JMF Motorsports continued their flawless start to the 2026 GT World Challenge (GTWC) America powered by AWS season with a second consecutive Pro-class victory at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). However, while the No. 34 Mercedes-AMG GT3 once again set the benchmark, a combination of penalties and race drama denied the team an overall win in the series’ evolving three-hour race format.
After dominating the opening round at Sonoma, JMF arrived in Texas as favourites. They reinforced that status early in the weekend by topping practice and securing pole position. Nevertheless, as conditions changed and rivals closed in, the race evolved into a far more complex contest that demanded resilience as much as outright pace.
JMF Motorsports overcome adversity at COTA to claim GTWC America Pro-class win
From the outset, JMF Motorsports controlled the Pro-class battle. Michai Stephens led confidently in the opening stint before handing over to Mikael Grenier, who maintained a strong advantage despite mounting pressure from traffic and strategy variations.
However, the race took a decisive turn in the final hour. Grenier received both a drive-through and a post-race time penalty following incidents in traffic. As a result, although he crossed the finish line first on the road, the overall victory slipped away.
Even so, the team secured maximum Pro-class points for the second consecutive race, underlining their championship credentials.
Stephens reflected on the race, telling SRO Americas: “No quit is an understatement for what this organization represents and the partners that are with us. We are very grateful for everybody that steps into these challenging weekends in full force.
“It was a challenging one. The conditions, then some penalties, but that is motorsport. We are here to learn from it, and we are here to keep pushing forward and to keep our eyes on the big picture. It is exceptionally important to capture as many points as you can at the forefront. You never know what will come in the future, so be present and execute.”
Strong Am-Class debut for Lone Star Racing entry
Meanwhile, the Am-class battle delivered its own compelling storyline. Marc Austin and Jason Golan made an impressive debut in the No. 11 Mercedes-AMG GT3, running consistently at the front in a tightly contested two-car fight.
At mid-race, they executed a decisive pass for the lead and remained firmly in contention throughout. Unfortunately, a late-race spin caused by debris dropped them out of victory contention. Despite this setback, they recovered quickly to secure second place.
“It was a lot of fun, and we just did our best to be as fast as we could and stay out of trouble,” said Austin. “In that first stint, Jason and our Am competition had a really good battle. It was a good race, we had a good time, and the Mercedes-AMG GT3 came through as always. It was really exciting to see our car lead the race. We’re shooting to try to run more races this year, and hopefully maybe pick up another one of these in GT World Challenge, because this is what we want to run. Our car is in good shape after this race. She’s ready to go!”
TR3 Racing battles through setbacks in Round 2 of the 2026 GTWC America at COTA
Elsewhere, TR3 Racing welcomed the return of Daniel Morad, who partnered Brayton Williams in the No. 9 Mercedes-AMG GT3. Their race, however, proved challenging from the beginning.
A disrupted Qualifying session left them on the back foot, and early contact caused damage that compromised their progress. Nevertheless, the team persevered to finish inside the top ten in Pro-Am, demonstrating solid underlying pace.
“It all kind of started in Qualifying where we just had some bad luck with a red flag,” explained Morad. “A lot of cars put in their times before the red flag, but we were on a timed lap when it came out. So, that kind of put us on the back foot and Brayton was trying to race his way through the field. He was doing a solid job, but we had a little bit of a racing incident which set us back and the car had some front-end damage.
“After that, there were just no yellow flags, but the car is solid, the pace is good, and I think we have really strong team. Brayton is going to just keep getting stronger and stronger throughout the year, and the team itself is going to keep getting stronger and stronger from this point, and it is already one of the best teams on the grid. I’m looking forward to the rest of the year.”
Championship momentum builds towards Sebring
Ultimately, the COTA weekend highlighted both dominance and vulnerability. JMF Motorsports once again proved they have the pace to lead the championship, yet the loss of an overall victory demonstrated how quickly fortunes can shift in endurance racing.
At the same time, rivals showed increasing competitiveness, particularly as Ferrari teams surged late in the weekend and strategic execution reshaped the final outcome.
Looking ahead, the championship moves to Sebring International Raceway on 8–10 May. Consequently, JMF Motorsports will aim to extend their Pro-class perfection, while their competitors will seek to capitalise on any opportunity to close the gap in what is rapidly becoming a fiercely contested title fight.
