IMSA GTD Class Drivers Reflect On Milestones, Past Successes And Sebring Expectations

Poster Image Credit: IMSA (2026)

IMSA GTD Class Drivers Reflect On Milestones, Past Successes And Sebring Expectations

Jack Hawksworth of the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3 in GTD PRO marked his upcoming 100th IMSA start with Lexus—a milestone that surprised him until recently highlighted by the team's PR efforts. Hawksworth reflected on a decade-long journey with the program, from its early days in 2017 to consistent competitiveness, championships (including the 2023 GTD PRO title with Ben Barnicoat), and race wins. 

He highlighted the 2024 Sebring victory as a standout memory and praised the team's reliability and strength in tough endurance conditions. Despite the RC F GT3's age, Hawksworth emphasized a positive mindset, noting recent progress, a strong lineup including Kyle Kirkwood (fresh off an IndyCar win), and the car's historical suitability for Sebring's mix of high-speed, bumpy, high-degradation sections. He views the track as more representative of the season ahead compared to Daytona's straight-line demands, expressing confidence in contending for the win.

ROXY RETURNS! AO Racing's Roxy To Make Endurance Debut At Sebring - Rexy sidelined due to tooth injuries at Daytona, paving the way for Roxy's endurance debut - Image Credit: AO Racing via Dailysportscar (2026)

BEGIN ZOOM Call Interview - Edmund Jenks, Motorsports Journal & Alessio Picariello, No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) (GTD PRO)

EDMUND JENKS - Motorsports Journal: My question is more of a fan base type one, and I wanted to ask Alessio how he finds the fans and the reaction to driving Rexy or Roxy? With its unique personalized livery, I wanted to get his take on that. 

ALESSIO PICARIELLO: “I mean, it's insane to see how many people are loving this livery, and it's getting more and more every year. So, when I got to experience it first in Daytona last year, I was amazed, and in Sebring, I feel like it's even more. So, I'm looking forward to seeing how it is this year. This year we will use the Roxy livery. So, it's the first time for me driving, I mean, driving a pink car, a pink dino! So yeah, I think, I mean, the concept for sure is nice and it's good for motorsport that it attracts so many people. Every time when we have the autograph session, when you see the queue, it's absolutely crazy. So, it's nice. It's nice for us as drivers to drive such a famous car, let's say.”

EDMUND JENKS - Motorsports Journal: Also, are they planning to do the, I guess, the change of the teeth in the front every time there's a race win? Like they do with the green Porsche. 

ALESSIO PICARIELLO: “Well, I think it depends on how many times they will use Roxy this year. We don’t get the info as drivers. It’s Roxy this time, and I guess it will have the, the, the, the golden teeth for the 2024 championship. But on race wins, we don't have any this year, so if we win Sebring, I guess Rexy will have a golden tooth for the next round.”

ENDS

Alessio Picariello, defending GTD PRO winner from 2025 with the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) - nicknamed "Roxy" - shared his evolution at Sebring. Initially disliking the bumpy, unique layout and IMSA's endurance demands as a young Silver driver, he grew to appreciate it through WEC runs and prior IMSA experiences, culminating in last year's near-perfect victory. With new teammates Nick Tandy (experienced but "old school") and Harry King (making his Sebring race debut after testing), Picariello noted quick chemistry built in Daytona, shared mindsets, and no major concerns about King's adaptation. He described minor evolutions in the updated Porsche as setup-focused with slight reliability gains, expecting a fun, competitive outing.

Tom Gamble of the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo in GTD highlighted a strong season start, including a near-win at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and third at last year's Sebring. He credited the team's reliability, strategy, and ability to stay clean in traffic—key for Sebring's challenging overtaking and elbows-out finales. 

With new teammate Dudu Barrichello joining Zacharie Robichon, Gamble expressed excitement for the warm Florida weather and ambitions to improve on last year's podium, potentially challenging the dominant Winward Mercedes. He appreciated the relief from WEC postponements easing travel, while noting his second IMSA year brings greater familiarity and comfort across tracks.

Philip Ellis, stepping in for Russell Ward (travel issues) in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in GTD, joined alongside Ward and Indy Dontje ... the trio aiming for a Sebring hat-trick after wins in 2024 and 2025. 

