IMSA has announced that VP Racing SportsCar Challenge GSX champion-elect Westin Workman will be the recipient of the 2027/28 Diverse Driver Development (3D) Scholarship.
Workman, a champion of the Toyota GR Cup North America series and race winner in Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup and the Pirelli GT4 America series, will receive benefits worth up to $300,000 USD to compete in one of four IMSA-sanctioned championships next season.
After winning nine of the first ten VP Challenge races in GSX and all ten pole positions, Workman will choose to continue his existing partnership with RAFA Racing and move up to the Michelin Pilot Challenge, driving a Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 in the GS class.
A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Workman led a pool of 15 finalists who attended IMSA-led career-building modules and submitted their business plans detailing their prospective 2026 programmes.
“Obviously it’s an honour to be recognised 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 recognised 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 provides 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 programme 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 first entered the IMSA paddock in 2024 when he took home Mazda MX-5 Cup rookie of the year honours, while in SRO America, he became the Toyota GR Cup North America champion in 2025.
In his first season of driving GT4 cars for RAFA Racing, Workman has not only all but secured the VP Challenge title, but in the Pirelli GT4 America series, he and RAFA Racing co-driver Tyler Gonzalez have won three races and sit second in the Silver class standings going into their last race weekend of the year at Indianapolis next week. This week, however, he only has to start the first race at Road Atlanta later today in order to clinch the VP Challenge GSX championship in his first season.
“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 programme… Kevin (Conway, RAFA Racing team principal) 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 honour they’ve put as much trust in me as they have.”
“I’ve not rushed anything; I don’t want to slow my progression down,” he continued. “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. 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 application process for the 2028-29 IMSA 3D Scholarship opens in January 2027.
Images © IMSA / Lumen
