Aitken, Taylor turn laps in Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA Hypercars at WEC Rookie Test

SAKHIR, Bahrain (November 9, 2025) – Cadillac Racing drivers Jack Aitken and Ricky Taylor sampled Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA Hypercars today during the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Rookie Test.

While they are veterans in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) competition, the two sessions on the 3.36-mile (5.412km), 15-turn Bahrain International Circuit provided opportunities to further understand differences in the racecars, learn about team operations and continue to develop cross-series lines of communication in Cadillac Racing’s “one team” approach.

“It’s nice to be a rookie again,” joked Aitken, who co-drove to two victories and placed second in the GTP Drivers’ Championship in the recently completed nine-race season.

The WEC Hypercars share the same LMDh platform – Dallara chassis and Cadillac purpose-built 5.5-liter DOHC V8 engine – as the GTP racecars they drive in IMSA, with technical differences.

Both drove Cadillac Racing Hypercars for their respective IMSA teams – Aitken with Action Express Racing and Taylor with Wayne Taylor Racing – in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Aitken set the Hypercar circuit qualifying lap record of 3 minutes, 22.742 seconds in Hyperpole 1. Taylor also drove a Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA car in July at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Hill Climb.

Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA was the revelation of the 2025 WEC campaign as the first year works team delivered Cadillac’s maiden victory in the global series, three pole starts – including the 24 Hours of Le Mans to be the first American manufacturer since 1967 to accomplish the feat – and three front row qualifying lockouts.

Cadillac placed fourth in the Manufacturers’ Championship in its third year of WEC competition and moves into the eight-race 2026 season with optimism built on a strong foundation of resilience and potential.

“This season has been a remarkable journey with JOTA. We’ve had so many learnings that we’ve taken away from the full season here,” Cadillac Racing program manager Keely Bosn said. “We’re happy with the overall performance we’ve seen from the team. The collaboration and communication have been so strong that going into the next season we’re extremely excited to continue our partnership with JOTA.”

2025 milestones

• First WEC victory (July at Brazil by No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R)
• First 24 Hours of Le Mans pole and first of three 1-2 qualifying during season
• First Le Mans pole for an American manufacturer since 1967
• 50th race (WEC/IMSA) for the Cadillac V-Series.R at WEC finale at Bahrain

Other notables

• 1-2 start and finish in Brazil
• No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R the only Hypercar to score points in all eight WEC races
• No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R qualified in top 10 in seven of eight WEC races
• Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn complete third full WEC season with Cadillac Racing

“A season of some massive highs with the front row lockout at Le Mans and the first and second in Brazil,” JOTA Sport founder and director Sam Hignett said. “And great testament to Cadillac and to the team for the 12 to be the only Hypercar to score points in every race, so that’s something we should be really proud of. Good first year, good foundation to move forward on.”

The 2026 season begins March 28 at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar with a 10-hour race.

Aitken and Taylor were recently confirmed as returning to their teams for the 2026 IMSA season. They are scheduled to participate in an IMSA-sanctioned test November 14-15 at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in January.

What they’re saying

Jack Aitken (29 laps morning session, 49 afternoon): “Probably the most interesting thigs is seeing a different philosophy of working. I think whenever you embed yourself with a new team from the one you’re familiar with you always see a slightly different style of race communication or the planning or execution. So, sampling that today was quite interesting. I think less of a difference with the car itself. There actually is a lot of crossover similarity and I felt familiar straight away in the car. On that side, we worked more on detail than anything major. We do these crossovers to learn as much as you can, but you have to be careful not to cherry pick too many things because everyone has their style and their way of working and it’s sometimes difficult to pick and choose bits of that and make it gel. Having said that, it was good to see how JOTA does things. It was a nice experience.”

