DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — German driver Mario Farnbacher will join Canadian Misha Goikhberg behind the wheel of Forte Racing’s GTD Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 for the full season of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the team revealed Wednesday.
Former NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Parker Kligerman was announced as an addition to the team’s lineup at the Rolex 24 at Daytona on Tuesday. The Michelin Endurance Cup driver is yet to be announced.
Goikhberg is returning for his third season with Forte Racing after consecutive fifth place finishes in the IMSA WeatherTech GTD Championship. In 2023, Goikhberg, along with Forte Racing teammates Loris Spinelli and Patrick Liddy, won the prestigious Petit LeMans 10-hour endurance race. Over his two seasons with Forte Racing, Goikhberg has amassed eight top five finishes, including 2nd place finishes at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Virginia Int’l Raceway in addition to a 2nd place finish at Petit Le Mans in 2024.
“Very happy to work alongside Mario (Farnbacher) for the full season,” Goikhberg said. “He needs no introductions in GT racing and has won multiple championships. We were on sister cars in 2020, so we know each other very well.
“Also, I would like to welcome Parker (Kligerman) to the team,” the Canadian driver added. “He is a big stock car talent, and all-around wheelman. Not the worst guy to have matching Rolexes come the end of January.”
Farnbacher has successfully competed in multiple series including the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Farnbacher won the Michelin Endurance Cup in 2017 with Riley Motorsports followed by GTD class IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar championships as a full-time driver in 2019 and 2020 with Meyer Shank Racing.
After winning the Pro Am class in the GT World Challenge America in 2022 with Racers Edge Motorsports and the 2023 Pro category runner-up title, the Ansbach native returned to IMSA in 2024 driving for Heart of Racing’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar GTDPRO Championship entry.
“It’s my first day in the new job and it was nice to get into this new environment and into the new challenges as well,” Farnbacher said yesterday. “I think the first test day today was good. Definitely a lot of things that are new that I need to learn and get my head around. I think we made some good progress and are getting to know each other as a new team. Really looking forward to the future and the ROAR and Daytona weekends.
“I think we have a strong package and I’m really looking forward to this season. I’d like to thank the team and Lamborghini for giving me this opportunity.”