This weekend, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship returns to action at Road America. GTP returns to action after a month, last racing at the Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen. When you talk about IMSA GTP in 2026, the conversation has to begin with Jack Aitken. The British-born driver, who has dual citizenship with South Korea thanks to his mother, is looking to finish off a career season in IMSA. Coming into Road America, Aitken is on a streak of eight straight podium finishes – dating back to victory at Indianapolis last September.
Aitken has been racing stateside in IMSA since 2023, full-time since 2024. His first taste of success was winning the 2023 12 Hours of Sebring, only his second IMSA start. His performance as Action Express’s endurance driver in 2023 was a key factor in him replacing Alexander Sims in the #31 Cadillac full-time for the 2024 season. With each season, there has been progression. A fourth in points in 2024 yielded to a runner-up in 2025.
A Season for the Ages
Action Express have finished no lower than third this season, at Sebring
To say Aitken and his Action Express team have been on it in 2026 has been an understatement. Here are their results through six of nine races so far: 2-3-2-2-1-1. This is the run of consistency that has missed the team the last two seasons. But even with an aim of consistency, it’s safe to say Jack did not quite picture this.
“This season has surpassed my expectations,” Aitken says. “The streak of (eight straight) podiums we are on is not something you see very often. IMSA is a very competitive field with fantastic manufacturers, teams and driving talent turning up to win. The series is quite unpredictable with strategy and timing of yellows. To get this kind of consistency is unheard of, but amazing.”
This consistency gives Aitken a 203-point lead over Laurin Heinrich in the GTP drivers’ standings with three races remaining. However, Jack is not getting carried away. “We have a healthy lead in the championship. But it’s less than a race win. An IMSA race win is 350 points (380 with pole position). It sounds like a lot. But at the end of the day a good day from our competitors and a bad day from us will reset the table.”
While the threat of a bad day looms large, he is with a team that already knows how to win. Action Express Racing has six IMSA titles, including the first GTP championship in 2023. So if there is any team that can make sure this season finishes how it should, Action Express is that team.
Seeing Double
A familiar weapon for a new experience
Alongside his IMSA success, Aitken is also handling a busier schedule in 2026. In November, Aitken was announced to race for Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA in the World Endurance Championship. He replaced the retiring Jensen Button alongside Sébastien Bourdais and his regular IMSA teammate Earl Bamber in the team’s #38 V-Series.R for the season.
Aitken had to miss the season opener in Imola due to a clash with the IMSA schedule. The Cadillac factory driver’s priority was the IMSA championship with Action Express, which led to Aitken being in Long Beach that weekend. Since joining the team in Spa, the team has been quick – even if the results don’t reflect it. Aitken had pole at Le Mans until it was deemed he violated Hyperpole regulations, which negated his time post-session. A DNF in the race added insult to injury. A front-row start in Brazil netted a fourth-place finish, but even that – depending on who you ask – was a missed opportunity.
Still, Jack says this season – his first full season in WEC – has been quite advantageous. “The best thing has been the doubling of my drive time as its hard to come by,” Aitken states. “(Testing) is pretty restricted, expensive and difficult to do now. Doing double the races helps me to feel more natural and comfortable in the car.”
Sacrifice … for the Bigger Picture?
The Red Whelen Cadillac Hypercar was a noticeable absence from Le Mans this past June
2026 was Aitken’s fifth Le Mans, his first with Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA. His last three starts at the French classic came with his IMSA team, Action Express Racing. However, Action Express chose not to make the journey this year. Up to this point, it has paid dividends with their exceptional IMSA season.
Then again, one can look to 2023 and say they went to Le Mans and won the IMSA championship as well that season. Why Action Express did not attend as an entrant could be for a variety of reasons. Cadillac, allegedly, only had budget for three cars as opposed to four. Action Express would have needed a whole new driver lineup as their main drivers would be racing for the brand’s WEC team. The team maybe just wanted to focus on IMSA in 2026 and delivering Cadillac their second drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships in the GTP era.
That latter point, Jack says, has a lot of weight to it. “That is definitely an aim,” Aitken explained. “We wanted to benefit by not splitting resources and having that extra load. (Le Mans) comes at a busy point in the season for IMSA. With the sprint races in the shadow of Le Mans, by the time you get to Watkins Glen, you are fatigued as a team. There’s no doubt that not going has made life easier.”
While the team did not make it to France this year, Aitken would love to see the team back at La Sarthe again in the future. “Action Express operate at a high level. We have been to Le Mans and ran a good programme. They can do it again, it is not easy, but they have a lot of capability.”
Business as Usual
But before we look too far into the future, Aitken looks to finish off 2026 – starting at Road America this weekend. The message is simple: one race at a time with no special emphasis. “Just treat it like a normal day, a normal weekend. We are in a pretty good grove at the moment as a team. A lot of things have come together.”
Even so, Jack humbles himself and approaches this race with a realistic lens. “I don’t think we are in a position where we are desperately trying to hang to a (podium or win) streak. It’s a great thing to have, but the reality is that we are coming into every weekend trying to do the best job we can. The streak will end at some point. I don’t know if that will be this weekend or if we can keep it going longer.”
At the same time, he acknowledges he is in the midst of something special. “We feel good. We want to keep enjoying it, keep working well. Why change anything at the moment?”
Aitken looks to keep enjoying his 2026 racing season. He has four more opportunities to score a win in WEC, starting at Circuit of the Americas in September. And he definitely does not want his points standing in IMSA to change. The 30-year-old looks to maintain his lead all the way to the chequered flag at Petit Le Mans in October.