Ricky Taylor (35 laps morning session, 54 afternoon): “I think any time you can drive the car is positive and you’re going to learn things, especially coming to join this team with the same car. We’re used to speaking that common GM language – how GM sets up the systems and controls and how our team interprets it and then how another team treats the same tools. And it’s interesting for me. I have notes to take back from the weekend and the team was really great to work with and it’s always really nice to be with them. In terms of experience and exposure, I think it’s nice to get a new perspective. This track is really strange. As much as everybody told me how weird it was going to be, it meets those expectations. We don’t really have a track like this in America, so taking bits of how the car behaves is kind of hard to translate. It’s not something completely different from what I’m used to. They have maybe a different way of working, different processes, so that’s nice to experience.”

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

LAS VEGAS, NV (November 8, 2025) – Kody Swanson of Kingsburg, California used high side magic to take his second consecutive $50,000 jackpot, winning Saturday’s 100-lap feature at the BITNILE Open Wheel Showdown presented by askROI. The victory in the Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Winged Sprint Cars came at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the third annual event.

British Columbia’s Jeff Montgomery led the 26-car field to green alongside fast-time qualifier Jake Trainor of Medway, Mass. Idaho’s Mike Murgoitio used lapped traffic to dive underneath both Swanson and two-time event runner-up Bobby Santos to move into second. Santos then bounced off of Swanson in the third turn to spark a chain reaction of spins for a caution flag on lap 36.

Swanson roared around the high side of Murgoitio to retake second, then tracked down Montgomery. Montgomery led Swanson by less than a car length into the lap 50 halfway break with Murgoitio in third.

The high side continued to benefit Swanson on a restart. He raced to the outside of Montgomery and the duo staged a thrilling duel. Swanson eventually seized the lead on lap 63 and never relinquished it. Murgoitio drove to second followed by a hard-charging Santos who advanced back to third. 2023 winner Aaron Willison and Washington’s Evan Margeson rounded out the top-five.

“I knew there’s a lot of good cars here. Mike was real good and so was Bobby. I know we’re all racing hard there real early so I hate how that went (with Bobby). Appreciate racing with so many great people and the opportunity to drive this 50m for Dick Meyers and everybody on this RAM Engineering team. Man what a special group to be a part of.”

“This is a special event and I know a lot of people work hard to do it and I’m so grateful Davey (Hamilton, Jr.) got the ball rolling for us.”

Indiana’s Kevin Newton led just the final two laps to take the inaugural Larry Trigueiro Memorial for Super Modifieds, driving Warren Buddell’s famed Pink Lady No. 98 to the coveted win. Colorado’s Kyle Ray dominated all practice sessions and time trials during the Firstline Systems-sponsored event. Ray drove into the lead on lap nine of the feature, but tangled with a lapped car on lap 12. Ray was sent spinning into the turn two wall and eliminated from the event. He was uninjured.

The incident thrust Colorado’s Rich Castor into the lead with Newton in pursuit. Newton dove underneath Castor on the backstretch for the decisive pass to lead lap 29. Newton scored the $5,000 win. Castor settled for second followed by Canadian Jimmy White, Washington’s Randy Anderson, and Davey Hamilton, Sr.

Kyle Tellstrom of Ukiah, California won his inaugural appearance in the BITNILE Open Wheel Showdown, earning the $7,500 prize in the Klotz Synthetics Modifieds. The 75-lap feature saw Tellstrom maintaining a slight lead over Arizona’s Dylan Cappello. Cappello finished second while Jaron Giannini represented home turf in third. Northern California driver Cameron Austin and Colorado’s Nathan Gasser were the balance of the top-five. Defending winner Aaron McMorran recovered from an early incident to finish eighth.

INEX Legends and Bandoleros debuted at the Open Wheel Showdown with two action packed main events. 2025 INEX Legends Nationals Young Lions feature winner Ben Morabito from New York State held off a three-wide challenge to take the 30-lap feature win. The victory in the Windshield Defense Legends paid $1,500. 2025 Pro Nationals feature winner Brenden Ruzbarsky and fellow California Jeremy Doss gave Morabito all he could handle on the final restart. Mike Alcaro of Fredon, New Jersey finished fourth. NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch outperformed his son Brexton in the feature by finishing fifth.

