Workman Named 2027-28 IMSA 3D Scholarship Winner

Westin Workman has become the latest recipient of IMSA’s Diverse Driver Development (3D) Scholarship for 2027-28.

Workman will receive benefits worth up to $300,000 to compete in one of four IMSA-sanctioned championships in 2027. Workman has selected Michelin Pilot Challenge, where he will continue with RAFA Racing’s race- and championship-winning Toyota program in the GS category.

“IMSA is delighted to award this year’s 3D Scholarship to Westin Workman,” said Brandon Huddleston, IMSA’s Vice President of Partnership Marketing and Business Development.

“Westin’s been part of this process for several years as a finalist and has worked tirelessly to achieve this scholarship through several years of persistence.

“His attitude is exemplary and his on-track performance has been excellent. We can’t wait to see how he continues to progress forward in his career.”

Workman emerged from a pool of 15 finalists (13 of whom have made at least one start in an IMSA-sanctioned championship this year) who attended IMSA-led modules that covered topics such as marketing, business development, personal branding, media training and nutrition.

The process concluded with the submission of a business plan detailing the program they put together for 2027.

For Workman, a multi-time finalist for the 3D Scholarship, the stars finally aligned from all aspects to back up what has been an excellent on-track season to date.

Entering the Michelin Raceway finale weekend, Workman has won nine of 10 GSX races and all ten pole positions in VP Racing SportsCar Challenge aboard the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota and held a 480-point lead over 2023 IMSA 3D Scholarship recipient Courtney Crone.

“Obviously it’s an honor to be recognized as the IMSA scholarship winner this year,” said Workman. “It lets you know you’re on the right path.

“There’s still a lot of work to do and a lot of goals I want to achieve, but this is definitely a step in the right direction, and it feels great to be recognized for the hard work I’ve been putting in to make this happen.

“I think this is my third or fourth year going for this scholarship and all the benefits IMSA provide have been great, even if you don’t win.

“There’s a ton of value they give throughout the process with all the modules we do… it helps you build for the next year.

“It’s great being a part of this program for the past few years and to finally be a recipient and have everything line up means so much to me, because the past few years, nothing quite lined up perfectly and finally this year it has.”

Workman hailed both the RAFA Racing organization led by Rafael Martinez and Kevin Conway, and Toyota, where he’s been a key cog in its development driver pipeline for three years.

“There’s no other team I’d rather be a part of right now than RAFA Racing,” he said. “We’re all eager and determined to keep building the program…

“Kevin always says he wants to build the team he always wanted to drive for. They’ve given me countless opportunities.

“So has Toyota. They picked me up early when a lot of things were hitting, as I was driving and also still in school, helping me into GR Cup and eventually into GT4.

“I’m very thankful for Toyota because if it wasn’t for them, I have no idea where I would be in my career right now. It’s an honor they’ve put as much trust in me as they have.”

The IMSA 3D Scholarship promotes and empowers drivers from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to participate in select IMSA-sanctioned series.

The finalists chosen possess a desire to compete in IMSA, have strong previous race results and/or proven on-track potential in junior racing categories, plus the ability to create a compelling strategy to compete in a full season in one of four IMSA-sanctioned series: the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Pilot Challenge, VP Racing Challenge or Mustang Challenge North America.

The scholarship includes financial assistance from IMSA and is supported by a growing number of corporate partners: Michelin, VP Racing Fuels, OMP, Bell, RAFA Racing Club and Lumen Digital Agency.

The application process for the 2028-29 IMSA 3D Scholarship will open in January 2027.