Hyett, AO Racing riding high right on the cusp of IMSA LMP2 greatness

If you've followed PJ Hyett and AO Racing's rapid rise up the North American sports car racing landscape to become premiere privateers, then you may have still been surprised to learn that his LMP2 Pro/Am win in last week's 24 Hours of Le Mans was his first ever major sports car racing victory.

Hyett has been perhaps the fastest Bronze driver in LMP2 ever since he first picked up prototype racing in the 2023/24 Asian Le Mans Series, and now that he has the first Le Mans win on his resume, his confidence is soaring and he seeks his first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship win – as a driver – in Sunday's Sahlen's 6 Hours of the Glen.

"Yeah, we're certainly feeling good after last weekend," Hyett understated. "Never hurts to boost the confidence a bit with the first professional race win to happen at the biggest race in the world.

"We're at a new racetrack [now] – different tires, and some of the crew is different, so we still treat it like a brand-new race."

Hyett won pole in his class despite a four-hour rush to change engines in the No. 99 ORECA 07-Gibson following an engine failure at the end of Saturday morning practice. "Spike the LMP2 Dragon," already sporting a gold tail to celebrate the Le Mans win last week, was just as quick after his heart transplant as he was before it.

"The car was running well this morning, the last couple days, but we had an engine issue. To me, putting it on pole is a testament to the team being able to put the thing back together," Hyett said of his crew. "The fact that we can start at the sharp end of the field, I'm so proud of the team for being able to do that.

"We're all gelling really well together. It's time for a great result for AO Racing in the P2 class."

Hyett will still have his regular IMSA and European Le Mans Series co-driver Dane Cameron driving with him Sunday, and while Louis Deletraz is back to his "regular" IMSA job at Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing, reigning ELMS LMP2 Champion Jonny Edgar has been filling the role of Michelin Endurance Cup specialist very well this year despite AO's missed chances at an LMP2 win.

Together they're now 81 points behind the championship-leading No. 22 United Autosports USA car that won the Rolex 24 At Daytona – a race Hyett and company were dominating for most of the day until a mechanical issue took them out of contention. A win would put Hyett, Cameron and Edgar at the sharp end of the LMP2 points table, if not right at the top.

If they get the win Sunday at Watkins Glen, it will be a full-circle moment for Hyett, the former software developer and entrepreneur turned privateer racing driver.

During the summer of 2022, Hyett's "major league" career as a driver began at this very circuit with a nondescript one-off entry in GT World Challenge America's Watkins Glen round, driving a plain, dark green Porsche supplied by Team Hardpoint.

From that very humble origin, Hyett has built his AO Racing team rapidly, expanding its footprint across North America and Europe. As a team owner, he's already won a GTD PRO Championship in IMSA and an ELMS title through AO's partnership with TF Sport.

As if that's all – after Le Mans, Hyett mentioned a phone call from his daughter as he and the AO by TF team closed in on its win. Hyett's daughter and son are the whole reason why instantly-iconic cartoon/fantasy vehicles like Rexy the Porsche GT3 Rawr, his sister Roxy, and now Le Mans winner Spike exist, charming fans young and old.

"I think it's not for a lack of trying. Everybody works their tails off at AO – some of it is lucky, some of it is hard work," Hyett said of his team's impossibly quick growth and success. Success that, until recently, hadn't come with him behind the wheel due to some tough breaks in the last year or two.

"At Daytona we were leading the race with an hour to go, and we had a really sort of random mechanical issue. I'm very aware of the trials and tribulations of endurance racing. For us, obviously winning the GTD PRO championship last year exceeded our wildest expectations, but just enjoy the moments while they come, because a lot of times they don't.

"Last weekend was one of those moments where it was completely surreal, I can't believe what's happening. Getting on pole at these IMSA races is also another surreal moment, but we need to actually execute during the race, and we'll see how we do tomorrow. It's been a heck of a ride."