A green-white-checkered finish led to a thrilling victory in the INEX Bandoleros main event. Idaho’s Jhett Phipps knifed underneath Las Vegas’ Caitlin Ford to take the lead in turn four and eventually the coveted victory. Utah’s Cru Bowen, Las Vegas’ Malcom Mancias, and Jaxon Muhler of Brighton, Colorado rounded out the top-five.

About the Open Wheel Showdown:
The Open Wheel Showdown is the premier pavement open wheel event in the country, attracting top drivers and teams from across the country to compete for record-breaking purses and national attention.

By Joe Chandler
Director, Public Relations
South Boston Speedway

SOUTH BOSTON, VA……Kaden Honeycutt is the King of the Krush.

The Aledo, Texas native took the lead from Bobby McCarty of Madison, North Carolina on the opening lap of the second attempt at a green-white-checker finish and held off McCarty by .508-second to win Saturday’s State Water Heaters Krush 250 presented by Rogers Heating and Cooling Late Model Stock Car Division race at South Boston Speedway.

Honeycutt earned $12,000 for the victory in the showcase event which was a fund-raising event for the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit conservation and outreach organization. In addition, he banked a $1,000 award from Jerry Epps Landscaping for being leader at the race’s second stage break, which came at lap 175, bringing his total winnings to $13,000.

This is the second year in a row that Honeycutt has won this event. He topped the field last season when the race was held at Orange County Speedway. This was also Honeycutt’s second straight win at South Boston Speedway. He won the 125 lap ZMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car race in September.
“It’s amazing,” Honeycutt said of winning the race.

“Jeb and Ward (Burton) and everyone that puts this race on is really, really good at what they do. They promoted it extremely well. and had a great crowd tonight. It’s an amazing race in front of a crowd like this.”

McCarty, who started sixth, clawed his way into second place with about 60 laps to go. From that point it was a battle between Honeycutt and McCarty. McCarty surged by Honeycutt to take the lead with nine laps left in regulation, but a caution flag for an incident in the third turn sent the race into overtime.

The race was restarted on lap 252 with Honeycutt leading, but another incident shortly after the restart resulted in another caution flag. Honeycutt got a great restart on the second attempt at a green-white-checker finish, took the lead on lap 264, and held off McCarty to take the win.

“I definitely couldn’t have gotten a better restart than that,” Honeycutt remarked. “We raced really hard into (turns) one and two, barely hit each other, barely tapped, and went into the third turn. I think he got into the speedy dry and got tight.

“I appreciate him racing me really clean,” Honeycutt added. “He’s a class-act guy. I love Bobby to death.”

The runner-up finish to Honeycutt was a big disappointment for McCarty, who, like Honeycutt, drove a stellar race.

“We had a really good car,” McCarty noted. “I’m proud of what we did. We can hold our heads high. We played everything right, did everything right, and still finished second. I couldn’t have drawn this race up any better. I put all of the pieces in the right place, did everything right, passed everybody the right way. I don’t have to make excuses for finishing second.”

Parker Eatmon of Wilson, North Carolina finished a close third, just .7-second behind Honeycutt. He raced

“We had a good for third. overall day,” Eatmon remarked. “I think we were a third-place car. We tried to make something happen there at the end but couldn’t quite get the car to turn and had to settle for third.”

Jeb Burton of South Boston, Virginia finished fourth and Blake Stallings of Danville, Virginia rounded out the top five finishers. Finishing sixth through tenth were Doug Barnes of Forest Hill, Maryland, Deac MCCaskill of Raleigh, North Carolina, Andrew Grady of Knightdale, North Carolina, Aiden King of Troutman, North Carolina and Lane Woods of Vinton, Virginia.

There were six lead changes among six drivers with Honeycutt leading twice for a total of 112 laps.

