Stallion Motorsports Announces Celso Neto
as Driver for the 2026 Season
Team debuts in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with the
CUPRA Leon VZ TCR and selects the Brazilian for his experience and achievements
Orlando, FL – November 12, 2025
Stallion Motorsports has announced that Celso Neto will be the driver chosen to lead the team’s debut in the 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. He will drive the new CUPRA Leon VZ TCR. The Spanish car is built on the same platform as the AUDI, the vehicle with which the driver achieved excellent results this season, qualifying him for the seat. The signing marks a new and important phase for both the young driver and the ambitious team, which has Brazilian roots.
This will be the first full season for a green-and-yellow team in the championship. In his second IMSA year, Neto joins Stallion as one of the most promising talents in North American touring car racing. Winner of the IMSA Diverse Driver Development (3D) Scholarship 2025–26, he made history as the first Brazilian to receive the award, an initiative that promotes Diversity, Development, and Discovery within IMSA’s professional driver ladder.
A Remarkable Debut Year
Neto’s rookie season in IMSA in 2025 was remarkable. Competing with the Audi RS3 LMS TCR on tracks he had never raced before, and as one of the youngest drivers on the grid, he impressed with his speed, maturity, and precision, even against seasoned competitors. The Brazilian’s talent stood out: in several races, he was the fastest among all Audi drivers, one of the performances that most impressed the Stallion executives, especially considering it was his first season.
Celso Neto achieved a podium finish in his debut at Daytona, led the first hour of the race at Sebring, and earned the Michelin Moment of the Race Award for that feat. He went on to score three podiums and eight top-five finishes in ten rounds, maintaining a 100% completion rate with zero retirements throughout the season.
“It’s rare to see a rookie adapt so quickly to a completely new car and championship,” said Pedro Moises, partner of Stallion Motorsports. “Celso showed intelligence, consistency, and exceptional racecraft from day one. His technical ability and maturity are exactly what we’re looking for as we build the foundation of this new team,” he added.
From Audi to CUPRA: An Evolution
For the driver, joining Stallion isn’t a change, it’s a step forward into a more advanced machine he already knows well. “The new CUPRA Leon VZ TCR is an evolution of the Audi platform. It’s like a third-generation Audi. I already feel at home. It’s the perfect combination to make the most of everything we learned in the 2025 season,” said Celso Neto.
The car is the newest TCR model from CUPRA, featuring advanced aerodynamics, refined mechanics, and proven reliability in European and international championships. “Choosing the new CUPRA was a masterstroke by the Stallion team directors,” Neto added.
The team, in partnership with CUPRA Racing, the racing division of the Spanish automaker, and NGP Motorsports, CUPRA’s official representative in the U.S. market, will have direct technical support from the factory.
Another key partnership is with GOU Racing & Logistics, which will handle Stallion’s transport between events across the continental U.S., including a round in Canada. GOU also has experience with the CUPRA, being the first team to operate the car in IMSA and achieving a historic podium.
“I’m very excited about this new project. It’s another important step in my career. Being with Stallion and CUPRA is a source of great pride and responsibility. I won’t disappoint,” concluded Celso.
A Promising Beginning for Stallion Motorsports
Founded in Orlando, with an operational base in Texas, Stallion Motorsports LLC represents a fusion of Brazilian passion and American precision.
“The alliances established by the team, especially the partnership with GOU, form a powerful combination of experience, innovation, and ambition, two constellations aligned toward a single goal: to win races and deliver maximum value to our partners and sponsors,” said Flávio Bergmann, Public Relations and Marketing Director of Stallion.
The team’s official debut in 2026 will take place during the Rolex 24 – Daytona Weekend in January, marking the start of a 10-round season across the United States and Canada. With Celso Neto’s experience and the strength of its partners, Stallion enters the grid already respected, and feared, by its competitors.
“We are very pleased to have Celso leading our 2026 project. His background, along with the experience of our partners, positions us for a season where we can positively surprise everyone. Celso represents a new generation of touring car drivers, disciplined, analytical, and global. His arrival perfectly defines what Stallion stands for: bold, determined, and innovative,” added Bergmann.
The executive also confirmed that the team will soon announce which driver will share the CUPRA seat with Celso Neto, as required for the 2- and 4-hour endurance races.
