Thienes and Hirshberg Return for VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Campaign
Daytona Beach, Florida (Thursday, January 15, 2026) – Forte Racing opens its 2026 competition season this weekend at the ROAR Before the Rolex 24, entering two Ligier LMP3 cars in the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge season opener at Daytona International Speedway.
The team welcomes back Brian Thienes in the No. 77 Thienes Engineering LMP3 and Jon Hirshberg in the No. 86 Dakine/JR286 LMP3, each returning to familiar machinery with a shared focus on strong results to begin the new season. Thienes returns for the full VPRC campaign after finishing the 2024 season as the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Championship runner-up and 2024 Bronze Champion. Hirshberg will contest select sprint and endurance events throughout the 2026 schedule.
Returning to Daytona, where he has enjoyed strong results in the past, Thienes is eager to begin the 2026 season alongside the Forte Racing squad.
“Looking forward to returning to Daytona to start the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, where we have had great results in the past with several podium finishes,” Thienes said. “Especially looking forward to working with forte racing powered by US RaceTronics. US RaceTronics always provides well-prepared racecar. Most important, I am looking forward to working with my rockstar engineer, Pete Jacobs, who always engineers the most competitive race car possible.”
After contesting select events with Forte Racing in recent seasons, Hirshberg returns to the lineup eager to build momentum early and carry that focus into the 2026 VP Racing SportsCar Challenge campaign.
“I’m excited to rejoin Forte Racing for the 2026 season in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge,” Hirshberg said. “Daytona is the ultimate place to kick off the year and competing in LMP3 with a team I trust and respect makes it even more special. We have unfinished business, and I’m focused on starting the season strong.”
Forte Racing team owner Shane Seneviratne is eager to see the team hit the track as the season gets underway.
“We’re excited to kick off the 2026 season at Daytona with the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge and to welcome Brian and Jon back with Forte Racing,” Seneviratne said. “The ROAR is always an important benchmark for the year ahead, and both drivers bring experience, focus, and the right mindset to start the season strong. Our LMP3 program continues to grow, and we’re looking forward to building momentum right from the opening weekend.”
Team manager David Cozart echoed that excitement as Forte Racing prepares to open a new year of competition.
“Forte Racing is looking forward to starting a new year of competition with Brian Thienes and Jon Hirshberg.” Cozart said. “Both drivers will once again campaign our Ligier P3 machines as part of the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, competing for Bronze Cup honors and overall podium finishes. Personally, I can’t wait for the smell of gas and rubber that comes with the first competition of the year after a long hiatus.”
Broadcast Information:
Fans can follow Forte Racing and the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge throughout the ROAR Before the Rolex 24 weekend via:
Peacock – Live and on-demand coverage of both races
IMSA Official YouTube Channel – Live streams and replays
IMSA.com – Timing, scoring, and weekend updates
Race 1 will air Saturday, January 17th at 1:55PM ET, with Race 2 live coverage starting Sunday, January 18th at 1:15PM ET.
For updates, behind-the-scenes coverage, and live action from the paddock, follow @ForteRacing on Instagram.
ABOUT FORTE RACING (Formerly US RaceTronics)
Forte Racing, based in Los Angeles and Charlotte, competes in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar GTD Championship, IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge, and Lamborghini Super Trofeo series with support from Lamborghini Squadra Corse. In 2025, the team will expand into the McLaren Trophy America series in SRO, further broadening its competitive footprint.
Founded as US RaceTronics by Shane Seneviratne in 2005, the team quickly made its mark with multiple wins and podiums in the Atlantic Championship before transitioning to Lamborghini Super Trofeo in 2015, winning multiple North American and World Championships.
In 2023, the team entered IMSA WeatherTech GTD with a Lamborghini Huracan EVO2 GT3, driven by Misha Goikhberg and Loris Spinelli. They secured four top-five finishes in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons, including a win at the 2023 Petit Le Mans and a second-place finish in 2024, finishing fifth in the GTD Championship both years. Forte Racing continues to build its reputation as a rising force in GT racing.
For more information on driving opportunities, series details, or event attendance, visit www.forteracing.com.
About O’Gara Motorsport
O’Gara Motorsport was founded in 2014 by owner Tom O’Gara and celebrated winning the 2015 North American Lamborghini Super Trofeo driver and team Championships. The team goal is to achieve victories in the Series as well as showcasing the brands of their sponsors both on and off the track. With a vertically integrated platform that starts at the dealership and accelerates to the top levels of professional sports car racing, everyone at O’Gara is dedicated to providing a comprehensive program for anyone, from the casually curious to the dedicated racer.
