Random Vandals Plotting 2026 BMW GTD Pro Effort

Photo: Fabian Lagunas/SRO

Random Vandals Racing is plotting an expansion into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with a BMW M4 GT3 EVO program in the GTD Pro class in the pipeline for next year according to team principal Paul Sparta.

The North Carolina-based squad, which currently leads both the GT World Challenge America powered by AWS and Pirelli GT4 America championships, is preparing to switch its all-pro class GT3 effort to the WeatherTech Championship.

While plans are being put into place for one full-season entry, Sparta said a second BMW could also be on the grid for the Michelin Endurance Cup rounds, or potentially a one-off at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, in the GTD category.

“The intention is to bring the Pro program to WeatherTech for GTD Pro,” Sparta told Sportscar365. “Our intention is to go to GTD Pro as the primary effort.

“It’s in progress. We’re not done yet; we’re not where we can make an announcement but you can say it’s every intention for us to be in WeatherTech full season next year.”

Drivers for the proposed program have yet to be finalized.

Kenton Koch and BMW factory drivers Connor De Phillippi and Bill Auberlen, along with Silver-rated Varun Choksey, make up Random Vandals’ current two-car GTWC America Pro class effort.

The team, which has previously run cars in Michelin Pilot Challenge, pivoted exclusively to SRO America this year, running the pair of BMWs in GTWC America as well as a three-car BMW M4 GT4 EVO program in GT4 America.

Having brought on a number of key hires in team management and engineering over the off-season, Sparta feels the time is right to return to the IMSA paddock, but in the flagship series for the first time.

“This part of the silly season feels like putting together a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces randomly appear and disappear and change shape at random as well,” he said.

“Trying to get the landscape is done. [IMSA] has opened up registration and everyone’s like, ‘You’ve got to jump on it.’

“Everybody has to make a quarter-million-dollar-plus commitment right at that moment.

“So the reality is that nobody really commits until everything is signed except for the very small handful of teams that are locking in.

“But it’s absolutely our intention [to be in WeatherTech]. We’re working towards it. BMW has been a massive support.”

It’s unclear if the intended Random Vandals entry would be an additional BMW on the GTD Pro grid or potentially come at the expense of one of the Paul Miller Racing cars.

Random Vandals Pledges Continued SRO America Effort

Sparta, meanwhile, has pledged to continue running in SRO America, but instead shifting to a full customer model.

“There’s no doubt we’re going to be in both paddocks,” he said. “We will shift to a more customer-oriented program in SRO America.

“I consider myself a customer of the team when I’m driving, and I’m going to treat myself that way. But I think that’s the direction we’re going toward.”

He said the team is currently in talks with “several parties” that are interested to run in GTWC America, which could require the team to purchase additional M4 GT3 EVO chassis for the planned dual series campaign.

“Now with the season tightening up and with the [Indianapolis] 8 Hour being the finish here, not to mention other teams that are in WeatherTech, I think everybody’s lining up, ‘What are we going to do after the Indy 8 Hour is over,” said Sparta.

“This year, Petit is the week before. Once those two things get done, then it opens up where we can start doing testing and it makes it a little bit easier.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John