Forte Plotting Possible Pro-Am Effort With Lamborghini in 2026

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

Forte Racing is plotting a potential switch to GT World Challenge America powered by AWS with its Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 for next year according to team principal Shane Seneviratne, who has confirmed the team will not return to IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship action in 2026.

The California-based squad, which has contested the last three seasons in the GTD class with Lamborghini, was not listed on IMSA’s 2026 WeatherTech Championship entry list that was released last week at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Speaking with Sportscar365 at the season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans, Seneviratne revealed two different options for its GT3-spec Lamborghini, which also could include a VP Racing SportsCar Challenge campaign in the GTDX class, where it already currently fields a LMP3 car.

The team is already represented in the SRO America paddock with an effort in McLaren Trophy America.

“Looking at GT3, there’s two places where Lamborghini doesn’t have a representation,” said Seneviratne. “VPRC could be a top priority to try and get a car in there

“Obviously the SRO series is also attractive and there could be some strategy involved in the three-hour platform. I’m interested in doing that as a potential as well.”

When asked about the possibility of mounting a GTWC America program, Seneviratne said it would be a similar-looking program to what it has operated in the WeatherTech Championship class, which was funded by Silver-rated driver Misha Goikhberg, but likely with a different driver.

“It will be a customer-funded program, is what I’m trying to put together,” said Seneviratne. “It would most likely be a Pro-Am scenario.”

It’s understood Goikhberg, who has been part of Forte’s Lamborghini GTD effort since the start, is eyeing up a move to the LMP2 ranks of the WeatherTech Championship given his newly minted Bronze grading from the FIA.

“There’s a possibility of what he’s going to look at doing that,” said Seneviratne. “But I wasn’t in the position to have an entry into LMP2 or provide him with proper service because we just haven’t done it before.

“Hopefully some of these new endeavors will turn into another opportunity to do WeatherTech [again in the future]. But it takes resources, so I want to build that back up and look at any possibility in LMP2 or GTD.

“I prefer to do LMP2 if I had because it lends a lot more to my open-wheel background. We’re not exactly [sure] where where we’re going to come back but we want to come back into the WeatherTech paddock.”

Seneviratne spoke highly of the team’s time in top-level IMSA competition, which was highlighted by five podium finishes including class victory in the 2023 Motul Petit Le Mans.

“I think we had a really good three-year run,” he said. “As a team, we made very few mistakes. We have a very good team.

“We have the infrastructure, we have the tooling to ramp it back up. I’m not dismantling any of the infrastructure or the tooling, so we’re going to keep everything in place.

“So when the right opportunity comes, we can put it back together.”

Davey Euwema contributed to this report

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