Nick Yelloly grasped pole position for Meyer Shank Racing’s #93 Acura ARX-06 for the IMSA SportsCar Grand Prix sprint race at Road America.

Meyer Shank Racing Acura fought with RLL BMW for the GTP class pole position in a close battle for the fastest times, thus knocking out the front two rows.

The result was an incredibly close margin between the top four, with Yelloly having set his 1:48.628 lap time just 0.053 seconds ahead of Sheldon van der Linde’s #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 (1:48.681).

Just two thousandths behind van der Linde was his #24 BMW team-mate, Dries Vanthoor, who was unable to take a fifth pole position of 2025 but took third with a 1:48.683 time.

Colin Braun claimed fourth in the #60 Meyer Shank Acura (1:48.708), followed by Matt Campbell’s #6 Porsche Penske 963 (1:48.960) and the highest-placed Cadillac V-Series.R, the #31 Whelen machine of Jack Aitken (1:49.118).

Three-thousandths behind him was the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac of Filipe Albuquerque (1:49.121).

Felipe Nasr put the #7 Porsche Penske in eighth place (1:49.171) in front of Jordan Taylor’s #40 Wayne Taylor Cadillac (1:49.263).

Lastly, towards the back of the GTP class, Ross Gunn put the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Valkyrie in 10th (1:49.309) and Gianmaria Bruni closed the field in the #85 JDC Miller MotorSports Porsche (1:50.367).

Hyett and ‘Spike’ command LMP2 with pole at Road America

Spike the Dragon, the #99 AO Racing Oreca 07, took the honours over 13 other Oreca 07 LMP2s with credit to PJ Hyett’s potent benchmark of 1:53.240.

Hyett therefore took a back-to-back Road America pole position, having claimed it last year, as George Kurtz’s #04 Crowdstrike Racing by APR Oreca (1:53.906) took second position.

Daniel Goldburg qualified third in the #22 United Autosports USA Oreca (1:54.323), despite having his fastest lap time voided due to causing a red flag in FP1.

Tonis Kasemets, 2022 IMSA Prototype champion, put a strong first-ever qualifying for the debuting Team Tonis #61 Oreca team with a second-row start owed to a 1:54.377.

Steven Thomas took fifth position (1:54.685), also with his fastest time voided, ahead of Tobias Lutke’s #18 Era Motorsport Oreca (1:54.908).

Phil Fayer – the final of the free practice red flag-instigators – took seventh in the #2 United Autosports USA Oreca (1:55.108).

Luis Perez put the #88 AF Corse Oreca in eighth place (1:55.117) ahead of Naveen Rao’s #52 PR1 Mathiasen Oreca (1:55.410) and Jeremy Clarke’s #43 Inter Europol Competition Oreca in 10th (1:55.459).

The 2-hour and 40-minute sprint race commences Sunday, 3 August at 13:10 local time / 19:10 BST.

READ MORE IN THE GTD PRO / GTD REPORT – DragonSpeed claims GTD Pro class pole position at Road America

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AO Racing’s renowned ‘Rexy’ #77 Porsche 911 GT3.R is making its debut GTD Pro appearance at this weekend’s IMSA sprint round at Road America.

The team‘s sibling Tyrannosaurus Rex characters differ in their green (Rexy) and pink (Roxy) liveries.

The former has made more race appearances with Roxy having filled in for selected races in 2024 and 2025, including last year’s race, as Rexy first entered in 2023 (GTD class).

AO Racing are reigning GTD Pro champions, running second in the standings after their third-place finish at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP).

“Road America is one of the best tracks in North America,” said Laurin Heinrich in a pre-event press conference.

“[It’s] super quick, long straights, interesting and challenging corners. The fan atmosphere is really amazing.

“Last year we raced Roxy in pink, and this year we’re bringing Rexy in GTD Pro for the first time.

“The fans love it, and it’s great to see so many line up early just to meet us and the car. That energy definitely amps us up.”

“It’s been huge,” he described his individual development with team-mate Klaus Bachler.

“Last year, everything was new — now I have stability. Klaus and I are close — we speak the same language, no secrets, and learn from each other.

“He’s one of the best teammates I’ve had.”

“With all four classes and long straights, the closing speeds are wild [at Road America].

“Especially on restarts, it gets chaotic.

“You need to know when to push and when to be smart. It’s high risk, high reward.”

