(Photo: Manthey Racing GmBH)
Meuspath-based Manthey Racing has announced that it will enter the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events for the first time in 2026 with entries for its Porsche 911 GT3 Rs in both the GTD PRO and GTD classes.
Currently competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the #92 Manthey 1ST Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 piloted by Ryan Hardwick, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz leads the Endurance Trophy for LMGT3 Teams on 95 points, nine ahead of the #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3. 2025 saw Hardwick, Pera and Lietz take victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, beating the #21 Ferrari by just over 33 seconds after 341 laps.
The #912 Porsche will compete under the Manthey 1ST Phorm name while the #911 ‘Grello’ Porsche will make its debut in the PRO category. Driver Ryan Hardwick, an ‘Elite Athlete’ with Saint Louis-based 1ST Phorm International, is currently the only driver announced for the new programme.
Manthey Racing GmBH Managing Director Nicolas Raeder is looking forward to racing in North America in 2026.
“We are delighted to be competing in the Michelin IMSA Endurance Cup from 2026, thereby expanding our racing division’s portfolio,” said Nicholas Raeder. “While Manthey is not entirely new to the series – having provided extensive engineering support for various teams in the GT and prototype classes in recent years – this will be our first time competing under our own name and we are looking forward to the challenge.
“In particular, we have unfinished business at Daytona: we competed there in 1999, 2017 and 2018 but were never able to complete the race. The 12 Hours of Sebring and Petite Le Mans are also on our wish list.”
Ryan Hardwick (Photo: Manthet Racing GmBH)
“Having started my racing career in IMSA. I am very excited to now be part of Manthey’s driver line-up for their first season racing in North America,” said Ryan Hardwick. “Bringing the legendary 1st Phorm blue Porsche to the series is also very special. Once the 2025 WEC season hopefully comes to a successful end, I am looking forward to taking this next step in IMSA with Manthey.”
The 2026 IMSA season gets underway with the Roar before the Rolex 24 on January 16th-18th.
