- Well Timed Winning Pass Saturday Morning Paves the Way for Smooth Run to Afternoon Victory for Austin in the No. 22 Lone Star Racing/Mad Joker Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4
- Lone Star Racing and Austin Now Three for Four in Podium Showings in Two Years of VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Competition at COTA
AUSTIN, Texas (March 3, 2026) – Lone Star Racing and hometown driver Marc Austin delivered a convincing performance at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) on Saturday, sweeping the Bronze Cup victories and securing third-place overall finishes in both rounds of the IMSA VP SportsCar Challenge in the No. 22 Lone Star Racing/Mad Joker Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4. The same-day IMSA doubleheader event, held in support of the featured NASCAR Cup weekend, saw Austin shake off a mild illness for the winning results and the Texas-based Lone Star Racing team continue its strong form at COTA.
Austin capped the day with a steady run from third on the grid to third overall and the repeat Bronze win in Race 2 under the Texas sunset, but he turned in the performance of the day earlier that morning in the opening 45-minute race.
Although the outside front row starter briefly led for the first few corners on Lap 1 before the pole and eventual race winner driver retook the lead, Austin’s winning move was the only official GSX class pass for position in Saturday’s opener. He pulled off what turned out to be the overall third place and Bronze-class winning move in COTA’s iconic Turn 1 on lap 10 with 17 minutes remaining in the 45-minute sprint race. Less than two laps later, the first of two back-to-back yellow flag periods that ultimately ended the race under caution basically froze the running order to the finish.
“It was good despite being sick,” Austin said. “We just tried to get a good, clean start and just control the pace and really manage it in the first race. I knew we had really good pace and that we would be able to get around the guy in front of me, but to just do it at the right time. There’s no reason to tear anything up. We had two races in one day Saturday. Still, I was feeling like I needed to get it done. A few times I had a good move, and then he was moving under braking, and I just thought, ‘you know, you’ve got to eventually get this done. Stop being so patient.’ So, I just figured it was time to get it done and look for their best opening, and that was the right call. A couple of laps later it turned into a caution parade to the end, and I wouldn’t have had another chance. I felt a little better by the second race and just managed to keep the gap and position after starting and finishing third and P1 in Bronze. I didn’t really have to push.”
The weekend marked another recent chapter of success at COTA for Lone Star Racing and Austin. The results build on Austin’s strong VP Racing debut with Lone Star at COTA in 2025, where he secured a second-place Bronze Cup finish in his very first IMSA start.
Lone Star Racing is also off to a strong albeit early start to the 2026 season. The twin COTA victories followed Lone Star Racing’s career best IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup finish in January’s season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona with a sixth-place result in the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the highly competitive GTD class.
“I am proud of the team for two more races with excellent execution and Marc for driving as great as he ever has despite being sick,” said AJ Petersen, Lone Star Racing Team Manager and Technical Director. “Marc drove very well when he was definitely far from it! We are looking forward to some more upcoming races again with Marc and carrying our early-season momentum to Sebring in less than three weeks. We have a winning level of focus at Lone Star Racing this year that we are going to keep laser sharp for the entire season.”
Next up for Lone Star Racing is Round 2 of the 2026 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup at the 12 Hours of Sebring, March 18 – 21, at Sebring International Raceway.
About Lone Star Racing: Based at Motorsport Ranch within the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area in Cresson, Texas, Lone Star Racing is competing in the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the 2026 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup in the GTD class, in addition to other top sports car racing series. Lone Star Racing and its team members have won races across North America spanning sprint and endurance racing formats. The crew has worked together on many different teams and various types of cars, developing a strong bond and proven capability that gives them a competitive and winning advantage. Lone Star Racing competes with the support of primary partner ACS Manufacturing, Inc. (www.ACSManufacturing.com). Look for Lone Star Racing and team owner/driver Dan Knox on Facebook and follow the team on YouTube at Lone Star Racing, on Twitter and Instagram @LSRTeam and on the official team web site at www.LoneStarRacingTeam.com.
