{
  "id": 16663377,
  "title": "Manthey acknowledges IMSA to be \"tougher than expected\" despite two wins",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/manthey-acknowledges-imsa-to-be-tougher-than-expected-despite-two-wins",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-26T21:41:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Motorsport.com",
    "slug": "motorsport-com",
    "url": "https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/more-demanding-than-expected-manthey-impressed-after-first-imsa-season/10868726/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Manthey's entry into IMSA racing proved to be more challenging than initially anticipated, despite securing two victories. Nicki Raeder, the team's Managing Director, explained that competing at the highest level of American sports car racing presented a steep learning curve. The team, majority-owned by Porsche, has a history of immediate success in other championships like WEC, IGTC, and DTM. However, IMSA's tactical challenges and relentless pressure were new to the squad. Raeder highlighted the intense nature of ten-hour races like the Petit Le Mans, where constant focus was crucial. Despite a late-race fuel dilemma at Petit Le Mans, the team managed to finish seventh, illustrating the risk of pushing limits in such high-stakes races. While the team achieved commercial goals in building brand recognition in the US, the paddock reception was even more surprising, with fans showing strong support for Manthey's two cars, Rexy and Grello. Looking ahead, Manthey intends to continue IMSA involvement but does not plan to expand to full-season entries or two cars per class at this time.",
  "summary": "When Manthey expanded its program to North America, the transition appeared to deliver the typical dominance associated with the team at first glance. The German squad swept to victory in its second race at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in GTD Pro, followed up with another class win for its GTD entry during its five-race Endurance Cup campaign. However, competing at the top level of American ...…",
  "key_points": [
    "Manthey's IMSA entry tougher than expected",
    "Nicki Raeder: Managing Director acknowledges challenges",
    "Team achieved commercial goals, strong fan support"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}