Samwise Sportscar & Endurance Newsletter
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Toyota Reeling After São Paulo Shocker, Kobayashi Demands Answers
Toyota endured their worst day of the 2026 WEC season at the 6 Hours of São Paulo, scoring zero manufacturers’ points for the first time since last year’s Interlagos round. The No. 7 car of Kobayashi, de Vries and Conway finished twelfth after a drive-through penalty, while the No. 8 entry lost twelve laps to suspension damage following contact with a Genesis. With BMW now just five points behind in the standings—127 to Toyota’s 132—Kobayashi admitted the team is stumped. “If you have the answer, I’d like to know,” he said. A two-day test at COTA is scheduled for July 29–31 ahead of September’s Lone Star Le Mans.
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Road America Prepares for First-Ever Six-Hour IMSA Endurance Race
Road America is about to write a new chapter in IMSA endurance history. The Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix on August 2 marks the first time the Wisconsin circuit has hosted a six-hour WeatherTech Championship contest, placing it alongside the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans as a premier long-distance event. All four WeatherTech classes—GTP, LMP2, GTD Pro and GTD—compete simultaneously with nearly twenty manufacturers represented. The weekend spans July 30–August 2 and also includes the Michelin Pilot Challenge, Porsche Carrera Cup North America and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. Peacock carries the live stream from 10:30 a.m. CT on Sunday.
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BMW Pulls Factory Muscle From Suzuka 1000km Amid Budget Squeeze
BMW will not field factory-supported cars at the Suzuka 1000km, the fourth round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, marking the manufacturer’s first IGTC event without factory machinery since 2022. Motorsport boss Andreas Roos cited internal budget constraints, stressing the decision reflects strategic planning rather than any concern over balance of performance. Team WRT—BMW’s primary customer partner and last year’s Suzuka winner with van der Linde, Marciello and Weerts—is expected to compete as a customer entry with factory driver support still possible. A similar hands-off approach is anticipated for the Indianapolis 8 Hour later this season.
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Isotta Fraschini Fires Up Hypercar Programme With Barcelona LMH Test
Isotta Fraschini’s Le Mans Hypercar programme took a significant step forward at Circuit de Catalunya this week, completing a two-day test in partnership with High Class Racing. Operating under 2024 homologation, the Michelotto-designed LMH car—dormant since its last appearance in 2024—ran with ELMS LMP2 drivers Theodor Jensen and Roy Nissany alongside team principal Anders Fjordbach. The Barcelona sessions build on earlier outings at Vallelunga, where Gianmaria Bruni also turned laps. The programme targets the 2026/2027 Asian Le Mans Series. Programme consultant Jean-Karl Vernay was encouraged: “There is plenty of potential to unlock here.”
Sources: Daily Sportscar Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
GT World Challenge Australia’s Title Fight Tightens Ahead of Darwin
The GT World Challenge Australia title race is wide open heading into this weekend’s Darwin round, with Brendon Leitch and Sergio Pires leading the standings on 85 points. They sit nine points clear of teammates Jayden Ojeda and Paul Lucchitti, while reigning champions Broc Feeney and Brad Schumacher hold third. ARGT pairing Jaxon Evans and Elliott Schutte lurk just one point further back in fourth. With the entire top five covered by only fifteen points, any team can realistically seize the championship lead when the series makes its maiden visit to Hidden Valley Raceway this weekend.
Ferrari Challenge North America Completes California Swing at Sonoma
Ferrari Challenge North America completes its California swing this weekend at Sonoma Raceway, making its tenth appearance at the 2.533-mile circuit in the series’ 33-year history. Nearly 55 Ferrari 296 Challenge entries take to the track across Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell classes. Championship leader Johnny Kaminskey—17 years old and representing Ferrari of Long Island—holds a commanding 51-point advantage in Trofeo Pirelli after five wins from eight rounds. The Trofeo Pirelli Am battle is far tighter: Mitchell Green and Yahn Bernier are separated by just four points heading into a two-race weekend at Sonoma.
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WEC Hypercar — Drivers
1=. René Rast / Robin Frijns — 75 pts
1=. Mike Conway / Kamui Kobayashi / Nyck de Vries — 75 pts
3. Kelvin van der Linde / Dries Vanthoor — 65 pts
4. Antonio Fuoco / Miguel Molina / Nicklas Nielsen — 57 pts
WEC Hypercar — Teams
1. Toyota Gazoo Racing — 132 pts
2. BMW M Team WRT — 127 pts
3. Ferrari AF Corse — 88 pts
IMSA GTP — Drivers
1. Jack Aitken — ~1,760 pts
2. Laurin Heinrich — ~1,616 pts
3. Felipe Nasr / Mathieu Andlauer — ~1,606 pts
IMSA GTP — Teams
1. #31 Cadillac Whelen (AXR) — leads
2. #93 MSR Acura — −245
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