After winning at the CTMP in the LMP2 class, they are targeting a third season victory with their #77 Porsche — excluding their GTD class win at Long Beach.

READ MORE – Dane Cameron on life at AO Racing and chasing LMP2 glory

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Dane Cameron opened up on his transition to LMP2 racing with AO Racing after his Le Mans class victory and is fighting for two championship titles.

After numerous attempts, the American driver from Glen Ellen, California, finally secured his maiden victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2024 — and later capped off the year by winning the IMSA SportsCar Championship GTP title with Felipe Nasr.

After Porsche Penske adjusted their driver line-up for the 2025 season, the four-time IMSA champion pursued the exciting landscape of LMP2 racing with AO Racing, one of the newest programmes.

Riding high from his standout 2024 campaign, Cameron made the bold move from his long-time Penske affiliation to join the privateer AO Racing team for 2025, with notable success so far after winning the LMP2 Pro/Am category – third in the combined LMP2 classification – at last month’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

He currently leads the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) and is second in IMSA’s LMP2 standings, the latter of which saw him and PJ Hyett boosted from third after winning at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park sprint round – the first sprint race of the season for the LMP2 category.

Motorsport Week caught up with Cameron to hear about rounding off a successful 2024 IMSA season and how his decision to commit to the LMP2 category is faring so far, halfway through 2025.

“Timing is always critical in these situations,” he said.

“It became clear at a certain point that I wasn’t going to be back with the Porsche project, regardless of how the year ended.

“So, I was looking for a new opportunity – that’s just how it goes sometimes. Maybe I was a bit late, or the timing wasn’t quite right for other GTP seats.

“I started looking around, seeing what was out there and what might be a good fit. AO Racing in LMP2 stood out.

“Talking to Gunner Jeannette (AO Racing team principal, former driver and Le Mans class winner) and PJ Hyett about their vision for the future, it felt like a great fit.

“They were looking for someone like me, and I thought, yeah, let’s give this a shot.”

During his 2024 GTP campaign, Cameron stood on the podium seven times with wins at Daytona and the Six Hours of the Glen.

His previous title-winning season was in 2019 in Acura Team Penske’s Acura ARX-05 DPi.

Comparing the switch from Penske to AO Racing

“Very different, of course,” he said on his transition away from one of motorsport’s largest racing operations.

“I really enjoyed my time at Penske – two stints there, probably six seasons in total.

“A lot of great memories and opportunities. Driving an IndyCar for Roger [Penske], even just for a couple of days, was incredibly special.

“To be part of those factory-backed programmes is something we all aim for in sports car racing.

“You learn so much working with manufacturers, developing cars — it’s an invaluable experience.

“Now I get to bring that experience to a younger team like AO.”

PJ Hyett and Gunnar Jeannette founded AO Racing in 2022, launching their project in the GTD class of IMSA with the iconic ‘Rexy the Tyrannosaurus Rex’ before stepping into GTD Pro and taking the 2024 title.

In 2024, they launched their LMP2 project with ‘Spike the Dragon‘, their #99 Oreca 07 LMP2 car. The LMP2 effort expanded into the Asian Le Mans Series and ELMS, partnering with three-time Le Mans winners TF Sport.

“I wouldn’t call AO small, but it’s newer and still growing,” he added.

“That’s where I come in — to help guide the [LMP2] programme, not just with performance, but with experience.

“The team’s added new people in the background too, so it’s not just me.

“It’s definitely different from a big two-car factory setup where you’re surrounded by pros.

“But I’ve always been confident leading projects, working on car development and setup. I’m very comfortable in this kind of environment. It’s a fun challenge.”

From the complexities of GTP to the fundamentals of LMP2

The GTP or Hypercar platform of LMDh or Le Mans Hypercar machinery features the pinnacle of technological advancement in prototype sports car racing, particularly with the use of complex hybrid systems.

Despite the choice of four chassis manufacturers, all LMP2 racing teams currently use the Oreca 07 package, so driver skill is key to stand out in the ultra-competitive landscape of the category.

“It’s been pretty smooth,” Cameron summarised his transition from GTP to LMP2.

“I was already familiar with the car in different configurations (having driven DPi and LMDh machinery, which use current and next-generation Oreca LMP2 chassis platforms), and we’ve got strong engineers on board, so we had good cars right from the start.

