YRB Racing
| Founded | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Base | Delaware, U.S. Millville, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Team principal(s) | Christopher Deely |
| Current series | Asian Le Mans Series IMSA SportsCar Championship Michelin Pilot Challenge |
| Current drivers | Asian Le Mans Series: Jonny Edgar Valentin Hasse-Clot Arnold RobinIMSA SportsCar Championship: Valentin Hasse-Clot Marco Sørensen |
| Website | Official website |
YRB Racing LLC, competing as Car Blanche, is an American sports car racing team that competes in the GTD Pro class of the IMSA SportsCar Championship, and in the LMGT3 class of the Asian Le Mans Series.
The team was established mid-way through 2026 after acquiring van der Steur Racing.
History
The team traces its origins to a Delaware-based limited liability company (LLC) called YRB Racing LLC. In early 2026, YRB Racing LLC and its investors purchased 4,838 shares (1.35%) in AMR Grand Prix Holdings, the company that owns the Aston Martin F1 team, for over £32 million. YRB Racing's 1.35% investment placed the F1 team at a £2.4 billion valuation.
In June 2026, ahead of that year's 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, the company announced that it acquired van der Steur Racing and all of the team's assets. They continued running VDSR's 2026 programs in the IMSA SportsCar Championship and the Michelin Pilot Challenge, and VDSR team principal Christopher Deely remained with YRB Racing in the same role.
Michelin Pilot Challenge
YRB Racing kept van der Steur Racing's existing lineup of Trenton Estep and Allen Patten heading into the team's first race at Watkins Glen. They finished a season best fifth in class, and immediately improved to a fourth place finish in class at CTMP. At Road America, Estep and Patten qualified ninth in class. During the race, they rose up the order thanks to pit stop strategy. With 18 minutes in the race remaining, they took the lead just before a caution came out. Estep and Patten went on to secure their first win of the season. This also marked YRB Racing's maiden win as an organization. Following a disappointing final three races of the season, the team finished tenth in the championship.
IMSA SportsCar Championship
2026
Prior to their first IMSA SportCar Championship event at Watkins Glen, the team revised their driver lineup for the weekend, bringing back Valentin Hasse-Clot, as well as adding Trenton Estep and Marius Fossard. Following the team's first race, the trio finished on the podium in third. Ahead of the Chevrolet Grand Prix at CTMP, YRB Racing entered a GTD Pro class entry with Hasse-Clot and Scott Andrews. They qualified in fifth and finished the race in tenth. Switching back to the GTD class for Road America with Estep, Fossard, and Hasse-Clot, the team finished on the podium once more with a third place in class. Following the event, the team permanently switched to GTD Pro for the rest of the 2026 season. Marco Sørensen joined Hasse-Clot ahead of VIR, and the duo finished a solid fourth in class. For the final round of the season at Road Atlanta, the team added Aston Martin factory driver Mattia Drudi to its existing lineup of Hasse-Clot and Sørensen. In qualifying, Drudi placed the car into an impressive second, behind the championship leading No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW. The drivers converted this pace into a win, securing YRB Racing's maiden IMSA SportsCar Championship victory in the team's first Michelin Endurance Cup GTD Pro start.
2027
After team principal Christopher Deely stated the team's intentions to compete in IMSA's GTD Pro class in 2027, YRB Racing were confirmed as a full-time entry in GTD Pro for the 2027 season. Valentin Hasse-Clot and Marco Sørensen returned to the team to compete full-time in the No. 68 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo.
Asian Le Mans Series
YRB Racing expanded into the Asian Le Mans Series for the 2026–27 season, partnering up with French squad Racing Spirit of Léman to field an entry in the LMGT3 class. Jonny Edgar, Valentin Hasse-Clot, and Arnold Robin joined the team as its drivers for the season.
Current series results
Complete Michelin Pilot Challenge results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Class | No | Chassis | Engine | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |  Thunder Bunny Racing (1) van der Steur Racing (2–4) Car Blanche (5–8) OORE (9–10) |
GS | 66 | Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo | Aston Martin M177 4.0 L Turbo V8 | Trenton Estep Allen Patten |
DAY 16 |
SEB 14 |
LAG 12 |
MDO 9 |
WGL 5 |
MOS 4 |
ELK 1 |
VIR 22 |
IND 31 |
ATL 20 |
10th | 1830 |
Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Class | No | Chassis | Engine | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | van der Steur Racing (1–4) Car Blanche (6, 8) |
GTD | 19 (1–4) 68 (6, 8) |
Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo | Aston Martin M177 4.0 L Turbo V8 | Trenton Estep Rory van der Steur Marius Fossard Valentin Hasse-Clot Sébastien Baud Carl Bennett Scott Andrews |
DAY 11 |
SEB 13 |
LBH 8 |
LGA 10 |
WGL 3 |
MOS |
ELK 3 |
VIR |
IMS |
PET |
14th | 1543 |
| Car Blanche |
GTD Pro | 68 | Valentin Hasse-Clot Marco Sørensen Scott Andrews Mattia Drudi |
DAY |
SEB |
LGA |
DET |
WGL |
MOS 10 |
ELK |
VIR 4 |
IMS 9 |
PET 1 |
13th | 1144 | |||
| 2027 | Car Blanche |
GTD Pro | 68 | Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo | Aston Martin M177 4.0 L Turbo V8 | Valentin Hasse-Clot Marco Sørensen |
DAY |
SEB |
LGA |
DET |
WGL |
MOS |
ELK |
VIR |
IMS |
PET |
Complete Asian Le Mans Series results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Class | No | Chassis | Engine | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Pos. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026–27 | Car Blanche by RSL |
LMGT3 | 68 | Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo | Aston Martin M177 4.0 L Turbo V8 | Jonny Edgar Valentin Hasse-Clot Arnold Robin |
LEC 1 |
LEC 2 |
JER 1 |
JER 2 |
POR 1 |
POR 2 |
External links
References
- ↑ DiZinno, Tony (September 20, 2026). "Car Blanche First to Confirm 2027 IMSA Entry with Full GTD PRO Aston Martin Program". IMSA. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- ↑ Goodwin, Graham (October 1, 2026). "Capacity 47 Car Grid For 2026/27 Asian Le Mans Series". Retrieved October 5, 2026.
