Some manufacturers dream of having just one icon. Porsche has two – and they are set to clash at the Rolex 24 at Daytona for the first time. In the IMSA SportsCar Championship’s Endurance Cup, an internal rivalry at Porsche between these two popular race teams is about to unfold.
In one corner: Rexy, the adorable dinosaur. It's a character that has taken the fans' hearts by storm.
The effort is led by two hardcore racers: Gunnar Jeannette, long-time sports car pilot and passionate base jumper, and IT entrepreneur and self-made billionaire P.J. Hyett, founder of AO Racing, creator of Rexy, who is still actively racing.
The Dinosaur-branded Porsche has become a legend in a very short time, even outside the USA. AO Racing sells massive amounts of merchandise in relation to the car.
Dino mascots are a massive hit with fans of all ages, and there’s no one who hasn't somehow taken this Porsche into their heart. But endearing design aside, Rexy has already achieved a lot in her relatively short life – 2026 marks the car's fourth year on the grid.
She secured a GTD Pro title in her first year in the class following a learning year in GTD. In 2025, AO Racing also took the LMP2 Pro-Am class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the IMSA LMP2 title with Rexy’s sister prototype called Spike.
A new challenger approaches
On the other side of this battle: Grello. It's a symbol of German precision, accuracy, and professionalism. Forged over decades on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. A seven-time winner of the 24 Hours at the Nürburgring. Reigning DTM champion. Winner of the 12 Hours of Bathurst in 2024.
Grello is the epitome of success within the Porsche family and feared by all its opponents. Even in the USA, the legendary Green and Yellow is already a known entity.
And those who don't know Grello yet soon will, as anyone competing against Grello knows they have to bring their A-game.
Now, both of these Porsche squads go against each other for the very first time in GTD Pro. Two cars with completely different characters, different teams, and different approaches, but both purely driven by success.
"Yes, it’s simply fantastic," Porsche Motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach told Motorsport.com. "Manthey made the decision to become active here in the USA as well, which we were really happy about."
Manthey also aims to increase awareness of its performance kits for Porsche road models in the lucrative American market.
Laudenbach doesn’t even attempt to deny that a healthy rivalry will develop between the two teams: "Obviously, that’s natural. We are talking about customer racing; everyone has to secure their own funding and fights for their own success. And both of teams have the ambition to win championships. If there were no rivalry, I’d be wondering what was going on."
A battle bigger than Porsche vs. Porsche
But then there's driver Nick Tandy, who said: "Let’s not focus on the duel."
However, there is also a professional cooperation going on. Nick Tandy, who has already celebrated great success in Grello and now aims to lead Rexy to victory for the first time, sends a warning not to focus solely on the other Porsche.
"We are fighting against the best GT teams in the world here. We can’t just break it down to Rexy vs. Grello", the Endurance “big six” winner told Motorsport.com.
Both teams work closely together under the umbrella of Porsche Motorsport North America. "Of course, there can be competition [between the teams], but we make sure it always happens in a good spirit," Laudenbach emphasized.
Reigning DTM champion Ayhancan Guven is firmly associated with Grello but got his first impression of Rexy during the grid photo. "When they took the photos on the film day, I was driving Grello and Rexy was right next to me. That’s quite unique", the Turk told Motorsport.com.
"I’ve been racing in Grello for a while, but with Rexy, the fanbase of that car, and their successes, it’s a pretty unique combination. As a brand, we at Porsche can be really happy to have these two icons. And now, we’re competing against each other."
