Samwise Sportscar & Endurance Newsletter
Friday, June 19, 2026
Haase Keeps Prologue Benchmark as Güven Tops Rain-Affected Day 2 at Spa
The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa Prologue concluded Thursday and Friday at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Ayhancan Güven set the fastest Day 2 time — a 2m16.953s in the #22 Schumacher CLRT Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO — but fell short of Christopher Haase’s overall benchmark from Tuesday morning. Haase’s 2m16.535s in the #84 Eastalent Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II stands as the quickest combined time from the two-day test, with Alessio Picariello second in a Boutsen VDS Porsche. The event’s 70-car GT3 field representing 10 manufacturers will contest a revised qualifying format in the main race.
Sources: Pit Debrief
Laudenbach: Porsche Sees 2030 WEC Rules as “Significant Step” but Rules Out Near-Term Return
Porsche Motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach has welcomed the planned 2030 WEC regulations — which would converge the LMH and LMDh platforms into a single technical framework — as “a significant step,” calling the move to eliminate the two-class structure “very positive in our view.” However, Laudenbach stopped short of committing Porsche to a return to the World Endurance Championship under the new rules. “Does that mean we’re coming back? No,” he said. Asked whether the regulations could bring Porsche back before 2030, he stated: “Don’t expect us to be there next year.” The 2030 rules will nonetheless play a role in any future evaluation.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Aston Martin Evaluating First Major Valkyrie Upgrade for 2027 WEC and IMSA Season
Aston Martin is evaluating whether to introduce evo joker upgrades to its Valkyrie Le Mans Hypercar, with The Heart of Racing team principal Ian James confirming discussions are ongoing. The British manufacturer carried its existing Valkyrie package through 2026 to maximise performance before considering changes. If approved, the upgrades would arrive in what would be the V12-powered prototype’s third season in both the WEC and the IMSA SportsCar Championship. “We have ideas that will help us where we see the weakness of the car,” said James, adding that the goal is to stay level with rival manufacturers.
Sources: Motorsport.com
IMSA’s “Summer Stretch” Opens with Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen
IMSA has outlined its summer road-course run with the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International headlining a quartet of upcoming events on the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar. The event, set for June 25–28 at the New York road course, will count as the third round of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, with additional points awarded at three hours and at the finish. The championship enters a stretch of road-course events following the Detroit Street Course race, with GTP, GTD Pro, and GTD classes all on the card at Watkins Glen.
Sources: IMSA
Two-Time GTD Champion Farnbacher Returns to Magnus for Watkins Glen
Two-time IMSA GTD champion Mario Farnbacher will rejoin Magnus Racing for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, his first race with the team since 2021. Farnbacher will share the No. 44 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo with team owner-driver John Potter and Spencer Pumpelly, with Watkins Glen representing the team’s first start since the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona. Farnbacher’s previous Magnus outing came in the Rolex 24 at Daytona that year, when the team ran an Acura NSX GT3 Evo with Archangel Motorsports. The Sahlen’s Six Hours carries Michelin Endurance Cup points, with scoring at three hours and at the finish.
Sources: IMSA
Watkins Glen Lineup Tweaks: Manthey Calls Up Hartog and Christensen
A series of driver lineup changes for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen were announced as teams finalised their Watkins Glen rosters. Manthey Racing brought in Loek Hartog — making his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut — and Michael Christensen to join Klaus Bachler in the No. 911 GTD Pro Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo, with two regular Manthey drivers competing at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. Laurin Heinrich has been confirmed in the No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 for the GTP class. Alec Udell joins Af Corse USA’s No. 21 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo in GTD.
Sources: IMSA
British GT and FFSA France Join 55-Car Spa Weekend Alongside GT World Challenge
The British GT Championship and FFSA French GT4 Championship head to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps this month to race alongside the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, creating a combined 55-car grid across both series. The Spa-Francorchamps weekend brings together British GT, FFSA France GT4, and GT World Challenge Europe teams on the same circuit. British GT’s presence at Spa gives UK-based teams and drivers an opportunity to race internationally as part of the 24 Hours of Spa weekend package, one of European GT racing’s premier landmark events of the 2026 season.
Sources: Daily Sportscar
Car Collection Reshuffles Spa 24H Lineup as Krahn Makes Belgian Debut
Car Collection Motorsport has revised its driver lineup for the 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, adding Reinhold Krahn to the No. 8 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo alongside Joel Sturm, Niccolo Shiro, and Nicolo Rosi. The 59-year-old Canadian replaces Kenzie Beecroft, who had appeared on the original entry list, and will make both his Spa 24 Hours and GT World Challenge Europe debut in the race on 27–28 June. Krahn brings experience from the 24H Middle East series and currently races a Porsche 911 GT3 R in the Michelin Le Mans Cup.
Sources: Pit Debrief
WEC Hypercar — Drivers
1. Kamui Kobayashi / Mike Conway / Nyck de Vries — 75 pts
2. René Rast / Robin Frijns — 71 pts
3. Sheldon van der Linde — 61 pts
4. Brendon Hartley / Ryo Hirakawa / Sébastien Buemi — 56 pts
5. Alessandro Pier Guidi / Antonio Giovinazzi / James Calado — 39 pts
6. António Félix da Costa / Charles Milesi / Ferdinand Habsburg — 28 pts
7. Louis Delétraz / Norman Nato / Will Stevens — 26 pts
8. Kevin Magnussen / Raffaele Marciello — 25 pts
9. Antonio Fuoco / Miguel Molina / Nicklas Nielsen — 23 pts
10. Harry Tincknell / Tom Gamble — 22 pts
WEC Hypercar — Teams
1. Toyota — 132 pts
2. BMW — 96 pts
3. Ferrari — 62 pts
4. Alpine — 38 pts
5. Cadillac — 32 pts
6. Aston Martin — 26 pts
7. Peugeot — 15 pts
8. Genesis — 6 pts
IMSA GTP — Drivers
1. Jack Aitken — 1760 pts
2. Laurin Heinrich — 1616 pts
3. Felipe Nasr / Julien Andlauer — 1606 pts
4. Nick Yelloly / Renger van der Zande — 1552 pts
5. Kevin Estre / Laurens Vanthoor — 1501 pts
6. Earl Bamber — 1412 pts
7. Colin Braun / Tom Blomqvist — 1391 pts
8. Dries Vanthoor / Sheldon van der Linde — 1385 pts
9. Marco Wittmann / Philipp Eng — 1383 pts
10. Tijmen van der Helm — 1379 pts
IMSA GTP — Teams
1. #31 Cadillac Whelen — 1760 pts
2. #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport — 1606 pts
3. #93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing — 1552 pts
4. #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport — 1501 pts
5. #60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing — 1391 pts
6. #24 BMW M Team WRT — 1385 pts
7. #25 BMW M Team WRT — 1383 pts
8. #5 JDC-Miller MotorSports — 1379 pts
9. #40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing — 1335 pts
10. #10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing — 1235 pts
11. #23 Aston Martin THOR Team — 1203 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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