“The [Oreca] car is lighter, smaller, maybe even has more peak downforce, though less power. It’s easy to drop into.

“The biggest adjustment was learning the limitations — what you can and can’t touch.

“In factory programmes like Acura or Porsche, if I wanted to move a button or change a light colour, we could.

“In LMP2? It’s all ‘no, no, no.’ So understanding the box you have to work within was the real challenge.

“That said, it’s also kind of refreshing.”

Working with PJ Hyett, settling in at AO Racing

“Coming from the Penske Porsche Motorsport project – a huge operation – it’s refreshing to go back to a tight-knit team.

“At Daytona last year, we had over 100 people to run two cars [with Porsche Penske].

“AO is smaller, more of a family feel.

“PJ is very competitive and has a lot of raw talent.”

Cameron partners with Hyett as full-season drivers in IMSA, as well as in the ELMS, along with a third driver, Louis Deletraz.

Cameron explained Hyett’s enthusiasm for the sport and his passion for contributing to a strong race result.

“In Pro-Am racing, the Am driver is hugely important, and PJ wants to be part of the result – not just do his time and hand over the car. That’s awesome to see.

“He’s very receptive to coaching […] I try to share everything I’ve learned – all the mistakes, all the traps I’ve seen.

“He’s still relatively new to the sport, and I’ve got nearly two decades in it, so I want to help him catch up quickly.

“Most of all, I try to keep it fun for him; it’s not a hobby, but it is a choice – and it should be enjoyable.

“I race best when I’m enjoying it, and I think that rubs off on the team.

“We stay professional, work hard, but make sure there’s room for some laughs too.”

Racing on European circuits through ELMS

“I’d never done ELMS before,” he admitted.

“I did some WEC and a lot of Porsche testing in Europe, so I’d seen some of the tracks.

“But I’d spent my whole career mostly in the U.S., and it always bugged me that I wasn’t getting opportunities in Europe, even while beating some of the drivers who were.

“When I joined Porsche, I pushed hard to do WEC. I wanted to test myself somewhere new. It was difficult, but that drive is still there.

“Now with ELMS, it fits nicely with the LMP2 calendar and keeps me racing more often.

“Same car, same crew, just a different tyre (Goodyear in ELMS/Le Mans, Michelin in IMSA).

“The races are more wheel-to-wheel. WEC sometimes felt like I was driving alone.

“In ELMS, the field is tight and aggressive – more like IMSA in that way.

“With limited testing these days, I jumped at the chance to do more driving.”

AO Racing’s LMP2 Pro/Am Le Mans victory

The #199 AO Racing by TF Sport Oreca not only dominated the sub-category, Pro/Am, but even secured third place in the entire 16-car LMP2 field.

“Honestly, it was one of those dream weeks,” he reminisced. “We had pace from the start, easy speed in the race car.

“As soon as I knew we were doing Le Mans, I believed we could win in Pro-Am.

“We had consistency, a line-up that was already gelling in ELMS, and we kept working forward through the season.

“We avoided mistakes, stayed clean, didn’t draw penalties or suffer any mechanicals. That makes a huge difference.

“Everything just worked. It felt like the race chose us. We got to the front early and kept pulling away.

“You’re always scared something might go wrong in a 24-hour race – but nothing did. It was nearly perfect. I’m incredibly proud of that effort.”

Comparing two iconic 24-hour races, Le Mans and Daytona

Cameron first competed at the Daytona 24 Hours in 2009, as his first Le Mans was in 2022 with the Penske LMP2 effort.

Aside from being twice-around-the-clock endurance events, there are many differences between the two from a driver’s perspective.

“Daytona’s always more frantic,” he compared.

“It’s a short lap with a big field, so traffic is constant.

“Le Mans spreads everything out.

“There are fewer safety car bunch-ups (only one in this year’s race), so once you pull a gap, it can stick.

“Daytona? You’re always one caution away from losing that lead. Le Mans is more about being fast and flawless.

“I love both races, but they demand different mentalities. Daytona’s cruel — it’s taken wins away from me more than once.

“That’s why last year’s win meant so much.”

The key to chasing ELMS and IMSA titles

AO Racing by TF Sport leads the ELMS LMP2 Pro/Am standings by four points over Proton Competition after recently beating them to victory at the 4 Hours of Imola.

And after winning the IMSA Canadian Tire Motorsport Park sprint race, spirits are high at AO Racing, but the season is far from over.

