AE Victory Racing returned to Daytona International Speedway this past weekend for the World Racing League’s 14 Hours of Daytona and delivered one of the team’s strongest performances to date, claiming a commanding overall class victory with the No. 120 Toyota Supra GT4 EVO2 while showcasing the continued success of its driver development program.
During Thursday’s Max Track Time event and Friday test and practice, both AE Victory Racing entries appeared at the top of the timing charts. With a competitive field in class, the team focused on maximizing track time for all drivers while refining race strategy and pit stop execution. Lap times across both entries remained remarkably consistent from driver to driver, highlighting the continued strength and progression of AE Victory Racing’s development program. The performance gave team leadership the confidence to place current Development Driver Brenna Schubert in the No. 119 and program graduate Alana Carter in the No. 120 for both qualifying rounds and the opening stints of the race.
The No. 120 Toyota Supra GT4 EVO2 went on to qualify on the front row with Carter behind the wheel. She would lead the team into the green flag before handing over to teammates Sally Mott, Laura Hayes, and Michele Abbate as the race unfolded.
The No. 120 immediately established itself as the car to beat, taking the lead early and steadily extending its advantage throughout the opening hours. Nearly two hours into the race, the Supra was still running approximately half a second per lap faster than its nearest competitor and had built a gap approaching ten seconds. From there, the team never looked back.Guided by race engineer Kevin Tong, the No. 120 squad executed a flawless strategy over the full fourteen hours. Quick driver changes, efficient pit stops, perfectly timed service under changing course cautions, and longer fuel stints than the second-place Singler Racing BMW allowed the team to control the race from start to finish.
After fourteen hours of competition, the No. 120 crossed the finish line in first place with Laura Hayes completing a dominant performance that highlighted the strength of both the driver lineup and the crew behind the wall. While the No. 120 celebrated in victory lane, the No. 119 Toyota Supra GT4 EVO2 showed equally impressive pace before misfortune struck.
Current AE Victory Racing Development Driver Brenna Schubert qualified and started the No. 119 entry, quickly moving into contention at the front of the field. Just over an hour into the race, Schubert advanced into the class lead before contact while navigating lapped traffic sent the car off course. The incident caused significant damage to the left-front suspension and forced the team into the garage for extensive repairs.
Despite the setback, the crew worked tirelessly throughout the day to return the car to the track. Ashley Freiberg eventually took over driving duties and completed a systems check lap before the team elected to retire the entry.
Although the result did not reflect the pace of the No. 119, the performance reinforced the progress of AE Victory Racing’s development program, with Schubert demonstrating race-winning speed before the incident.
Beyond the results, the weekend represented a significant milestone for the organization. One year ago at Daytona, AE Victory Racing spent 13 of 14 hours in podium contention with Hayes in the car before an on-track incident sidelined the team and ended its chances for a breakthrough result. At the time, the organization was still in the early stages of developing its Toyota Supra GT4 EVO2 program and had yet to record a podium finish.
“Coming back to Daytona and winning this race means a tremendous amount to everyone on this team,” said Erin Vogel, Team Owner of AE Victory Racing. “A year ago, we spent nearly the entire race fighting for a podium before our day unraveled late, and while that result was heartbreaking at the time, it became a turning point for our program. This weekend wasn’t just about the win. It was about seeing how far this team has come—from the drivers and crew to the development program we’ve built. To have our development drivers leading qualifying and starting the race, to see both cars running at the front, and to watch this group execute at such a high level for fourteen hours is something we’re incredibly proud of.”
The victory at Daytona stands as another step forward in the team’s rapid growth, but perhaps more importantly, it reflects the strength of the community and development platform that AE Victory Racing continues to build both on and off the track.
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