DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Near the end of the 2026 Rolex 24 At Daytona, one of the most striking liveries competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship had stealthily snuck its way to the front of the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) field.
Manthey’s iconic “Grello,” adorning its No. 911 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), had emerged as a late-race contender as part of a several-brand scrap in GTD PRO against fellow German brands Mercedes-AMG, with multiple cars, and BMW with eventual GTD PRO winner Paul Miller Racing.
Though the No. 911 entry faded to fifth at the finish and the GTD-entered No. 912 1st Phorm-adorned Porsche was an unrepresentative 12th, both Manthey as a team and as a brand made a strong impact on the Rolex 24 itself.
It was the first race of what will be a banner season for the team across continents and various sports car championships, including a full IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup program for the first time.
Founded in 1996 by Olaf Manthey and acquired by brothers Martin and Nicolas Raeder in 2013, Manthey now celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026 with around 350 employees present operating its phalanx of race and road cars.
“Thirty years of Manthey – who would have thought?” Manthey reflected. “From the very beginning, our ambition was to be different from others and always strive to be better, while doing so in the most genuine and approachable way possible. The successes we have been able to celebrate over the past three decades are above all the result of the exceptional commitment, expertise and passion of our employees. Equally crucial are our partners from industry and business, many of whom have become close friends over the years.”
Nicolas Raeder described the expansion to the U.S. and how important the market is for Manthey.
“There is no shortage of ideas, and we continue to open up new markets, as we are currently doing in the United States,” he said on the eve of the Rolex 24. “What has shaped me most is the development of our team: from the early days in a small group, through various stages of our growth, to the organization we are today, Manthey has continually evolved. With every step forward, structural demands increase, making it all the more important not to lose the personal touch.”
Though qualifying didn’t go great for Manthey, the aforementioned quiet charge through the field positioned the No. 911 car in contention late. The Michelin Endurance Cup trio of Thomas Preining, Klaus Bachler and Ricardo Feller joined by Daytona extra, 2025 DTM champion Ayhancan Guven, put up a strong fight in the race.
“We were consistent and made no mistakes – that’s exactly what everyone expects from our top Manthey team,” Guven said. “After a disappointing qualifying result, we systematically fought our way back with a strong performance. In the final quarter of the race, we were running at the front, but in the battle for the class win, we just didn’t have quite enough pace. It’s disappointing, but overall, it was still an impressive showing from our team.”
The team’s sister car, its No. 912 entry, may be one to watch at the next round at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Past Sebring GTD class winner Ryan Hardwick shares the entry with young Dutchman Morris Schuring and Riccardo Pera. All are past 24 Hours of Le Mans class winners as well, Schuring in 2024 with Hardwick, Pera and Richard Lietz part of Manthey’s winning LMGT3 effort in 2025.
Hardwick makes his return to racing predominately in the U.S. for 2026, having been a staple as part of the IMSA paddock for several years prior. He’s coming off a banner 2025 season where he won Le Mans, another race at Imola and the FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT3 title.
But he had the desire to come back Stateside after conquering the world tour in 2025 and doing so as part of Manthey’s U.S. expansion.
“It’s all been very surreal and I’m off the most awesome 12 months of my life,” Hardwick said. “Le Mans and the championship was amazing and winning my first race in WEC at Imola, sharing a podium with Valentino Rossi as a motorcycle guy was awesome around there. It was a bit of a fanboy experience! I’ve raced against him a couple years but to share a podium in Italy. I don’t know if I’ll have another year like that in racing even again, but I’m going to try to get close.
“But coming back to IMSA for me is really special,” he affirmed. “This is where it all started from the single-make series. I’ve got a lot of great memories, winning the Rolex and Daytona in 2022, with Richie (Lietz) too. And the fans here at home mean a lot. I’m an American driver; it’s the most fun place to race and it’s great to be here with Manthey.”
Lietz joined the Manthey squad for Daytona only. But given his status as one of Porsche’s top GT drivers globally for a couple decades, he was keen to note what it meant for Manthey to join these shores.
“I think it’s always good in life if you challenge yourself and go outside your comfort zone,” he said. “For a German team, racing in America is a big effort. I think with Manthey now, with all their products, they’re producing for road cars, they have to look worldwide for their market.
“The American market is always very interesting for Porsche and Manthey. The decision to go to IMSA was quite a smart one but definitely a big challenge. Grello on one side and Ryan this side, an American racer with a lot of success, is a great way to start your first year, but definitely a big challenge.”