Stallion Motorsports Chooses
the New CUPRA Leon VZ TCR for Its 2026 Debut
Daytona, FL – October 30, 2025
The wait is over! Following the historic announcement of its entry into the 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Stallion Motorsports, the first American Brazilian team in the championship, has now confirmed the car chosen for its debut season: the all new CUPRA Leon VZ TCR, car #77, which will officially hit the track at Daytona, the team’s first challenge of the upcoming season.
The team celebrates this milestone with pride and optimism, joining the grid alongside a brand globally recognized for its performance and innovation.
The Spanish born CUPRA, already a proven winner in several international TCR series, including Europe, Asia, and South America, now arrives to strengthen Stallion’s commitment to competing at the highest level of North American motorsport.
“Stallion Motorsports is thrilled to compete in a category that offers equal conditions and opportunities for OEM customer-based teams, not just for official factory teams,” said Brazilian Flávio Bergmann, the team’s Public Relations and Director of Communications and Marketing.
The choice of the CUPRA Leon VZ TCR represents a natural evolution from the widely used Audi Gen2 TCR in the United States, as both share a similar technical foundation within the Volkswagen Group.
This synergy will allow Stallion Motorsports to fully leverage the data and experience accumulated over the years with TCR platforms, now applied to the demanding 2 and 4 hour race formats of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
With GOU Racing selected as Stallion’s technical and logistical partner, the project gains even greater momentum. GOU was the first team to believe in CUPRA’s potential in the United States, making this collaboration a milestone uniting two Latin American squads, from Brazil and Mexico, that share the same vision of growth and excellence.
The partnership will enable data sharing, joint strategy development, and mutual progress, strengthening both team’s performance throughout the season.
Support and integration with NGP, CUPRA’s official representative for North America, have also been fundamental to the development process.
“It took a lot of coordination, and Stallion Motorsports expresses its gratitude for all the technical and strategic support received, essential to consolidating the Spanish brand’s presence in the US and Canadian markets. The CUPRA is an extremely reliable, fast, and technologically advanced car. We already have extensive experience with this platform in TCR South America, but now the challenge is different, competing in endurance style races that demand strategy, consistency, and teamwork,” added Bergmann.
The director also thanked IMSA, GOU Racing, CUPRA and NGP for believing in and contributing to making this project a reality.
“Now, the orange horse has a Spanish engine, a Brazilian heart, and an American soul,” he concluded.
The team will soon reveal the official drivers who will represent Stallion Motorsports and the Brazilian flag in the 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season.
Stallion Motorsports to Make Historic Debut in the
IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2026
Daytona, FL – October 24, 2025
A new era in Brazilian motorsport is about to begin. Stallion Motorsports officially announces its full-time entry into the 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season, competing in the fiercely competitive and highly regarded TCR category.
This is a historic milestone: for the first time, a Brazilian team will participate full-time in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge grid — a remarkable achievement that brings the energy, talent, and passion of Brazilian racing to one of North America’s most prestigious motorsport stages.
Founded in Florida, Stallion Motorsports was created with the mission of uniting Brazilian strength and creativity with international technical excellence, building a bridge between Brazil and the United States within the professional racing landscape. The project brings together experience from categories such as TCR South America, TCR Spain, TCR World Tour, and Endurance Brasil, along with the expertise of professionals who have worked with IMSA teams and series.
The team will make its official debut in 2026 with a new TCR platform that remains under wraps, heightening public and media anticipation. Team operations and logistics will be managed in partnership with GOU Racing and GOU Logistics, ensuring world-class support both on and off the track.
With its identity defined by the iconic orange “Stallion” emblem — a symbol of strength, speed, and relentless motion — the team aims to make a strong impression in its first year of competition. Expansion plans include a second car in 2027, reinforcing Stallion’s commitment to IMSA and to fostering Brazilian talent abroad.
Stallion Motorsports’ entry underscores the global nature of the TCR platform and highlights IMSA’s role as a showcase for teams that blend passion, professionalism, and cutting-edge technology. For Brazil, this is more than just a new team — it’s a new chapter of representation in international motorsport.
Follow upcoming news and updates on Instagram at @Stallion.Motorsports and @IMSA_Racing, where the car and driver lineup representing Brazil in the 2026 season will soon be revealed.
🏁 The Stallion is coming. A new force rises in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
