Samwise Sportscar & Endurance Newsletter
Saturday, May 2, 2026
Acura Confirms No GTP Program After 2026 as HRC Pivots to IndyCar
Honda Racing Corporation USA will not field a factory Acura GTP program in IMSA after the 2026 season, HRC US President Steve Salters confirmed in a Laguna Seca paddock interview. Salters dismissed the possibility of a privateer program keeping the Acura ARX-06 on the grid, calling that prospect flatly impossible. Honda will instead expand the Acura brand in IndyCar, with Marcus Armstrong’s No. 66 carrying Acura colours at the Indianapolis 500 for the first time. Salters said HRC remains open to supporting potential Acura-branded privateer entries in the Asian Le Mans Series, where a new Pro-Am Hypercar class is planned for the 2026–27 season.
Sources: Daily Sportscar
Deletraz Leads Cadillac Top-Three Lockout in Laguna Seca Opening Practice
Louis Deletraz put the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R on top in the opening 90-minute practice session for the StubHub Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Deletraz set a 1:14.443 with fewer than ten minutes remaining to displace the sister No. 10 WTR Cadillac of Filipe Albuquerque, who had led for much of the session with a 1:14.893. Jack Aitken completed a Cadillac top three in the No. 31 Whelen car at 1:15.026. Final practice and GTP qualifying follow Saturday before Sunday’s two-hour, 40-minute sprint. The throwback-themed Laguna Seca weekend features retro liveries marking 75 years of Porsche Motorsport and 50 years of Apple.
Sources: Daily Sportscar
Chadwick Maintains Push for WEC Hypercar Factory Seat
Jessica Chadwick is working to become the first female factory driver in the FIA WEC Hypercar class, serving as official reserve driver for Genesis Magma Racing’s debut 2026 campaign. Chadwick, who stepped up after finishing third in last season’s European Le Mans Series in an IDEC Sport Oreca, completed her first test in the GMR-001 Hypercar and has since been active in simulator work and track development sessions. She is only the second woman to drive a WEC Hypercar, following Lilou Wadoux’s Toyota appearances in 2022 and two recent Ferrari 499P outings. Chadwick said progress is being measured against clear performance benchmarks set by the team.
Sources: Daily Sportscar
ELMS 47-Car Field Arrives at Le Castellet for Round Two
The European Le Mans Series’s 47-car field converged on Circuit Paul Ricard for the 4 Hours of Le Castellet, the second round of the 2026 season. Friday’s opening practice set an early competitive order across all three classes. DKR Engineering’s Antti Rammo paced LMP3 in the No. 4 Ligier JS P325–Toyota, 0.260 seconds ahead of defending championship rival Paul Lanchere in the CLX Motorsport entry. In LMGT3, TF Sport’s Blake McDonald set a 2:04.679 in the No. 33 Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R, with Duncan Cameron second for Spirit of Race in the No. 55 Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo. Qualifying and the race run Saturday and Sunday.
Sources: Daily Sportscar
Hypercar Era Marks Five Years Since Its First Race at Spa
Five years have passed since the FIA WEC Hypercar era launched at Spa-Francorchamps on May 1, 2021, when Toyota and Alpine were the only competitors in the class. The grid has since grown to 17 cars from 14 brands for the 2026 season, with Genesis Magma Racing joining as the latest manufacturer entrant. Toyota began the anniversary season by claiming its 50th FIA WEC win—and 100th race start—at the Imola opener, beating reigning champion Ferrari by 13 seconds. Porsche’s exit from Hypercar and the arrival of Ford, McLaren and Genesis mark 2026 as the most significant single-season transformation the class has undergone since its inception.
Sources: Daily Sportscar
WEC Hypercar — Drivers
1. Buemi / Hirakawa / Hartley (#8 Toyota) — 25 pts
2. Pier Guidi / Calado / Giovinazzi (#51 Ferrari) — 19 pts
3. Kobayashi / de Vries / Conway (#7 Toyota) — 15 pts
4. Milesi / Habsburg / da Costa (#35 Alpine) — 12 pts
5. Rast / Wittmann / Eng (#20 BMW) — 10 pts
WEC Hypercar — Teams
1. Toyota Racing — 40 pts
2. Ferrari AF Corse — 19 pts
3. Alpine Endurance Team — 12 pts
4. BMW M Team WRT — 10 pts
After Round 1 (6 Hours of Imola)
IMSA GTP — Drivers
1. J. Andlauer / F. Nasr (#7 Porsche) — 1,061 pts
3. L. Heinrich (#7 Porsche) — 1,026 pts
4. J. Aitken / F. Vesti (#31 Cadillac) — 1,023 pts
6. K. Estre (#6 Porsche) — 977 pts
IMSA GTP — Teams
1. Porsche Penske Motorsport (#7) — leading
2. Cadillac Whelen Racing (#31) — −38 pts
Full standings: imsa.com/weathertech/standings
After Round 3 (Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency