AE Victory Racing continued its World Racing League championship campaign this past weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with another standout performance, earning a race victory, multiple podium finishes, and displaying the pace to sweep the weekend despite changing weather, repeated full-course cautions, and temperatures topping 100 degrees.
As the 2026 season reached its midpoint, the Road Atlanta weekend also showcased the camaraderie that continues to define the WRL paddock. Sharing garage space with familiar competitors throughout the season, AE Victory Racing once again embraced the collaborative spirit that makes endurance racing unique. Fellow Toyota teams provided both strong competition and support, while the addition of Radical Cup North America created an energetic atmosphere without reducing valuable track time.
Both Toyota Supra GT4 EVO2 entries showed impressive pace throughout practice and testing as the team prioritized race preparation over outright qualifying speed. With two technicians assigned to each car and the remainder of the crew supporting fueling, equipment management, and race operations, both Supras entered qualifying well prepared.
Friday morning began with rain and a lightning delay before conditions steadily improved. As the racing line dried following the opening Radical Cup race, Ashley Freiberg qualified the No. 119 Toyota Supra GT4 EVO2 fifth with a lap of 1:32.665, while Michele Abbate secured third in the No. 120 with a nearly identical 1:32.611.
Cloud cover provided welcome relief from the summer heat as Saturday’s eight-hour endurance race got underway. When the green flag waved, both AE Victory Racing entries immediately established themselves among the leaders in the highly competitive GTO field. Multiple lengthy full-course cautions repeatedly altered race strategy, but the crew capitalized on every opportunity with flawless pit stops, efficient fuel service, tire changes, and seamless driver swaps.
One of the defining moments of the race came midway through the event when AE Victory Racing’s two most recent Driver Development Shootout winners found themselves running first and second.
The No. 120, driven by 2025 Shootout winner Alana Carter, moved into the GTO lead while current Development Driver Brenna Schubert held second in the No. 119, giving AE Victory Racing control of one of the deepest GTO fields of the season. The performance marked another milestone for the team’s driver development program as both drivers demonstrated race-winning speed in one of WRL’s most competitive events.
The No. 120 crossed the finish line first, while the No. 119 completed another composed race to secure third with Ashley Freiberg, Brenna Schubert, and Sarah Montgomery sharing driving duties.
Following post-race technical inspection, however, the No. 120 was disqualified after exceeding the allowable horsepower limit by just two horsepower. The unusually high ambient temperatures affected turbocharger performance, resulting in the car falling outside class regulations despite operating within expectations throughout the event.
Rather than dwell on the disappointment, the team immediately shifted its focus to Sunday’s finale.
Starting from the No. 120, Hannah Grisham wasted little time charging through the field, gaining six positions before the opening corner to put the team back into contention. Through another caution-filled endurance race, race engineer Kevin Tong and strategist Kale expertly adapted pit strategy around each yellow flag, consistently placing the No. 120 in position to challenge for the win.
The No. 119 encountered adversity after Brenna Schubert was assessed a one-lap penalty following on-track contact while battling in traffic. Despite the setback, the team recovered to finish fifth.
Meanwhile, the No. 120 delivered the redemption AE Victory Racing had been seeking. Grisham, Michele Abbate, Alana Carter, and Grisham combined for another commanding performance, executing every pit stop and strategic decision to perfection before taking the checkered flag for the team’s second on-track victory of the weekend.
Although the official record will show one victory from the weekend, the performance of both cars told a much larger story. From Carter and Schubert leading the field together on Saturday to Sunday’s strategic masterclass, AE Victory Racing once again demonstrated the depth of its all-female driver development program and the strength of the organization supporting it.
“Road Atlanta tested every part of our program,” said Erin Vogel, Team Owner of AE Victory Racing. “We dealt with changing weather, long caution periods, extreme heat, and the disappointment of losing a win in post-race inspection, but nobody hung their heads. We came back on Sunday, executed another fantastic race, and left with important points in the championship. As a development program, we make room for mistakes but we are all learning valuable lessons about what it takes to win.”
With another successful weekend complete, AE Victory Racing leaves Road Atlanta holding first and second place in the World Racing League GTO National Championship standings as the team turns its attention to the second half of the 2026 season.
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