Manthey concludes its IMSA debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona with a twelfth and fifth place class finish

Racing | IMSA

In the GTD PRO class, the “Grello” Porsche (#911) finishes the longest race of the season in fifth place
Ryan Hardwick, Richard Lietz, Riccardo Pera and Morris Schuring (#912) cross the finish line in twelfth place in the GTD category
Both Manthey Porsche cover leading kilometres in their respective classes as part of their IMSA debut

Daytona. Manthey concluded its debut in the 2026 IMSA season at the 24 Hours of Daytona with fifth place (#911, GTD PRO) and twelfth place (#912, GTD). After a challenging qualifying session, the two Porsche 911 GT3 R started the twice around the clock race from 14th and 18th on the grid. On Sunday morning, following a six and a half hour full course yellow period due to dense fog, both cars moved to the front of their respective classes thanks to a well timed pit stop strategy and faultless stints. After the race resumed with just over six hours remaining, they held their positions at the top of the field for several hours. Ultimately, Klaus Bachler (Austria), Ricardo Feller (Switzerland), Ayhancan Güven (Turkey) and Thomas Preining (Austria) were unable to defend these positions in the warmer conditions toward the end of the race against the strong GTD PRO field and took the checkered flag in fifth place after 662 laps. Their Manthey 1st Phorm teammates Ryan Hardwick (USA), Richard Lietz (Austria), Riccardo Pera (Italy) and Morris Schuring (Netherlands) were set back by an unscheduled pit stop due to rising engine temperatures and a drive through penalty in the final two hours, finishing twelfth. In addition to the two GT3 R entries, another Manthey car was present at Daytona International Speedway: the Porsche 911 GT3 RS with Manthey Kit served as the official IMSA Safety Car, leading the field on numerous occasions throughout the race, particularly at night. Despite missing out on top sporting results, Manthey demonstrated its potential at the IMSA season opener and looks ahead positively to the remainder of the 2026 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.

“The 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona – and with it the launch of our ‘Manthey goes USA’ mission – is now behind us. It was an exciting race with many different facets. Even though it seems we brought the Eifel fog with us, it unfortunately didn’t play to our advantage in the end. On the positive side, both cars saw the checkered flag, even if the results did not fully meet our expectations. After the long full course yellow period during the night, it briefly looked as though we might be able to fight for the podium with both cars – in GTD PRO as well as GTD. In the closing stages, the #911 simply lacked the pace to stay with the leaders. For the #912, similar challenges were compounded by a drive through penalty and an issue with engine temperatures, which pushed us further back. Under normal circumstances, a result on the level of the #911 would absolutely have been possible,” summarizes Patrick Arkenau, Director Racing at Manthey. “Even so, I am extremely proud of the entire team and what we have managed to build in such a short time since deciding to compete in the United States. The crew worked together exceptionally well, and for long stretches we were fighting at the front in both classes. In the end, we were missing a bit of pace, but we take away many valuable learnings. Now our focus shifts to the ALMS before we soon head to Sebring, where we aim to fight for victory all the way to the end.”

“Our first IMSA race and the start of our 30th anniversary year brought highs and lows. From a sporting perspective, we fell short of our expectations – two hours before the end, both cars were still in promising positions, but in the final sprint we couldn’t quite keep up with the competition. Ultimately, something else stands out even more: we were welcomed incredibly warmly in the United States and were able to demonstrate how well the activation and integration of our road car and motorsport products work together as part of our step into IMSA and the U.S. market. We are particularly proud that the official IMSA Safety Car, equipped with the Manthey Kit, led the field on numerous occasions. We return home with many positive impressions and look forward to the upcoming IMSA events, where we aim to show our full potential and translate it into strong results,” says Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director at Manthey Racing GmbH, reflecting on the team’s North American debut.

From March 18 to 21, the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup teams will return to Florida for the 12 Hours of Sebring. Before that, Manthey will contest the final two race weekends of the 2025/2026 Asian Le Mans Series in Dubai and Abu Dhabi (January 31–February 1, 2026 & February 7–8, 2026).

