMSA Resilient Racers program.
There is also an IMSA Resilient Racers t-shirt available to purchase on the Team IMSA website with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the two charities.
The WeatherTech Championship teams have embraced the IMSA Resilient Racers program beyond just putting a child’s name on their car. Several teams are hosting garage tours for the child and family they are paired with, some conducting virtual meet-and-greets with those not in attendance, including the child on hero/autograph cards or even having their Resilient Racer join the drivers during Saturday’s full-field autograph session.
The entire WeatherTech Championship paddock rallied around the program last year, earning all of the teams the IMSA Team Marketing Award for their participation in the inaugural Resilient Racers program.
Several manufacturers such as BMW and Ford, and teams such as AO Racing, kept in touch with their 2025 Resilient Racers beyond the Indianapolis race weekend itself.
“I don’t think any of us could have imagined how much the Resilient Racers program touched our hearts last year,” said Adam McGregor, BMW North America Motorsport & Customer Racing Manager. “For kids that have experienced so much, it is an honor to be able to give them the experience of being part of our Team for a weekend. The connections we built with these families last year were truly special and go beyond that weekend with us still being in contact to this day. In fact, our Racer from last year, Daniel, has attended multiple races in 2026 so he could visit his team and cheer us on. This truly put a smile on all our faces in a way not even race wins can.”
Another example of the support teams have shown for the program came when a Cadillac Whelen team member drove to their Resilient Racer’s home ahead of the race both this year and last, delivering team shirts and flags. This year, Noah C., who’s being recognized on the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) team’s No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R at Indianapolis, shares a natural connection with the team and brand as his grandfather is a longtime Blackwing enthusiast.
Ford won last year’s event in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class with Mike Rockenfeller and Seb Priaulx sharing the No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3. Rockenfeller specifically called out the Resilient Racers program as he reflected on his 2025 season, where he and Priaulx won both in Indianapolis and in Ford’s home state of Michigan at Detroit.
“At Indy, it was special to have the whole family (as part of the new IMSA Resilient Racers program) there enjoying it, taking the pictures, being on the podium,” Rockenfeller said.
“Especially as a father of three, you understand what matters in life. You think racing is the most important or when you’re doing it. But there’s a lot more in life, to share emotions and give something back. That’s very special.”
Of note, Austin “Hatch” Osborne’s name will be featured on the No. 68 Car Blanche Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo. The Austin Hatcher Foundation was founded in December 2006 by Dr. James and Mrs. Amy Jo Osborn months after their son, Austin Hatcher Osborn, passed away from a very rare and aggressive form of brain and spinal tumors. This year marks 20 years since the foundation’s establishment.
“The Resilient Racers program is a powerful example of how we merge the world of motorsports with our mission to empower families facing childhood cancer,” said Amy Jo Osborn, CEO and co-founder of the Austin Hatcher Foundation.
“At the Austin Hatcher Foundation, we use racing as a platform to teach resilience, teamwork, and perseverance – qualities that our children and families live out every day. Our partnership with IMSA, which has spanned over a decade, allows us to bring this to life on an incredible stage, connecting the racing community with a cause that truly changes lives. Together, we’re not only building champions on the track but also building strength and hope for families across the country.”
Camp Boggy Creek will have its co-founder, Paul Newman, featured on the No. 36 DXDT Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R. The camp is celebrating 30 years of providing children with serious illnesses the opportunity to experience a free, life-changing camp in a safe, medically-sound environment.
“Camp Boggy Creek is incredibly grateful for our partnership with IMSA and the opportunity the Resilient Racers program creates for our campers and families,” said Patrick Chapin, CEO of Camp Boggy Creek.
“The Battle on the Bricks is a wonderful opportunity to bring the racing community and our Camp community together, and we are excited to see the teams, drivers and camper families connect and share in such a special experience. Partnerships like this help create the moments of belonging, confidence and joy that are at the heart of Camp Boggy Creek.”
In the lead up to the Sept. 18-20 race weekend, there is a new Resilient Racers component this year that will incorporate the virtual racing world. The IMSA Resilient Racers 240 esports race on iRacing, run in collaboration with Grid Finder and with support from leading esports community outlet Traxion.gg, will be a virtual two-hour, 40-minute race with more than 40 Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) cars that also will feature the children’s names on the cars.
This virtual race will run Saturday, Sept. 12, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET, a week before the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. There’s a charitable component here too as fans can donate to assign virtual penalties for entertainment purposes. More details to come.
Look out for more from IMSA and its charity partners highlighting participating teams and children across their social and digital channels in the run-up to the race. The race runs on Sunday, Sept. 20 on network NBC, live and flag-to-flag from 3 p.m. ET.