Megennis, Altzman join Gradient for IMSA sprint races

Gradient Racing has announced Robert Megennis and Jenson Altzman as their drivers for the upcoming sprint races of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, making their debut in the No. 66 Ford Mustang GT3 at the upcoming Grand Prix of Long Beach.

This will mark Megennis' return to the IMSA WeatherTech series for the first time since the 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona. He has four career GTD class podiums, three of which came in 2022 as a driver at CarBahn with Peregrine Racing, the same year he finished seventh in the Drivers' championship.

The Indy NXT alumnus has been racing full-time in the Michelin Pilot Challenge series since 2023, and joined Czabok-Simpson Motorsports (CSM) this season after two years at Turner Motorsport.

More IMSA

Paul Miller Racing, BMW look back to where it all began with Laguna Seca throwback livery

Vanthoor addresses future with Porsche

Corvettes go back in time with Laguna Seca liveries

“Being back in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is super exciting,” Megennis said ahead of his return at Long Beach. “I think this series has the best sports car racing in the world. I’m thrilled to be driving the Gradient Racing Mustang GT3 and working to continue developing it. The support I've seen from Ford Performance and Multimatic Motorsports has been amazing. I have heard nothing but great things about this program, and I’m very happy to be a part of it and to have the opportunity to work with Jenson because we’ve known each other for a long time.

“I want to get the best out of myself and Mustang GT3. With this platform and lineup, I believe we have the potential to win races."

Long Beach will mark the GT3 debut for Altzman, a Ford Performance Junior Driver who has already excelled in the Mustang Challenge series and in the Ford Mustang GT4 with McCumbee McAleer Racing. He will continue to race in the Pilot Challenge series for MMR, where he's currently fourth in the Grand Sport (GS) standings alongside co-driver Sam Paley.

“This opportunity is everything that I’ve been working toward and what I’ve looked up to since racing go-karts,” Altzman said. “Long Beach will be a very special event for me, and I’m ready to bring this Mustang to the front.

“I’ve been fortunate to have done some Dark Horse R development for Mustang Challenge and to have a hand in the Mustang GT4. It’s a tremendous feeling to be involved with Ford Performance, there’s really no one else in motorsports that offers this sort of opportunity. They’ve given me the tools the last few years to prepare for this, and I’m ready to deliver. The Junior Driver program has opened so many possibilities like this one. I’m so appreciative of McCumbee McAleer Racing for all they’ve done for me, and with them, I was able to improve my skill level exponentially in such a short amount of time.

“This also would not be possible without the help of all my partners; I look forward to introducing returning partners to a new environment and am excited to bring some new faces to the IMSA paddock.”

Gradient Racing team owner Andris Laivins added: “We're so happy to be able to announce our Sprint lineup alongside our endurance program for the year. Robert, Jenson, and I have been working hard to put this together, and I'm really looking forward to Long Beach where we're heading straight into a tough street course. I've watched both of these drivers develop in IMSA over the years, so it's going to be fun welcoming Rob to the Ford family, and to see Jenson step up into GT3 machinery for the first time after earning a spot on the Ford Performance Junior Team in GT4.”

Gradient's Endurance Cup trio of Till Bechtolsheimer, Joey Hand, and Tatiana Calderon finished 13th in GTD at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring earlier this month.