The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is back in action this weekend for Round 2 of the season, along with four IMSA-support series: Michelin Pilot Challenge, Mustang Challenge, Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series, and Porsche Carrera Cup North America.

Last time out, the #7 Porsche Penske 963 driven by Felipe Nasr, Laurens Vanthoor, and Nick Tandy took home the season-opening win at the Rolex 24 to become back-to-back winners in the twice-around-the-clock classic in Daytona.

Among the other Rolex 24 leaders, Christopher Mies, Frederic Vervisch, and Dennis Olsen will look to keep Ford’s momentum going after securing the Mustang’s first victory in competition at Daytona in the GTD Pro category, along with the #13 AWA program, which earned the Z06 GT3.R’s first win in IMSA in GTD.

The controversial class win came in the LMP2 group. The #22 United Autosport inherited the race win after a bodywork infraction resulted in the #8 Tower Motorsports losing their Rolex 24 win and falling to last place in the standings.

While Daytona is grueling with it being 24 hours, Sebring is just as challenging with its abrasive surface and low-light night conditions, making it a pivotal round of the season.

The Running of The Valkyrie

The most notable storyline is the highly anticipated IMSA debut of the V12 LMH Aston Martin Valkyrie for Heart of Racing Team.

This race marks the first time that an LMH machine has competed in IMSA since the allowance of both LMDh and LMH cars began in 2023—a long time coming for the sanctioning body since the “convergence.”

The THOR-backed effort has seen track time within IMSA with the Daytona November test and the February Sebring test, sitting at the bottom of the charts.

Ross Gunn, Roman De Angelis, and Alex Riberas were announced as the lineup for the #23 Valkyrie for the remainder of the endurance rounds.

“I was fortunate enough to do that test here at Daytona,” Roman De Angelis said back at Daytona during the Rolex 24 weekend. “I don’t have a prototype background. I did Le Mans this year in an LMP2, which I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do with APR. That was pretty much the extent of my higher-level prototype racing. So for me, it was just adapting and understanding the massive differences with that car and what it provides. Obviously, a lot more things that you can do as a driver on the steering wheel and the functions as you see on the onboards. There is a lot going on. There are a lot of buttons. There are a lot of switches. It looks cool, but it’s complicated.”

Alex Riberas also commented on the opportunity, stating, “I’ve been extremely privileged, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to be a part of the testing and development of the car for the last six months. Just to see the progression of the car and the evolution. Seeing the entire beast, let’s say, progress to its own shape has been one of the most special feelings I have ever had in my career as a driver.”

“Being able to also give your own input and seeing it materialize to become a reality is something that we all want to win, but part of being a successful program starts when you build the car. I have to say we have been really lucky so far with the testing. This year, 2025, is still very much a learning year for the entire program, but we are under the best hands we could be. We have two teams running the car—one in America, one in WEC—that have fantastic communication with one another. So, whatever we learn on one side of the world, the other side benefits too. We have hired and are currently working with some of the most talented individuals I have ever worked with in my career. I think it is going to take a long time to get up to the level of the rest since everyone started way earlier. But, I think it is a matter of time, not if.”

With this being the first race for the new car in IMSA, especially at a track such as Sebring, it will be a learning curve for the team.

If the team can complete the race and potentially score a top-10 finish, that would be a successful weekend for the new program, similar to the expectations Lamborghini had last year.

Championship Winners?

While it may be early to begin discussing championship title pictures, we have seen teams who have been able to get out to an early lead in their class standings have the edge going into the later part of the season.

A great example of that comes in the form of Winward Racing last season, which won the first two races of the season and would continue their GTD dominance for the remainder of the 2024 season.

A team that could be in that conversation is the #65 Ford Multimatic crew.

After a handful of strong late-season performances to wrap up last season and a Rolex 24 win to open this season, the #65 team has the makings of being a breakout program here in 2025.

Even though the program runs in GTD Pro and the strength of the class is heavy, the factory-supported effort has enough backing that they can be a dangerous threat this year.

Here for Support

As aforementioned, four of IMSA’s sanctioned support series will hit the track along with the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the lead-up to Saturday’s Sebring 12 Hour.

Of the four series, three open their season at Sebring: the Mustang Challenge, Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series, and Porsche Carrera Cup North America.

Mustang Challenge makes its first trek to the state of Florida since its inception last season as the series enters its sophomore year. Twenty-one entries make up the American single-make series, with a handful of new entries among the two classes.

Thirty-two entries make up the three-class Porsche Carrera Cup North America, while Lamborghini Super Trofeo enters its season opener with 36 total cars.

Michelin Pilot Challenge returns to its more traditional race format with its first two-hour-and-40-minute event of the season, with 40 cars on the grid.

Final Thoughts

IMSA’s final full weekend in the Sunshine State will be a busy one, and with the debut of another new manufacturer in the GTP class, all eyes will be on the 3.74-mile circuit.

The Sebring 12 Hour has always provided a drama-filled finish, and this year’s race should be no exception given its history.

With 12 hours of racing—half of the Rolex 24—teams and drivers will be much more edgy to make up spots, which can create aggressive and physical racing throughout the weekend.

Adding to that, with the four support series featured alongside the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, there will be a lot of action to be had in Sebring.

 
 

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