Barnes led once for 62 laps and earned a $1,000 award from J.E. Burton Construction Company for winning the first of the race’s three stages. Jacob Borst of Elon, North Carolina led once for 35 laps, McCarty and Stacy Puryear of South Boston, Virginia both led once for 22 laps. Jeb Burton started on the pole and led the first seven laps. Jessica Cann of Madison, North Carolina won the race’s Hard Charger Award. She started 25th and finished 12th.

Twenty-eight cars started the race which was slowed by nine cautions and two red flags.

Next Event At South Boston Speedway

The Jeffrey Earnhardt Racing Experience is coming to South Boston Speedway on Saturday, November 15 and will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Those that have wondered what it is like to drive a racecar at South Boston Speedway or take a ride-along in a racecar at South Boston Speedway have that opportunity. No experience is necessary.

To book your experience call the Jeffrey Earnhardt Racing Experience at 1-336-628-7223. You can also book your experience by going to the website at jeffreyearnhardtracingexperience.com and clicking on the BOOK tab.

Additional information, prices, and details about this event can be obtained by directly contacting the Jeffrey Earnhardt Racing Experience by phone or online at their website.

This is not a racing event. South Boston Speedway is not responsible for booking any of the driving or ride-along experiences.

Fans and competitors can find the latest news and updates from South Boston Speedway on the speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com, by calling the speedway office. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@SoBoSpeedway57) and Instagram (@SoBoSpeedway57)

• HSR Partners with Greenlight Television for Final Round Programming of the 11th Running of the HSR Classic Daytona 24, Sunday, November 9
• Veteran British Broadcaster Andrew Marriott and Emerging On-Air Media Talent Jonathan Grace Co-Host More Than Six Hours of Morning and Early Afternoon Sunday Coverage Live from Daytona International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (November 8, 2025) – For the third-consecutive year, Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) provides livestream coverage of this weekend’s HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour presented by Mission Foods. The fourth and final rounds of the 11th running of HSR’s oldest and longest HSR Classic Endurance Championship powered by Mission Foods race will be streamed in more than six hours of coverage tomorrow, Sunday, November 9.

Live from Daytona International Speedway (DIS), programming begins at 7:45 a.m. EST on Sunday and continues straight through the final checkered flag of the weekend just before 2 p.m. EST that afternoon.

Anchor coverage of the livestream is available on the HSR and IMSA YouTube Channels and on RACER.com and RACER+ beginning Sunday at 7:45 a.m. EST. Additional distributions in the U.S. and around the world include:

• Mtsprt1 – USA+
• Goodwood TV – Worldwide
• REVTV – Canada
• Sport1/Sport2 – Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia
• Ant+1 – Greece
• TapMad – Pakistan & Bangladesh
• Parc Fermé – Italy
• Sev7nSports and BandSports – Brazil

The on-air talent team for the Classic 24 livestream features veteran sports car racing broadcaster and frequent HSR commentator Andrew Marriott, who has previously been part of the Classic 24 at-track announcing team. A new and soon to familiar addition to the Classic 24 crew is motorsports journalist and emerging online talent Jonathan Grace in his first appearance at an HSR Classic Endurance Championship presented by Mission Foods event.

The HSR Daytona Classic 24 Hour featuring seven period-correct Run Groups – A through G – competing in succession for a full 24 hours on the legendary DIS 3.56-mile road course. Each Run Group – with Groups C and D competing together – runs four times throughout the 24 hours with the individual segments clocking in just under one hour in length to allow time to grid and run the pace laps for the next race as the previous group exits the track.

The entirety of the fourth and final rounds for all Run Groups fills Sunday’s livestream schedule. The HSR Classic 24 Hour programming also features an unprecedented lineup of in-race feature segments providing a closer look at some of the HSR competitors and personalities in attendance.

About HSR: An International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) property, Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the racing cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions eight vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Daytona International Speedway, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway and more. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/, on Twitter X @HSR_race and on Instagram @HistoricSportscarRacing.

