Almonte Motorsports Breaks Through with Historic First GTO Podium
Boise-based team finishes P4 Saturday and P2 Sunday at Utah Motorsports Campus as 17-year-old Tiziano Rosso-Orcel makes WRL history twice and Almonte Motorsports scores a podium in only its fourth race with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
Boise, ID — September 28th, 2026
Five years after Almonte Motorsports began building an endurance racing program around a BMW E36 M3, the Boise-based team has reached a new milestone.
Competing at Utah Motorsports Campus in World Racing League’s premier GTO category, Almonte Motorsports finished P4 on Saturday and P2 on Sunday, earning the team’s first podium in WRL’s highest and most competitive class.
It came in only the team’s fourth race with its Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, acquired in February 2026.
The weekend also produced two significant milestones for 17-year-old driver Tiziano Rosso-Orcel, who became the youngest driver to lead a World Racing League race on Saturday before becoming the youngest GTO podium finisher in WRL history on Sunday.
For a program with ambitions extending far beyond its current level of competition, the weekend represented much more than another trophy.
It was another step on a road Almonte Motorsports hopes will eventually lead from Boise to the 24 Hours of Le Mans by 2035.
From GP1 to the Front of GTO
Almonte Motorsports was established in 2021, building its endurance racing foundation with a BMW E36 M3.
That car became the platform on which the team learned the demands of multiclass endurance competition: vehicle preparation, driver management, strategy, traffic management, pit-stop execution and the discipline required to keep a race car competitive for hours at a time.
The team has earned podium finishes in WRL’s GP1 category along the way.
World Racing League is a multiclass endurance championship, with several categories competing simultaneously. GTO sits at the top of that structure, followed by GP1 and the remaining GP categories.
For 2026, Almonte Motorsports decided it was time to move up.
The team acquired its Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in February and stepped directly into GTO.
The transition represented a significant increase in performance, technical complexity and competition.
Four races later, the team has its first GTO trophy.
“This weekend means a lot because it validates years of work,” said team owner Alex Almonte. “We have been on WRL podiums before, but those came during our GP1 program. Moving into GTO was an entirely different challenge. To reach the podium in only our fourth race with this car tells us that the foundation we built over the last five years is translating as we move to the next level.”
A 17-Year-Old Makes WRL History — Twice
The team’s Porsche was shared by Nick Persing, Tiziano Rosso-Orcel and Bryson Lew, bringing together local professional talent, emerging international talent and championship-winning experience.
Rosso-Orcel entered the weekend at just 17 years old, continuing his transition from a successful karting career into high-level sports car and endurance competition.
On Saturday, the young French driver put the Almonte Motorsports Porsche at the front of the race.
In doing so, Rosso-Orcel became the youngest driver to lead a race in World Racing League history.
Twenty-four hours later came another milestone.
The team’s second-place GTO finish Sunday made Rosso-Orcel the youngest driver to stand on a GTO podium in WRL history.
The achievements came while competing in the fastest category in the series and only months after Almonte Motorsports began developing its Porsche program.
“Tiziano continues to show maturity far beyond his age,” Almonte said. “There is a tremendous difference between being fast and being able to race an endurance car at the front of a multiclass field. What he accomplished this weekend speaks not only to his speed, but to the development he has made as a complete driver.”
Local Talent Meets Championship Experience
Alongside Rosso-Orcel was Nick Persing, a Boise-based professional driver and Boise State student whose racing career has progressed from karting and open-wheel competition into professional sports car racing.
Persing’s presence gives the program a particularly meaningful connection to the Treasure Valley: a Boise professional competing at the national level while helping a Boise-based team establish itself in top-class endurance racing.
The third member of the lineup, Bryson Lew, brought championship-winning experience to the program.
Lew is a Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Pro-Am Champion, giving the lineup another driver accustomed to competing at a high level in GT machinery.
Together, Persing, Rosso-Orcel and Lew combined speed with consistency and traffic management throughout the weekend, delivering a P4 finish Saturday before returning Sunday to place the #9 Porsche on the second step of the GTO podium.
A New Partnership Begins on the Podium
The weekend was significant for another reason.
It marked Almonte Motorsports’ first race on Nankang CR-S tires, following Nankang Tires joining the team as a sponsor immediately before the event.
There was no lengthy introduction period.
The team went directly into competition.
On Saturday, the Porsche ran at the front and finished fourth.
On Sunday, it finished second.
