HOUSTON, Tx. (January 12, 2026) – With an eye toward GT3 and endurance racing ambitions, Rafa Martinez will contest the 2026 IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge with RAFA Racing Team, starting at the Roar Before the Rolex 24.
Martinez will compete in the team’s Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 as part of a development-focused season centered on increased seat time, continuity, and long-term progression within IMSA competition.
The Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway will serve as the opening chapter of the campaign, providing an early benchmark ahead of the championship schedule.
“I’m super excited for it,” Martinez said. “It’s going to give me the opportunity to spend a little bit more time in the car. This is really a transition year for me. My goal for 2027 is to be able to compete in GT3, with the ultimate goal of endurance racing.”
“The ability to get extra seat time and focus more on testing instead of just having so many races is going to be really key for me, especially with how limited my schedule actually is. It’s honestly pretty unbelievable that I was able to do six races, let alone the ten we did last year.”
The VP Racing SportsCar Challenge format is expected to play a central role in Martinez’s development, with two sprint races per weekend allowing drivers to immediately apply lessons learned rather than waiting until the next event.
“When you split the weekend into two races instead of one longer race, it gives you the opportunity to correct things,” Martinez said.
“You actually get the chance to learn from the first race and apply it straight away instead of just moving on to the next weekend.”
“That’s a big part of why this series makes sense for me. It gives me the chance to really focus on becoming a better driver and to hone in on the details when I’m in the car.”
Continuity will be a defining theme of Martinez’s 2026 season. After racing multiple cars and platforms across his first two seasons in North American competition, the upcoming year marks the first time he will return to many of the same circuits in the same car.
“This is the first time I’ve been able to stay with the same platform,” Martinez said. “Every year that I’ve raced so far, every time I jumped in the car it was a new field and a new car.”
“Last year, at least half the tracks we went to I’d never been to before. Now I get to go back to tracks I’ve already been to in the same car, and that’s huge for confidence.”
The Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 proved to be a demanding but rewarding platform during Martinez’s previous season, particularly as it marked his first experience in a front-engine GT car.
“It was my first time driving a front-engine car,” Martinez said. “It has a short wheelbase, it moves under braking, and it’s on edge all the time. You really have to drive the car hard to extract the lap time.”
“But when you do, it’s very rewarding. It gives you the time, it holds, and it sticks. For me, getting back into the same car and building confidence is going to be huge.”
Limited track time during previous Michelin Pilot Challenge weekends further reinforced the value of continuity and additional seat time in 2026.
“There were weekends last year where I was getting maybe 45 minutes total at a brand-new track before qualifying,” Martinez said. “That’s a really small window to understand the car when you’re splitting time and setting it up with a teammate.”
“Being able to come back this year, stay on the same platform, and actually build on what we learned instead of starting from zero again is massive.”
RAFA Racing Team enters the 2026 season with a strong IMSA roster across multiple championships, with Martinez’s VP Racing SportsCar Challenge effort forming part of a broader, aligned program.
In VP Racing SportsCar Challenge competition, Martinez will be joined by Westin Workman as his RAFA Racing Team teammate, with the two drivers contesting the season in parallel entries.
Alongside the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge program, RAFA Racing Team has also confirmed its IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge lineup for 2026, with Kiko Porto and Varun Choksey set to share the team’s Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 in GS competition.
Porto enters the season following championship success in VP Racing SportsCar Challenge competition, while Choksey brings continued experience from multiple seasons at the national GT level.
“This is the kind of environment that really helps you grow,” Martinez said.
“Having Westin as a teammate in VP and then having guys like Kiko and Varun running in Michelin Pilot means there’s always data, always references, and always something to learn from.”
“It raises the level for everyone. You’re not just racing your own race. You’re constantly measuring yourself against people who are pushing hard in different programs.”
As the 2026 season approaches, Martinez’s focus remains firmly on development, consistency, and building toward future GT3 and endurance racing opportunities within IMSA competition.
“My goal is to be competitive, fight for podiums, and really establish myself in the series,” Martinez said. “If I can win races, that would be incredible.”
“But if I’m consistently battling at the front and competing with some of the top drivers in the class, I think that’s mission accomplished.”
