DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (26 January, 2026) – Building on the momentum of the 2025 season, the Racing to End Alzheimer’s with Stephen Cameron Racing team started off the 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with a solid finish in the four-hour BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona International Speedway last week. After the kind of rough and tumble race that makes the series must-see TV, the effort paid dividends with a run to eighth place at the checkered flag for the No. 19 Ford Mustang GT4.
Drivers Sean Quinlan and Greg Liefooghe combined to keep the Racing to End Alzheimer’s Ford Mustang at or near the top of speed charts all week, earning significant TV time during Friday’s race broadcast (and with Racing to End Alzheimer’s founder Phil Frengs spending time in the IMSA Radio/YouTube broadcast booth with an hour remaining in the race to talk about the organizations work to “fund the care and find the cure”). Quinlan managed the race week well, despite suffering from the cold symptoms that had made their presence known throughout the Michelin Pilot Challenge paddock.
The on-track action was intense all week, but for Frengs, the two weeks that encompass the Roar and the Rolex 24 event – with multiple test sessions, practices, qualifying and the four-hour race – gave him the chance to talk to literally hundreds of fans. More names were added to the sides of the No. 19 Ford Mustang over the past week, bringing the number of loved ones honored by their family or friends to 54.
“It’s two weeks of on-track activity but for us, it’s also two weeks of talking to people who have been affected in some way in their life with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia,” said Frengs. “That’s our purpose and this is really like a doubleheader for us, with a chance to meet so many people. So from a standpoint of our mission, we did a lot.
“From the racing standpoint, we had really great performance with our Ford Mustang,” continued Frengs. “This team is really on the upward swing. There was such a small difference between finishing third and finishing eighth as we did, in terms of where we were and what the gap was. I think we came away from the race feeling good about our prospects going forward in the season, so that’s exciting. But in the end, the main focus is our chance to talk to the fans, and we certainly did that over this past two weeks in spades.”
The team roared out of the box on Wednesday, setting the quickest lap time of the first official practice – with a lap of 1:52.663 set in a solid draft of cars (note: the time ended up being the single fastest Pilot Challenge lap of the weekend). The second practice on Thursday morning saw the team post the sixth quickest time, while only staying on track for half of the 60-minute session. Quinlan took the wheel later that afternoon for the 15-minute qualifying session, putting the No. 19 Ford Mustang into 12th position on Friday’s starting grid.
Quinlan was ready to do battle at the green flag, despite feeling under the weather. He managed early traffic well, while looking for more front-end grip through the tight corners. A yellow 45 minutes into the race brought him to pit lane for four tires, fuel, and a change to Liefooghe. As soon as the race went back to green, Liefooghe set his sights forward, making solid passes and moving into the top five with two and a half hours remaining.
Liefooghe pitted from third position during a caution as the race reached the halfway point, then returned to the race in 10th. Alternating between caution and green through the next hour, Liefooghe made smart and steady passes, moving into fifth position with 50 minutes remaining, and into the lead moments later – before heading to pit lane for the final stop. He returned to the race in 15th position and quickly made his way back into the top 10. Moving into eighth with 20 minutes left, Liefooghe ran out of time to make a run to the front.
“We probably waited a lap longer than we should have to come in for that last stop,” said team owner Stephen Cameron. “Then we had a little bit of a glitch on the tire change and lost some time, since it was a green flag stop. We’ll go back to the shop and analyze all of that. But overall, lots of positives – Sean did a good job in his stint, he brought the car into a good position, and Greg really moved us forward. Now we need to go and make sure that we learn everything we can and get after it at Sebring.”
The No. 19 Racing to End Alzheimer’s Mustang gives families the chance to honor loved ones who have suffered from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. For a $250 donation, the family member’s name and hometown is placed on the car, and their photo can be posted on the Racing to End Alzheimer’s website’s tribute page. All donations are matched by Frengs’ company Legistics, with 100% going to the program’s two beneficiaries: the Nantz National Alzheimer Center at Houston Methodist, and the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program.
To date, Racing to End Alzheimer’s has donated over $1 million to those two programs.
Next up for Racing to End Alzheimer’s and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge will be the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 at Sebring International Raceway March 18-21. The two-hour race will be broadcast live in the U.S. on Peacock TV, and internationally on IMSA.TV and on IMSA’s YouTube channel – ad-free courtesy of Michelin.
About Racing to End Alzheimer’s
In 2013, Phil Frengs’s late wife Mimi was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Their experience with the disease led Frengs to a seminal moment: his company, Legistics, had long sponsored a team in IMSA sports car racing and he realized an opportunity to raise money and awareness for the fight against the disease. In 2017, he formed Racing to End Alzheimer’s, giving fans the opportunity to honor loved ones by putting their names on the race car via donation – with Legistics matching each donation. 100% of those donations go to the two organizations the team supports:
The Nantz National Alzheimer Center at Houston Methodist is exploring cutting edge strategies in therapy, care and research to find a cure for these dementias. NNAC was founded by longtime CBS Sports broadcaster Jim Nantz and his family in honor of his father, Jim, Jr., who passed away after a 13-year battle with Alzheimer’s.
The UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program is a nationally-recognized grant-funded program designed to help patients and their families with the complex medical, behavioral and social needs associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.
Racing to End Alzheimer’s social media
Facebook: Racing to End Alzheimer’s
Instagram: @racing2endalz
