Following a dramatic COTA weekend shaped by penalties, strategy, and late-race twists, the third round of the 2026 GTWC America powered by AWS brought another unpredictable chapter at Sebring International Raceway. Across Practice, Qualifying, and the three-hour race, momentum repeatedly shifted over the Florida circuit’s famously punishing bumps, with JMF Motorsports once again establishing itself as the early benchmark.
Initially, the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO appeared poised to continue its dominant run. Michai Stephens and Mikaël Grenier showed strong pace throughout Practice and then secured their third consecutive overall pole position of the season. However, as the race unfolded under changing conditions and aggressive strategy calls, the outcome turned dramatically.
Although JMF controlled much of the contest, late mechanical trouble opened the door for Turner Motorsport. As a result, Robby Foley and Justin Rothberg seized a memorable overall and Pro class victory, while GMG Racing emerged on top in Pro-Am after post-race penalties reshuffled the order. Meanwhile, AF Corse USA continued its strong Am campaign with another composed class win.
2026 GTWC America: Sebring: Kellymoss and GMG Racing lead Practice as JMF stays close
The GTWC America powered by AWS field opened its Sebring weekend with an official Practice 1 session on Friday evening, as the sun began to set over Sebring International Raceway. With teams adapting to the circuit’s bumps and changing grip levels, the early running immediately produced a competitive order.
John Gilliland and Loek Hartog set the benchmark in the No. 88 Kellymoss Porsche 911 GT3-R (992) EVO, going quickest overall with a 2:01.060. Behind them, championship leaders JMF Motorsports placed second with Stephens and Grenier in the No. 34 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, keeping themselves firmly in contention from the start.
Chouest Povoledo Racing completed the top three with the No. 50 Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Ross Chouest and Aaron Povoledo. Meanwhile, Tom Sargent placed fourth in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3-R (992) EVO, ahead of the Florida-based TR3 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO shared by Daniel Morad and Brayton Williams.
Subsequently, the field returned to the track on Saturday morning for Practice 2 under sunny skies and rising temperatures. This time, Sargent made a strong statement for GMG Racing, setting the fastest lap of the session with a 2:00.453.
Once again, JMF Motorsports remained close. Stephens and Grenier finished second in the No. 34 Mercedes-AMG, reinforcing their consistency across both sessions. Aaron Telitz and Todd Coleman followed third for Archangel Motorsports in the No. 69 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, while AF Corse USA took fourth with Matias Perez Companc and Frederik Schandorff in the No. 12 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO. Turner Motorsport completed the top five with Foley and Rothberg in the No. 29 BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
Results: Practice 1, Results: Practice 2
2026 GTWC America: Sebring: JMF Motorsports goes three-for-three with overall pole
Qualifying at Sebring delivered another intense battle, as rising track temperatures and a red flag in Qualifying 1 influenced the combined results. The early end to the opening session left several teams at a disadvantage, making clean execution across both segments even more important.
Despite the disruption, JMF Motorsports once again distinguished itself as the team to beat. With Stephens and Grenier combining their efforts across the two sessions, the No. 34 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO secured overall pole position for the third consecutive event of the season.
Results: Qualifying 1, Results: Qualifying 2, Results: Combined Qualifying
Pro Class Qualifying
Qualifying 1: Stephens sets the tone
JMF Motorsports continued its strong Qualifying form in the opening segment. Stephens delivered a 2:01.333 in the No. 34 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, going quickest overall and giving the team an early advantage in the combined order.
Behind him, Alex Sedgwick placed second overall and second in Pro for Dollahite Racing in the No. 6 Ford Mustang GT3. Perez Companc completed the top three in class for AF Corse USA, keeping the No. 12 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO within reach.
Qualifying 2: Foley raises the benchmark
In Qualifying 2, Turner Motorsport responded strongly. Foley set the overall benchmark with a 2:00.397 in the No. 29 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, demonstrating the pace that would later prove decisive in the race.
Schandorff followed second in Pro and third overall for AF Corse USA, while Grenier placed third in class and sixth overall in the JMF Mercedes-AMG.
Combined result: JMF secures third straight pole
When both sessions were combined, JMF Motorsports retained the advantage. The No. 34 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO secured overall pole position, completing a perfect three-for-three run in Qualifying so far this season.
AF Corse USA lined up second overall, while Turner Motorsport secured third on the grid.
Pro-Am Class Qualifying
Qualifying 1: TR3 Racing leads early
In Pro-Am, Williams led the way during Qualifying 1 for TR3 Racing. Driving the No. 9 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, he placed sixth overall and topped the class order.
Jason Daskalos followed in the No. 27 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, while Sebastian Mascaro completed the top three in class for Triarsi Competizione in the No. 18 Ferrari 296 GT3.
Qualifying 2: Telitz surges forward
The second segment saw Telitz rise to the top of the Pro-Am order in the No. 69 Archangel Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 EVO. His lap was strong enough for second overall in the session, underlining the McLaren’s outright speed.
Riccardo Agostini followed second in class and fourth overall for Triarsi Competizione, while Sargent placed third in class and fifth overall for GMG Racing.
Combined result: Triarsi takes class pole
Following the combined classification, Triarsi Competizione emerged quickest in Pro-Am and secured class pole. TR3 Racing lined up second in class, while the No. 27 JMF Motorsports entry started third.
