Vasser Sullivan pays tribute to Dennis Reinbold with joint entry
Vasser Sullivan Racing co-owners Jimmy Vasser and James “Sulli” Sullivan will use this weekend’s race at Watkins Glen to pay tribute to Dennis Reinbold, the founder of IndyCar Series stalwart team Dreyer & Reinbold Racing who passed away earlier this month.
“For Watkins Glen, both the #12 and #14 entries will compete under the Vasser Sullivan Championship Racing / Dreyer & Reinbold banner in tribute to Dennis Reinbold and in celebration of the longtime friendship and partnership he shared with Sulli and Jimmy,” a statement from the team reads.
“Dennis’ passion for racing and commitment to the sport left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him. Looking forward to going racing with you again, Dennis.”
Earlier this year the Vasser Sullivan team paid homage to Vasser’s former teammate Alex Zanardi by carrying his signature pineapple decal in Detroit.
Ricky Taylor: Stronger warm-up to suit unpredictable conditions with Michelin hard tyre
Watkins Glen will be the first race where IMSA’s GTP teams will use Michelin’s 2026 hard compound tyre in a race scenario, though many of the drivers in the field already had the chance to sample this new-spec tyre in pre-event private testing, throughout the FIA World Endurance Championship season and, in particular, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans earlier this month.
Ricky Taylor definitely feels the benefit of having used the tyre in a race setting at Le Mans, though at Watkins Glen, the hard tyre will be the only choice for GTP teams. “Le Mans was super-hot, but the track is very low energy,” Taylor recalled. “On the test day, a lot of people thought the hard would be a good option for the race. And then in the race, it didn’t seem like a very good option anymore.
“So going to Watkins, it’s going to be hot, but the track is extremely high-energy. It’s normally a good option for that racetrack. Obviously we haven’t been there yet with the new tyre, with the ’26 model – the warmup has been so much better with the other two compounds. I think everybody expects the same with the hard.
“Especially because the changing conditions at the Glen in the past, the worst situation would be a drying track and putting a hard compound tyre on, and just being very dangerous to put heat into it. I think with the new warmup, that window of switching to slicks hopefully will be a little bit less stressful. And not sort of running the running the wet endlessly until you know you can switch. So that’s all positive.”
“Car Blanche” appears
A day after the news broke that YRB Racing had purchased Van der Steur Racing’s IMSA entry, the “Car Blanche” #068 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo appeared for the first time, as promised, in a plain white livery.
The car arrived in VDSR’s transporter, still adorned in the former team’s colours, though team staff have already been spotted wearing new Car Blanche-branded apparel. In fact, the entry has been entered under the banner of Car Blanche instead of YRB Racing.
Alongside the returning Valentin Hasse-Clot, this race will mark Marius Fossard’s IMSA debut; he is a teammate to co-driver Hasse-Clot at Racing Spirit of Léman in the European Le Mans Series.
For Trenton Estep, this is his first WeatherTech SportsCar Championship start since the 2023 Six Hours of the Glen, where he drove in Ave Motorsports’ Ligier JS P320 with Tõnis Kasemets and Seth Lucas.
Estep will also continue to anchor the Car Blanche entry in Michelin Pilot Challenge with Allen Patten continuing as co-driver of the #66 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 Evo.
The full Michelin Pilot Challenge entry list, at 43 cars strong, can be found HERE >>>
Pfaff debuts new yellow Xpel livery
Call it the first drop from Pfaff Motorsports’ catalogue of new looks for the summer: The Canadian team made the short trip down to upstate New York with its new yellow and black Xpel livery.
As reported in Detroit, the one-off Xpel livery – designed by Andy Blackmore in place of regular Pfaff visual artist Jason Dakins – is one of several special liveries to be worn by Pfaff during the summer races, all highlighting different sponsors of the team.
This time, it’s the prominent protective film manufacturer which takes a turn as Pfaff’s primary sponsor: Canadian Tire will get the spotlight at CTMP (formerly Mosport) while Motul will be the primary sponsor for Road America.
DXDT, Magnus return
Elsewhere in the GTP paddock, DXDT Racing is back at the track for the first time since the team’s disastrous transporter fire prior to Laguna Seca.
The team’s Endurance Cup line-up of Mason Filippi, Charlie Eastwood, and Salih Yoluç will be in action this time out; all signs point towards Robert Wickens being able to make a timely return for his home race at the circuit formerly known as Mosport in two weeks.
And Magnus Racing, with its satirical “Virtual Energy” livery that debuted last year, returns to the series for the first time since the team finished a close second at Daytona.
Daytona LMP2 winner Lux joins RS1
Porsche GTD customer team RS1 has also filled out its driver line-up for Watkins Glen, adding past Rolex 24 At Daytona LMP2 class winner Eric Lux to the #28 car alongside the returning Jan Heylen and Dillon Machavern.
Lux won Daytona in 2022 driving for DragonSpeed, sharing the car with a luxurious line-up of single-seater standouts including multi-time IndyCar Series race winners Pato O’Ward (who was also the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech Prototype Challenge class champion) and Colton Herta.
His last IMSA appearance was at Watkins Glen in 2024, again behind the wheel of DragonSpeed’s ORECA 07-Gibson LMP2.
RS1’s first Michelin Endurance Cup campaign started in disappointing fashion after a first-hour accident in Daytona, but the team rebounded to finish tenth at Sebring.
Alzheimer’s and Brain Health Awareness month at the forefront for Stephen Cameron Racing
This weekend marks the second of two Michelin Pilot Challenge races the #19 Stephen Cameron Racing ‘Racing to End Alzheimer’s’ Ford Mustang GT4 has competed in during Alzheimer’s and Brain Health Awareness month.
The purple and red-liveried Mustang has displayed over 130 names of loved ones affected by the disease so far this season, honouring them on and off the track through the team’s advocacy. The organisation’s purpose directly aligns with Alzheimer’s and Brain Health Awareness month, driving awareness of the disease and other forms of dementia, and raising funds to support research and care programs.
The programme has raised over $1 million, every bit of which goes towards their efforts with their two beneficiaries: the Nantz National Alzheimer Center at Houston Methodist, and the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Programme.
Last time out at Mid-Ohio, the #19 SCM Ford finished 11th in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 4 Hours of Mid-Ohio, just missing out on a top ten finish behind the #13 McCumbee McAleer Racing Ford. This weekend, they look to improve into the top ten and potentially top their season best result of seventh at Sebring, currently sitting sixth in the team standings in GS.
Images © Jack Webster / Dailysportscar.com, IMSA