Ellis recounted the intense Rolex 24 finish, including a close front-straight incident with Nicki Thiim, and the satisfaction of overcoming challenges to secure a third Rolex victory. He stressed preparation for the final hours: focusing practice on late-race conditions (cooler temps, dirty track), maintaining car integrity, staying calm under pressure, and leveraging strategy. Sharing data with the sister GTD PRO Mercedes aids setup, while the car's age benefits from BoP, tire focus, and deep team knowledge rather than constant development.

These 74th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring previews underscore Sebring's demanding nature of bumps, heat, strategy, traffic, and reliability—while highlighting defending strengths, milestone moments, and competitive ambitions across GTD PRO and GTD.

The 74th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring event features a packed 55-car field across classes, with live streaming on Peacock starting at 10 a.m. ET, plus additional coverage on NBCSN from 5 p.m. ET and the IMSA YouTube channel.

... notes from The EDJE

FEATURED ARTICLE >>>

TAGS: #IMSA, #Sebring12, #WeatherTechChampionship, #Mobil1TwelveHoursOfSebring, #GTDPRO, #GTD, #RespectTheBumps, #VasserSullivan, #AORacing, #HeartOfRacing, #WinwardRacing, #MotorsportsJournal, #TheEDJE

Will Power Embraces Daytona Sportscar GT3 Debut With Enthusiasm, High Hopes

For the second day in the row, the No.75 75 Express AMG of Kenny Habul/Maro Engel/Will Power/Chaz Mostert (1:47.612) set the best time of the day.. Image Credit: Chaz Mostert via FB/META (2026)

Will Power Embraces Daytona Sportscar GT3 Debut With Enthusiasm, High Hopes

For Will Power, the iconic banking of Daytona International Speedway has long represented unfinished business. The veteran IndyCar star, about to start in his first full campaign with Andretti Global, finally checked a major item off his personal bucket list this week, making his debut appearance at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 in the No. 75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Power, sharing driving duties with team owner Kenny Habul and a strong lineup, described the experience as everything he had anticipated - and more.

"I'm really enjoying it," Power said following a busy day of on-track running and fan engagement. "It's a very big event that I've wanted to do for a long time. So, really happy to be here, and doing it with Kenny Habul. We raced against each other years ago in Australia in Formula Ford and Formula Three, so we've talked about it actually for a while."

The Australian Indy500 Champion driver admitted that previous commitments and scheduling conflicts had repeatedly delayed his sports car debut at the "World Center of Racing." But after gaining valuable experience in an eight-hour race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway late last year, the timing finally aligned perfectly with Habul's program.

"I've always been a bit too late to the game of talking to teams," Power explained. "But I had that experience in Indy, so it was a lot easier to ask Kenny, 'Hey, can I run with you?' And he [Kenny Habul] immediately said, 'Yeah, absolutely'."

Will Power also praised the sprawling facility, noting its sheer scale and rich heritage in both NASCAR and sports car racing, "It's just an amazing facility. The first time I drove in here, it was just crazy how big it is. I feel Indy was big - this has got to be bigger. It's an iconic track with a lot of history."

The Mercedes-AMG GT3 machines carve through traffic on the legendary 3.56-mile road course during practice sessions at the Roar.

Competing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona will mark Will Power’s second GT3 appearance after taking part in last year’s Indianapolis 8 Hour presented by AWS. Prior to that, his only other sports car experience came in the 2003 Bathurst 24 Hours at the wheel of a Porsche 996 GT3-RS. The Australian, who also won the Indianapolis 500 in 2018, has set his sights on a debut victory, which would also mark Mercedes-AMG’s first GTD Pro class win at Daytona since 2023. Image Credit: 75 Express (2025)

Adapting from the open-wheel precision of IndyCar to the closed-cockpit world of GT3 racing has come with its challenges, though Power downplayed the difficulty.

"The first couple laps in Indianapolis felt very strange ... the amount of roll and everything," Power recalled. "But they're not that hard to drive. They're probably very difficult to extract the time out of. You've got ABS and traction control, so it requires a specific driving style."

Will Power was quick to credit the seasoned GT3 competitors around him, calling them "top-level drivers" and valuable teammates from whom to learn.

Power topped at least one GTD Pro practice session during the Roar, a result he greeted with the same satisfaction that has defined his career, even while acknowledging the gamesmanship often at play with Balance of Performance.