Am Class Qualifying
AF Corse USA continued to lead the way in Am with the No. 163 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO of Jay Schreibman and Oswaldo Negri. After combining their respective times, the Ferrari pairing secured Am class pole and prepared to start 18th overall.
2026 GTWC America: Sebring: Late drama transforms race outcome
The three-hour race at Sebring delivered another strategy-heavy contest, with early pit calls, fierce class fights, mechanical heartbreak, and post-race penalties shaping the final result.
For much of the race, JMF Motorsports looked set to convert pole position into victory. Stephens led the field to green in the No. 34 Mercedes-AMG GT3, while Sedgwick immediately applied pressure in the No. 6 Dollahite Racing Ford Mustang GT3.
However, the race soon developed into a strategic battle. Several teams elected to pit early, while others extended their opening stints. Through the middle phase, JMF appeared firmly in control, but the final hour completely reshaped the order.
Pro Class: Turner Motorsport capitalises after JMF heartbreak
Stephens made a clean start from pole and quickly established JMF Motorsports at the front. Behind him, Sedgwick kept the pressure on for Dollahite Racing, while early strategy calls began to influence the Pro order.
Sedgwick and Cameron Lawrence were among the first Pro competitors to complete driver changes, pitting around 20 minutes into the race. Meanwhile, AF Corse USA’s No. 12 Ferrari suffered a setback after being handed a drive-through penalty for incident responsibility involving the No. 88 Pro-Am car.
As the race approached halfway, Stephens brought the leading JMF Mercedes into pit lane and handed over to Grenier. With nearly a 30-second advantage over the rest of the field, the No. 34 returned to the track still in command.
Behind the leader, Foley began to charge in the Turner Motorsport BMW. He fought past Michael McCann Jr. in the No. 8 McCann Racing Porsche 911 GT3-R (992) EVO, then turned his attention to Sedgwick. The BMW continued to gain momentum, and Foley eventually moved into second.
JMF still appeared on course for victory after its final stop with one hour remaining. However, shortly afterward, disaster struck. Smoke began pouring from the No. 34 Mercedes as Grenier slowed on the back straight before pulling off circuit, triggering a Full Course Yellow.
When racing resumed with less than 30 minutes remaining, Foley had inherited the lead. From there, he controlled the restart and pulled away to secure the overall and Pro class victory for Turner Motorsport alongside Rothberg.
Behind him, Schandorff mounted late pressure on Lawrence in the fight for second. However, Lawrence held firm for Dollahite Racing, while AF Corse USA completed the Pro podium in third.
Pro-Am Class: Strategy, contact, and penalties hand GMG Racing victory
The Pro-Am race unfolded with aggressive strategy calls from the beginning. RS1 and GMG Racing were among the first to gamble on short opening stints, diving into pit lane early for fuel. Wright Motorsports, Kellymoss, Triarsi Competizione, JMF Motorsports, and TR3 Racing soon followed with similar calls.
As the driver change sequence played out near halfway, the class order shifted dramatically. Telitz emerged in the Pro-Am lead for Archangel Motorsports after jumping ahead of Lorcan Hanafin in the No. 27 JMF Motorsports Mercedes, which lost time during a slow pit stop.
However, the McLaren’s advantage did not last. Mechanical issues forced Telitz behind the wall, handing the lead back to Hanafin. Morad moved into second for TR3 Racing, while Jan Heylen kept RS1 in the podium fight.
Sargent then began a determined charge in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche. After setting the fastest lap of the race, he battled Ryan Yardley in the No. 31 Wright Motorsports Porsche. Contact left Sargent’s front bumper loose, but he continued to push and eventually climbed further up the order.
Late-race chaos then changed the complexion of the class fight. On the restart, Morad made contact with Hanafin, costing the JMF entry the Pro-Am lead. Sargent capitalised to move into third as the order shifted again.
TR3 Racing crossed the line first on the road with Morad, followed by Heylen for RS1 and Sargent for GMG Racing. However, a 10-second post-race penalty for incident responsibility dropped TR3 Racing to sixth. As a result, GMG Racing inherited the Pro-Am victory, RS1 moved up to second, and JMF Motorsports completed the class podium.
Am Class: AF Corse USA continues composed championship charge
In Am, AF Corse USA delivered another steady and effective performance with the No. 163 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO. Schreibman and Negri spent a significant portion of the race running inside the overall top 10, combining consistency with improving pace as the event developed.
Results: Race
Momentum shifts again heading to Road Atlanta
Ultimately, Sebring reinforced the unpredictable nature of GTWC America competition. JMF Motorsports once again showed elite pace across Practice and Qualifying, but endurance racing rewarded execution and survival over outright speed alone.
Turner Motorsport seized its opportunity when late mechanical trouble struck the leader, converting pressure and consistency into an emotional overall and Pro class victory. In Pro-Am, GMG Racing’s persistence was rewarded after penalties reshaped the final order, while AF Corse USA further strengthened its Am campaign with another accomplished performance.
Looking ahead, the GT World Challenge America powered by AWS field will return for the fourth round of the season at Road Atlanta from 12–14 June 2026. Consequently, the championship battle now heads to Georgia with fresh momentum, renewed pressure, and another set of storylines beginning to build.
