CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Kicks Off the 2026 Season in Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 26, 2026) - CarBahn with Peregrine Racing officially kicked off the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (IMPC) season at Daytona International Speedway over the weekend. Marking the start of 2026, the Peregrine Racing team focused on putting their best foot forward. The team worked diligently throughout the on-track sessions during Roar Before the 24 and the week leading up to the race to find their footing around the 3.56 mile, 12-turn road course
The No. 39 BMW M4 GT4 EVO driven by Jeff Westphal and Sean McAlister opened the race week strong, with McAlister finding the pace to secure a fifth-place starting position. The speed of the No. 39 was displayed as McAlister started off the four-hour endurance challenge taking off to third-place on the first lap of the race. From there, the No. 39 eventually made its way to the front of the pack to lead multiple laps in the first hour of the race. Unfortunately, this dominance was short lived as pace became a challenge the further the race went on. While battling for position, McAlister made contact going into the Bus Stop (Turn 7), resulting in near race ending damage. The No. 39 managed to make it back out on track with just a little over an hour left, creating the opportunity to make up some laps and finish 30th in class.
The No. 37 BMW M4 GT4 EVO driven by Stephen Wetterau and Cameron Shields were on the hunt ahead of their full season debut, starting from 11th on the grid. In Wetterau’s first racing laps at Daytona, he moved into seventh-place less than 15 minutes into the race. The pace remained strong as Shields took over for the second stint with sights of a podium, but unfortunately an array of penalties hindered their progression forward. Ultimately, Shields finished off the race 27th in class - an unfortunate end to an initially strong starting point for the season.
All sights are set on redemption for Peregrine Racing, as they prepare to take on the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 at Sebring International Raceway for the two-hour sprint. Action will begin on Wednesday, March 18th with race day commencing on Friday, March 20th. Broadcast for the second race of year will be hosted on Peacock.
What They're Saying: CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Quotes
Jeff Westphal, co-driver, No. 39 BMW M4 GT4 EVO: “I commend the team for the hard work. It’s the opposite of how we wanted to start the season coming off of a near-championship win as runner-up last year. The model of consistency in Daytona this year unfortunately bit us with some contact early about midway in the race, with a loss of laps. Luckily we got the car back out, but the reality is it’s as close to a DNF as you can get. We look forward to a reset at Sebring.”
Sean McAllister, co-driver, No. 39 BMW M4 GT4 EVO: “Race was going really well, we had a good first stint out there, then we only took left tires [first pit stop] which was great for track position, but then it really set me back on the backfoot of the second stint. I couldn’t really hold anyone off and as I was battling with Porsche going into the Bus Stop. I just outbroke myself, and realized too late that I was getting too close to that TCR that was put on the outside from the Mercedes. I should have bailed, but we found a control arm that got us back out there to get some more laps in.”
Stephen Wetterau, co-driver, No. 37 BMW M4 GT4 EVO: “What a race. Pushing from P11 to P6 before a pit stop was fantastic - shows we got the pace, the team behind us. It was an unfortunate result with a late penalty, but off to Sebring. We will see what comes up next.”
Cameron Shields, co-driver, No. 37 BMW M4 GT4 EVO: “Very crazy race today; we had some incredible pace in the beginning. Starting the race really strong with Stephen, the car got up to sixth position. We also had a fantastic pit stop that got us back up to fourth. Unfortunately, a number of drive-through penalties after that cost us the chance at the win - we were battling for P2 for most of the time - but looking forward to Sebring.”
Steve Dinan: “We had two really fast race cars and the drivers were really quick, but collectively as a group we made too many mistakes, and you can’t do that on this level to win. Looking for a more polished performance in Sebring, and hope to see some key learnings applied.”
Mark Siegel: “Well, today was not our day, but the cars were fast so I think it bodes well for the rest of the season. We just had some really bad luck and I think we have some execution things to work on as well. Hope to have better luck at Sebring, and make improvements moving forward.”
About Peregrine Racing
Founded by two venture capitalists in 2018, Peregrine Racing is a title-winning organization competing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge GS class and the VP Fuels SportsCar Challenge. Champions of the former category in 2019, Peregrine stayed true to their ideals of growth and innovation by making the jump to GT3 racing in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2021. After achieving success with multiple podiums and a GTD championship challenge in two years in IMSA's top series, Peregrine Racing has refocused their efforts on GT4 racing and winning championships.
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Media Contact:
Nicole Welsh
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