"Always," Power said when asked if leading a session felt good. "When you're quick, it's a nice feeling."

The 24-hour endurance format itself has brought a refreshing change of pace.

"It's really nice to get practice without pressure," Power noted. "You've only got 30 minutes, and then you're gonna qualify something. So plenty of time to get comfortable and find the limits at a slow rate. The racing will be a little bit that way as well - it's obviously 24 hours, so it takes a lot of desperation out of it."

The No. 75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3 in action, highlighting the car's aggressive stance as Power and his co-drivers prepare for the Rolex 24.

Away from the track, conversation inevitably turned to Power's high-profile switch to Andretti Global for the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season. He fielded numerous questions from fellow drivers about the team, the car, and the engine, responding with measured optimism.

"Everyone wants to know, 'What's it like, man? How's Andretti? What was the car like? What's the engine like?'" Power said with a grin. "I tell them it's a good team. These guys are gonna be tough. They've got all the ingredients to win a championship. No question. And they're very proactive ... they really want to win."

Looking ahead, Power expressed strong confidence in the program's potential. "I really believe this team will be the top team in the next three years."

For now, though, the focus remains squarely on Daytona. With the Rolex 24 At Daytona fast approaching, Will Power is savoring every lap in the Mercedes-AMG GT3, thrilled to finally compete on one of motorsport's most storied stages.

[Quotes Resource: IMSA Transcript]

... notes from The EDJE

Featured Article >>>

TAGS: #WillPower, #Rolex24, #Daytona, #IMSA, #RoarBeforeThe24, #MercedesAMGGT3, #75Express, #KennyHabul, #GT3Racing, #EnduranceRacing, #AndrettiGlobal, #IndyCar, #IndyCarOnFOX, #MotorsportsJournal

GODSPEED JUSTIN WILSON - Video - August 24, 2015

 GODSPEED JUSTIN WILSON - Video Tribute

With deep sadness, the parents of Justin Wilson, Keith and Lynne, his wife Julia, and his brother Stefan share the news that Justin passed away Monday, August 24, 2015 after succumbing to injuries suffered during the Verizon IndyCar event at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, August 23.

Justin was a loving father and devoted husband, as well as a highly competitive racing driver who was respected by his peers.

Race car driver Justin Wilson, who enjoyed success in multiple motorsports series (F1, ChampCar, Indycar, IMSA) during a two-decade professional career, died from a head injury sustained in the Verizon IndyCar Series ABC Supply 500 race Aug. 23 at Pocono Raceway. He was 37.

Statement on the passing of Justin Wilson - Art St. Cyr, president, Honda Performance Development

“To say that we are heartbroken over the loss of Justin Wilson would create the false impression that our pain is localized.

At a time earlier in the season, when we were in a continuing struggle to remain competitive in the Verizon IndyCar Series, Justin was the guy who WANTED to be with Honda, and he demonstrated that time and again. That allows you to take the measure of the man, and we will be forever grateful for his loyalty, and the gracious and gentlemanly way he represented our company, on and off the race track.

He was our friend, and our comrade.

All of our thoughts and prayers are for his wife, Julia, daughters Jane and Jessica; his parents Keith and Lynne; his brother Stefan; and his many friends around the world.”

Statement from race team Andretti Autosport - He was a tremendous racer, a valuable member of the team and respected representative to our sport. While Justin was only part of the Andretti lineup for a short time, it only took a second for him to forever become part of the Andretti family. His life and racing career is a story of class and passion surpassed by none. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Wilson family and fans worldwide.

Motorsports Journal - So brutally sad to hear about the passing of race car driver, engineer, and great friend to most all he met ... Justin Wilson. May peace surround the fans, friends, & family Justin leaves behind.

In lieu of flowers and other remembrance, please consider a donation to:

Wilson Children’s Fund
c/o INDYCAR
4551 W. 16th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46222

Video from still photography from two races run in 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series. The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and the MAVTv500 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

The main qualifying sequence was captured as Justin Wilson was set to make his qualifications run under the direction of IndyCar Race Control Director, Beaux Barfield. Asset Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

... notes From The EDJE


TAGS: @justin_wilson #GodSpeed #JustinWilson, #indycar, #RIPJustinWilson, #imsa, #ChampCar, #FormulaE, #RestInPeace, #F1, #BadAssWilson, The EDJE