Nicole Havrda makes LMP3 debut in IMSA Endurance Challenge with top-5 at Sebring
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With significantly improved pace over the event and having led laps, Nicole Havrda made an encouraging LMP3 endurance racing debut, securing a top-five overall finish in the inaugural IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge at Sebring International Raceway.
Canadian racer Nicole Havrda made a strong endurance racing debut, securing a top-five overall finish alongside teammate Travis Hill in the inaugural IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge at Sebring International Raceway, the third round of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge season.
Driving the #2 Ligier JS P325 LMP3 entry operated by Shopify Racing by TWOth Autosport, the duo combined good consistency and significantly improved pace over the event to finish fifth overall, fourth among the bronze class, in the two-hour endurance contest, which featured an LMP3-only grid for the first endurance round of the championship.
While Havrda was not entirely new to sports cars, having previously made one-off GT appearances, her career to date had largely focused on single-seaters. The Canadian rose to prominence after winning the 2023 Formula Pro US title in Formula Regional machinery, before finishing sixth in the 2024 Formula Regional Americas championship. She then stepped into F1 Academy in 2025, representing AMEX and scoring points at her home event in Montreal.
For 2026, Havrda committed fully to endurance racing, announcing a move into LMP3 prototypes with Shopify Racing. The Sebring round marked her first official start in IMSA’s endurance format after contesting preparatory outings earlier in the year.
The weekend began with a focus on adaptation as both drivers worked through setup changes and learned the demanding Sebring circuit. Havrda progressively found speed, setting a 2:01.9 lap to place sixth overall in the opening practice session. In the second practice, Hill improved the team’s benchmark to a 2:00.6, ending the session eighth fastest as the pair continued to get up to speed ahead of qualifying.
Havrda took qualifying duties for the #2 Ligier, steadily improving throughout the session as she gained confidence in the prototype. Her opening lap of 2:16.2 quickly dropped to 2:08.9 before further improvements followed. Lap by lap, she extracted more performance, recording a 2:07.2 and ultimately a 2:05.938 on her final run to secure seventh position on the grid.
Nicole started the two-hour IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge on Sunday, officially launching her LMP3 debut in the series. From seventh on the grid, she initially slipped to eighth before reclaiming the position when Siddiqi encountered trouble on lap three.
Settling quickly into rhythm, Havrda began an impressive charge forward. Running significantly faster than during earlier sessions, she consistently lapped in the 2:05 range before dropping into the 2:03s, in a major step forward in pace.
She soon overtook Williamson for sixth place and then passed Forbush to move into fifth overall and third in the bronze class. Her progression continued as she closed the gap to Balogh ahead, setting successive personal bests including a 2:02.9 on lap 14 and later improving again to a 2:02.4.
By the end of the first hour, Havrda had consistently top-five pace, maintaining a gap of roughly ten seconds to the car ahead while managing tyres.
As pit cycles began, Shopify Racing opted to extend Havrda’s stint thanks to her strong pace. While several competitors pitted, she remained on track and climbed the order.
When race leader Oscar Tunjo eventually entered the pits, Havrda inherited the overall lead on lap 30, adding a small milestone to her first LMP3 endurance race. She led one lap before bringing the car into pit lane with 53 minutes remaining, handing over to Hill after an strong opening stint that showcased significant development across the weekend. Hill rejoined the race in sixth position.
Shortly after the driver change, a full-course yellow was triggered when Siddiqi stopped again at Turn 1, bunching the field for the restart with 36 minutes remaining.
Hill maintained sixth place once racing resumed, posting competitive laps in the 2:01.9 range. However, the leaders ahead proved difficult to match as the pace intensified, highlighted by new fastest laps from Soufi and Grist ahead.
A spin on lap 40 briefly threatened the team’s progress, but Hill - who was also battling an issue that went deteriorating, avoided damage and retained sixth position thanks to a substantial gap behind. Regrouping quickly, he stabilized the pace and maintained consistent lap times to secure the result.
Late drama reshaped the finishing order when Wyatt Brichacek’s leading #95 Toney Driver Development car slowed dramatically and stopped with just three minutes remaining, promoting the Shopify Racing entry back into fifth overall, the same position Havrda had achieved during her stint.
At the chequered flag, Valentino Catalano claimed victory ahead of Kujala and Grist, while Hill and Havrda completed a strong debut outing in fifth overall and fourth among bronze-class competitors.
The result represented a gain of two positions from their starting spot and wrapped up an encouraging first appearance in the IMSA endurance format for Nicole Havrda. Across the weekend, the Canadian showed rapid adaptation to LMP3 machinery, culminating in competitive race pace, a brief overall lead and ultimately a top-five finish.
The next endurance round on the calendar will be on May 7-9 at Circuit of the Americas.