Winward Racing capped off a historic campaign in dramatic fashion, securing its first Motul Petit Le Mans victory and wrapping up a third consecutive Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) championship at the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship finale. Drivers Philip Ellis, Russell Ward, and endurance co-driver Indy Dontje steered the #57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 across the finish line to seal both the race victory and the class crown.
The championship was effectively decided early in the race as its main title rivals hit trouble. The #27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, which entered the weekend 116 points behind, was forced into an overnight engine change that required Zacharie Robichon to start from pit lane; the car fell more than 60 laps behind before eventually retiring. Meanwhile, second-place contender Turner Motorsport suffered a race-ending blow just 30 minutes after the green flag when Robby Foley pitted the #96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO with a water-pressure issue that proved terminal.
