Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Announces Multi-Year Partnership with McLaren for IMSA GTD PRO Class
Indianapolis, IN—Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) has secured its future in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship through a multi-year partnership with McLaren. The team will debut the No. 59 McLaren GT3 EVO (720S) in the GTD PRO class starting in 2026, with plans to expand to a second entry in 2027.
RLL will receive its first GT3 EVO chassis this week and will participate in the upcoming IMSA Sanctioned Test at Daytona. Full-season driver announcements for 2026 are forthcoming.
Co-owner Bobby Rahal expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “As someone who has always valued the rich history of motorsport, partnering with a brand as iconic as McLaren is truly exciting.” Jay Frye, president of RLL, emphasized the alignment of both brands’ ambitions, noting, “Together, we’re not just building a team – we’re building a championship-caliber program for the seasons ahead.”
This marks McLaren’s return to the GTD PRO category for the first time since 2024, when Pfaff Motorsports raced the GT3 EVO for a single season. The GT3 EVO has already seen success in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and the GT World Challenge Europe but remains in search of its first IMSA victory.
RLL previously collaborated with BMW M Motorsport from 2009 until the end of the 2025 season, during which they achieved substantial successes, including back-to-back ALMS GT championships in 2010-11 and notable class wins in prestigious races like the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
The choice of the No. 59 is a nod to McLaren’s history, honoring the number of the F1 GTR that secured the brand’s inaugural victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995.
As RLL joins forces with McLaren, they now prepare for a competitive GTD PRO grid that includes formidable teams like Corvette Racing and Ford Multimatic Motorsports, alongside notable single-car entries.