“We started a bit behind in both – had some failures, but also had pace,” he said candidly.

“We’ve had our bad luck,” he referenced their issues at the 24 Hours of Daytona when Christian Rasmussen struggled to restart the car after pitting late from the lead.

“We can’t afford any more, especially in IMSA.

“But I really believe we can win both titles. Momentum is good. PJ’s confident.

“Everyone’s working well. So yeah, full speed ahead.”

As Cameron, and Hyett, sit at the sharp end of the standings on both sides of the Atlantic, their 2025 LMP2 campaign could return great success and championship glory — but only if the results deliver through to the end.

READ MORE – PJ Hyett (AO Racing) on his ‘phenomenal’ time to victory at CTMP

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AO Racing’s PJ Hyett described his enjoyable experience at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park before winning the IMSA Chevrolet Grand Prix.

The #99 AO Racing Oreca 07 LMP2 driver won last Sunday’s sprint round with his teammate, four-time IMSA SportsCar champion and reigning GTP champion Dane Cameron.

“I woke up on the right side of the bed this morning,” said Hyett, “absolutely love this race track and driving an LMP2 car around here.

“It’s such a phenomenal experience. When you’re sort of in the zone, you’re in the zone.

“I was having the time of my life driving out there today. It was really fun.”

After 6 pole positions amongst 11 attempts, he took his first win: “I’d say when you get it on pole and don’t convert it to a win, it’s a tough lesson to learn.

“So we’ve learned a lot of those lessons over the years, and to be able to pull away with a win today, it’s sort of this magical moment for the team and everybody who works so hard.

“For the times we don’t get on the podium, it all makes it worthwhile.

“So you have to savour these, that’s for sure.

“[Software engineers in motorsports] I don’t think people quite understand how much data is going on behind the scenes.

“There’s tons of engineering, and you know you’re looking at a lot of squiggly lines trying to figure out how to make these cars go fast […]

“There is a lot of science and data that goes on that I do think having that science background does help from time to time.”

Stay tuned over the following week for an interview with Dane Cameron – READ MORE – ‘Spike the Dragon #99 AO Racing Oreca wins after late race drama at CTMP

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AO Racing driver Klaus Bachler admired the unique challenges posed by street circuits, wishing IMSA held more races, ahead of the Detroit GP.

The German spoke to the media, including Motorsport Week, during a pre-event press conference before his first race at the Michigan-situated city.

“My first [street circuit] was Norisring in 2012,” he said. “Then Monaco in [Porsche] Supercup.

“The adrenaline is unique – one mistake and it’s over.

“First time racing in Detroit, but I love street circuits and wish we had more.

“I’ve prepared with simulator work and looking at last year’s data since my teammate Laurin Heinrich won the GTD Pro class there in 2024.

“It’ll be a short weekend – everything happens on Friday: Practice, qualifying – no room for error. You must get it right quickly.”

IMSA’s Detroit Sportscar Classic on 30-31 May is being held for a second consecutive year as a double-header with IndyCar’s Detroit GP.

AO Racing’s pink ‘Roxy’ Porsche won last time out at Laguna Seca, driven by Bachler and Heinrich, the latter being the reigning GTD Pro Drivers’ champion.

The team have won the past three races, including the first of the two street races on the calendar, the Long Beach GP.

As a result, the #77 duo leads the current GTD Pro standings, albeit by a narrow 70-point margin over the #3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R pairing of Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia, who finished third last time out at Laguna Seca.

Bachler continued: “We just need to stay focused like we did at Sebring and Laguna: No mistakes, smart driving.

“It’s not just Ford – lots of cars can win any weekend. It’ll be tight until the final hour at Petit Le Mans (the final round of the 2025 season).

READ MORE – 22 entries confirmed for IMSA Detroit Grand Prix 100-minute sprint

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AO Racing has confirmed ‘Roxy’ to take over ‘Rexy the Dinosaur’ from the next IMSA SportsCar Championship round at Laguna Seca on 11 May.

The team claimed their first IMSA victory at Laguna Seca last year with Rexy, the green tyrannosaurus-rex character (Roxy is pink).

Laguna Seca will host the Course de Monterey next month as the first 2-hour and 40-minute race of the year.

Long Beach Street Circuit recently began the momentum of the sprint races that also make up the 11-round IMSA calendar alongside its endurance events.

