2026 IMSA Championship at VIR: Pfaff Motorsports wins again in GTD Pro

Here’s the full postrace stats package from the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR:

• Results
• Results by class
• Fastest laps by driver
• Fastest laps by driver after race (over the weekend)
• Fastest laps by driver and class after race
• Race distance and average speed
• Fastest lap sequence
• Leader sequence
• Lap chart
• Race analysis by lap
• Stint analysis
• Time cards
• Pit stop time cards
• Best sector times
• Flag analysis with race control messages
• Weather report

With its victory at VIR, the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes has opened a 36-point lead over the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW.

The No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin, whose driver Dudu Barrichello had led the points since after the Twelve Hours of Sebring in March, has dropped to third in the standings, 56 points behind the lead.

The No. 1 of Paul Miller Racing BMW finished fifth to increase its GTD Pro lead to 23 points over the No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette of Nicky Catsburg and Tommy Milner.

With two consecutive victories, the No. 9 Pfaff Motosports Lamborghini of Andrea Caldarelli and Sandy Mitchell has entered the title picture at third in the standings, 56 points behind the No. 1.

The IMSA swan song of Pfaff Motorsports again rang out in victory lane Saturday.

Sandy Mitchell captured the GTD Pro and overall victory in the No. 9 Lamborghini, beating the No. 64 Ford Mustang of Ben Barker. Christopher Mies was third in the No. 65 Ford Mustang.

It’s the second consecutive victory for Pfaff Motorsports and its 14th overall in IMSA.

Philip Ellis took the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes to the win in GTD and also claimed the points lead with three races remaining. Robby Foley was second with the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW in GTD, followed by Frederik Schandorff in the No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari.

After leading much of the race, the No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin is hit with a penalty as Tom Gamble makes contact with the No. 57 of Philip Ellis while battling for the lead.

Gamble tried to avoid the penalty by giving the lead back to Ellis, but IMSA still issued a drive-through punishment.

The penalty drops Gamble from first to third in GTD and will push teammate Dudu Barrichello out of the points lead, which he had been leading since March.

With just under 20 minutes to go, GTD leader Tom Gamble is under fire from Philip Ellis in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes.

At stake is not just the category win but also the points lead.

Andrea Caldarelli handed over the pole-sitting No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini to Sandy Mitchell, who is in the lead with 30 minutes remaining.

“Racing is never easy with such a storng field of competitors, " Caldarelli told NBC Sports’ Chris Wilner. “So far, so good. It’s a long race but a short race at the same time. At the moment, we are trying to control the pace. IMSA, anything can happen.”

Pfaff, which will take a hiatus from IMSA starting in 2027, is on pace for its second consecutive victory.

“We knew that a brand-new car would need time to come alive, and at one point, it will,” Caldarelli said. “The last month has been a good month for us.

“We are racers and drivers, and our target is always to win. It would be really nice to bring back home a championship.”

Dudu Barrichello, who entered the race clinging to the points lead in GTD, went from 11^th to fifth in the opening laps after a qualifying penalty. He handed the No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin over to Tom Gamble, who is leading with 35 minutes remaining.

“The car’s been good,” Barrichello told NBC Sports’ Chris Wilner. “The drivers were all good. I had good fun. The other drivers were really respectful as well, which just makes it really good fun. That’s why I love IMSA because the racing his super close but super hard and clean. Hopefully we can keep our podium position because we really need it. It’s been a tough couple of rounds.”

With just over an hour remaining, Trent Hindman is sixth overall and first in GTD with the No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2.

WTR is famous primarily for its success in IMSA’s premier prototype category, fielding two Cadillacs in the Grand Touring Prototype. But team owner Wayne Taylor, whose cars have five overall wins in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and multiple IMSA championships, has also been fielding cars in GTD since 2023, starting with Acura and switching to Lamborghini two years ago.

Wayne Taylor Racing wins its third consecutive Rolex 24 at Daytona

Wayne Taylor Racing wins its third consecutive Rolex 24 at Daytona as Filipe Albuquerque drives the No. 10 Acura to victory.

• Nate Ryan,

• Nate Ryan,

It’s already been an eventful month for Pfaff Motorsports, which won the GTD Pro race at Road America, announced a 2027 hiatus from IMSA and won the pole position at Virginia International Raceway.

The No. 9 Lamborghini Temerario GT3 has cycled back into the lead after 37 laps with Sandy Mitchell taking over behind the wheel from Andrea Caldarelli.

Pfaff Motorsports was the 2022 winner at VIR. The Canadian team that likes its plaid has an impressive history in IMSA, including a 2022 Rolex 24 at Daytona victory.

Pfaff Motorsports parks in premier territory while punching above its weight in GTD Pro

Pfaff Motorsports is the defending Rolex 24 at Daytona winner and GTD Pro series champion, but the Canadian team has punched above its weight in IMSA.

• Nate Ryan,

• Nate Ryan,

Here’s the rundown after one hour and 28 laps at Virginia International Raceway:

1. Harry King, No. 77 AO Porsche (GTD Pro)
2. Lorenzo Patrese, No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO (GTD)
3. Sandy Mitchell, No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Temerario GT3 (GTD Pro)

Patrese is the only GTD driver in the top eight with one hour and 40 minutes remaining in the race.

In the first big pit call of the race, Vasser Sullivan stops its No. 14 Lexus in GTD Pro.

The team is electing for the undercut (pitting earlier than the competition) to make up its lack of pace.

