Maddie Aust secures first IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge podium with third at Mid-Ohio
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After a clean and consistent opening stint, Maddie Aust celebrated her first IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge career podium by securing third in the TCR class during the 4-hour race at Mid-Ohio, partnering Mark Wilkins in the #98 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai.
Maddie Aust celebrated her first IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge career podium by securing third in the TCR class during the 4-hour race at Mid-Ohio, the fourth round of the 2026 season. Partnering Mark Wilkins in the #98 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR, Aust helped deliver a superb third-place result after a disciplined and consistent race that capitalized on strategy in the latter stages of the race. The podium marked the reward for an impressive start to the season, further strengthening the duo’s position in the championship standings.
The Mid-Ohio event represented the second endurance race of the year following the Daytona season opener and provided another opportunity for teams to showcase both speed and consistency over four demanding hours at the technical Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Aust arrived at the fourth round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge enjoying one of the strongest starts of her season, having quickly established herself as a top-five contender in the highly competitive TCR category.
The Texan returned to Bryan Herta Autosport for the 2026 campaign aboard the #98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR alongside experienced teammate Mark Wilkins; building on the progress shown during her rookie season in 2025, Aust and Wilkins had emerged as one of the category’s most reliable pairings: the opening three rounds had highlighted that consistency, with back-to-back fourth-place finishes at Daytona and Sebring followed by another solid points-scoring result at Laguna Seca, where they maximized a difficult weekend to finish sixth in class.
The weekend at Mid-Ohio began in mixed conditions, with rain affecting portions of the practice sessions. Aust completed valuable laps during the opening practice before Wilkins guided the Hyundai to second fastest in FP2 with a best lap of 1:32.888, providing encouraging signs heading into qualifying.
Aust took qualifying duties for the #98 Hyundai and delivered a lap of 1:28.364, placing the car 13th in the TCR field.
When the green flag waved for the four-hour contest, Aust lined up 13th in class and immediately focused on staying clear of trouble through the opening corners. She successfully negotiated the chaotic first lap, as the race was quickly neutralized following a major incident in the GS class. Miller was spun at the crest of the hill, and with approaching drivers unsighted, several cars became involved in a substantial accident. The #4 Aston Martin sustained significant damage and lost a wheel, prompting an immediate caution period.
Racing resumed after approximately ten minutes under yellow, with Aust now running 12th in TCR. She settled into a strong rhythm, consistently lapping in the 1:29 range and maintaining competitive pace within the midfield.
As the race approached the one-hour mark, the first round of pit stops commenced. Aust brought the #98 Hyundai to pit lane and remained behind the wheel after service. Following the first cycle of stops, she was running 12th in class and continued to execute a clean, mistake-free race.
With the event running uninterrupted under green, the gap to the TCR front-runners gradually increased, but Aust continued to focus on consistency and preserving the car. As the race neared its halfway point and teams began preparing for the next sequence of stops, she remained inside the top ten.
After a faultless opening double stint, Aust brought the Hyundai to pit road on lap 69 for its second scheduled stop. At that point she was running tenth in TCR, having completed her assignment without issues. Mark Wilkins then climbed aboard the #98 machine for the remainder of the race.
The race changed dramatically with 1 hour and 36 minutes remaining when the #2 CSM Porsche of Burkhard suffered a heavy accident attempting to pass a Mustang on the main straight. Burkhard was pushed wide onto the wet grass and slammed into the wall, causing significant damage and triggering the first full-course caution since the opening lap.
At the time of the neutralization, Wilkins was running eighth in class. When the race resumed with 1 hour and 22 minutes remaining, the Bryan Herta Autosport strategy began to pay dividends, as Wilkins successfully caught back with the leading pack, moving up to seventh in TCR.
With renewed momentum, Wilkins began carving his way through the field. He advanced to sixth position and reduced the gap to the TCR leaders to less than ten seconds. The caution had brought the #98 Hyundai back into the fight for a podium.
As the final round of pit stops approached, Wilkins continued his charge and climbed into third place. Following the last pit sequence with approximately 50 minutes remaining, he remained an impressive third in class, just six seconds behind teammate and class leaders Lewis and Dupont in the sister Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai.
Another twist followed when the #14 Circle H Racing Aston Martin became stranded, bringing out another full-course caution and setting up a tense final sprint to the finish.
The race resumed with 30 minutes remaining. Wilkins lined up fourth in TCR behind Wittmer, Dupont and Lewis as six cars battled for victory.
Moments later, championship contender Tim Lewis encountered problems while leading the class and slowed dramatically, promoting Wilkins back into third position.
A thrilling battle for the win developed in the closing stages, with Dupont and Wittmer fighting for victory while Wilkins remained approximately five seconds behind in third. Although the leaders stayed just out of reach, the #98 crew had already completed a remarkable turnaround: after four hours of racing, Wilkins crossed the finish line third in TCR, securing a well-earned podium for himself and Maddie Aust.
The result marked Aust’s first podium finish in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and rewarded the pair after a season that had consistently demonstrated speed, reliability and racecraft.
The podium also secured another strong haul of championship points, allowing Aust and Wilkins to maintain third place in the TCR standings with 1,110 points after four rounds.
With momentum on their side following their breakthrough podium, Aust and Wilkins will now look to continue their championship challenge at Watkins Glen, where the fifth round of the season takes place on 25–28 June.