Two Young American Drivers and One of IMSA’s Popular Teams Undergoing Rapid Growth
By Holly Cain and John Oreovicz
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Colton Herta arrived at Daytona International Speedway for this week’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Roar Before the Rolex 24 test sessions essentially already in “race mode.” It’s been a particularly busy last few months for the American open-wheel star and past Rolex 24 At Daytona class winner.
The 25-year-old Californian and recent IndyCar Series headliner has just completed his first test laps in the Hitech TGR car he’ll race in the FIA Formula 2 Series this season. In addition to competing in F2, Herta has been named test driver for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team’s 2026 debut schedule.
This week, however, Herta is again taking to the Daytona road course in preparation for the annual twice-around-the-clock sports car classic, co-driving the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R in the headlining GTP (Grand Touring Prototype) class with Jordan Taylor and Louis Deletraz.
It’s a race Herta genuinely looks forward to competing in. And next weekend he’ll attempt to add an overall class victory to the two-trophy haul he already owns in the renowned event – claiming class wins in 2019 (Grand Touring Le Mans) and 2022 (Le Mans Prototype 2) which already has elevated him among the winning ranks in the great 24-hour classic.
“A lot of us open-wheel guys always use this as a pathway to getting ready for our season because it’s always in January and we can get in the car and warm up a little bit. I think that’s where some of the attractiveness comes from,’’ Herta said of his fondness for the Rolex 24.
“It is super special and this race is always one that hopefully for the rest of my racing career I can do every year. I love doing this one and all the endurance races, but this one is super special because it’s the hardest to win.’’
It may only be January, but Herta smiled and conceded the past few months have been the busiest time of his young career – something he considers to be nothing but positive.
“It’s been a crazy year already, already been in different cars before even coming here,” he said. “I’ll need to be a little bit of a chameleon, able to change shades and get in different race cars and adapt quickly. That will be the name of the game this year for me.”
On his day one of the Roar, Herta added: “I’m happy with how the first day went. It’s always nice when you get to drive race cars. This Cadillac V-Series.R is super fun. It sounds great. It’s great to drive inside the cockpit, it does what you want as a driver. All happy signs from me for Day 1.”
Zilisch on the Marquee
Two years ago at Media Day for the Rolex 24, Connor Zilisch was a wide-eyed 17-year-old kid who had nearly won the Mazda MX-5 Cup championship and was about to embark on a stock car career. He went nearly unnoticed in a room packed with sports car and IndyCar stars, and even a few drivers with Formula 1 pedigree.
Fast forward 24 months and Zilisch – who nearly won the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series (now O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) championship and is moving up to the NASCAR Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing – was arguably the most in-demand driver at Thursday’s Media Day for the 2026 Rolex 24.
He’s still just 19, but Zilisch has emerged as a major star wherever he competes. And while he’s set to enjoy a long and prosperous career at NASCAR’s top level, the young North Carolina native will always hold sports car racing in high esteem.
“It’s certainly been a wild ride,” Zilisch reflected. “Since the first time I was here 24 months ago today, a lot has changed in my life, and for the better. I’m super grateful.”
Zilisch co-drove to the LMP2 class victory for Era Motorsport in his Rolex 24 debut, and he’s set to make his third start in the Daytona enduro on January 24. Not surprisingly given his meteoric career path, he’ll compete in the top GTP class, in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R. It’s his third class in as many seasons, after the LMP2 debut and a one-off Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) appearance in 2025 as part of an all-star Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R he shared with Scott McLaughlin, Shane van Gisbergen and Ben Keating.
“I get to race in the GTP class for the first time and try to chase a Rolex watch with three other teammates who don’t have one yet. It’s going to be an awesome weekend for all of us,” he said. “I hope I can come back and do this event every year if possible.”
AO’s ‘Rexy’ LEGO is Built from Success
In only its fourth year competing, two-time championship-winning team AO Racing may still be a relative “newcomer” to the WeatherTech Championship. However, it’s quickly risen up the popularity charts with the sport’s fans.
Not only does AO Racing boast a talented and championship two-class lineup – its No. 99 ORECA LMP2 07, “Spike, the LMP2 Dragon” won last year’s LMP2 title with owner-driver PJ Hyett and Dane Cameron, and its No. 77 Rexy/Roxy the Dinosaur GTD PRO car hoisted the big trophy in 2024 – AO Racing’s creative car livery has become a hugely popular draw on the grid.
So much so that the iconic LEGO brand has recently released the team’s green GTD PRO class Porsche 911 GT3 R as a LEGO TECHNIC building set: the Rexy GT3 RAWR (LEGO Technic Porsche 911 GT3 R REXY AO Racing Car).
As with the decorated race team itself, the LEGO version has been an immediate success.
The 1,313-piece set, which even includes working airjacks, was released January 1, sold out on the LEGO website within 24 hours and on retail websites in two days, according to a team spokesperson. Fans and LEGO enthusiasts can order the sets on LEGO.com, however, and the team says they will be on sale in stores soon.
This year’s AO Racing driver lineup for the Rolex 24 includes Hyett, Cameron, Jonny Edgar and Christian Rasmussen in the No. 99 ORECA that finished fifth in class last year. Veteran Nick Tandy joins new co-drivers Harry King and Alessio Picarello aboard the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche in GTD PRO, which finished eighth in class in 2025.
LEGO Photo courtesy of AO Racing