For Almonte Motorsports and Nankang, the first weekend of the partnership ended with a GTO trophy.
“We couldn't have asked for a stronger way to begin the relationship with Nankang,” Almonte said. “This was our first competitive weekend on the CR-S, and to immediately run at the front and put the car on the podium gives us a tremendous starting point.”
The Nankang partnership joins a growing network of organizations supporting the continued development of the Almonte Motorsports program.
The team proudly competes with the support of MAG Aviation Group, Nankang Tires, Adesa Auto Body, StickerStatus, Cap Hardware Supply, PedalPadz and Ascend Aviation.
“These companies are an important part of what we're building,” Almonte said. “Motorsports at this level requires much more than a car and drivers. It takes people and organizations willing to believe in the long-term direction of the program. Every step forward belongs to those partners as well.”
Bringing a GTO Trophy Home to Boise
Almonte Motorsports has earned podiums before.
What makes this one different is the category.
This trophy came from GTO — the top of the World Racing League class structure.
The team believes it represents the first major top-class endurance racing trophy brought home to Boise and the Treasure Valley.
For a part of the country not traditionally associated with professional endurance racing, that carries particular significance for the organization.
The Porsche is prepared in Boise.
The team's equipment and logistics originate here.
The transporter leaves the Treasure Valley for racetracks around the country.
And after each event, the entire operation comes home.
This time, a GTO trophy came with it.
“We want Boise and the Treasure Valley to feel like they are part of this,” Almonte said. “There are incredible motorsports communities in places like Indianapolis, Charlotte and across Europe. We want to prove that a serious endurance racing organization can be built here in Idaho too.”
From Boise to Le Mans
The team's objective reaches considerably beyond World Racing League.
Almonte Motorsports has established a long-term goal of competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans by 2035.
It is an ambitious target, and the organization recognizes the enormous distance that remains between a WRL GTO podium and one of the most important endurance races in the world.
But the team also recognizes that the journey has already begun.
2021: Almonte Motorsports is established.
The years that follow: the BMW E36 M3 program develops the team through WRL competition and produces GP1 podium finishes.
February 2026: the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup joins the program.
2026: the team steps into GTO, WRL's highest category.
Fourth race with the Porsche: Almonte Motorsports leads a race and finishes on the GTO podium.
2035: Le Mans.
“You can't skip steps in endurance racing,” Almonte said. “Le Mans is the dream, but the work is what happens between here and there. Every race teaches us something. Every pit stop matters. Every driver, crew member and partner helps us become a better organization.”
“This trophy isn't Le Mans. We understand how far away that goal is.”
“But it is another step.”
The Next Chapter
Five years ago, Almonte Motorsports was beginning its journey with an E36 M3.
This year, the team stepped into a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and the fastest class in World Racing League.
Four races later, the Porsche has led a race.
A 17-year-old driver has entered the WRL history books twice.
A Boise professional and a Lamborghini champion have helped take the organization to the front of the field.
A new partnership with Nankang Tires has started with a podium on the CR-S.
And the team's first GTO trophy is coming home to Boise.
There is still a long road between the Treasure Valley and Le Mans.
Almonte Motorsports intends to keep taking it one race at a time.
From Boise to Le Mans.
The journey continues.
Almonte Motorsports Partners
MAG Aviation Group • Nankang Tires • Adesa Auto Body • StickerStatus • Cap Hardware Supply • PedalPadz • Ascend Aviation
Almonte Motorsports Delivers Strong, Composed Performance at WRL Thunderhill Season Opener
Willows, CA — April 4th, 2026
Almonte Motorsports opened its 2026 campaign with a confident and competitive showing at Thunderhill Raceway Park, demonstrating pace, discipline, and operational excellence in the World Racing League season opener.
From the outset, the team showcased strong adaptability and control across changing track conditions, quickly dialing in a balanced and consistent platform capable of delivering competitive pace over extended stints.
Race Performance
Throughout the weekend, Almonte Motorsports executed a clean and methodical race strategy, emphasizing consistency, tire management, and precision driving. The team steadily advanced through the field while maintaining strong lap time consistency and minimizing on-track risk—hallmarks of a disciplined endurance program.
The drivers delivered composed stints with excellent situational awareness, aligning with WRL’s emphasis on clean, non-contact racing and racecraft at the highest level .
