Aston Martin lands a Daytona 1–2 in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge
Daytona is never “just” a season-opener. It is the endurance stress-test that exposes weaknesses in pace, execution and traffic management. In the 2026 BMW M Endurance Challenge (IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge), Aston Martin delivered the cleanest possible statement: a one-two finish in Grand Sport with the Vantage AMR GT4 Evo, decided by strategy, tire calls and a late-race pass when it mattered most.
The headline: Aston Martin 1–2
Rebel Rock Racing’s No. 71 (Frank DePew / Robin Liddell / Andrew Davis) won overall and in GS, ahead of Circle H Racing’s No. 14 (David Hampton / Thomas Merrill / Martin Sarukhanyan) by 2.691 seconds.
The story: recovery, then control
The winning Aston did not start from the front. It climbed through the field, stabilized the race after early turbulence, and converted a late strategic advantage into the decisive on-track pass.
The meaning: customer racing momentum
Endurance success is rarely a single-car miracle. A Daytona 1–2 points to a package that works for multiple teams, and to an operating rhythm that can win championships.
What made the Daytona 1–2 possible
The result was decided by four-hour fundamentals: tire strategy, traffic timing, restart quality, and a car that stays consistent as the track evolves. Here are the core pillars behind Aston Martin’s opening-round statement.
Pit lane decisions shaped the final outcome. Rebel Rock’s call to take four tires late gave Liddell the grip to close, attack and then pull clear. In endurance, “fast” is often the team that makes the fewest small mistakes.
Multi-class rhythm defines this race: finding gaps, placing the car safely in the infield, and using banking exits to complete passes without compromising tires. The winning move was enabled as much by traffic timing as by outright speed.
A 1–2 finish matters because it suggests repeatability. Rebel Rock and Circle H arrived with different weekends, different strategies and different pressure points—yet the Vantage GT4 Evo delivered the platform to fight for the win.
How the GS class stacked up at the finish
The final classification underlines how tight Daytona was. Aston Martin locked out the top two, with Mercedes-AMG and BMW immediately behind—proof that this win was earned in a deep, competitive field.
Rebel Rock’s No. 71 beat Circle H’s No. 14 by 2.691s after a late pass. A complete Daytona result: pace, strategy, and two cars at the front when the race settled.
Winward Racing’s No. 57 finished third, 23.365s back after a late charge—showing how quickly the order can swing across long stints and late restarts.
Fourth through sixth were separated by tiny margins after 106 laps. That closeness is the real context for Aston Martin’s double: it was a precision win, not a runaway.
Key moments that defined the Daytona double
Swipe horizontally on mobile to follow the race flow in four snapshots.
Race recap: how the 4 hours unfolded
Daytona’s four-hour format compresses an endurance narrative into a sprint of decisions. Here is the arc that produced Aston Martin’s GS lockout.
The car was phenomenal. When the moment came, we had the grip and the team execution to finish it.
Classification highlights (Daytona)
- GS winner (overall): No. 71 Rebel Rock Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo — DePew / Liddell / Davis
- P2 (GS): No. 14 Circle H Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo — Hampton / Merrill / Sarukhanyan
- Winning margin: 2.691 seconds after 4 hours
- Distance: 106 laps — Total time: 4:00:24.437 (winner)
- GS podium completed by: No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 (Ward / Arrow)
- Top 5 GS (overall): 71 Aston · 14 Aston · 57 Mercedes-AMG · 95 BMW · 27 BMW
- Top 5 TCR: 76 Hyundai · 89 Honda · 33 Hyundai · 98 Hyundai · 52 Audi