• Angelo Dinkov and Matthew Hagen Fastest Cayman in Ultra-Competitive Run Group G Field in the 2020 No. 00 TPC Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport
• Shaun McKaigue and Louis-Philippe “LP” Dumoulin Qualify Sixth in Run Group G Porsche GT3 Cup Class in the 2012 No. 34 TPC Racing Porsche 997 GT3 Cup

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (November 8, 2025) – This weekend’s Historic SportsCar Racing (HSR) Classic Daytona 24 Hour presented by Mission Foods brings TPC Racing back to the site of one of its most memorable achievements – Daytona International Speedway – where team founder Michael Levitas, Spencer Pumpelly, Randy Pobst and Ian Baas drove a 2006 No. 36 Porsche 911 GT3 to the GT class win in the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona.

While TPC Racing still fields that very Porsche in HSR competition, the main focus this weekend is on the team’s 2020 No. 00 Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport and supporting the 2012 No. 34 Porsche 997.2 GT3 Cup of longtime TPC Racing driver Shaun McKaigue.

Both Porsche’s compete in the 11th running of the HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour, which started today at 2 p.m. EST and runs straight through the next 24 hours until the final checkered flag just before 2 p.m. EST on Sunday, November 9. The racing is continuous and puts each of the competing seven Run Groups on track for 24 consecutive hour-long sessions.

TPC Racing’s entries will do battle in the ultra-competitive Run Group G category that is 30-plus car field of generally GT Modern (GTM) machinery from the last 15 years that has been retired from contemporary competition.

Both the Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of co-drivers Matt Hagen and Angelo Dinkov and McKaigue’s GT3 Cup car, which he co-drives with coach and co-driver Louis-Philippe “LP” Dumoulin, have been on pace all weekend. They backed up the fast form with solid Group G qualifying efforts in Friday’s fast-paced nighttime time trials.

The No. 00 clocked in a solid fifth overall as the fastest of the eight Cayman in the race. The No. 34 in turn held its own in the 11-strong Porsche GT3 Cup field with the sixth fastest time for a 911-based Porsche, which was also good enough for 12th overall on the starting grid.

Run Group G is scheduled to be on track for its first of four 42-minute segment race today 7:00 p.m. EST. The second round takes place early Sunday morning at 1 a.m. EDT with the final two races later on Sunday at 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. EST. The Sunday afternoon race is the 24th and final round of the overall HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour race weekend.

Meanwhile, TPC Racing and Mike and Harris Levitas are targeting the 2nd Annual IMSA Classic at the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona, January 21 – 24, as the next race for their largely unchanged 2006 Rolex 24 GT winner. The HSR IMSA Classic is a Rolex 24 At Daytona tribute race showcasing the legendary sports cars that have contested America’s premier 24-hour race since the 1960s.

TPC Racing’s Rolex 24 winner is a perfect fit for next year’s HSR IMSA Classic featured era that showcases authentic and period-correct sports cars between the years of 1990 and 2010 with a verifiable Rolex 24 At Daytona history.

Harris Levitas, TPC Racing Director of Race Operations: “The HSR Daytona Classic 24 is a very enjoyable end-of-year event. I think it’s our fourth year of participation, and it’s great. The team is all here, and we’re having some fun. But at the same time, we’re here to get a good result and show what we can do. The format of the Classic is unique, with all the aspects of running in the daytime and at night. That creates a lot of work for us, getting the setup changed from a car suited for the night back to the more optimal conditions of the daytime. The main goal is for the drivers to have fun and to get the best result that they can. Matthew Hagen is one of our newer customers who recently earned his competition license, so it’s a very exciting event for him, especially being at Daytona, which is special anytime. He’s having a really good time. It’s a true learning experience for Matthew and the first race of this kind for him and Angelo Dinkov. If they can just keep it consistent and clean, they should be able to have a strong finish. We’ve also got Shaun McKaigue here with his 997 Porsche Cup GT3 Cup car and his friend, coach and our teammate Louis-Philippe Dumoulin. Shaun has run well with us for some podiums. He’s been doing this race for a long time, and we’ve always had a lot of fun together. It’s a good way for him to wrap up his season.”

