Crowdstrike by APR chasing elusive Rolex 24 LMP2 win with 2026 line-up

After a several painful near-misses with victory at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, CrowdStrike Racing by APR (Algarve Pro Racing) will look to start its 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship by finally getting its first LMP2 win at the iconic event.

The line-up of the No. 04 ORECA 07-Gibson has a familiar look for this year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona, anchored by CrowdStrike CEO and new Mercedes F1 team co-owner George Kurtz. Kurtz will share the car with Peugeot Sport WEC driver Malthe Jakobsen, newly-promoted Peugeot development driver Alex Quinn and Toby Sowery.

In 2023, CrowdStrike by APR finished second by just 0.016s, in the closest finish in Rolex 24 history. The team then finished second in LMP2 again in 2024. An accident early Sunday morning took the No. 04 ORECA out of contention for victory in the most recent Daytona 24 Hours.

Last year, Kurtz and crew came away with just one podium finish, a third place at Watkins Glen.

“The Rolex 24 at Daytona is still the one that got away,” said Kurtz, who won the 2023 LMP2 Michelin Endurance Cup title and the Jim Trueman Award. “We’re going in wanting to win the watch and four days of testing were very productive with fewer cars on the track. We did well to match everybody’s driving styles, homing in on the fastest setup that works for all four drivers. The Rolex 24 kicks off the IMSA season and is always a race I look forward to. I have been there quite a few times now and, having missed out on the win by just 0.016s in 2023, I’m keen to get that monkey off my back.”

“There is unfinished business in the Rolex 24 at Daytona having finished runner-up two years in a row, but it is possible to be too hungry and to want the win too much. We must stay calm and keep it clean in the race, rather than showing off and doing anything silly,” said Jakobsen, who is currently running with CrowdStrike by APR in the Asian Le Mans Series to prepare for the IMSA season ahead.

“We recently completed a lot of positive mileage during four days of testing at both Daytona and Sebring. We can expect ambient and track conditions to be slightly different during the race weekends, but it was important that all four drivers were there to help each other. I came away with a good feeling, as the car was nice to drive and the timings were encouraging, progressing in the right direction step-by-step and working well together.”

“Over the past couple of seasons, we have really grown as a team and developed a great dynamic,” added Sowery. “We have always had a fantastic car, but the results haven’t always matched up. That’s something we are constantly working to improve and I feel we have put together a great 2026 package, one I’m confident will contest for wins straight out of the box at Daytona.”

“I had a bit of a taster by competing with the team in a few IMSA rounds this year and I’m really happy to be continuing with the program,” said Quinn, who replaced Jakobsen at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and at this year’s Motul Petit Le Mans in Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

“CrowdStrike Racing, George, Malthe, Toby and I are all striving for the Rolex 24 win – it would be an exciting way to start the 2026 season – because we have a great team behind us and a strong driver line-up. We just need to focus on ourselves to maximize our chances of being on top at the end of the 24 hours.”