Sandy Mitchell launches full 2026 IMSA season at Daytona 24-Hours with PFAFF Motorsports
LAMBORGHINI FACTORY DRIVER SANDY MITCHELL LAUNCHES FULL 2026 IMSA SEASON AT DAYTONA 24-HOURS WITH PFAFF MOTORSPORTS
Lamborghini factory driver Sandy Mitchell gets his debut season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship underway this weekend when he tackles America’s iconic Blue Riband 24-hour event, the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in Florida.
Mitchell, the 25-year-old from Forfar, will reunite with top Canadian team Pfaff Motorsport for the full 10-race GTD PRO campaign throughout the season. The Scot, who will pilot the team’s No9 Lithia & Driveway Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, will share the car with fellow Lamborghini works drivers, Italians Mirko Bortolotti and Andrea Caldarelli. The quartet is completed by Canadian James Hinchcliffe.
“It’s fantastic to be contesting the full IMSA season this year, and what a brilliant way to start the year with the iconic Daytona 24-Hours,” Mitchell, the former British GT champ, explained. And for the Scot it’s not only a reunification with the Pfaff Motorsport team, but his third assault on the Daytona24H.
“There’s no denying it’s great to be back at Daytona,” he continued. “I raced here back in 2022, setting the early fastest lap in the GTD class and holding the class lead, but unfortunately the car had to retire after 15 hours. I also competed in 2024, but my team-mate had to retire the car early-on after an incident.
“This time though I’m in the GTD PRO class with Pfaff Motorsport. I’m delighted to be back with them for the full campaign after making a one-off appearance with the team at Watkins Glen last year. They’re a highly professional, top team that has not only previously won the GTD PRO class at Daytona, but also the IMSA GTD PRO championship.”
Mitchell, personally-backed by Tunnocks and Dama Fortuna Premium Tequila, heads into the gruelling race weekend with a series of test days with the Toronto-based team, plus the three-day ‘Roar before the Rolex 24’ practice sessions already under his belt.
“We tested at the end of last year, then we completed a series of test sessions at ‘The Roar’ at Daytona earlier this week,” he continued. “The team and the car performed impressively and that, allied to the experienced driver line-up we have, plus the in-depth knowledge and professionalism of everyone in the team ensures we head into qualifying and the race weekend full of confidence that we can deliver a strong performance.”
Following further practice sessions and qualifying on Thursday, plus a final practice on Friday at the daunting high-speed 3.56-mile Daytona 24 circuit — which includes an infield road section feeding straight-off the high-speed banking of the oval — at the famous International Speedway, the 24-hour race gets underway at 1.40pm local (6.40pm UK) on Saturday, January 24.
