3/26/2025
ST. CHARLES, Ill., (March 26, 2025) – AO Racing never shies away from a good time, and for the Grand Prix of Long Beach, the team is making sure the party includes Rexy. The fan-favorite Porsche 911 GT3 R will return to the GTD class in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, competing in the thrilling April 11-12 street race. Fresh off his Twelve Hours of Sebring victory, Rexy will be driven by Porsche driver Laurens Vanthoor and rising talent Jonny Edgar.
“Long Beach is a very special event, and it’s unfortunate that it’s not on the GTD PRO calendar,” said Team Principal Gunnar Jeannette. “A lot of Rexy & AO Fans expressed their desire to see Rexy racing around the famous streets, and ‘Life Found a Way!’ With our full-season drivers off at a GT World Challenge race, we’ve been able to draft in some fantastic guys to fill their shoes in Laurens and Jonny. A big thank you to PJ Hyett, Porsche Motorsport North America, and everyone else that has come together to help make this one-off GTD race a reality for Rexy and AO.”
Originally slated to race next at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the site of AO Racing and Rexy’s first victory in 2024, the team couldn’t resist adding Long Beach to its 2025 calendar. First run in 1975, the Grand Prix of Long Beach is North America’s longest-running major street race, and for AO Racing, a can’t-miss event. To compete in the GTD class, the team adjusted its driver lineup, enlisting Porsche ace Laurens Vanthoor as the PRO driver and pairing him with Jonny Edgar as the AM, who has been piloting AO’s Spike the Dragon LMP2 entry.
“I’m really looking forward to driving the famous Rexy car,” said Vanthoor. “The Grand Prix of Long Beach is one of my favorite events on the IMSA calendar. It’s always a great atmosphere and the whole event just feels special. I know some of the AO Racing guys from the Porsche RSR program, and I can’t wait to get to know the rest of the team. Hopefully, we have a strong weekend.”
For Edgar, Long Beach marks his first official race in the Porsche 911 GT3 R, though the young Brit has already completed private testing in preparation for the event.
“I’m really looking forward to racing at Long Beach with Rexy,” said Edgar. “I’m really excited to race a Porsche for the first time and for my first time at Long Beach. It’s a very exciting event, and I think it’d be really cool to share the car with Laurens as well. I think we have a really good chance at winning the race.”
The excitement begins before the race even starts, with Rexy making an early appearance at Thunder Thursday, Long Beach’s official kick-off party. Held at the Pike Outlets in downtown Long Beach, this free event (April 10, 6:30–10:00 PM) features live music, race car displays, food vendors, autograph sessions, and pit stop demonstrations. And, if the rumors are true, there may even be a certain inflatable dinosaur making a guest appearance. The Grand Prix of Long Beach will be the first sprint race of the season, running for 100 minutes starting on Saturday, April 12, at 2:05 PM PT. The event will air live in the USA on Peacock and on IMSA’s YouTube page for international audiences.
