COURTNEY CRONE Returns to IMSA GT4 Racing After F1 Academy Season at Daytona

January 17, 2026

• COURTNEY CRONE is making a smart tactical move back to her wheelhouse, leaving behind a rough F1 Academy season where she managed just three points and a best finish of seventh in Las Vegas. After that challenging single-seater detour with ART Grand Prix, she’s returning to the IMSA paddock where she actually knows how to win – remember those six podiums and fourth-place championship finish in 2023?
• Her new ride with Peregrine Racing in the BMW M4 GT4 represents uncharted territory for CRONE, who built her reputation in LMP3 prototypes rather than GT machinery. But here’s the thing – this woman has raced everything from quarter midgets at age four to speedway motorcycles to USAC sprint cars, so adapting to a new platform isn’t exactly foreign territory for someone with her diverse racing CV.
• The timing feels right for CRONE to get back to what works. Her 2021-2023 IMSA progression from eighth overall as a rookie to regular podium contender shows she understands American endurance racing in a way that clearly didn’t translate to F1 Academy’s format. Starting fresh at Daytona with a proven team gives her the chance to rebuild momentum in a series where she’s already demonstrated she belongs.

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