AO Racing team principal Gunnar Jeannette said: “Rexy has had quite the year, starting off with an incident at the end of the race, which resulted in several visits to the orthodontist to fix his smile.

“Coming back from that and achieving two back-to-back wins at Sebring and Long Beach with his braces was a perfect rebound.

“With Rexy’s win tally now at five, he has a very jealous sister in Roxy, who is waiting for another turn to get her first victory.

“We at AO Racing thought this was the perfect time to bring Rexy and Roxy out together for their first public appearance at Air Water before they go their separate ways.”

The Air/Water show on 26 April at the Orange County Fairgrounds will mark the first time for Rexy and Roxy to be present simultaneously.

Following that, the GTD Pro entrant will appear at the Laguna Seca venue with GTP, GTD and their GTD Pro class rivals.

Full-season regulars Klaus Bachler and Laurin Heinrich will return to co-drive the #77 Porsche 911 GT3.R as Long Beach substitutes Dries Vanthoor and Jonny Edgar will be occupied with the clashing FIA WEC‘s 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.

READ MORE: Five key storylines from the IMSA Grand Prix of Long Beach

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Laurens Vanthoor led GTD victory for AO Racing at the 50th anniversary of the Grand Prix of Long Beach in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

The first sprint race on the 2025 schedule hosted a gripping spectacle in the GTD category which saw reigning FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar champion L. Vanthoor claim victory at the wheel of fan-favourite AO Racing’s ‘Rexy’ Porsche 911 GT3.R.

He is also the Endurance Cup driver in the #7 Porsche Penske 963, which won in overall in GTP, and so Vanthoor claimed his first IMSA victory in GT machinery since the 2023 Sebring 12 Hours with Pfaff Motorsports (GTD Pro).

Vanthoor fronted a strong charge for the #177 Porsche team which narrowly missed out on pole by 0.060 seconds although started in second position behind Parker Thompson’s #12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 – the team who scored a double podium by the end of the 100-minute race.

The race start was tense but controlled in the GTD category as Thompson retained his front spot with Jonny Edgar in the #177 Porsche. In fact, only Manny Franco of the #34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 struggled after utilising the Turn 1 run-off; the #34 Ferrari would go on to complete just 15 laps before conceding as the grid’s sole retirement.

Tom Gamble in the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, however, put pressure on Edgar before taking second place from him after starting P3.

After 10 minutes of green flag running, Thompson already extended his gap on Gamble to 2.5 seconds with another second to Edgar.

The first caution of the race

The first full-course-yellow (FCY) caution declared after 20 minutes when Orey Fidani buried the front of his #13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R into the tyre wall at Turn 8, although not permanently when he reversed back out and continued on his way.

Replays showed the #78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 of Misha Goikhberg on the inside (right) of Fidani as both appeared hesitant on whose corner it was to take – thus resulting in their momentary contact.

Goikhberg was responsible for the contact and served a drive-through penalty.

Meanwhile Fidani lost a lap as the AWA mechanics inspected the minor bodywork damage on the #13 Corvette.

Green flag-running resumed with 1-hour and 8-minutes remaining with no pit stops in the category due to the minimum 35-minute drive-time not being fulfilled yet.

With on-track manoeuvres, still present in the eager IMSA field, were difficult to carry out at the Long Beach Street Circuit, the pit stop cycle was key behind teams executing choreographed pit stops and gaining on their rivals.

The #27 Aston Martin, with Casper Stevenson having taken over, fell from P2 down to P6 in the cycle.

Robert Wickens conducted his first IMSA SportsCar Championship stint at the wheel of the #36 DXDT Corvette as the driver change to Tommy Milner carried out in an impressive 18.7 seconds. Crucially, this meant the driver swap was conducted before the refuelling concluded.

Unlike anyone else, the #36 Corvette changed all four tyres opting against the intention by most teams to nurse their one set of tyres to the end.

Both Vasser Sullivans in the fighting mix

L. Vanthoor continued the lead for the #177 Porsche on the #12 Lexus of Jack Hawksworth but it was the other Vasser Sullivan Lexus of Aaron Telitz in the #89 machine who found himself with the sibling team-mate car.

Milner unsurprisingly set the fastest lap time pace on fresh rubber in the GTD category – as he fought enthusiastically for sixth place with Kenton Koch’s #32 Korthoff Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Milner secured the place with a solid move on the inside line into T1 with 48 minutes remaining on the clock.