Alexander Sims explained to NBC Sports’ Chris Wilner what he saw from his vantage point in the opening-lap crash in Turn 8 for this No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette.

“I think it was just tight going up through the esses,” Sims said. “Cars side by side, and at some point coming over the small crest, I could see the left-hander coming up, and Harry was on my right, and it was just tight. At some point, I had to decide to go over the curb and coming back down just loss of control on cold tires, unfortunately in a compromised place on track.

“Big hit but actually the tire barrier did a really good job, thankfully. Up until that point, there were multiple cars side by side for many corners. No, I don’t think it was overly aggressive. I think we were all racing hard but pretty fair. I’ve got to be honest. I don’t feel outdone by the incident. I put myself in that by honestly having a poor qualifying yesterday. In the pack, it’s racing. We don’t get a chance to practice these situations, and then you’re thrown into that situation, and everyone’s trying to judge it. It’s not gone our way that time.”

IMSA stewards reviewed the contact between Sims and Harry King and determined it was a racing incident with no penalty.

Pole-sitter Andrea Caldarelli has held off a charge by Nicky Catsburg to maintain the overall lead at Virignia International Raceway.

Dennis Olsen is running third in GTD Pro.

In the GTD category, Danny Formal has the lead and is 10th overall.

With seven victories between drivers Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia, the defending overall champion No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R had been regarded as a prerace favorite at Virginia International Raceway.

But the car was damaged badly in its opening-lap crash and might not finish an IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship event for the first time since the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2024.

The wreck also ends the long-shot championship hopes for the No. 3, which was ranked sixth in the GTD standings.

It’s a massive shunt with the Turn 8 tire barrier on the first lap for Alex Sims in the No. 3 Corvette.

Sims put his cars left-side tires on the curbing and made contact with the No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3R (992) being driven by Harry King, skidding out of control off course.

The Chevrolet Z06 GT3.R got briefly airborne into the tire barrier but landed on its wheels, and Sims quickly exited the car and walked to arriving safety workers.

The crash results in a full-course caution only a few minutes into the race.

The race broadcast is under way from Virginia International Raceway on NBC and Peacock

The 23-car field is expected to take the green flag at around 12:10 p.m. ET on a sunny day in the mid-80s.

Nick Tandy grew up in England as a NASCAR fan, so the driver of the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) and has been angling for years to take a shot at stock cars.

So when asked this week about where else the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship should race exclusively with GT cars, Tandy was leaning in an oval direction.

“New Hampshire,” Tandy said, referring to the 1.058-mile track where the NASCAR Cup Series is racing today. “Imagine these cars ripping around a short track. 100 percent. South Boston (Speedway). Martinsville (Speedway). Go to Bristol (Motor Speedway), and we’d have a lot of torn up race cars. But imagine 30 GT3, GTD cars at New Hampshire.”

Tandy’s answer drew laughs from other drivers during a joint media availability Monday. Some of their other suggestions for GT-only races: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

“The short track would be a good experiment,” No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO driver Robby Foley said.

To keep up with the multicolored field of 23 GT cars racing at Virginia International Raceway today, IMSA has provided this helpful spotters’ guide:

The points among the top three in the standings are tight in both GTD Pro and GTD.

Here’s the breakdown:

GTD Pro: The No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO leads the GTD Pro standings over the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R and the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) in third. Four other cars are also within 151 points of the lead.

GTD: No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO driver Dudu Barrichello has a 24-point lead over the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. Barrichello is trying to rebound from a 15th place at Road America earlier this month.

The rest of the top four: the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO and No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3.

Brian Till and Calvin Fish will be on the call today with Chris Wilner as the pit reporter on the NBC and Peacock broadcast

Here’s a preview of Till and Fish analyzing what they expect to see over two hours and 40 minutes at Virginia International Raceway:

The No. 9 Lamborghini Temerario GT3 will lead the field to the green flag at Virginia International Raceway.

Andrea Caldarelli turned a lap in 1 minute, 44.773 seconds (112.356 mph) to earn the top qualifying spot Saturday with co-driver Sandy Mitchell for Pfaff Motorsports. It’s been an eventful month for the Canadian team, which is coming off a victory at Road America a day before announcing its 2027 hiatus from IMSA

“Definitely good momentum,” Caldarelli said. “We didn’t come testing here, and we had a small issue in first practice with a wheel sensor and I only got one lap, so we were flying a bit blind for qualifying. I think this really shows how strong this group is working in the engineering room and with Pfaff and Lamborghini to understand the car better in the last few events and give us some good direction. It feels really good to be on pole at a track we like.”

Nicky Catsburg (1:44.924, 112.195 mph) will start second in the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R with Tommy Milner.

Neil Verhagen will start third despite posting the second-fastest time, which was disallowed for causing a red flag in practice. Verhagen and Connor De Phillippi are lead the GTD Pro points standings in the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

In the GTD class, Casper Stevenson will start first in the the No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R for DragonSpeed.

Click here for the full starting grid of the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR.

Live coverage will begin at noon ET on NBC and Peacock.

The green flag will wave at around 12:10 p.m.

Click below for full details for how to watch today’s event, including the entry list:

How to watch 2026 IMSA GT Challenge at VIR: Full schedule, TV/streaming info, start time, field

The GTD Pro and GTD categories will own the spotlight on the road course in Alton, Virginia.

• Nate Ryan,

• Nate Ryan,