The Heart of Racing Event Preview | 2026 Watkins Glen International
The Heart of Racing at Watkins Glen International
The Heart of Racing has made 10 starts at Watkins Glen since 2021:
Best Starting Position: 1st - 2025
Best Finish: 1st - 2022, 2024, 2025
Podium Finishes: 6
Team Notes
In The Heart of Racing’s Watkins Glen debut in 2021, the team earned two podium finishes, placing third in both the Sahlen’s Six Hours and the sprint race that followed.
The team made IMSA WeatherTech history in 2022 by claiming victory in both the GTD and GTD PRO classes, marking a standout Watkins Glen weekend.
The team added another Watkins Glen victory in 2024 when the No. 23 crew took the checkered flag in the GTD PRO category.
Most recently, the No. 27 squad captured overall GTD honors in the Sahlen’s Six Hours in 2025.
The No. 27 crew has carried that momentum into 2026, with podiums in both endurance events so far: runner-up at Sebring and third at Daytona.
After showing strong pace at Mid-Ohio, The Hannahs head to Watkins Glen, hoping to continue that momentum and build on it.
No. 23 Aston Martin THOR Valkyrie Team Information
Driver Lineup: Ross Gunn, Roman De Angelis
Series / Class: IMSA WeatherTech - GTP
Starting Position: 9th - Ross Gunn (1:32.626-seconds)
Current Championship Standings: 11th
Ross Gunn
6 starts at Watkins Glen (first start: 2021)
Best Watkins Glen finish: 1st - 2022 and 2024 in IMSA WeatherTech
Roman De Angelis
11 starts at Watkins Glen (first start: 2017)
Best Watkins Glen finish: 1st - 2022 in IMSA WeatherTech
Chatting with the drivers…
Ross Gunn: “Watkins Glen is a happy hunting ground for not only me, but also the Heart of Racing Team. We've enjoyed a lot of success there over the past five years. I am really looking forward to kick-starting the second half of the season. We've vastly improved the car's pace from last year, and we're now looking to convert that into some cool results. Off the back of what was a decent Le Mans, I think we can really build on our recent progress, and Watkins Glen is definitely a track that suits the strengths of the Valkyrie. It's very fast, smooth, and with probably close to 60 cars out on track, it's going to be a fun race with the traffic management. I can't wait to get out there.”
Roman De Angelis: “I'm really looking forward to Watkins Glen this weekend. Not since Sebring (in March) have we had an IMSA endurance race, and I feel like, based on the performance and general feel of the car we had at Watkins Glen last year, we stand a good chance of a strong result. Then hopefully we can build on this as we move into the second half of the season.”
Previous Race : Detroit Grand Prix
Started: 9th
Finished: 10th
Laps: 82/82
Laps Led: 0
No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage Team Information
Driver Lineup: Eduardo “Dudu” Barrichello, Tom Gamble, Zacharie Robichon
Series / Class: IMSA WeatherTech - GTD
Starting Position: 1st - Zacharie Robichon (Set on “Other Means” determined by IMSA)
Current Championship Standings: 1st
Eduardo “Dudu” Barrichello
Watkins Glen debut
Tom Gamble
1 start at Watkins Glen (first start: 2025)
Best Watkins Glen finish: 1st - 2025 in IMSA WeatherTech
Zacharie Robichon
8 starts at Watkins Glen (first start: 2016)
Best Watkins Glen finish: 1st - 2025 in IMSA WeatherTech
Chatting with the drivers…
Eduardo “Dudu” Barrichello: I’m super excited to head to a new track for me, one that everyone speaks very highly about. It feels like we’ve got good momentum, so we just need to do our jobs and enjoy ourselves out there. It’ll be a fun one!”
Zacharie Robichon: “I’m happy to be back for the third round of the endurance championship. We’ve had a very strong start to the season and, of course, have had a lot of success at Watkins Glen in the past. We will be looking to keep putting our best foot forward, and I know if we do that, we will be in a strong position for another good result.”
Previous Race: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
Started: 3rd
Finished: 2nd
Laps: 110/111
Laps Led: 15
Catch the Action
IMSA WeatherTech Championship RACE: Sunday, June 28 at 12:10pm EDT
Peacock Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 12:00pm EDT
International Streaming Coverage: LIVE – 12:00pm EDT IMSA YouTube Channel
IMSA WeatherTech Race 6 of 11: Watkins Glen International
Track Length / Type: 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course
Race Length: six hours
Join The Drive
Use #IMSA and #Sahlens6HRS to join the conversation on social media, and be sure to follow and tag The Heart of Racing on Instagram, Facebook, and X to share the weekend’s excitement.