Elite Pit Crew Execution
A standout moment of the weekend came during Sunday’s opening pit cycle, where the team demonstrated exceptional professionalism and coordination under pressure. The crew executed a rapid and controlled service sequence, resolving an unexpected fueling system issue and returning the car to competition with minimal disruption.
The efficiency and composure displayed by the crew reinforced Almonte Motorsports’ growing reputation for high-level pit lane execution—a critical differentiator in endurance racing.
Key Strengths Demonstrated
Consistent Race Pace: Competitive lap times sustained over long stints
Operational Discipline: Clean execution aligned with WRL race standards
Pit Crew Performance: Fast, controlled service under pressure
Driver Development: Strong, composed performances across all stints
Strategic Focus Forward
Building on the momentum from Thunderhill, Almonte Motorsports will shift focus toward targeted testing and development as the team prepares for upcoming endurance events, including the marquee 14 Hours of Daytona.
This structured approach reflects the team’s commitment to continuous improvement and long-term competitiveness as it scales its program.
Team Statement
“This weekend was about execution, discipline, and laying the foundation for the season. The pace is there, the team is operating at a high level, and we’re exactly where we need to be as we build toward Daytona.”
About Almonte Motorsports
Almonte Motorsports is a U.S.-based endurance racing team competing in the World Racing League, focused on delivering a professional racing program built on precision, performance, and long-term growth toward international endurance competition.
Teenage Poise Under the Lights: Almonte Motorsports Impresses at Daytona
News provided by Almonte Motorsports Inc.
By any measure, the 14 Hours of Daytona is a daunting proving ground. High speeds, relentless traffic, and the mental strain of night racing combine to test even veteran endurance teams. Yet under the lights at Daytona International Speedway, Almonte Motorsports delivered a quietly impressive performance—one defined less by headline drama and more by discipline, maturity, and execution well beyond the team’s years.
Running the striking #9 BMW E36 M3 in GP2 trim, finished in a distinctive shark-inspired livery, the Florida-based outfit entrusted the car to an unusually young driver lineup: 16-year-old Tiziano Rosso-Orcel, 16-year-old Evan McKnight, and team principal Alex Almonte. In a field stacked with experienced endurance racers, the trio’s average age raised eyebrows before the green flag ever waved.
Those doubts did not last long.
From the opening hours, the #9 BMW settled into a measured, mistake-free rhythm. Rather than chasing outright pace, Almonte Motorsports focused on clean stints, conservative traffic management, and keeping the car intact through Daytona’s punishing transitions from the high banks to the infield. As daylight faded and the circuit transformed into one of the most challenging night races in American club racing, the young drivers showed remarkable composure.
Night stints at Daytona are where races are often lost. Visibility drops, fatigue sets in, and minor errors quickly become major setbacks. Rosso-Orcel and McKnight, both still in their mid-teens, navigated dense multi-class traffic with maturity that belied their age, handing the car back to the pits clean and on strategy. Almonte anchored the effort with veteran steadiness, ensuring continuity and calm as the race entered its final hours.
After fourteen hours of continuous competition in the World Racing League, the result told the story: 5th in GP2 class, earned outright and under the lights. No shortcuts, no attrition-fueled flukes—just a solid, professional endurance run.
While podiums often dominate headlines, performances like this resonate deeply within the paddock. Almonte Motorsports’ Daytona effort showcased not only a well-prepared E36 M3, but a driver development philosophy built on trust, structure, and real race responsibility. For Rosso-Orcel and McKnight, Daytona was not simply another race—it was an education at speed, on one of motorsport’s most demanding stages.
For the team, it was a clear signal: the future is already arriving, and it looks composed, calculated, and ready for more miles under the lights.
AMI narrowly misses WRL GP1 podium at Sebring
News Provided by
Almonte Motorsports, Inc.
October 30, 2022 17:30 EDT
The Almonte Motorsports team went to battle with its #9 GP1 BMW E36 M3 against some of the toughest endurance road racing competition in North America on October 28-30th at Sebring International Raceway. The World Racing League hosted back to back 8 hour races at the famed speedway, bringing talented drivers and teams from all over the country. The race was extremely well attended by over 150 business aviation industry professionals who were invited as guest of MAG Aviation Group during the NBAA trade show the week prior and by over 9,000 spectators total over the course of the weekend. The team performed several large power and performance upgrades to the #9 GP1 car prior to the weekend including a Sentinel Systems live streaming on-board camera. “For our first season in the World Racing League, we have made absolutely incredible strides. The car performed extremely well and as a team we are very happy with where the development of the car stands. We had a 3rd place podium until the suspension broke with 30 minutes remaining causing us to be 7 seconds off the pace. At that point, the Mike Moore Racing Mustang in 4th place began making up significant ground up on us and ultimately passed us with 3 laps remaining. Although we are satisfied with the result we have a team policy to never celebrate until its over and today we avoided slight disappointment with that policy” said Team Principal Alex Almonte.
