Samwise Sportscar & Endurance Newsletter
Friday, June 26, 2026
Kirchhöfer Puts McLaren on Pole for First Time at CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa
Marvin Kirchhöfer delivered Garage 59 and McLaren their first-ever pole position at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa on Friday, setting a 2m15.113s in the Superpole shootout at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. The Swiss driver navigated the new reverse-order four-stage format decisively, going purple in the first sector and maintaining the pace throughout his single-timed lap. Drama struck elsewhere on the grid: BMW Team WRT’s No. 31, which had qualified third during the session, was penalised for beginning its Superpole run before the stated time and will start 14th for Saturday’s race. The No. 17 and No. 9 Mercedes-AMG entries will occupy the second and third grid positions.
Sources: CrowdStrike 24H of Spa Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
GetSpeed Mercedes Thrown Out of Spa Superpole After Illegal Brake Work
Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed was excluded from Friday’s Superpole at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa after the crew of the No. 17 car performed illegal work on the brake assembly during the third qualifying segment. The team removed the right rear brake disc to clear debris, a procedure prohibited under Spa’s technical regulations. Stewards deleted all Q3 lap times for the car, eliminating Maxime Martin, Maximilian Götz and Fabian Schiller entirely from Superpole contention. The No. 17 had recorded a combined qualifying average of 2m17.049s — fastest overall before the penalty — with AF Corse Ferrari No. 51 of Rovera, Mosca and Nielsen inheriting the classification lead on 2m17.068s.
Sources: Motorsport.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Cadillac Whelen Brings Record Seven-Podium Streak to Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen
The No. 31 Cadillac Whelen arrives at Watkins Glen International this weekend with a class-record seven consecutive GTP podiums dating to Indianapolis 2025, making Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours the next test of the team’s dominant mid-season form. Earl Bamber and Jack Aitken won at Detroit for the team’s first 2026 victory; Aitken now leads the GTP Drivers’ Championship by 144 points. The six-hour race marks the halfway point of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season and the third of five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds, with a 54-car field across all four classes for the first time since Sebring in March.
Heart of Racing Seeks Fifth Watkins Glen Win in Four Years with GTD Championship Lead
The No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin heads to Watkins Glen as GTD championship leader with three podiums in four races and a formidable local record. The team has won four times at Watkins Glen across two GT classes in the last four years, sweeping both GTD PRO and GTD in 2022, then taking GTD PRO in 2024 and GTD in 2025. A 140-point GTD championship advantage makes Sunday’s result significant: the six-hour format, regarded as a sprint rather than endurance race by competitors due to the unrelenting pace, plays to Heart of Racing’s strengths at a track where high-speed consistency is the defining factor.
BMW M Team WRT Targets First 2026 GTP Win at Physically Demanding Watkins Glen
The No. 25 BMW M Team WRT enters the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen having scored back-to-back GTP podiums, with Philipp Eng and Marco Wittmann seeking BMW’s first GTP class victory of 2026 at a circuit where the M Hybrid V8 won on its debut in 2023. Eng described Watkins Glen as the most physically demanding race on the IMSA calendar, citing sustained high-G loading through the fast chicane and sweeping corners. BMW is the only manufacturer among the top four in the GTP standings yet to reach victory lane this season, with Porsche, Cadillac and Acura all having won already in 2026.
Sources: Speed Sport Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Seventy GT3 Cars Set for 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa with New Superpole Format
Seventy GT3 cars line up for the 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, with the race serving as the third round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. Eight Ferrari 296 GT3 Evos lead the manufacturer representation, joined by strong entries from Mercedes-AMG, BMW, McLaren, Porsche and Aston Martin. The weekend introduces a new multi-stage Superpole format for the first time, replacing the previous single-lap shootout, and features six official Ferrari factory drivers including Lilou Wadoux-Ducellier, Arthur Leclerc and Nicklas Nielsen. The 24-hour event begins Saturday and marks the halfway point of the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup season.
Sources: Ferrari Motorsport Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
WEC Hypercar — Drivers
1. M. Conway / K. Kobayashi / N. de Vries — 75 pts
2. R. Rast / R. Frijns — 71 pts
3. S. van der Linde — 61 pts
4. B. Hartley / R. Hirakawa / S. Buemi — 56 pts
WEC Hypercar — Teams
1. Toyota Gazoo Racing — — pts
2. BMW M Motorsport — — pts
3. AF Corse Ferrari — — pts
IMSA GTP — Drivers
1. Jack Aitken / E. Bamber — 1,760 pts
2. L. Heinrich — 1,616 pts
3. J. Andlauer / F. Nasr — 1,606 pts
4. R. van der Zande / N. Yelloly — 1,552 pts
IMSA GTP — Teams
1. No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Racing — 1,760 pts
2. No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport — 1,606 pts
3. No. 93 Acura ARX-06 — 1,552 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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