DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Both polesitters for the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge 2026 season opener from Daytona Int’l Speedway drove to controlled victories to kick off their campaigns.
Oscar Tunjo (overall and in Le Mans Prototype 3, P3) and Westin Workman (Grand Sport X, GSX) secured the top spots in the 45-minute race on a sunny Saturday afternoon ahead of a packed infield that included a bevy of scouts visiting the 3.56-mile track during the Roar Before the Rolex 24 weekend.
In P3, the story going in was how the 2025 generation cars would fare against the new-for-2026 third-generation entries. Tunjo, driving one of the 2025 era cars, the No. 1 Gebhardt Motorsport USA Inc. Duqueine D08, determined a strong start would dictate how his race would go.
Other than one moment in traffic where he briefly lost the lead to chief rival Brady Golan, in one of the new-for-2026 entries, the No. 30 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P325, Tunjo stayed out front. He beat Golan by 3.729 seconds but the race was often closer than that.
“It was a really tough race, I have to say,” Tunjo said. “We knew it was going to be hard at the beginning. The new car, the turbo had big top speed. So yeah, it was tricky. We had some good fights. At some point, I think with 20 minutes to go, in traffic, I managed to pull a little bit of gap and then at the end, I had a little bit easier race.”
It marks a strong start for the Colombian driver, who raced most VP Racing Challenge events in 2025 but not at Daytona.
“It’s a dream come true to come to Daytona, firstly, and then to win is even more, and I’m doing it with a team that gives me the trust to do it,” he added. “I feel super proud of all the Gebhardt team, and it’s a great beginning for the season. It’s a long season, a long way, but starting off winning is always special.”
Golan was second for the second straight year at Daytona after emerging ahead in a race-long battle with Danny Soufi, who finished third in the No. 11 PINAXIS-ZONE 4 Racing Duqueine D08. The 2025 P3 Bronze Cup champion, Brian Thienes, opened his 2026 account with the Bronze Cup win, placing fifth overall in P3 aboard the No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320.
Westin Workman has developed a strong body of work in the sports car ladder system, primarily the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin and Toyota’s GR Cup series. But this weekend marked the Charlotte native’s debut in a GT4-specification car and in IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge.
He’s off to a strong start.
From pole, Workman banked an early lead in the GSX field north of eight seconds, and outside of one lap where he had a brief time loss, was never headed. Driving the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, Workman won by 10.247 seconds. It marks Toyota’s 14th straight GSX race win in the VP Racing Challenge, having won the final race of 2024 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and all 12 races in 2025.
“It’s just a testament to the team, to myself and the people around me,” Workman said. “I couldn’t be happier to be here. I am very grateful. This weekend is my first-ever time driving the car, so it was very good to kind of finally feel what this car has to offer.”
A race-long battle for second saw fellow series debutante Ismaeel Ellahi in the No. 25 CSM Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS finish slightly ahead of Canadian Justin Di Benedetto in the No. 4 Di Benedetto Racing Porsche. Sean Quinlan, who finished fourth, was the top-finishing GSX Bronze Cup entry in the No. 19 Stephen Cameron Racing Ford Mustang GT4.