The team will transport the car back to headquarters in Huntersville, NC to continue the development for the 2023 season.
AMI Attends NBAA Orlando 2022
News Provided by
Almonte Motorsports, Inc.
October 20, 2022, 7:45 EDT
Almonte Motorsports sponsored by MAG Aviation Group, Inc exhibited in a very well attended 3 day National Business Aviation Association industry trade show. The car featured 200 individuals photos who have been awarded the NBAA’s prestigious Top 40 Under 40 Award over the last 5 years. The exhibit allowed individuals featured on the car to stop by the booth and sign the car beside their photo. The draw to the booth was overwhelming as nearly every show attendee visited to view the car and talk with MAG Aviation Group personnel. MAG President, and Top 40 under 40 Award winner, Miguel Gallardo stated “This is the craziest, greatest response to a company displaying here at the show. MAG adding primary sponsorship with Almonte Motorsports to our marketing tools has launched this company into the stratosphere”
After the show the team will head to Sebring, Florida to participate in the World Racing League’s back to back 8 hour races on October 28-30. All aviation industry personnel are invited to the race as VIP guests of MAG Aviation Group.
AMI will compete along side a full field of 75 World Racing League (WRL) sports cars in two separate eight-hour endurance races at Sebring International Raceway Oct. 28-30, continuing a season of incredible racing at the Birthplace of American Endurance Racing.
With the massive number of entries spread throughout five classes – GTO, GTU, GP1, GP2 and GP3 –incredibly close racing around the 3.74-mile circuit is expected in both eight-hour contests. By comparison, Sebring’s premier annual event and one of the world’s greatest sports car races, the IMSA WeatherTech Championship Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, had 53 starters in March. The largest starting field in the 70-year history of the 12-Hour Classic was 84 cars in 1983.
The first eight-hour race will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29 with the second eight-hour race scheduled for 8 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30. The field includes exotic cars including prototypes, GT4 cars and some of the best production club racing cars in the country.
In addition to racing, following four hours of practice and testing on Friday, a Halloween Trunk or Treat event open to all children in attendance will start at 7 p.m. on the Midway. The teams, drivers, crews and their race cars will be on display, with the actual race cars being the spot where kids will get their Halloween treats. Children 12 and under will be admitted free with a paying adult. A weekend ticket allowing admission for Friday, Saturday and Sunday is $25. Car parking is $10 and RV passes are $50. All tickets and parking are general admission and are good for all three days of activity.
NEWS PROVIDED BY
Sanbar PR
June 21, 2022, 07:45 EDT
After being bumped up last minute to the GP1 Class, Almonte Motorsports’ BMW finished in 2nd Place in the World Racing League’s 14 Hour Endurance Race with famed driver Kenny Hendrick, Stanton Barrett & Alex Almonte.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL, USA, June 24, 2022 / -- The Almonte Motorsports Team finished in 2nd Place in the 14 Hour World Racing League event at Daytona International Speedway last week.
Racing its BMW E36 and lead by NASCAR veteran driver Kenny Hendrick, Professional Driver and Hollywood Stuntman Stanton Barrett along with team owner Alex Almonte, the #9 car was bumped up to the GP1 class after officials confirmed the new power to weight ratio that the team had achieved through its diligent upgrades. Sponsored by Mag Aviation Group, Sticker Status Ionic AirCare and YonderWest.Aero, the Almonte Motorsports Team pulled off their surprise 2nd place finish ahead of the field of over 40 other race teams as a result of superior equipment race preparation, consistent driver performance, reduced pit stop timing and all around over the top team effort.
Almonte Motorsports will next be competing next in the World Racing League @ Road Atlanta on July 8, 2022 where they are shooting for the win. New sponsors have also been brought on board who have committed to support the team throughout the season and have a strong belief in the team’s ability to consistently earn a top 10 finish in upcoming races. Sponsors will be unveiled at the Road Atlanta race.
Almonte Motorsports Earns a 2nd Place Podium At Daytona International Speedway’s 14 Hour Race.
