Tunjo Wins Race 1; Workman Takes GSX Victory in Debut

Both pole-sitters for the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge season opener from Daytona International Speedway drove to controlled victories to kick off their campaigns.

Oscar Tunjo (LMP3) and Westin Workman (GSX) secured the top spots in the 45-minute race on a sunny Saturday afternoon ahead of a packed infield that included a bevy of scouts visiting the 3.56-mile track during the Roar Before the Rolex 24 weekend.

In LMP3, the story going in was how the 2025 generation cars would fare against the new-for-2026 third-generation entries.

Tunjo, driving one of the 2025 era cars, the No. 1 Gebhardt Motorsport USA. Duqueine D08 Nissan, determined a strong start would dictate how his race would go.

Other than one moment in traffic where he briefly lost the lead to chief rival Brady Golan, in one of the new-for-2026 entries, the No. 30 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P325 Toyota, Tunjo stayed out front.

He beat Golan by 3.729 seconds but the race was often closer than that.

It marks a strong start for the Colombian driver, who raced most VP Racing Challenge events in 2025 but not at Daytona.

Golan was second for the second straight year at Daytona after emerging ahead in a race-long battle with Danny Soufi, who finished third in the No. 11 PINAXIS-ZONE 4 Racing Duqueine.

The 2025 P3 Bronze Cup champion, Brian Thienes, opened his 2026 account with the Bronze Cup win, placing fifth overall in LMP3 aboard the No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320 Nissan.

Workman’s GT4 Debut Comes Up Aces

Westin Workman has developed a strong body of work in the sports car ladder system, primarily the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin and Toyota’s GR Cup North America series.

But this weekend marked the Charlotte native’s debut in a GT4-specification car and in VP Challenge.

From pole, Workman banked an early lead in the GSX field north of eight seconds, and outside of one lap where he had a brief time loss, was never headed.

Driving the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, Workman won by 10.247 seconds.

It marked Toyota’s 14th straight GSX race win in the VP Challenge, having won the final race of 2024 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and all 12 races in 2025.

A race-long battle for second saw fellow series debutante Ismaeel Ellahi in the No. 25 CSM Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport finish slightly ahead of Canadian Justin Di Benedetto in the No. 4 Di Benedetto Racing Porsche.

Sean Quinlan, who finished fourth, was the top-finishing GSX Bronze Cup entry in the No. 19 Stephen Cameron Racing Ford Mustang GT4.

The second 45-minute race of the weekend goes green at 1:20 p.m. ET Sunday, streaming on Peacock and internationally via IMSA’s Official YouTube channel.

RESULTS: Race 1