Charlotte Native Set to Move Up to IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2027
BRASELTON, Ga. – Westin Workman has made winning a habit in 2026, and the Charlotte native’s latest achievement was confirmed on Thursday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta where he was named the IMSA Diverse Driver Development (3D) Scholarship recipient for 2027-28.
Workman will receive benefits worth up to $300,000 to compete in one of four IMSA-sanctioned championships in 2027. Workman has selected IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, where he will continue with RAFA Racing’s race- and championship-winning Toyota program in the Grand Sport (GS) category.
“IMSA is delighted to award this year’s 3D Scholarship to Westin Workman,” said Brandon Huddleston, IMSA’s Vice President of Partnership Marketing and Business Development. “Westin’s been part of this process for several years as a finalist and has worked tirelessly to achieve this scholarship through several years of persistence. His attitude is exemplary and his on-track performance has been excellent. We can’t wait to see how he continues to progress forward in his career.”
Workman emerged from a talented pool of 15 finalists (13 of whom have made at least one start in an IMSA-sanctioned championship in 2026) who attended IMSA-led modules that covered topics such as marketing, business development, personal branding, media training and nutrition. The process concluded with the submission of a business plan detailing the program they put together for 2027.
For Workman, a multi-time finalist for the 3D Scholarship, the stars finally aligned from all aspects to back up what has been an excellent on-track season to date. Entering the Michelin Raceway finale weekend, Workman has won nine of 10 Grand Sport X (GSX) races and all 10 pole positions in IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge aboard the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 and held a 480-point lead over 2023 IMSA 3D Scholarship recipient Courtney Crone.
“Obviously it’s an honor to be recognized as the IMSA scholarship winner this year,” Workman said. “It lets you know you’re on the right path. There’s still a lot of work to do and a lot of goals I want to achieve, but this is definitely a step in the right direction, and it feels great to be recognized for the hard work I’ve been putting in to make this happen.
“I think this is my third or fourth year going for this scholarship and all the benefits IMSA provide have been great, even if you don’t win. There’s a ton of value they give throughout the process with all the modules we do… it helps you build for the next year. It’s great being a part of this program for the past few years and to finally be a recipient and have everything line up means so much to me, because the past few years, nothing quite lined up perfectly and finally this year it has.”
Workman’s talent has been readily evident since he entered the IMSA paddock several years ago after karting and club racing. A Mazda scholarship enabled his entry into Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin, where he won several races in two full seasons and captured rookie-of-the-year honors in 2024.
This year was always meant to be a steppingstone year for him, as he advanced into VP Racing Challenge as part of the RAFA Toyota effort. Winning nine of 10 races to start the year is the easy-to-grab headline, but what Workman has made apparent after each has been his desire to learn, grow and improve for 2027 and beyond.
“These 45-minute sprint races really show you how much you have to be on your game, because any race could come down to those last 45 minutes, like an endurance race,” Workman explained. “In VP Challenge, we’ve been trying to use this year as a chance to learn things I may not otherwise learn, like fuel saving, consistency, getting up to speed quickly and tire management.
“With LMP3, learning how to how to navigate faster traffic is honestly a lot harder than navigating slower traffic, right? The biggest thing is just trying to minimize the time loss when one of those cars is passing you.”
Workman hailed both the RAFA Racing organization led by Rafael Martinez and Kevin Conway, and Toyota, where he’s been a key cog in its development driver pipeline for three years.
“There’s no other team I’d rather be a part of right now than RAFA Racing,” Workman said. “We’re all eager and determined to keep building the program… Kevin always says he wants to build the team he always wanted to drive for. They’ve given me countless opportunities.
“So has Toyota. They picked me up early when a lot of things were hitting, as I was driving and also still in school, helping me into GR Cup and eventually into GT4. I’m very thankful for Toyota because if it wasn’t for them, I have no idea where I would be in my career right now. It’s an honor they’ve put as much trust in me as they have.”
While any of the nine wins could stand out as a marquee achievement, Workman highlighted both where he drove from last-to-first to win – neither by design – in GSX. At Daytona, he overcame mechanical issues on the pace lap in the rain to eventually come back through the field. At VIRginia International Raceway, a quick pace lap spin was negated once he quickly sped past the bulk of his competitors.
“VIR did have a cool aspect because the GT4s were the show of VP Challenge,” Workman noted. “Daytona though, starting the race from a straightaway behind, I had to come back through in the rain. It was my favorite this year.”
That constant desire for improvement has fueled Workman’s growth even as he’s kept winning all year. While he tries not to compare himself to some of his karting rivals, he has been watching their progress with interest, as he advances himself.
“I’ve not rushed anything; I don’t want to slow my progression down,” he explained. “There’s a lot of guys I grew up racing who are now at the top of their game. I raced karts with Connor Zilisch, and now he’s in NASCAR Cup and just signed a deal with Hendrick (Motorsports). Kyffin Simpson is in INDYCAR. You wonder if, because they’re moving up so fast, are you on the wrong path? Are these guys better than me?
“I’ve learned that for me, I pride myself on always being ready for the next step. There’s a plan in place and I just have to stay true to it.”
The IMSA 3D Scholarship promotes and empowers drivers from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to participate in select IMSA-sanctioned series. The finalists chosen possess a desire to compete in IMSA, have strong previous race results and/or proven on-track potential in junior racing categories, plus the ability to create a compelling strategy to compete in a full season in one of four IMSA-sanctioned series: the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge or Mustang Challenge.
The scholarship includes financial assistance from IMSA and is supported by a growing number of corporate partners: Michelin, VP Racing Fuels, OMP, Bell, RAFA Racing Club and Lumen Digital Agency.
The application process for the 2028-29 IMSA 3D Scholarship will open in January 2027.