Hirshberg Finishes Second in Bronze on Saturday at Daytona Season Opener
Monrovia, Calif. (Thursday, January 22, 2026) – Forte Racing opened the 2026 VP Racing SportsCar Challenge season with a commanding performance at Daytona International Speedway, highlighted by Brian Thienes’ Bronze Cup sweep and a strong podium showing from Jon Hirshberg in the season-opening weekend.
Building on the momentum from last season, Thienes delivered back-to-back Bronze Cup victories in both ROAR Before the Rolex 24 races, capped by an impressive second-overall finish in Sunday’s Race 2. Hirshberg added to the team’s success with a second-place Bronze Cup result in Saturday’s Race 1, giving Forte Racing a double-podium start to the new season.
Saturday’s opening race saw Thienes and the No. 77 Ligier LMP3 work forward from seventh on the grid, ultimately securing fifth overall and first in the Bronze Cup. Hirshberg followed closely behind in class, finishing second in Bronze to complete a strong one-two result for Forte Racing in the category.
Sunday’s Race 2 presented an entirely different challenge, as wet conditions at Daytona tested both drivers and teams from the opening green flag. Thienes rose to the occasion, delivering consistently fast and controlled lap times in the rain while navigating traffic and changing conditions to secure another Bronze Cup victory and second overall.
Reflecting on the weekend, Thienes credited the team’s preparation and adaptability for the strong start to the season.
“After qualifying seventh for both races and finishing fifth and second and leaving the weekend tied for second in the overall championship, I’m very satisfied with the results,” Thienes said. “I appreciate all the hard work the team put into the car all weekend and especially my engineer Pete Jacobs for giving me a competitive car, particularly for Sunday’s race in the rain. We learned a few things about the car that hopefully will be able to carry forward to our next race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin. I’m looking forward to another successful season with Forte Racing powered by US RaceTronics.”
Jon Hirshberg also delivered a strong opening performance to his 2026 campaign, converting consistency and race craft into a Bronze Cup podium in Saturday’s Race 1. Returning to Daytona with Forte Racing for select events this season, Hirshberg focused on building momentum early while supporting a strong overall team result.
“It was great to be back at Daytona with Forte Racing to kick off the season,” Hirshberg said. “The team gave us a solid car all weekend, and finishing on the Bronze podium in the opener is a strong way to start the year. Daytona is always a challenge, but it’s the perfect place to set the tone, and I’m excited to build on this momentum as the season continues.”
From an engineering standpoint, the Daytona weekend required strategic decision-making and adaptability across sessions, particularly with tire strategy and evolving weather conditions. The team’s race engineer, Peter Jacobs, and the team were up for the challenge.
“Daytona never fails to surprise us,” Jacobs said. “Going into the ROAR, we knew we faced a challenge with our dated Ligier 320 versus the new 325 cars and only Bronze drivers behind the wheel. However, our #77 car emerged as the fastest 320 in the field, consistently running in the top 5 during Practice 1.
In Practice 2, we maintained strong performance in the early stages until most of the competition opted for sticker tires. We made the strategic choice to save our stickers for both races, but looking back, especially with Sunday turning into a rain race, we would have been better prepared for qualifying had we followed the field’s lead.
Qualifying 7th was our worst result ever at Daytona, a track where we’ve historically been competitive. After qualifying, we recognized the need to make some changes to the car, and this decision paid dividends as we finished 5th overall and 1st in class.
Feeling that further improvements were necessary for race two, both the car and Brian delivered an impressive performance, culminating in a 2nd overall finish and another 1st in class.
Every team member played a crucial role in this successful start to what promises to be an amazing season.”
Team principal Shane Seneviratne praised the execution across the weekend and emphasized the importance of starting the season with momentum.
“Daytona is always a demanding place to start a season, and I’m incredibly proud of the way this team performed across every session,” Seneviratne said. “Brian and Jon both delivered exactly what we expect from our drivers, and the engineering and crew work were outstanding, especially in challenging conditions. This was a smart, disciplined weekend that sets the tone for the rest of the year.”
Team manager David Cozart echoed those sentiments as Forte Racing turns its focus toward the next round.
“With our first races under our belt, I would like to thank my entire crew and drivers for establishing a solid foundation for the 2026 season,” Cozart said. “Both Brian and Jon had a successful weekend and are coming home with trophies.
We look forward to the next race at COTA and carrying this momentum forward.”
With a Bronze Cup sweep and strong overall pace demonstrated at Daytona, Forte Racing now heads to Circuit of the Americas focused on building upon a successful season opener and continuing its push toward championship contention in the 2026 VP Racing SportsCar Challenge.
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.
