Samantha Tan secures first top ten in IMSA Pilot Challenge in strategic Laguna Seca charge
- RACERS
- May 6
- 4 min read
Samantha Tan secured her first top-ten finish of the 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season at Laguna Seca, as she and Random Vandals by ST Racing teammate Bill Auberlen ran a clean and strategic race to finish eighth in the GS class.
Samantha Tan secured her first top-ten finish of the 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season at Laguna Seca, as she and Random Vandals by ST Racing teammate Bill Auberlen ran a clean and strategic race to finish eighth in the GS class, converting their pace into a deserved result after a challenging start to the year.
The Canadian driver, who entered the season as the reigning 2025 IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge GSX Bronze class champion, stepped up to the highly competitive Pilot Challenge grid for 2026, returning to GT4 machinery aboard the #38 BMW M4 GT4. Sharing driving duties with BMW veteran Bill Auberlen, Tan brought momentum at Laguna Seca coming off her return to GT3 machinery in a GT China Championship appearance, where she immediately secured a class podium at Shanghai on her first start.
Despite showing promising speed in the opening rounds of the IMSA campaign, Tan’s results had not reflected her performances. At both Daytona and Sebring, she demonstrated strong pace and delivered well-executed stints, but misfortune ultimately prevented top-ten, and even potential top-five - finishes, leaving the duo with a best result of 12th.
Heading into Laguna Seca, the focus was on turning that pace into results, though the third round would once again prove demanding, requiring both drivers to fight through the field and execute a precise strategy in a highly tactical GS class race.
The weekend began positively, with the #38 BMW running inside the top ten during opening practice. Tan then took over driving duties for qualifying and set a 1:31.234 lap, placing the car 22nd on the grid and setting up a recovery race.
Starting the two-hour contest from P22, Tan made a clean getaway as the field navigated the opening corners without incident. She immediately began moving forward, gaining a couple of positions on the first lap to climb to P20, and soon advancing further to 19th. The race was quickly interrupted by a major incident when the #67 BSI Racing Toyota of Weisenberg suffered a heavy crash at Turn 2 and flipped into the barriers, bringing out a lengthy caution period.
When racing resumed approximately 20 minutes later, Tan continued her progress before another accident halted the action once again, this time involving the #21 Victor Gonzalez Racing Cupra of Tally, which crashed heavily at Turn 1 and also ended up on its roof. Following the second Full Course Yellow, the race went back to green with 1 hour and 20 minutes remaining, with Tan now up to 16th.
In the midfield, Tan found herself in intense battles on the narrow and technical Laguna Seca circuit. Despite the close racing, she kept it clean, combining consistency with good overtakes to continue advancing. Running solidly in P16, she executed a disciplined stint and stayed out of trouble, positioning the team close to the top ten.
On lap 24, Tan brought the car into the pits slightly earlier than most of the GS field, as the team opted for an alternative strategy. Bill Auberlen took over driving duties and rejoined in P23. Soon after, a Full Course Yellow was deployed with 1 hour and 8 minutes remaining due to debris at Turn 2 - an intervention that proved crucial for the #38 crew, as it allowed them to save some fuel after their earlier stop.
As the field pitted under caution with around an hour to go, Auberlen returned to the pits for a quick top-off. The pit sequence also saw multiple penalties issued to competitors for running the red light at the pit exit, reshuffling the order and opening opportunities.
Back under green, Auberlen began a determined charge through the field. Running in P15, he picked off several cars and soon found himself closing in on the group battling for the top ten, including Liefhooge and Arrow. Continuing his progress, Auberlen climbed to 12th and then into the thick of a tightly packed battle, with just a few seconds separating multiple contenders for top-ten positions.
With ten minutes remaining, the race entered a decisive phase as fuel strategy became critical. Several teams faced the prospect of needing a late splash, and the order began to shift. Liefhooge was among those forced to pit with four minutes to go, followed by Murillo, who also made a late stop with just three minutes remaining.
Auberlen, however, was able to stay out, having managed fuel effectively; as rivals pitted, the #38 BMW moved up into eighth position. Auberlen successfully brought the car to the chequered flag without requiring an additional stop, securing eighth overall in the GS class.
The result marked the first top-ten finish of the season for Samantha Tan and Bill Auberlen, a deserved reward after the bad luck that had plagued their earlier races. It also represented a strong execution of both pace and strategy, with Tan’s opening stint laying the foundation for Auberlen’s charge to the finish.
Following the Laguna Seca round, Tan and Auberlen now sit tenth in the GS class championship standings with 530 points, gaining valuable momentum as the season progresses. The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge will next head to Mid-Ohio on June 5–7.
