DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class revives a long-standing multi-driver aspect with the launch of the new IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge, a four-round series for LMP3 competitors.
It provides an opportunity for new drivers and teams to compete in prototype racing and builds on IMSA’s legacy of offering multi-driver LMP3 racing in the past across multiple series.
The Airbnb Endurance Challenge expands the program for LMP3 competitors that run 45-minute sprint races as part of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. The Airbnb Endurance Challenge starts at Sebring International Raceway this weekend with subsequent rounds at Circuit of The Americas, VIRginia International Raceway and Road America.
The two-hour races feature teams able to run Bronze-Bronze, Bronze-Silver, Bronze-Gold or Silver-Silver FIA Driver-rated combinations. There is a minimum 40-minute and maximum 80-minute drive time within the 120-minute race. There is also a minimum pit time of 2.5 minutes (150 seconds); the pit stop time is calculated from pit-in to pit-out and applies each time the car enters pit lane during the race to refuel, change a complete set of tires or perform a driver change. Teams can’t refuel the car and change tires at the same time during the pit stop.
One of the first teams to announce its two-driver program for the Airbnb Endurance Challenge was the rebranded Shopify Racing powered by TWOth. The TWOth moniker comes from brothers Travis and Trevor Hill, who together are “two th’s.” The two brothers are not sharing their new No. 2 Ligier JS P325; instead, Travis Hill will share the car with fellow Canadian Nicole Havrda, who makes her IMSA debut after shifting across from F1 Academy.
“It’s a nice well-rounded championship with the five sprints and four endurance races,” Travis Hill said. “It’s starting to look a little bit like (the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship), and for us, it’s about getting that preparation to try to get to WeatherTech in a few years.
“Part of our goal with Shopify Racing is to develop more Canadian talent and bring more Canadians into IMSA,” he added. “Nicole is a natural integration into that.”
The No. 2 Ligier is one of eight LMP3 entries for the first Airbnb Endurance Challenge round. The BMW M2 Racing (M2) debut will occur alongside P3 at Circuit of The Americas in May, to ensure teams are ready for endurance racing with proper testing of the brand-new cars and drivers to IMSA.
Gebhardt Motorsport shifted its approach from running Oscar Tunjo alongside Jeremy Siffert in its No. 1 Duqueine D08 to seeing Tunjo now with 2025 VP Racing Challenge P3 champion Valentino Catalano, back in action as Siffert will focus on the sprint rounds. The team’s second car, the No. 11 PINAXIS-ZONE 4 Racing Duqueine D08, will see Danny Soufi alongside Jake Williamson.
Toney Driver Development’s two Ligier JS P325s feature in with some returning names and faces. Longtime IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class competitor Ari Balogh shares the No. 30 Ligier with Garett Grist, a two-time Motul Petit Le Mans class winner in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Lincoln Day shares the No. 95 Ligier with Wyatt Brichacek, who has raced several WeatherTech Championship events in Lone Star Racing’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 and won both VP Racing Challenge races at Circuit of The Americas.
Forte Racing carries on with series veteran and LMP3 Bronze Cup champion Brian Thienes sharing his No. 77 Ligier JS P320 with Patrick Kujala, a Lamborghini Super Trofeo veteran.
Past LMP3 Team champions FastMD with Remstar field the No. 87 Duqueine D08 with Farhan Siddiqi and Jagger Jones, grandson of Parnelli Jones and a multi-time IMSA P3 winner.
Matt Forbush and IMSA veteran Tom Long share the No. 18 Forbush Performance Ligier JS P320. Forbush Performance has past IMSA experience in Michelin Pilot Challenge GS.
Six of the eight entries will vie for Bronze Cup honors; the Tunjo/Catalano No. 1 Gebhardt Duqueine and Day/Brichacek No. 95 Toney Ligier are the only two all-Silver lineups in the field.