Quotes on the 24 Hours of Daytona 2026:

Klaus Bachler, Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “The 24 Hours of Daytona are done — P5 is not what we were aiming for, but we had a completely clean race with no major issues. We made it through the night without mistakes, but in the end we were just missing a bit of pace. The whole crew did an outstanding job: strategy, tyre changes, pit stops, every driver delivered. There’s a lot we can take away from this, and despite the result it was a great event for us. Now we have a short break, and I’m already looking forward to Sebring.”

Ricardo Feller, Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “Of course it’s disappointing to finish a flawless 24 hour race in a difficult fifth place. Naturally you’re frustrated at first, but on the other hand everything ran perfectly and I’m proud of the whole team — everyone executed at a very high level, especially in our first IMSA race. We have to focus on the positives: no mistakes, no penalties. In the end it simply wasn’t enough to fight for the win, but fortunately the next race is just around the corner. A big thank you goes to the entire team — I’m really looking forward to the upcoming races together.”

Ayhancan Güven, Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “It was the first race for the Grello here in Daytona, and finishing P5 was a solid result given the challenge we knew we were facing. The whole team did a great job — the strategy was spot on and my teammates drove really well. In the final stages we simply didn’t have the package to fight with the very front, but overall we delivered a strong race. In the last quarter we were consistently battling for the win or the podium, and that’s exactly why we’re here. We showed what we’re capable of.”

Thomas Preining, Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “It was a pretty tough race. We had a very clean run with no issues or penalties — strategy, pit stops, drivers, everything was executed perfectly. Everyone worked flawlessly for 24 hours, really for two full weeks. In the end it played out exactly as we feared after the earlier sessions: we just couldn’t keep up in the final phase and couldn’t hold the lead we gained with a great strategic move two and a half hours before the finish. A big thank you to the whole team for a smooth and well executed first IMSA event together.”

Ryan Hardwick, Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R #912: “What a tough 24 hours. We had plenty of surprises, some bad luck and, unfortunately, a difficult ending for both Manthey cars. We showed a lot of promise during the night and were even fighting for the lead in both classes early on Sunday, but in the end it just wasn’t meant to be. Some things were out of our control, others were mistakes on our side, but overall it was a valuable learning experience. It’s always special to race here in Daytona — it was exciting as always — but we simply didn’t have the complete package to fight for the win this time. We’ll take everything we learned here and aim to arrive in Sebring strong and ready to fight for victory.”

Richard Lietz, Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R #912: “It was a tough 24 hours. We had strong pace during the night, but the warm daytime conditions didn’t play into our hands and we couldn’t quite keep up with the leaders. Still, the team and the drivers did an excellent job, and under the right conditions the car was fantastic to drive. With a bit more luck at the end, we can definitely fight for success in IMSA in the future — we’ve already shown the potential here, and we’ll build on that for the rest of the season.”

Riccardo Pera, Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R #912: “It was a really tough race for us, but for my first time here in Daytona I have to say I genuinely enjoyed the experience. During the night and into the early morning we had strong pace and real potential, fighting for the top three and even for the lead. In the end, especially in the final hour, things just didn’t go our way — we had some engine issues and also picked up a penalty. Of course that’s disappointing and we had hoped for more, but overall the team, my fellow driver and everyone involved did a great job, and we still had a lot of fun out there. I can’t wait to get going again at the next race.”

Morris Schuring, Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R #912: “It felt like all the bad luck we could possibly have ended up hit us in one single race here at Daytona. Early on, a timing issue meant we waved by too many competitors and received a three and a half minute penalty, but we fought our way back with great teamwork and strong spirit. I spent nearly four hours behind the safety car during the night, which was mentally tough to stay focused through. We recovered, even led at one point, and then were unlucky again when the engine began to overheat. But that’s racing – the team gave everything, the drivers delivered a flawless performance, but sometimes that still isn’t enough.”

Race Calendar IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup 2026:

Event Calendar

Quotes on the 24 Hours of Daytona 2026:

Impressions