IMSA VP Challenge: Cecilia Rabelo completes productive debut with sixth-place finish at Daytona International Speedway

Brazilian racer Cecilia Rabelo achieved a best result of sixth as she made an encouraging debut in the GSX class of the IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge, making significant progress throughout the Daytona event as she tackled both wet and dry conditions in Florida.

Photo credits: Brandon Badraoui

Brazilian racer Cecilia Rabelo achieved a best result of sixth position as she made an encouraging debut in the GSX class of the IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge. Racing for Panam Motorsport, Rabelo made significant progress throughout the event as she tackled both wet and dry conditions in Florida.

After qualifying in tenth, Cecilia charged through the field in race one to challenge for a top-5 finish in the closing stages. Despite contact and a subsequent penalty dropping her to ninth in the final classification, Rabelo fought back in a wet race two to gain three positions on a late-race restart to finish in sixth. 

Stepping up into the IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge represented a significant move for Rabelo who has spent much of her motorsport career in her native Brazil. Racing single seaters in 2023, Rabelo claimed a pole position and multiple top-10 finishes in the F4 Brazilian championship before returning to the series in 2024. Ending the campaign 13^th in the overall standings, Rabelo secured a best result of fourth coming at Autodromo Velo Citta. 

Last season, Rabelo moved into GT racing as she lined up on the grid of Porsche Sprint Challenge Brazil. Driving in the 991 class, Cecilia claimed podium finishes and one race victory while consistently battling at the head of the field. Now teaming up with Panam Motorsport, Rabelo was targeting success in North America as joined the competitive GSX class of the IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge.

The calendar takes Rabelo to iconic circuits beginning with Daytona International Speedway before the series heads to Circuit of the Americas in Texas. Trips to Mid-Ohio and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park follow, before the IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge wraps up its 2026 season with two races apiece at Virginia International Raceway and Road Atlanta.

With two, 45-minute races held across each of the six race weekends, Rabelo was set to develop her tyre management skills in the extended sprint races. Up to three classes are eligible to compete in the IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge and therefore traffic management was a key skill to master.

Photo credits: Brandon Badraoui

The first session of the season was held on Friday morning with the opening free practice session taking place. Despite battling some early technical issues, Rabelo gained valuable mileage in the second half of the forty-minute session. The Panam Motorsport driver ended the first practice session in 11^th position in the GSX class with her quickest time of a 1:58.645 coming on her final flying lap.

Significant improvements were made by the Brazilian driver in the second free practice session on Friday afternoon. Rabelo’s fastest lap came at the end of the session with a 1:56.828 placing her in ninth position and in contention with those inside the top-5 of the GSX class. 

Qualifying took place on Saturday morning with Rabelo targeting further improvements in the fifteen-minute session. Valuable experience was gained by Cecilia and by finding three-quarters of a second from free practice, the Brazilian racer qualified in eighth position within the GSX class. Her quickest lap of a 1:56.103 saw her set the second fastest time among the Toyota GR Supra GT4 contingent, while her final sector was fifth quickest within class. 

Rabelo’s debut race in the IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge took place on Saturday afternoon with the Panam Motorsport driver aiming to build upon her significant progress to date. Lining up from eighth on the grid, it was a clean start throughout the GSX field with Cecilia initially dropping to tenth position as she got up to speed.

In the early exchanges, Rabelo was forced to defend from fellow Toyota Supra GT4 EVO2 driver Jon Brel as the slipstream effect ensured the midfield battles within GSX remained extremely close. After defending smartly from the Kingpin Racing driver, Rabelo began to catch Rafael Martinez ahead. On lap five, Rabelo drew level with Martinez, however she was unable to complete the pass with five cars now battling for position. 

After Dan Ammann and Mike Fitzpatrick had been caught by this trio, Rabelo seized her opportunity to move forward. On lap seven, she overtook Fitzpatrick at the International Horseshoe before passing Martinez on the following tour. Rabelo was quickly setting her best sector times of the entire race as she hunted down Ammann. By lap 10, Rabelo was into seventh position and now with a sizeable gap ahead of her, Cecilia was focused on fast and consistent lap times.

Once clear of Ammann, Rabelo’s middle sector time was the quickest in the entire GSX field and on lap 12, she was the fastest driver on track. The Brazilian driver displayed excellent pace during the middle portion of the race as she gained confidence with each lap at Daytona International Speedway. 

On lap 15, Rabelo set a personal best time and this speed was bringing her closer to the group ahead who were fighting for top-5 positions. Two laps later, a technical issue for Jonsin promoted Rabelo to sixth and with Courtney Crone and Sean Quinlan battling ahead, Rabelo was regularly gaining over a second per lap on the duo. 

With five minutes of the race remaining, Rabelo was in the slipstream of Crone and the three drivers were split by just one second. Looking to make her speed count on the penultimate lap, Rabelo made a move on Crone at the International Horseshoe, however contact was made between the drivers. Rabelo was able to continue, now in fifth, however Crone was spun around and lost several positions. Taking the chequered flag less than two seconds behind Quinlan in fifth, Rabelo was later dropped to ninth following a penalty for incident responsibility after the contact with Crone.

Photo credits: Brandon Badraoui

For the second race of the weekend, Rabelo faced a further challenge with wet conditions at Daytona International Speedway. Despite extremely limited experience driving the Toyota GR Supra GT4, Rabelo was aiming to learn with each passing lap from tenth position on the grid. Prior to the race getting underway, Cecilia was up to ninth as Westin Workman started from the rear of the field following a technical issue on the second pace lap.

Rabelo did a nice job to avoid contact on the opening lap as she dropped to 12^th position behind Workman, Mike Fitzpatrick and Tiger Tari. On lap three, Rabelo began to move forward as she overtook Tari and quickly caught Rafael Martinez. Despite a moment at the Bus Stop on the next lap, Cecilia then settled into a rhythm and gained two seconds on Martinez throughout the fifth tour. 

On lap six, Rabelo was back into the top-10 after a puncture for Ismaeel Ellahi saw the CSM driver spin at high speed before bringing his Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS into the pits. The middle sector of the lap was Rabelo’s strongest and on lap 11, she was the sixth fastest driver on track. As Rabelo continued to cut the gap to Martinez, the Panam Motorsport driver moved into ninth as Fitzpatrick retired his 89x Motorsports machine.

With a little under ten minutes to go, the race entered a full course yellow after Brady Golan hit the barriers in his Toney Driver Development prepared LMP3. The race resumed for one final lap and Rabelo used her knowledge to good effect as she made excellent progress through the field. Overtaking Martinez and Jon Brel, Cecilia took the chequered flag in seventh position before being promoted to sixth following a ten-second penalty awarded to Jim Jonsin for a false start.

Rabelo displayed superb race pace throughout the event as she gained significant experience in her first weekend in GT4 machinery. The Panam Motorsport driver made excellent progress in race one prior the late contact, before adapting to wet conditions on her series debut.

Rabelo will be keen to push towards the top-5 when the IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge returns at Circuit of the Americas on the weekend of February 27^th/28^th.