CrowdStrike Racing by APR sets sights on IMSA Rolex 24 LMP2 win with formidable quartet of drivers

Victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona is still “the one that got away” for CrowdStrike Racing by APR, so the team is entering the 2026 edition of the iconic twice-around-the-clock endurance race (21-25 January) with its sights locked on to the top step of the podium.

CrowdStrike’s George Kurtz will head a tried, tested and formidable quartet of drivers, as Malthe Jakobsen, Toby Sowery and Alex Quinn will all remain with the USA-flagged squad to pilot the #04 ORECA 07-Gibson LMP2 in the opening round of the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The Algarve Pro-CrowdStrike Racing affiliation bore fruit from the get-go, as IMSA victories, podiums and pole positions led to the 2023 Michelin Endurance Cup and Jim Trueman Bronze Cup, which came with a ‘golden ticket’ – an automatic entry to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In fact, success was achieved across three continents, as CrowdStrike Racing was also crowned 2023-24 Asian Le Mans Series (ALMS) Champion, having previously landed a famous LMP2 Pro-Am win in the Le Mans Centenary.

However, victory in the Rolex 24 remains elusive; in 2023, CrowdStrike Racing was pipped at the line by a mere 0.016s – the tiniest winning margin in the race’s history – and another runner-up finish followed in 2024.

Those near-misses mean there’s unfinished business and winning the coveted Rolex watch in 2026 is the first aim for CrowdStrike Racing, which has signed four drivers who all have experience of working together in IMSA, the ALMS and at Le Mans.

“The Rolex 24 at Daytona is still the one that got away,” said Kurtz. “We’re going in wanting to win the watch and four days of testing were very productive with fewer cars on the track. We did well to match everybody’s driving styles, homing in on the fastest setup that works for all four drivers. The Rolex 24 kicks off the IMSA season and is always a race I look forward to. I have been there quite a few times now and, having missed out on the win by just 0.016s in 2023, I’m keen to get that monkey off my back.”

Jakobsen, who has also been confirmed for CrowdStrike Racing’s return to the ALMS in 2025-26, said: “There is unfinished business in the Rolex 24 at Daytona having finished runner-up two years in a row, but it is possible to be too hungry and to want the win too much. We must stay calm and keep it clean in the race, rather than showing off and doing anything silly.

“We recently completed a lot of positive mileage during four days of testing at both Daytona and Sebring. We can expect ambient and track conditions to be slightly different during the race weekends, but it was important that all four drivers were there to help each other. I came away with a good feeling, as the car was nice to drive and the timings were encouraging, progressing in the right direction step-by-step and working well together.”

Sowery added: “It’s great to remain with CrowdStrike Racing by APR for the opening round of the 2026 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup – the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Over the past couple of seasons, we have really grown as a team and developed a great dynamic. We have always had a fantastic car, but the results haven’t always matched up. That’s something we are constantly working to improve and I feel we have put together a great 2026 package, one I’m confident will contest for wins straight out of the box at Daytona.”

Algarve Pro’s European Le Mans Series (ELMS) regular Quinn is the newest addition to CrowdStrike Racing’s IMSA roster, as he only joined the squad for the 2025 Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Those experiences and four days of testing alongside teammates Kurtz, Jakobsen and Sowery at Daytona and Sebring have given him cause to be optimistic, and he said: “We recently completed four days of testing at Daytona and Sebring and it’s very exciting to announce that I’ll be back with CrowdStrike Racing by APR for the opening round of the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

“I had a bit of a taster by competing with the team in a few IMSA rounds this year and I’m really happy to be continuing with the programme. CrowdStrike Racing, George (Kurtz), Malthe (Jakobsen), Toby (Sowery) and I are all striving for the Rolex 24 win – it would be an exciting way to start the 2026 season – because we have a great team behind us and a strong driver line-up. We just need to focus on ourselves to maximise our chances of being on top at the end of the 24 hours.”