The second team to confirm its 2027 plans for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is none other than Winward Racing in GTD.
Both Philip Ellis and Russell Ward will be back in the fold for the No. 57, with next season’s venture marking the sixth straight season the duo will have competed together in the WeatherTech Championship.
WWR becomes the second team in IMSA to submit its battle plans for next season, joining Car Blanche in GTD Pro.
IMSA and Winward announced the confirmation of their plans Wednesday across their social channels.
The two-time defending champions in the class are primed to pull off a historic three-peat, with just the season finale at Petit Le Mans remaining next week.
A four-race stretch since Watkins Glen has produced three straight wins and a recent P2 finish at the Battle on the Bricks at Indy. With Turner Motorsports’ victory at Indy, the GTD standings remain incredibly tight, with Winward entering the weekend in first place (2,373 points). However, they sit just six points ahead of the Turner duo of Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher (2,367).
Duddo Barrichello and the No. 27 Heart of Racing entry are not far behind, currently sitting P3 in the standings with 2,317 points.
With Winward’s dominance in the class over the last three seasons, there have been discussions among fans about whether the team should consider — or be moved into — the GTD Pro ranks.
With this confirmation, that discussion can be put to bed.