High Class Could Run Isotta Fraschini in WEC, IMSA

Photo: Eric Le Galliot/MPS Agency

High Class Racing could take its newly forged partnership with Isotta Fraschini into the FIA World Endurance Championship and/or the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship according to High Class team principal Anders Fjordbach, who’s been surprised by the ‘huge interest’ from drivers since the announcement.

The Barcelona-based squad was confirmed as the new operators of the Tipo 6 LMH-C LMH-based prototype last week, although details on an exact program for the car was not mentioned.

Speaking with Sportscar365 at Le Mans, Fjordbach confirmed plans to enter the upcoming 2026-27 Asian Le Mans Series, in the debut season of the Hypercar class.

However, a program beyond the winter series is being evaluated by both Michelotto Engineering and Isotta Fraschini Milano.

“We will be at Asian Le Mans, I’m pretty convinced,” Fjordbach told Sportscar365. “But it’s not fully down to us, there’s so many things. You need to be granted an entry.

“But I know Michelotto is pushing very hard for this.

“We are lucky to have a lot of customers and drivers reaching out. There’s still no lineup finalized.

“But it’s cool for me to see how big an interest this has been. I’ve never had this many meetings since the announcement. There’s so many people reaching out wanting to be a part of it, drivers.”

That amount of early interest could help extend the program into the WEC or WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, pending entry approvals from both sanctioning bodies.

WEC, where the Tipo 6 LMH-C made its debut and raced a partial season in 2024 before withdrawing following a split from previous operators Duqueine Team, has since introduced a two-car mandate in Hypercar.

Even if the manufacturer secures the budget required for such a program, grid space could be a limiting factor for next year, which will see the launch of the Ford and McLaren Hypercar programs, amid the potential continuation of the Signatech-run Hypercar effort but with a different OEM.

“It’s very clear Michelotto, Isotta Fraschini and us, we are very keen to go to WEC,” said Fjordbach. “This is obviously not the cheapest adventure.

“Also you need to be granted an entry and all these things.

“To have two cars is not a problem but to finance it is a bit harder. We have the cars; I think they have four or five [chassis].

“The financial part is not the easiest. I think both ourselves and Michelotto have some strong partners. I’m convinced, if all want it, it can happen.”

When asked about the WeatherTech Championship, where High Class ran a LMP2 program from 2021-24, Fjordbach indicated it could potentially be a more realistic option in the short term.

“It was out of our first ideas but I think as now we see IMSA is having a bit fewer cars, it has awaken a bit of interest,” he said.

“We are not the biggest team; this is very clear. When you are fighting against Toyota, maybe there’s an easier way in through IMSA.

“But we have to evaluate it. [IMSA] allows the possibility to run just one car. It’s on the other side of the world but we have five years of experience there in LMP2.”

When asked by Sportscar365 on the possibility of a boutique brand built to LMH regulations being able to race in the WeatherTech Championship, IMSA President John Doonan referenced the sanctioning body’s rules on that matter.

“Across the board, there’s regulations that require a certain number of road cars to be produced [globally] to be eligible,” he said. “We would follow that same policy as we have in our regulations today.”

However, Doonan said they’re “prepared to accept any and all comers” to GTP.

“The current regulations are still in effect until 2029, so we would continue to welcome any of the current LMH competitors in IMSA competition,” he said.

Fjordbach added: “WEC is the first target. It’s always Le Mans, it’s always WEC. But personally, I think it’s much more achievable to go into IMSA.

“Our only problem is the timing. It starts so early [in January]. You have to go to the [sanctioned test] in December and this is very, very soon.

“In three or four weeks, we’ll know much more because then we’ll have thousands of kilometers on the car and we’ll know where we stand.”

High Class, which recently moved into an expansive new workshop in Barcelona, is establishing a dedicated team for the Isotta Fraschini project.

Fjordbach said an extensive testing program is set for next month in Italy, on three consecutive weeks across multiple circuits, prior to possible outings at Silverstone and Barcelona later in the summer.

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