Two minutes later, the second FCY came out after Stevenson and Gianmaria Bruni’s #85 JDC Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 GTP made contact with one another into T8 in what appeared to be a racing incident.

Bruni was on the right-side, the outside line, to put a lap on the #27 Aston Martin driver which resulted in the #85 Porsche spun around with the rear end in the wall and the rear wing dismounted.

The final sprint to the end with 36 minutes remaining saw the front runners retain their positions. Vanthoor furthered his lead gap on Hawksworth therefore instigating attention on the final podium spot held by Telitz.

Milner and Koch had slight contact at hairpin on the restart nevertheless, the double IMSA GTLM champion pursued reigning GTD champion Philip Ellis and his #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG in battle for P5.

Milner carried out a move into P5 on Turner Motorsport’s Robby Foley (#96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO) at the final hairpin.

Unfortunately, Milner accumulated bodywork damage amidst his battles therefore putting an end to his efforts when he pitted for bodywork repairs.

‘Rexy’ wins ahead of Lexus 2-3 finish

After 71 laps at the Long Beach Street Circuit, Laurens Vanthoor won his third consecutive IMSA race albeit in the GTD category with team-mate Jonny Edgar having taken his maiden win in six IMSA starts, though his first race in GTD.

It was AO Racing’s first victory in GTD and fifth class win with their Porsche 911 GT3.R which finished 2.378 seconds ahead of Jack Hawksworth’s #12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3.

Telitz fended off Ellis enough so that he claimed third with his #89 Lexus co-driver Franke Montecalvo.

Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG duo Philip Ellis and Russell Ward finished fourth as Foley (and co-driver Patrick Gallagher) rounded out the top-five finishers in the #96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

See here for the full classification of provisional results from the Grand Prix of Long Beach.

The post Laurens Vanthoor leads IMSA GTD victory for ‘Rexy’ at Long Beach appeared first on Motorsport Week.

AO Racing has switched their #77 Porsche 911 GT3.R into the GTD category in order to compete in the IMSA Long Beach sprint race on 12 April.

The fan-favourite ‘Rexy’ is switching from its usual GTD Pro endeavour and back into the GTD class to compete in the third IMSA SportsCar Championship round.

GTP and GTD are the only categories competing in the first sprint event of the year following the 24 Hours of Daytona and more recently, the 12 Hours of Sebring on 15 March.

Laurens Vanthoor, the reigning WEC Hypercar champion – and part of the Daytona– and Sebring-winning #7 Porsche 963 crew – has partnered with Jonny Edgar who co-drives the ‘Spike the Dragon’ #99 Oreca 07 LMP2.

Full-season drivers Laurin Heinrich and Klaus Bachler will be at the GT World Challenge Europe season-opener at Paul Ricard taking place on the same weekend.

“I’m really looking forward to driving the famous Rexy car,” said Vanthoor.

“The Grand Prix of Long Beach is one of my favourite events on the IMSA calendar.

“It’s always a great atmosphere and the whole event just feels special.

“I know some of the AO Racing guys from the Porsche RSR program, and I can’t wait to get to know the rest of the team.

“Hopefully, we have a strong weekend.”

“I’m really looking forward to racing at Long Beach with Rexy,” added Edgar who has already conducted testing in the Porsche.

“I’m really excited to race a Porsche for the first time and for my first time at Long Beach.

“It’s a very exciting event, and I think it’d be really cool to share the car with Laurens as well.

“I think we have a really good chance at winning the race.”

READ MORE: Laurin Heinrich recalls fuel-saving fight with BMW to Sebring win

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Laurin Heinrich recalled the purpose of fuel-saving with BMW’s Max Hesse in their fight for the GTD Pro class win at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

The reigning GTD Pro drivers’ champion recounted his battle with Paul Miller Racing’s #48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO driver Max Hesse in the final stages of the second 2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship round.

Both of the 23-year-old German drivers utilised a fuel-saving driving approach in order to reach the checkered flag amidst their lead fight.

“Yeah, to be honest I had a bit of a different approach,” he said in the post-race press conference.

“… Both of us knew it would be a fuel race. Both of us were fuel-saving.

“I like fuel saving. I think it suits my driving style.

“… My approach was to not wait too long, maybe already take the first opportunity I get.

