- The #89 HART Honda Civic Type R TCR finishes 2nd in IMPC season-opener at Daytona
- Sixth place finish for #5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Honda
- Honda’s #72 and #93 entries see strong results marred by damage
Honda opened the 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season with an impressive podium result at the four-hour Endurance Challenge at Daytona, as the #89 HART Honda Civic Type R TCR charged to a hard-fought second-place finish after a dramatic comeback. Cameron Lawrence, Tyler Chambers, and Chad Gilsinger combined to complete 105 laps around Daytona International Speedway, ultimately crossing the line less than half a second behind the class leaders.
The result came despite early adversity, showcasing the resilience and pace of the HART Racing entry. After qualifying 13th in the TCR class, the #89 crew faced an early setback when the car was issued a mechanical black flag, forcing an unscheduled pit stop for repairs and dropping the team to the rear of the field. Undeterred, they returned on track and began methodically working their way forward through a race marked by frequent cautions.
The opening three hours featured extensive yellow-flag running, but as the race settled into its final 90 minutes, the intensity ramped up. By the three-hour mark, the HART Honda had climbed to ninth in class, setting the stage for a late-race charge.
Lawrence took the wheel for the final stint and steadily advanced through the field, breaking into the top five with fewer than 30 laps remaining. On lap 94, he moved into third place before launching a decisive push in the closing laps. A bold move on the penultimate lap secured second place, completing a remarkable recovery drive.
Elsewhere for Honda, the No. 5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Honda Civic, driven by Rocco Pasquarella and Tim Lewis, delivered a solid performance to finish sixth in the TCR class.
The endurance opener proved more challenging for the remaining Honda entries. At Pegram Racing, Mario Farnbacher appeared poised for success alongside Riley Pegram in the No. 72 Honda Civic FL5 TCR, leading the class in the closing stages. However, during the final scheduled pit stop, the team was assessed a drive-through penalty for a tire infraction. Shortly thereafter, the car suffered a right-front tire failure and went off course at Turn 6, ending its bid for victory.
The #93 MMG Honda Civic also saw a good result marred by damage. The trio of LP Montour, Karl Wittmer and Dai Yoshihara ran in podium contention in the early stages before contact from another competitor sent them back to the garage for lengthy repairs. The #93 machine would return to the track, but finish in 12th place, 13 laps down.
Endurance Challenge at Daytona Honda Race Results
- Finished 2nd – #89 HART Honda Civic Type R TCR Cameron Lawrence, Tyler Chambers, Chad Gilsinger
- Finished 6th – KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Honda Civic Type R TCR #5 Rocco Pasquarella, Tim Lewis
- Finished 11th (Not Running) – #72 Pegram Racing Honda Civic Type R TCR Riley Pegram, Mario Farnbacher
- Finished 12th – #93 MMG Honda Civic Type R TCR Karl Wittmer, LP Montour, Dai Yoshihara
Quotes
Cameron Lawrence (#89 HART Honda Civic Type R TCR) Finished 2nd: “That was a lot of fun. We had some rough luck at the start and we got a mechanical black flag and fell all the way back and went a lap down trying to fix things. You just have to get out there and drive and hope things go your way, and everything just went our way. I mean, it’s a bit of luck and a lot of hard work. We couldn’t have gotten there without some timely yellows and things falling into place. I’m super happy for everybody at HART and HRC. Our car was good and that’s the kind of race you dream of. We’re one spot short of the win, but it was so fun at the end there. I’m really proud of these guys and happy we were able to get them a great result.”
Chad Gilsinger (#89 HART Honda Civic Type R TCR) Finished 2nd: “I think I paced up and down pit lane at least 20 times. I mean, it just seems like our luck over the past couple years has just not been with us and seeing the problems we had early on, I didn’t think we had a chance. I knew we had the drivers, the crew, the car, we just didn’t have the luck. Well, Cameron overcame the luck. He drove it to the front and I couldn’t be happier.”
Tyler Chambers (#89 HART Honda Civic Type R TCR) Finished 2nd: “After that first stint, we thought we were pretty much done for the weekend, but thanks to our crew and our engineers, we rallied and made it to the front. The stint from Cameron specifically at the end was especially great to make that pass for P2.”
Next
Honda will be back in action for the second round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season with a return to Florida for the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 at Sebring International Raceway on Friday, March 20th.