AE Victory Racing opens 2026 season with double podium in expanded two-car debut

AE Victory Racing launched its 2026 campaign debuting its expanded two-car operation and immediately securing a double-podium result in World Racing League at Barber Motorsports Park, with its two line ups of Ashley Freiberg, Sarah Montgomery, Brenna Schubert as Hannah Grisham, Michele Abbate and Sally Mott.

Photo credits: AEVR

AE Victory Racing launched its 2026 campaign in remarkable fashion, debuting its expanded two-car operation and immediately securing a double-podium result in a competitive World Racing League field at Barber Motorsports Park, in a breakthrough weekend for the women-led organization.

The first round represented a big step forward for the team, which doubled its operational scale during the off-season: piloting the #119 Toyota Supra GT4 EVO2 were team veteran Sarah Montgomery and Ashley Freiberg, alongside the new team recruit Brenna Schubert, winner of the recent driver shootout. Hannah Grisham shared the sister #120 Toyota with fellow Shift Up Now drivers Sally Mott and Michele Abbate, who joins the team after experience in Trans Am.

The expanded structure introduced new engineers, data strategists, pit crew personnel, and leadership additions, including several members arriving from Thunder Bunny Racing.

“This weekend showed how far we’ve come in a short amount of time,” Team Owner, Erin Vogel noted. “The growth, the professionalism, and the pace were all there.”

The team would have to face changable weather conditions and procedural changes introduced by the championship. A revised penalty structure mandated drive-through penalties for pit lane infractions, while Code 35 slow zones replaced traditional double-yellow cautions, a change that significantly influenced race strategy.

Intermittent rain on Thursday limited meaningful track running but allowed AE Victory Racing to prioritize operational preparation, including extensive driver-change practice. When conditions improved on Friday afternoon, teams finally enjoyed dry running, enabling longer stints and competitive qualifying simulations.

Development driver Brenna Schubert, preparing for her first endurance event of this scale, demonstrated steady progression throughout the sessions under the mentorship of Ashley Freiberg.

“It’s like drinking from a firehose,” Freiberg said after spending most of the afternoon with her, “but she’s absorbing everything, taking notes, and building confidence each session.”

Careful tyre management and well-timed runs through traffic proved critical in qualifying, which initially placed the #119 Toyota third with a 1:32.59 lap and the #120 car fifth with a 1:33.05. Post-session penalties applied to a rival team elevated AE Victory Racing to P2 on the grid for the #119 of Freiberg and P4 for the #120 of Grisham.

Photo credits: AEVR

Race 1 brought an eight-hour endurance challenge featuring a packed 42-car grid. Starting duties in the #119 Toyota fell to Freiberg, who successfully navigated multiple Code 35 interruptions while managing fuel cycles before handing the car to Sarah Montgomery and Brenna Schubert. Meanwhile, the #120 sister car, piloted initially by Hannah Grisham, executed clean pit work and strategy adjustments after early braking concerns were quickly resolved during a pit stop.

Second after the opening two hours n the hands of Freiberg, the #119 Toyota then fell to third into the third hour and held position throughout the eight demanding hours, eventually securing a podium finish. The #120 car managed to recover to fifth after dropping to seventh into the fourth hour of racing, and ultimately crossed the line fourth, narrowly missing the podium but still delivering an impressive result for the team’s first event operating a two-car program.

Sunday’s seven-hour Race 2 featured 41 starters and produced one of the most dramatic conclusions of the weekend. Both AE Victory Racing entries gained positions immediately after the start, establishing themselves as contenders early. The #120 car surged forward during Sally Mott’s middle stint, climbing from sixth position to the race lead after an intense on-track battle and building nearly a 30-second advantage.

As the race entered its final stages, strategy became decisive; the #119 Supra GT4 executed a perfectly timed green-flag driver change after Schubert advanced the car into podium contention. Meanwhile, the #120 team gambled on an anticipated Code 35 slow zone, extending its stint until the caution materialized, with a calculated risk that maintained both cars inside podium positions.

Late drama struck when the #120 car suffered a radio issue, forcing the team to request a meatball flag for Michele Abbate and complete a rapid splash of fuel with just five minutes remaining. The situation reshuffled positions, allowing Montgomery to capitalize and secure second place at the checkered flag, while the sister car completed the podium in third.

The weekend therefore brought a remarkable double-podium finish to open AE Victory Racing’s 2026 campaign.

Photo credits: AEVR

“For both cars to earn podium finishes on our first race weekend is an incredible accomplishment and a testament to the strength of this entire team", commented Ashley Freiberg. "I’m so proud of how everyone executed, especially with the rain washing out our first day on track and adding an extra layer of challenge. Every single team member stepped up and the results truly reflect that effort.”

"Both cars did well and it was an incredibly strong way to start the season", Hannah Grisham continued. "Huge credit to my teammates Sally and Michele who did an amazing job all weekend and made our P3 result possible. Proud of the teamwork and already looking forward to carrying this momentum into Thunderhill.”

Despite minor issues over the weekend, the two line ups enjoyed rather seamless race executions, which is source of pride for team owner Erin Vogel. “The results are important, but what I’m most proud of is how this team has grown,” she said. “We doubled our program, integrated new crew and engineers, supported development drivers through a highly competitive endurance field, and still delivered podium performances. That speaks to the culture we’re building at AE Victory Racing. This is just the beginning of what we’re capable of in 2026 and I’m really looking forward to the year ahead.”

“I am so thankful to be a part of this team", commented Brenna Schubert, on her debut with the all-female team after securing the Driver Development role via the shootout. "I would say it’s hard to believe we scored three podiums on our debut weekend, but after seeing the top notch that Erin has put together in action, it’s not hard at all! Everyone worked so hard and put in effort needed to get us results. I am honored to be a part of it and I can’t wait to come back even stronger at Thunderhill, striving for the top step this time!”