“Maybe catch him a bit off-guard or by surprise.

“Also, I mean, I made the experience last year in the last hour of the race, many things can go wrong by taking too much risk or others just defending or taking too hard.

“I didn’t want to spend too much time fighting because in the end it’s also a high risk.

“Yeah, I think it worked quite well to just take the first opportunity I got [to overtake]. I have to give it to him. I mean, he played safe.

“We are both young Germans.

“We are actually both part of the motorsports in Germany, so we are both supported by the ADAC in Germany.

“It was cool to actually fight with him for the first time on the track between each other.

“I hope we going to have some more fights in our career against each other.

Paul Miller Racing’s gamble falls short

Paul Miller Racing gambled with underfueling and running a lesser stint count when the 12 Hours of Sebring entered the final racing hour, with Heinrich having made his key move for the lead on Hesse 10 minutes prior.

This was in anticipation of a caution period where they could pit under such circumstances in addition to the fact they would retain track position.

With a lack of time to count on a definite caution, they pitted the #48 BMW for splash-and-dash with 50-minutes remaining – just five minutes before the race’s eighth and final caution deployed.

It was for Scott Andrews’ #80 Lone Star Mercedes-AMG GT3 who suffered a left-rear puncture, thus part of his tyre’s debris displaced on the back-straight.

Heinrich had both the #48 and #1 BMWs behind him in the final sprint to the finish.

With 23-minutes remaining, he set the fastest lap of the race in the GTD Pro category before Hesse, setting near-identical lap times, did the same.

Heinrich returned the favour with the Sebring GTD Pro lap record, 2:00.451, and increased the gap to 4.371 seconds at the finishing line.

READ MORE: ‘Rexy’ charges to GTD Pro 12H Sebring victory after closing sprint

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Laurin Heinrich and AO Racing’s ‘Rexy’ Porsche 911 GT3.R charged to GTD Pro class victory at the 73rd running of the IMSA 12 Hours of Sebring.

‘Rexy’ the fan-favourite T-Rex and the #77 Porsche driver crew conquered the GTD Pro category at a hot and humid Sebring International Raceway in a spectacle.

Heinrich earned their way to victory following an intense sprint at the end, much assisted by the work of his co-drivers Klaus Bachler and Alessio Picariello.

The race start was hectic and gripping in both GTD Pro and GTD but one which began without much drama across the two fields.

Pole-sitter Albert Costa in the #81 Dragonspeed Ferrari 296 GT3 retained his lead on Heinrich in the #77 AO Racing ‘Rexy’ Porsche 911 GT3.R who swerved slightly to defend his second position.

The primary change was Neil Verhagen in the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO who fell from P2 to P6 on the race start.

GTD pole-sitter and Ferrari works driver Alessandrio Pier Guidi established an early lead, unsurprisingly, in the #21 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 before suffering a brake failure into Turn 10.

He escaped further damage apart from the front-left brake unit which was replaced following an imminent pit stop.

A short yellow caution period for contact between Tobias Lutke (#18 Era Motorsport Oreca 07 LMP2) and Luis Perez Companc (#88 AF Corse Oreca 07 LMP2) passed and the lead battle resumed, although Verhagen climbed back into the fight.

The second caution period came from controversial circumstances after Ricky Taylor (#40 WTR Cadillac V-Series.R) seemingly tapped Charles Scardina’s #023 Triarsi Competizione into the wall at Turn 13.

Proceedings continued with 10-hours and 45-minutes remaining and it was the #77 Porsche of Picariello in the lead on Verhagen’s #1 BMW.

Verhagen takes GTD Pro lead from ‘Rexy’

Verhagen demonstrated eager spirit to take the lead as the pair went door-to-door in their gripping fight as ‘Rexy’ kept the top spot.

It was until the next restart, after the third caution, when Verhagen made a reactive move to the lead on the restart.

As the race entered its third racing hour, Alexander Sims had to pit his #3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R for an unscheduled pit stop to change failing Tyre Pressure Management System sensors.

The #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 of Jose Maria Lopez endured contact with Jesse Krohn’s #48 Paul Miller BMW which led to an extensive front-right suspension repair job for the Lexus, even if the contact was brief.

Miraculously, or rather through the lack of further dramas and utilising cautions, the #21 Ferrari climbed its way back into the GTD class lead with Pier Guidi turning swift pace at the wheel.

