Samwise Sportscar & Endurance Newsletter
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Meyer Shank Racing Still Working on IMSA Future Amid Acura GTP Exit
Meyer Shank Racing faces an uncertain future in IMSA following Acura’s announced withdrawal from GTP competition at the end of 2026. Team principal Mike Shank confirmed negotiations are ongoing but offered little detail: “We’re still working on it. There’s nothing really to report yet, it’s still early days.” Shank added he would prefer to remain in GTP, citing the team’s hard-won experience at that level. All four MSR drivers — van der Zande, Yelloly, Blomqvist, and Braun — are free agents for 2027. The squad has claimed three IMSA championships and three Rolex 24 victories across 23 seasons.
Sources: dailysportscar.com
Newell Gaining Confidence in WEC Baptism By Fire Ahead of Le Mans Debut
American FIA Bronze-rated driver Gray Newell is growing in confidence ahead of his Le Mans debut despite a demanding first WEC season with the Heart of Racing Aston Martin LMGT3 team. The 28-year-old, who began racing just six years ago, described the experience candidly: “It’s intimidating being here. I’m in very, very, very accomplished company.” Newell credited co-driver Ian James for maintaining high standards, saying James “does a very good job of keeping my feet to the fire.” On his Le Mans debut, Newell added: “I still can’t actually believe I’m going to get to do it.”
Sources: sportscar365.com
Shanghai Back on GT World Challenge Asia Calendar After Ningbo Withdrawal
The GT World Challenge Asia Powered by AWS has reinstated Shanghai as the 2026 season finale after substitute venue Ningbo was dropped from the calendar. The Shanghai International Circuit will host the closing rounds from October 30 to November 1 — a change that series organiser SRO attributed to the outcome of “extensive consultation.” Ningbo had been briefly added to the schedule as a substitute before being removed entirely. The next round ahead of the Shanghai finale is the Fuji event, which is scheduled to take place on July 11 to 12.
Sources: sportscar365.com
Michelin Extends IMSA Partnership for Ten More Years
Michelin has extended its tyre supply partnership with IMSA for a further ten years. Michelin’s Derek Beneteau discussed the scope of the deal, which goes beyond race-day supply to include driving school programmes with Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes-AMG. The arrangement also forms part of Michelin’s wider OE — original equipment — tyre strategy, which connects the company’s IMSA racing programme directly to its production vehicle business. The ten-year extension carries Michelin’s commitment to the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship well into the 2030s.
Sources: sportscar365.com
WEC Hypercar — Drivers
1. René Rast / Robin Frijns — 35 pts
2. Brendon Hartley / Ryō Hirakawa / Sébastien Buemi — 26 pts
3. Kamui Kobayashi / Mike Conway / Nyck de Vries — 25 pts
4. Kevin Magnussen / Raffaele Marciello — 24 pts
5. Antonio Fuoco / Miguel Molina / Nicklas Nielsen — 23 pts
6. Alessandro Pier Guidi / Antonio Giovinazzi / James Calado — 19 pts
7. Harry Tincknell / Tom Gamble — 14 pts
8. António Félix da Costa / Charles Milesi / Ferdinand Habsburg — 12 pts
9. Philip Hanson / Robert Kubica / Yifei Ye — 9 pts
10. Nick Cassidy / Paul di Resta / Stoffel Vandoorne — 6 pts
WEC Hypercar — Teams
1. BMW — 59 pts
2. Toyota — 52 pts
3. Ferrari — 42 pts
4. Aston Martin — 14 pts
5. Alpine — 14 pts
6. Peugeot — 9 pts
7. Cadillac — 8 pts
8. Genesis — 6 pts
IMSA GTP — Drivers
1. Laurin Heinrich — 1396 pts
2. Jack Aitken — 1375 pts
3. Julien Andlauer — 1323 pts
4. Felipe Nasr — 1323 pts
5. Kevin Estre — 1250 pts
6. Laurens Vanthoor — 1250 pts
IMSA GTP — Teams
1. JDC-Miller MotorSports — leads
Team points not confirmed at press time.
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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