More 2026 entries on the way?
IMSA President John Doonan hinted at the possibility of additional full-season and Michelin Endurance Cup entries for the 2026 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, beyond the 54 cars that had been announced today.
Following the State of the Series press conference, Doonan said: “There’s a couple – only because folks are finishing up putting their programmes together. But everybody you saw on the screen today or in the news release is fully committed to the season, and couldn’t be prouder.”
DSC understands that Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL), whose 17-year affiliation with BMW will conclude after this weekend’s Motul Petit Le Mans, is the most prominent outfit whose place is being held on the 2026 grid. With no places open in GTP it will most likely come in the form of a GTD PRO or LMP2 entry.
Random Vandals Racing also looks close to confirming a 2026 full-season plan, as we’ll discuss later.
Doonan also revealed plans for another capacity grid for the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona in January, right at the 61-car limit, and likely a 2027 schedule reveal in March, in line with recent years.
“Based on interest, I think we’ll at least get there,” he remarked. “Because at one point in the entry process, based on people that expressed interest, we were north of 80, in the mid-80s, in fact. And when you start looking at those kinds of numbers, you start worrying about paddock space and pit lane space, parking, and things like that.
“So that’s probably what you’ll see. We’ll announce the Rolex entry list down the road here, but to be able to get the full-season entry list out today… The fact that we’re doing it here, it used to be that this event was the State of the Sport, the schedule announcement, and you didn’t even know which teams were coming.
“And now we’ve done the schedule in March, which we hope to do again in March of ’26 for ’27 – and then to announce the entry list is pretty unique.”
Nicky Hays Earns 2026-27 Diverse Driver Development Scholarship
Filipino-American driver Nicky Hays has been named the recipient of the 2026-27 IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship.
The “D3” Scholarship will provide up to $380,000 in benefits to compete in one of four IMSA-sanctioned series, with support from IMSA and its corporate partners, to its recipient.
In the case of Hays, he was selected from a group of 12 finalists and will use his scholarship to drive for Random Vandals Racing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class, as Paul Sparta’s team returns to the IMSA paddock after a year’s absence.
Hays, 24, has been competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Pro-Am category for ANSA Motorsports, taking a class win in the second race at Watkins Glen with a memorable overtake for the lead. He and co-driver Antoine Comeau are currently fifth in the Pro-Am standings heading into the Super Trofeo World Final in Misano.
Hays’ racing background includes single-seaters in America and France, a pair of Porsche Carrera Cup North America starts in 2023, as well as placement in the HPD GT3 Academy program and various coaching opportunities. He made contact with Random Vandals through a meeting with Kenton Koch, who drives for the team in GT World Challenge America.
“Nicky is a very deserving recipient of the IMSA 3D Scholarship,” said Brandon Huddleston, vice president, IMSA partnership marketing and business development. “He’s been impressive to watch through the IMSA ladder this year as he’s gained greater sports car experience. He also impressed the scholarship committee with the way he applied the feedback the IMSA team provided on last year’s submission to the 2026 program he pulled together. IMSA is proud to name him as the newest recipient of this important initiative.”
Hays credits his mother for raising funds and giving him the initiative to pursue his racing career, which includes re-applying for the “3D” Scholarship after reaching the finalist stage in 2024. “She pushed me to apply to things twice if you don’t succeed at first and to not give up,” said Hays. “She came to America [from the Philippines], lost everything, but has made a success for herself. It’s helped to push me to make a career in the industry when it may be out of reach for most people.
“I took what I learned from 2024 to try to tick every box this year,” Hays said. “There are so many people to thank, from Kenton, who didn’t need to do what he did, to Paul, to Catlin [girlfriend], to my family, and to IMSA. I have to thank everyone there who puts so much time and effort into this. It’ll open your eyes into what you need to do to grow as a driver if you want to continue to have a career.”
Random Vandals hopeful to announce 2026 IMSA WeatherTech plans soon
As early as May, DSC had learned that Random Vandals Racing had plans to compete in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2026, so their absence from the list of revealed entries today came as a bit of a surprise.
But Random Vandals Team Principal, Paul Sparta, provided an optimistic update which could see the perennial SRO America front-runners as one of the aforementioned additions to the 2026 grid.
First, what happened? “We have some unforeseen complications that don’t relate to BMW and don’t relate to us that have delayed things a little bit in terms of being able to confirm the exact nature of our WeatherTech participation,” Sparta explained.
“Everybody’s working at it, but it has nothing to do with BMW or Random Vandals. We’re committed partners, we’re extremely happy with them, and I think they’re happy with us.
“I think with everybody here at Road Atlanta for Petit, I think we’ll hopefully be able to get it all cleared up within a day or two, and have some good things to say.
“Our hope would be to have a full-time entry, and then maybe a one-off on a couple of other fronts, but we’ll just have to see how it goes.”
IMSA, BDO announce expanded, extended collaboration
IMSA has extended and expanded its partnership with accounting and advisory firm BDO USA in a multi-year agreement.
BDO will continue to welcome VIP clients and guests at IMSA events through an enhanced IMSA VIP Experiences programme that will be available to more professionals and clients around the United States.
BDO will also continue to present the BDO Knows Strategy Award, featured on IMSA Radio broadcasts and given to the teams, drivers, and manufacturers who execute exceptional race strategy leading to successful results.
“Strategy and agility are hallmarks of IMSA races and closely reflect BDO’s own approach to their client advisory work,” said Brandon Huddleston, vice president, IMSA Partnership Marketing and Business Development. “This extension serves as a testament to BDO’s enhanced presence and influence within the IMSA paddock.”
Feature image © Jack Webster / dailysportscar.com
