GEBHARDT Motorsport driver Oscar Tunjo defended his lead in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge championship in Austin.
GEBHARDT Motorsport has completed its second race weekend in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. The team from Sinsheim fielded three Duqueine D08s at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Championship leader Oscar Tunjo, Danny Soufi and Swiss driver Jérémy Siffert drove the LMP3 prototypes.
It soon became clear that the Gen. 2 LMP3 cars with Nissan's spectacular 5.6-litre V8 engine could not keep up with the speed of the newer turbo cars, so GEBHARDT Motorsport quickly shifted its focus to scoring important points for the championship.
And that's exactly what Tunjo and Soufi did in the two races in front of the NASCAR Cup Series spectators in Texas. While the Colombian finished both races in third place, local hero Soufi came fourth in both races. This made the two GEBHARDT Motorsport drivers the two highest-placed drivers in the field with older cars.
The first race was unfortunate for Jérémy Siffert. Starting from seventh on the grid, the Swiss driver had already made up a few positions before colliding with a competitor after a safety car restart. The Duqueine was so badly damaged in the contact that it could not be repaired in the short time available before the second race, and Siffert was forced to watch from the sidelines.
Thanks to his clever driving, Oscar Tunjo was even able to extend his lead in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge standings. Danny Soufi moved up to second place in the championship on the short Circuit of the Americas track. After four races, 210 points separate the two GEBHARDT Motorsport drivers.
‘Unfortunately, it has to be said quite clearly that third and fourth place were the best we could achieve in Austin,’ summarised team owner Fritz Gebhardt. "With our Gen 2 LMP3 cars, we couldn't keep up with the pace of the newer turbo cars. We therefore focused on scoring as many points as possible, which we did. The reward is a double lead in the championship."
The IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge continues this coming weekend when the first two-hour Endurance Cup race in the history of the racing series takes place in Sebring.
IMSA VP SportsCar Challenge 2026 schedule:
16.01. – 19.01. – Daytona (Sprint)
27.02. – 28.02. – Circuit of the Americas Austin (Sprint)
06.03. – 08.03. – Sebring (Endurance)
07.05. – 09.05. – Circuit of the Americas Austin (Endurance)
05.06. – 07.06. – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Sprint)
19.06. – 21.06. – Virginia International Raceway (Endurance)
10.07. – 12.07. – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Sprint)
14.08. – 16.08. – Road America (Endurance)
01.10. – 03.10. – Road Atlanta (Sprint)
