DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — One of IMSA’s most popular teams over the last few years has been AO Racing, the Gunnar Jeannette-led team who has made their name through their ever-beloved trio of dinosaur and dragon inspired liveries. The getups adorning their Porsche GT and Oreca LMP2 outfits have captured the hearts and attention of the entire sportscar racing world.
However, behind Rexy, Roxy, Spike and all the fanfare that comes with them has been one of the most competitive teams in North American sportscar racing over the last few years and it continues to show as the team has announced their driver lineup for the 2026 IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship campaign. The powerhouse team has drafted in an array of Porsche talent in hopes of returning Rexy to the top of the GTD Pro food chain akin to their championship winning success in 2024.
It is a full re-tooling of their full-time driver lineup as Laurin Henrich has made the jump up to the GTP class with Porsche Penske Motorsport for the 2026 season.
In Heinrich and former teammate Klaus Bachler’s places enter one of Porsche’s most decorated drivers in Nick Tandy as well as up-and-coming British GT driver Harry King.
Tandy, following his victory in the 2025 Rolex 24, stands as the only driver to win not only the aforementioned event but also the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Nürburgring 24 and 24 Hours of Spa. He will be making his return to the GT ranks for the first time since his full-time runs with Corvette Racing during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Nick Tandy celebrating his 2025 Rolex 24 win with teammate
Tandy’s move to the GT ranks comes fresh off of the heels of a shuffling of Porsche Penske Motorsport’s GTP lineups for next season, which will see him move into a more GT-oriented role within the German manufacturer’s plans.
“AO Racing has proven to be one of the most popular, friendly, yet fiercely competitive teams within the sportscar paddocks in the last few years,” Tandy stated. “I’m extremely excited to join the team next year. Rexy is one of the most iconic racing cars of the modern era. I’ve got lots of old friends within the team already who I’m looking forward to enjoying my racing with again, plus new friends to meet. I’ve known both Harry and Alessio for a while now. Both are exceptionally fast and dedicated professionals so I’m eager to see what the season brings.”
Joining Tandy for the full season campaign will be 25-year-old Harry King, who will make his IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Series debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
King, a member of the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Gold class winning team, as well as 2020 Autosport National Driver of the Year and Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain champion, stated,
“I’m delighted to be partnering up with AO Racing for my full-time debut in the IMSA championship. I’m thankful to Gunnar and Porsche for the trust. I’ve always closely followed Rexy’s progress and results in the past, so now I look forward to adding to that successful list alongside teammates Nick and Alessio. It’s a great combination of drivers and team. I have a good feeling.”
The returning piece to the roster is Alessio Picariello, who will once again be drafted in for the Michelin Endurance Cup.
“I’m really happy to return with Rexy and AO for the endurance races,” said Picariello, who was a part of the team’s victory in the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring. “I enjoyed working with the team a lot last season, and taking the win at Sebring was definitely a highlight. We were left with a bitter feeling after Daytona, so I’m looking forward to sharing the car with Nick and Harry this year and putting things right.”