After four hours of running, the top-runners in the GTD Pro class consisted of Corvette, Paul Miller Racing and Ford Multimatic.

After a fifth caution, Daytona pole-sitter Mike Rockenfeller led a thrilling charge in his #64 Ford Mustang GT3 on the #1 BMW being driven by Connor De Philippi, followed by Max Hesse’s #48 BMW, the #4 Corvette of Nicky Catsburg and Heinrich.

Over the following hour, the lead battle evolved slightly so that Verhagen had 1.4 seconds on Picariello’s #77 Porsche which was marginally ahead ahead of Krohn’s #48 BMW.

Then, in the eighth racing hour, Christopher Mies headed a fight for P3 against Verhagen and Picariello.

Lilou Wadoux led heartbreak for the #21 Ferrari team when a mechanical issue halted their comeback effort.

BMW vs Porsche heading into Hour 10

The 12 Hours of Sebring entered the 10th hour with less fortunate news for Corvette, who were out of the running with issues on their #3 machine as Nico Varrone’s #4 fell out of lead contention due to a non-functioning scrutineering logger.

Last year’s British GT champion Dan Harper steadily turned on the pace so that he eventually fought past Dennis Olsen’s #65 Ford for the GTD Pro lead.

Since Harper took the lead, he quickly established a gap to three seconds on Olsen as #1 Snow kept him company in third place.

WIth 1-hour and 10-minutes remaining, Heinrich made his key move for the lead on Hesse as their fight intensified in the final hour.

Paul Miller Racing initially gambled with the prospect of another eighth imminent caution period by underfueling and running a slightly lesser stint-lap count in order to foresee the gamble.

Unfortunately, it never came around though they kept at the sharp end of the GTD Pro battle. The eighth caution did come as a result of Scott Andrew’s #80 Lone Star Mercedes-AMG and its puncture debris on the back-straight.

It came down to a 31-minute sprint to the finish with Heinrich ahead of Hesse, De Philippi, Costa, and Sebastien Priaulx’s #64 Ford.

With 23-minutes remaining, the tension was hot as Heinrich set a GTD Pro lap record, a 2:00.500.

In fact, Heinrich and Hesse were setting near identical lap times as just 1.2s separated them, before Hesse then set the fastest race lap of his #48 BMW.

Heinrich indirectly responded with his own lap record again, a 2:00.451 as ‘Rexy’ ran decently ahead of Hesse at a 1.3s margin.

Reigning champions win in GTD Pro and GTD

After 329 laps, the #77 Porsche crew sought victory and reaffirmed their mark as reigning GTD Pro champions.

At 4.371 seconds behind, the #48 BMW of Max Hesse and co-drivers Dan Harper and Jesse Krohn took second ahead of the other #1 BMW of Connor de Philippi – and his co-drivers Madison Snow and Neil Verhagen.

Alberto Costa took fourth for Dragonspeed’s #81 Ferrari crew and his teammates Giacomo Altoe and Davide Rigon.

Sebastien Priaulx rounded out the top-five in the #64 Ford with the help of co-drivers Mike Rockenfeller and Ben Barker.

Simultaneously into the final 31 minutes – in GTD – six different manufacturers held the top-six positions.

It became a task for Philip Ellis and the reigning GTD champions Winward Racing (#57 Mercedes-AMG) on whether they would be able take the lead from Jack Hawksworth’s #12 Lexus.

Hawksworth led the final restart ahead of Ellis, Daniel Serra’s #34 Conquest Racing Ferrari, Charlie Eastwood’s #36 DXDT Corvette, Tom Gamble’s #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and Frederick Schandorff’s #70 Inception Racing Ferrari.

Ellis eventually tried a move outside of Hawsworth for the lead, before again outside at T10 but Hawksworth held his ground before the pair touched nose-to-tail and shortly after overtaking the lapped #3 Corvette of Sims.

Winward Racing’s #57 Mercedes-AMG crew took victory with Ellis and his co-drivers Russell Ward and Indy Dontje after 327 laps.

At 3.265 seconds behind in P2 was Hawksworth and his #12 Lexus co-drivers Franke Montecalvo and Parker Thompson, followed by Gamble’s #27 Aston Martin and co-drivers Casper Stevenson and Zach Robichon.

See here for the unofficial race results and here for the unofficial race results ordered by class.

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