Angelo Dinkov, Driver – TPC Racing No. 00 Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport: “I am thrilled to be joining TPC Racing for the second HSR race weekend this year, following our successful debut in their GT4 RS Clubsport at the Classi Watkins Glen Six Hour in June. We did have great pace there as we dialed in the setup. The car was fast right off the truck, and we have improved our performance this week. The weather looks quite good, and the grid is packed with some talented drivers, so my goal is to simply keep it clean and try to make forward progress. I am joined this week by my esteemed codriver Matthew Hagen, and we will be working together closely on the fast banks of Daytona.”

Matthew Hagen, Driver – TPC Racing No. 00 Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport: “It’s an honor to be racing with TPC Racing, a group that has won the Rolex 24 At Daytona, and my co-driver Angelo Dinkov. I’m really grateful to be with them and to get to race alongside cars that have won the motorsports endurance ‘Triple Crown’ of Le Mans, Daytona, and Sebring. It’s an impressive field. Vintage racing is unique because it affords fans and drivers alike the ability to experience a race car ‘Hall of Fame’ from across multiple time periods. These are fantastic vehicles, and you actually get to push them to their limits. It’s a very different experience when you are racing wheel-to-wheel, especially at these legendary tracks. Daytona has such a rich legacy in endurance racing, and any time you’re able to compete here, it’s a special experience. While I have no doubt that when Angelo is in the car it will be among the fastest in the class. Awin for me is being able to go out, race a clean race, and experience Daytona at full throttle.”

About TPC Racing: TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sportscars. TPC Racing specializes in R&D and sales of high-performance modifications for Porsche sports cars and race cars, offering a wide range of vehicle upgrades. Best known for a line of forced induction solutions for the Porsche 911, Cayman and Boxster, a long-time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled TPC Racing to become experts in Porsche service, tuning, and racing. In 2000, TPC Racing began entering races under its own banner, scoring an SGS-class Championship in 2004 in the Grand-American Rolex Series and was a class winner in the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona, and captured the 2013 and 2016 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA Gold Cup Championships. More information can be found at www.TPCRacing.com.

No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA is only Hypercar to score points in every race

SAKHIR, Bahrain (November 8, 2025) – Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA closed the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season with disappointment tempered by optimism for 2026 and overall congratulations for what was accomplished in the first year as a works team.

Sixth place in the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain by the No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R driven by Alex Lynn, Norman Nato and Will Stevens followed a string of strong performances. The trio delivered Cadillac’s maiden WEC victory in July, earned three poles and completed the season as the lone Hypercar to score points in all eight races. They placed fifth in the provisional drivers’ standings – one point out of fourth – to tie the program’s best.

Cadillac tied its best standing of fourth in the Manufacturers’ Championship in its third season of WEC Hypercar competition. The desert event marked the 50th race (23 WEC, 27 IMSA) for the Cadillac V-Series.R.

Jenson Button, in his final competitive race start, took the checkered flag in 16th position in the No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R to close a stellar motorsports career that included a Formula 1 world championship. The hybrid racecar powered by the purpose-built 5.5-liter DOHC V8 engine that he shared with Earl Bamber and Sebastien Bourdais, secured three front row starting spots and a runner-up finish to the sister car at Interlagos.

Improvisation on a punishing circuit, which has its original surface since opening in 2004, for teams and drivers was the order of the day. The race that totaled 236 laps on the 5.412 km (3.363-mile), 15-turn Bahrain International Circuit transitioned from late afternoon desert heat to cooler ambient and track temperatures under the lights.

