Lone Star Racing Secures Solid Sixth-Place GT Daytona (GTD) Finish at the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona

- Scott Andrews, Lin Hodenius, James Roe Jr. and Ralf Aron Join Flawless Lone Star Racing Crew in Team Career-Best Rolex 24 Finish

- Top-Six Showing Moves Lone Star Racing off to Career-Best IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Start in Third Year of IMEC GTD Competition

- Motorsports Hall of Fame of America SPARK Interns Part of Flawless Lone Star Racing Crew at the Rolex 24

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 27, 2026) - The No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 team secured a solid sixth-place finish in this past weekend's 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona to move the team's third season of competition in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) off to its best start yet. Closing team driver Ralf Aron took the checkered flag less than 40 seconds behind the GT Daytona (GTD) class winners, and the No. 80 Lone Star Racing team was the sixth and final car to finish on the GTD lead lap. The result was the best Rolex 24 finish for Lone Star Racing in three attempts and top IMEC GTD result as the team starts its third year in the all-endurance race championship.

"We put it all together," said AJ Petersen, Lone Star Racing Team Manager and Technical Director. "We have always had the car and team capable of winning and racing up front, but we didn't always have the luck to go with it. The crew has always executed well, and everything came together this past weekend. For 24 hours, they didn't leave the box for the entire race. The top result can clearly be credited to a flawless and mistake free race by our talented drivers and amazing Lone Star Racing team and pit crew. The drivers went the full distance in 24 hours of racing and the crew appropriately pulled off 24 pit stops in the race that were as close to perfect as you can get. We now bring maximum momentum to the next round at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March and have already started working on and planning for that race."

Making his second Rolex 24 start after debuting with Lone Star last year, Mercedes-AMG Performance driver Aron was joined in the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 by veteran team driver Scott Andrews, debuting Daytona and Mercedes-AMG Junior driver Lin Hodenius and experienced Lone Star Racing newcomer James Roe Jr.

"Our goal for the race was to have, let's say, a boring race until the last couple of hours," Aron said. "No penalties or major mistakes and that was perfect. The crew didn't get any penalties, and the drivers didn't get any penalties. So, I think everyone did a fantastic job and the car was in great shape for the end of the race. I have to thank my teammates for keeping the car in one piece as well. We had the chance to fight for the finish. We couldn't charge as hard as we wanted for the end, but the winning Winward car wasn't far ahead of me at that point. I'm really happy that I got the chance to be there at the end to fight for it. The team really deserves it, and I'll be cheering them on all year. I think if they keep doing the same things, racing clean and so on, they'll win some races this year."

Andrews qualified the No. 80 for the race eighth fastest in the 21-car field and took the green flag to start the race. He kept the No. 80 in the lead pack from the drop of the green flag to start a competitive trend that basically kept Lone Star and all of its drivers battling at the front end of the field throughout the race.

"It was just a really well executed race by the team, and they deserve to have a strong finish like this," Andrews said. "The guys did such a good job, and all the drivers did amazing. We just didn't quite have enough, but I think the car was pretty strong. The guys did such a good job and all of the drivers did amazing. The GTD class gets tougher every year. It's a good result, now we move on to Sebring, and we will keep the momentum up and try to go at least three spots better in the 12 hour. We will keep staying out of trouble, keep showing pace and I think Sebring will probably be a stronger track for us anyway."

Hodenius made his Rolex 24 debut as another returning Lone Star Racing team driver after running a pair of IMSA races late last season at the Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) and Petit Le Mans.. In addition to Indy and Petit Le Mans, Hodenius - who was named a Mercedes-AMG Junior Driver in mid-December - also raced with Lone Star in last October's Indianapolis 8 Hour Intercontinental GT Challenge race.

“My first race as a Mercedes-AMG Junior Driver was quite nice but challenging," Hodenius said. "I was sick last week, so physically it was very demanding. Still, it was an amazing experience to put everything together and be part of this race. The night stints especially were a very special experience. Finishing in sixth place is a great result after a very exciting final. I’m really proud of myself, my teammates, and every member of Lone Star Racing.”

Roe was the newest and only debuting driver with Lone Star at the Rolex 24 but is well experienced in U.S. single-seater, open-wheel competition and IMEC sports car racing. He contested four of the five 2025 IMEC season races in the LMP2 class, including the Rolex 24. Roe partners with Andrews and Hodenius for the majority of this year's five race IMEC GTD championship.

You can't fault the team," Roe said. "We did 24 hours on the lead lap, never once off the track, not one penalty. This team is definitely on the up. The driver lineup was awesome, and I think the effort equaled the result. You could see what it meant to the boys when they got the checkered flag with such a clean run. So, a P6 at Daytona and now on with the season. I think we got some good things going this year. I just think you can see it. The morale is up, the boys are up. When they did the last stop, and the car left the box for the last time, you could see some high fives with all those guys. It was great!

Among the crew members who were part of Lone Star's incredible performance were Morsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) SPARK interns Neil Troncoso and Jackson Shirey. Standing for Students Preserving American Racing Knowledge, SPARK connects high school, trade school and college students to motorsports careers through mentorship, at-track experience and internships, bridging the gap for future talent in the areas of engineering, technical operations, marketing and communications and logistics and administrative coordination.

Petersen and the entire Lone Star team have provided hands-on and real-world experience for SPARK students at the Rolex 24 since the No. 80 team debuted in the race in 2024. Troncoso and Shirey joined the team for the Rolex 24 just

before 8 a.m. EST on Saturday and stayed on the job for more than the next 30 hours straight, leaving Daytona with a valuable learning experience that will never be forgotten, some new friends and a hard-earned bond with their Lone Star Racing teammates.

Troncoso is a Daytona-based student at nearby Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), earning his undergraduate degree this year and moving straight into pursuing a Masters of Science Degree in Human Factors at ERAU. Shirey attends University of North Florida in Jacksonville where he is working on graduating in 2027 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. Learn more about SPARK at www.MSHF.com.

About Lone Star Racing: Based at Motorsport Ranch within the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area in Cresson, Texas, Lone Star Racing is competing in the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the 2026 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup in the GTD class. Lone Star Racing and its team members have won races across North America spanning sprint and endurance racing formats. The crew has worked together on many different teams and various types of cars, developing a strong bond and proven capability that gives them a competitive and winning advantage. Lone Star Racing competes with the support of primary partner ACS Manufacturing, Inc. (www.ACSManufacturing.com). Look for Lone Star Racing and team owner/driver Dan Knox on Facebook and follow the team on YouTube at Lone Star Racing, on Twitter and Instagram at @LSRTeam and on the official team web site at www.LoneStarRacingTeam.com.