SEBRING, Fla. — This year’s class for the IMSA Hall of Fame includes six drivers who achieved legendary status alongside four of the most memorable race cars to compete across five decades of IMSA racing.
“Every year, the IMSA Hall of Fame gives us a chance to pause and reflect on the people and the machines that shaped who we are,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “But this 2026 class reaches straight to the heart. These drivers didn’t just win races; they inspired generations. These cars didn’t just break records; they changed the way we felt about what was possible in our sport.
“Each inductee represents a moment when someone pushed a little harder, dreamed a little bigger, and left a mark that will outlast all of us. Their stories are woven into IMSA’s history and honoring them reminds us why we all fell in love with this sport in the first place. It’s a privilege to celebrate their impact, and to carry their legacy forward.”
Launched in 2023, the IMSA Hall of Fame celebrates more than 50 years of North American sports car racing excellence and lives digitally at http://www.imsahalloffame.com. The difference between the IMSA Hall of Fame and other halls of fame from the worlds of sports and entertainment is that the IMSA Hall of Fame recognizes and includes not only the personalities and competitors who achieved greatness in the sport, but also the legendary race cars among its annual group of inductees.
The 2026 class will be officially enshrined in the IMSA Hall of Fame at the WeatherTech Night of Champions, which celebrates the accomplishments and great moments from the season after the Motul Petit Le Mans season finale in October.
IMSA Hall of Fame Class of 2026
BILL AUBERLEN
The winningest driver in IMSA championship-level competition, Auberlen – who is still competing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2026 – amassed a record 65 class victories from more than 450 career starts between 1987 and 2023.
A three-time IMSA champion, Auberlen earned class victories in the Rolex 24 At Daytona (twice), the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (four times), Motul Petit Le Mans (three times) and the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen (four times). Auberlen has claimed at least one IMSA race victory at 24 different race tracks.
BUTCH LEITZINGER
A 50-time IMSA race winner in a career that spanned from 1986 through 2013, Leitzinger is a four-time series champion. His résumé includes three Rolex 24 At Daytona victories, four wins in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, and one victory each in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and Motul Petit Le Mans.
ROGER MANDEVILLE
A class winner in the very first IMSA GT race at VIRginia International Raceway in 1971, Mandeville added 21 more victories from the 195 IMSA races he competed in between 1971 and 2006. He is a two-time IMSA champion and a three-time winner of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
As both a driver and team owner, Mandeville became synonymous with the Mazda RX-7 GTU program that was inducted into the inaugural IMSA Hall of Fame class in 2023. Additionally, he was the creator and constructor of the Hawk WSC car powered by rotary and Chevrolet V8 engines in the 1990s.
BRIAN REDMAN
A legendary figure in sports car racing, Redman’s IMSA exploits include 12 class victories and the 1981 IMSA GTX championship. He is a two-time winner of the Rolex 24 At Daytona and also has a pair of victories in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Redman competed in a total of 86 IMSA races between 1975 and 2000, finishing on the podium 39 times.
LYN ST. JAMES
A pioneer and stalwart for women in racing to this day, St. James made history as the first woman to win an IMSA race as a solo driver, which she achieved at Watkins Glen International on September 29, 1985 in the GTO class aboard a Roush Racing-prepared Ford Mustang.
She won the GTO class twice in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and earned a GTO victory in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in 1990. Beyond IMSA, St. James became the first woman to win Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honors in 1992. She competed in the Indianapolis 500 seven times among 16 IndyCar starts.
HANS-JOACHIM STUCK
A global sports car racing star, Stuck’s IMSA career included 22 class victories and 43 podiums from 91 races between 1975 and 2003. He won the GTO class in the 1981 Rolex 24 At Daytona, three overall and two additional class victories in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and a GT class win at Motul Petit Le Mans in 2001.
Beyond IMSA, Stuck won the Nurburgring 24 Hours three times and the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, as well as the 1985 World Sportscar Championship title.
AUDI 90 QUATTRO GTO
It only competed in one season of IMSA competition – and didn’t even compete in every race – but the Audi 90 quattro GTO made a lasting impression, and was one of the most technically advanced cars in IMSA history.
The two cars were driven by a pair of IMSA Hall of Famers – Hurley Haywood and Hans-Joachim Stuck – and earned seven victories and 16 podium finishes between March 5 and October 22, 1989. Despite competing in just one partial season, it is Audi’s third most-successful model in IMSA, trailing the R10 and R8 LMP cars.
RILEY DAYTONA PROTOTYPE
From 2004 through 2016, Riley Daytona Prototypes – which had a total of three different variants – made a total of 1,335 starts in GRAND-AM and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition in a total of 209 races.
The cars earned 98 victories and 290 class podiums, winning at 24 different racetracks. Riley DPs won 20 of 29 races at Daytona and 18 of 28 at Watkins Glen International.
GREENWOOD CORVETTES
Among the most identifiable cars of IMSA’s early era were the C3-bodied Chevrolet Corvettes fielded by John Greenwood’s team. The car actually picked up its first win at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in 1971 before the race was sanctioned by IMSA, but the first IMSA win came a year later, in the GTO class at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 9, 1972.
Three wins followed, including overall victories in the IMSA Championship Finals races at Daytona in both 1974 and 1975. Greenwood-built Corvettes continued to race in IMSA into the early 1980s fielded by many customer teams. Away from IMSA, one of the most storied achievements by the Greenwood Corvette was when it reached 222 mph on the Mulsanne Straight during qualifying for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1976, making the car an instant fan favorite.
MAZDA RX-3
With 61 starts between 1974 and 1987, the Mazda RX-3 achieved five podium results in IMSA GT competition. And while the car was a common sight on the IMSA GT grid, the RX-3 really made a name for itself in the IMSA RS series, winning the 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982 manufacturers titles adding driver championships with Roger Mandeville (1979), Jim Downing (1981) and Chuck Ulinski (1982).