The No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R, after qualifying in the top 10 for the seventh time in the eight races, ran as high as fourth with 83 minutes left with Stevens taking over for Norman Nato on Lap 198. Following a Safety Car period for a car off course and a subsequent full course yellow for debris, the final green flag flew with 27 minutes remaining and Stevens locked in a non-contact dance with the No. 93 Ferrari for position.

Stevens nudged ahead once in the tight Turn 1 but couldn’t hold the position and eventually finished eight-tenths of a second arrears the Ferrari and 40.527 seconds off the winning No. 7 Toyota.

The No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R’s progressed was blunted when Button incurred a 30-second penalty near the midpoint of the race for contact with a LMGT3 car. Bourdais and Bamber followed in the car, which was a lap down, before Button returned to drive the final 57 minutes.

Ferrari earned the manufacturers’ top prize for its first top-level title in world championship sports car racing since 1972, and the brand won the drivers’ title.

The 2026 season begins in late March at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar for the third consecutive season.

What they’re saying

No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R

Alex Lynn: “I gave it my absolute all – as always. I didn’t leave anything on the table. With the BOP we have, we always knew it was going to be a challenge for us this weekend and, whilst I don’t think it’s going to go our way today, we gave everything we had out there, so we have to be proud of that. And, although today may not turn out to be our race, I think we need to take a step back and remember that we’ve had a very good year overall as a team. A good race at the end with P6. A bit unfortunate at the end with the VSC, but, honestly, we had a great season. Scored points in every race and narrowly missed P3 in the drivers championship, which for myself, Will and Norman would have been an amazing achievement. Just proud to be a part of this team and thank you Cadillac for everything.”

Norman Nato: “We tried our best and maximized everything and had a clean race. We were the only car to score points in all races this season. With a new car and a new team as well, we can be proud. We’re not far away of scoring top three in manufacturers and as drivers – a few missed points. A year ago, we were just starting this program and since then a lot of work has been dope. Honestly, it was not perfect. It’s had to have a perfect car in one year, but we can be really proud of what we’ve done. It means a lot that we’re the only car scoring points every weekend and to be in position to fight until the end, so thank you to everyone.”

Will Stevens: “Honestly, disappointing because we didn’t get third in the drivers championship and it was super close at the end. It was a fun couple of stints. We needed to pass cars. I tried my best to pass the 83 because obviously at that point if we got past anybody, we got third, so I tried my best. Overall, I think we should be proud. We’re the only car in this championship to finish in the points every race, which I think we should be proud of. We’ll keep working in the winter and come back stronger next year.”

No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R

Earl Bamber: “I think (the season) was really positive. We got some podiums, some amazing results and were fighting for second in the manufacturers championship. So, a lot of positives to bring forward to 2026.”

Sebastien Bourdais: “I think there is a lot of promise. The 12 car had quite an amazing season with a win and a lot of strong performances, and again today just behind Toyota and three Ferraris. They legitimately had a shot for P3 in the championship, which is more than I think we could have hoped for in our first year of collaboration between JOTA and Cadillac. Proud of the boys. On our end, we had pace a lot of times this year and unfortunately for one reason or another there was always something that got in the way and we just never got the results we hoped for. Proud of the organization in general and we’ll miss JB next year but I’m sure we’ll have a strong lineup and hopefully we can put it all together and come back stronger.”

Jenson Button (photo on right): “It was lovely to finish my career in the car crossing the line under the checkered flag. It definitely wasn’t a great race on our side of the garage, but I still enjoyed the moment. (about the incident) When I got in the car we were near the back, struggling for pace and trying to save tires for the end. I then had a few incidents that didn’t help, including contact with the 54 Ferrari GT. I went around the outside through Turn 3, a line I’ve used many times, and thought I was clear when I felt a hit from the rear that sent him spinning. It was unfortunate and I feel for him, but there really wasn’t anything I could do. It was genuinely a racing incident made tricky by another Hypercar on the inside.”

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.