RAFA Racing Unveils Pilot Challenge, VP Challenge Lineups

RAFA Racing has unveiled its driver lineups for IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, featuring six drivers in three cars for this month’s pair of season openers at Daytona International Speedway.

Ian Porter and Kiko Porto will each pilot a Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 in the sprint-racing format of VP Challenge while Rafael Martinez and Jim Jonsin, joined at Daytona by Kevin Conway, will co-drive a Toyota GT4 in Pilot Challenge as a Bronze entry.

Matt Dicken, meanwhile, will join Porter and Porto in the VP Challenge with an LMP3 class Ligier JS P320 Nissan.

The team recently announced a merger with the Conway-led Smooge Racing to form the latest mega team in North American sports car racing.

“This is poised to be an exciting season for RAFA Racing,” said team founder/driver Martinez. “We know we’re going to have some very fast Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2s to put on track, no matter where they run.

“It’s going to be up to all of us as drivers to do our part. I plan to keep getting quicker, and teaming with Jim is going to be a lot of fun. I think we’ve got a lot to learn, but that’s part of the challenge of sports car racing.

“Our RAFA Racing team is poised to make some noise, and we’re thrilled to do it in the IMSA paddock for the first time.”

Martinez was one of the busiest Bronze-rated drivers in motorsports a season ago, competing domestically in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America and internationally in SRO GT4 European Series presented by RAFA Racing Club.

Jonsin and Martinez competed against each other on the track in Porsche Sprint Challenge.

Off track, Jonsin has topped music charts as a producer for Lil Wayne, T.I., Usher, Beyonce, Kelly Rowland and more, winning a Grammy for his work on Lil Wayne’s 2008 single Lollipop while continuously finding time for sports car racing.

Porter joined RAFA Racing a year ago for his pro racing debut, capturing the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America title in the Cayman class with ten wins in 14 races and added a pair of Porsche Endurance Challenge wins to his tally along the way.

The motorsports success comes on the heels of the esports legend’s previous career, featuring three Call of Duty World Championships and an X Games medal for esports.

Porto turned his attention to sports car racing in 2024, finishing third in the Pro Class of Lamborghini Super Trofeo after beginning on the open-wheel path. The Brazilian driver was the USF2000 champion in 2021, where he also finished second in 2023.

Dicken returns to the IMSA paddock for the 2025 season, where he has competed across multiple platforms as a Bronze-rated driver. Dicken’s past history includes Super Trofeo, Prototype Challenge, and the precursor to Pilot Challenge, among others.

Additional announcements regarding the team’s Super Trofeo, additional GT4 championship efforts and a partnership with drivers in Mazda MX-5 Cup, will be made in the coming weeks.