AO Racing, current champions of the LMP2 class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar championship, has achieved a dramatic victory at Watkins Glen, marking their first triumph of the 2026 season. This thrilling competition once again highlights the excellence of one of the most prominent teams in the championship.
Driver Dane Cameron was leading with a comfortable five-second advantage with 45 minutes to go. However, he had to face an intense offensive from Alex Quinn, who managed to close the gap to less than a second through dense traffic. The course of the race was altered by a yellow flag on the final lap, which froze the championship and secured the victory for AO Racing.
This victory is significantly special, as it represents the first triumph for the crew made up of Cameron, PJ Hyett, and Jonny Edgar at Watkins Glen. Furthermore, it is AO Racing’s ninth overall victory, the first since Road America last summer, and marks Cameron’s twentieth victory in the IMSA class, now with three victories for Hyett and two for Edgar.
“It has a touch of déjà vu from last season,” Hyett commented, recalling his previous performances. According to him, the work of the entire team should be valued, which has proven they have the car and the necessary experience. “Winning is what matters,” he concluded.
A Typical IMSA Race
Despite their defeat, the second place achieved by the #04 team positions them as the new leaders of the LMP2 championship, with a 55-point lead over AO Racing and the #22 United Autosports USA, which finished fifth. Cameron described the race as a “typical IMSA race,” marked by maneuvers within traffic and varying strategies among the teams.
“I really enjoyed today. We were aggressive, an attitude we’ve worked on as a group. We know that in past races we’ve been too conservative. It’s essential to close out a win,” Cameron added, highlighting the excellent performance of the car from the start. In this way, AO Racing has begun a new chapter in their title defense.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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