IMSA: Frederik Schandorff Chases Points in California

A ticket to Le Mans is on the line as Frederik Schandorff and Inception Racing take part in the fourth round of the American IMSA Championship at Laguna Seca this weekend.

Frederik Schandorff continues his American IMSA campaign this weekend at the legendary Laguna Seca circuit in California. While the Dane and his American teammate, Brendan Iribe, have fought for victories in endurance races at Daytona and Sebring, they head into Sunday’s 160-minute race with different expectations.

"We don’t have particularly strong ambitions for victories in the sprint rounds of the IMSA Championship. Our driver lineup means that our focus is instead on collecting as many points as possible in the Bob Akin Award standings, as this could earn us an invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2026,” says Frederik Schandorff.

The popular Bob Akin Award is reserved for GTD-class cars that feature a bronze-rated driver according to FIA classifications — a requirement that Inception Racing meets. While Schandorff is gold-rated, his regular teammate Brendan Iribe holds bronze status, giving the team a shot at the coveted Le Mans ticket. However, it’s a challenge competing against cars driven by silver- and gold-rated drivers.

"In the sprint races, we’re simply up against cars that generally have a higher average speed. That’s why our success criteria this weekend is to score as many Bob Akin points as possible. Of course, we’re also hoping something will happen during the race that could work to our advantage and maybe even put us in contention for a podium,” Schandorff adds.

“That said, I’m really looking forward to the race. Laguna Seca is another iconic American track with famous sections like the ‘Corkscrew’, which is possibly one of the most spectacular corners in the world. I hope it will be a rewarding weekend for the entire team.”

The two-hour and 40-minute IMSA race goes green on Sunday, May 11 at 12:10 p.m. local time — that’s 9:10 p.m. Danish time. The race can be followed live on Danish Viaplay.