- 1 2 Sport, Money in (March 7, 2026). "Aston Martin F1: New Investors Join as Stroll Consortium Reduces Stake". Money in Sport. Retrieved October 5, 2026.
- ↑ O'Connell, RJ; Johnston, Natalie (July 12, 2026). "Beneath the surface of Car Blanche, stealth-mode successor to van der Steur Racing". Racer. Retrieved October 5, 2026.
- ↑ O'Connell, RJ (June 24, 2026). "YRB Racing acquires van der Steur Racing entry ahead of Six Hours of the Glen". Racer. Retrieved October 5, 2026.
- ↑ "YRB Racing Acquires Van der Steur Racing". Performance Racing Industry. Retrieved October 5, 2026.
- ↑ Rachinsky, Jack (June 25, 2026). "Estep Paces Wet Opening Practice at Watkins Glen – Sportscar365". Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ Dagys, John (July 11, 2026). "RAFA's Porto, Choksey Claim Breakthrough Win on Strategy – Sportscar365". Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ Allaway, Phil. "Trenton Estep, Allen Patten Win Road America 120". Frontstretch. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ Ringer, Finlay (August 1, 2026). "YRB Aston Martin Takes First Win at Road America – Sportscar365". Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ O’Connell, R. J. (June 25, 2026). "YRB Racing To Make IMSA Debut At Watkins Glen". Retrieved October 6, 2026.
- ↑ O’Connell, R. J. (June 28, 2026). "Cadillac Whelen Wins Wild Watkins Glen Six Hours". Retrieved October 6, 2026.
- ↑ Dagys, John (July 1, 2026). "33 Entries for LMP2 Headline Race at CTMP – Sportscar365". Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ DiZinno, Tony (July 16, 2026). "Car Blanche Delivers Fast, Fresh Start to its New IMSA Adventure". IMSA. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
- ↑ "Aston Martin Vantage on podium at Motul Sportscar Endurance Grand Prix with Car Blanche | Aston Martin". www.astonmartin.com. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ O’Connell, R. J. (August 2, 2026). "Wayne Taylor Racing Breaks Through To Win Road America 6H". Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ O’Connell, R. J. (August 13, 2026). "23 Entries For IMSA GT Challenge At VIR | dailysportscar.com". Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ O’Connell, R. J. (August 23, 2026). "Pfaff Motorsports Moves Into Championship Contention". Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ tdizinno (September 21, 2026). "Drudi Rounds Out Car Blanche Lineup for its First GTD PRO Michelin Endurance Cup Race". IMSA. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ "Mattia Drudi avec Car Blanche à Petit Le Mans - Endurance Info". www.endurance-info.com (in French). Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ Dagys, John (October 2, 2026). "Blomqvist Leads Acura Front Row Lockout for Petit Le Mans – Sportscar365". Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ DiZinno, Tony (October 4, 2026). "Car Blanche Wins Motul Petit Le Mans in First IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD PRO Start". IMSA. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ Gill, Jay (October 5, 2026). "Aston Martin Vantage GT3 wins again at Petit Le Mans as Car Blanche claims maiden victory". Aston Martin. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ Rachinsky, Jack (October 3, 2026). "Car Blanche Wins GTD Pro; Paul Miller Racing Secures Title – Sportscar365". Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ Dagys, John (July 10, 2026). "YRB Planning Full-Time Aston GTD Pro Program Next Year – Sportscar365". Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ "Car Blanche confirms full-season IMSA GTD Pro move with Aston Martin for 2027". www.motorsport.com. September 20, 2026. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ O’Connell, R. J. (September 20, 2026). "Car Blanche Confirms 2027 IMSA GTD Pro Step-Up". Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ "Car Blanche expanding to Asian Le Mans in partnership with RSL". Racer. October 30, 2026. Retrieved November 2, 2026.
- ↑ Goodwin, Graham (October 1, 2026). "Capacity 47 Car Grid For 2026/27 Asian Le Mans Series". Retrieved October 9, 2026.