DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Inception Racing is set to continue for its fifth consecutive full-time season dating to 2023 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and will shift to a new manufacturer.
Brendan Iribe, Frederik Schandorff and Ollie Millroy are confirmed to continue in Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) and in their same roles: Iribe and Schandorff full season with Millroy as the team’s third driver for IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds. The trio will share the No. 70 Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
Inception Racing Sporting Director Bas Leinders explained the rationale behind the switch to Chevrolet’s GT3 contender.
“We are extremely excited to be joining the Corvette family for our IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign,” Leinders said. “GM and Pratt Miller have an incredible racing pedigree and a long history of success in sports car racing. We are already building a strong relationship with both organizations, and we look forward to working closely together.
“At every IMSA event, we see the passion and loyalty of the Corvette fans, and it is fantastic to now become part of that community and such a rich racing heritage. We are looking forward to this new chapter and are determined to contribute to Corvette’s continued success on track.”
“Corvette Racing and Chevrolet are pleased to welcome Inception Racing to the Corvette Z06 GT3.R family for the 2027 IMSA season,” added Andrea Hidalgo, Corvette Racing Program Manager. “Inception is one of the leading GTD teams in the series, and we’re grateful for its confidence in what our program represents. This addition will strengthen both teams and the broader Corvette Racing program in 2027.”
The Optimum Motorsport operation made its first IMSA entry as Inception Racing in the 2021 season finale at Motul Petit Le Mans, made selected starts in 2022 and has raced full-time since the start of 2023.
Iribe, Schandorff and Millroy claimed a popular first IMSA victory at IMS in 2025 in what was then a six-hour TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. They finished a season-best third at VIRginia International Raceway in 2026.
“Obviously, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar championship is a very important championship, not only to us, but in the world of sports car racing,” Leinders said. “I know it’s a privilege to be part of this championship. It’s great to continue year in, year out. We are actually really proud to be part of this IMSA family, and it actually grows our team. We do a lot of other projects. There’s mechanics that at one point want to join the Inception outfit to experience these great races.”
Inception Racing is one of several international teams that have added an American presence in IMSA in recent years and solidified their continuation on these shores.
Leinders has hailed Iribe’s improvement as one of the stalwart Bronze-rated drivers. He won the Bob Akin Award in 2023, receiving IMSA’s invitation to compete in the following year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Iribe promptly proceeded to capture the LMGT3 pole at Le Mans with Inception the following June.
“He’s among all these experienced people,” Leinders said. “He’s made good progress and he continues to. And don’t forget, he’s a businessman with work every day. To combine racing at this level and continue his business is amazing.”
Co-driver Schandorff agreed.
“He’s super competitive considering the gap between me and him now,” Schandorff said. “So, for sure, his job now has been super important, especially the sprint rounds. In Virginia here now, there was no safety car after only the first one. But after that, his driving actually matters a lot, so that’s why we actually used his speed to our advantage when there is no safety car.”
Then there’s the third driver and arguably most pivotal driver in the Inception Racing story – Millroy – as Leinders explained.
“We are definitely not to forget Ollie,” he said. “Without Ollie, there’s no Inception Racing as such. Ollie came together with Brendan at the end of 2019, beginning of 2020, so first we started running GT Open and other championships.
“And we ran with others. Ben Barnicoat, for instance. He got this really good deal and fit with Lexus. Then Jordan Pepper, who then went to Lamborghini (and later, BMW).
“Then we got Fred. I think it’s four years now. The combination of the three of them is great. They’re friends and part of the family. That is what Brendan likes. Yes, he likes fast drivers, but good people and folks he wants to work with. He wants to enjoy it fully.”
