For Fidani, Iribe, the Stakes Are High at Petit
Inception Racing photo
By Dennis Krause
While it may only be a subplot in this weekend’s Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, it means everything to the two drivers and teams involved.
At stake is the Bob Akin Award, an invitation for the highest finishing Bronze-rated driver in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Following a win in the recent TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Brendan Iribe, co-driver of the No. 70 Ferrari 296 GT3 of Inception Racing and AWA’s Orey Fidani, in the No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R, are tied at the top of the standings.
Fidani and co-drivers Matt Bell and Lars Kern won the season opening Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway to put the team in strong position to repeat winning the Bob Akin Award. While Iribe has been the top finishing bronze driver in five races compared to three for Fidani, the Corvette team has been the stronger of the two in the season’s endurance races.
Jake Galstad/LAT Images/IMSA
Fidani knows it’s about executing one final time to reach the goal.
"The Bob Akin Award has been a goal for us all year,” noted Fidani. “Heading into Petit Le Mans tied at the top of the standings shows how strong our program has been, but the job isn’t done yet. Matt, Lars and the entire AWA crew have worked tirelessly to put us in this position, and now it’s about executing one last time. Winning the award and earning a return to Le Mans would be an incredible way to finish the season.”
Unlike last year, Bell acknowledges the AWA team will have to fight for it if it is to win a return trip to Le Mans in 2026.
“It's a slightly different picture to last year where we just had to start the race in order to get our ticket to Le Mans. This year we've got to finish ahead of the No. 70. It's been a real back and forth competition all season. Some races definitely have gone in our favor, some in theirs, and it's ended up where we are tied going into the last race. We enjoy competing against each other. I think there's a good relationship between the two teams, but both of us want to go to Le Mans, and only one of us can win the invite.
"This is always a fascinating race with multiple championship battles up for grabs, which probably makes this, in my opinion, the hardest sports car race in the world when you throw in the traffic, the length of the track and the amount of cars out there with everything on the line. So we'll have our little battle in the middle of it all, and see how we get on.”
Jake Galstad/LAT Images/IMSA
Iribe won the Bob Akin Award in 2023 with Fidani doing so last year. While both have taken their teams to Le Mans the last two seasons, Iribe would like to see more competitors vying for the award.
“Yeah, I wish there was more competition,” Iribe admitted. “I talk to the IMSA guys all the time about what ideas do they have, do I have some ideas, what ideas do we have together on how we can attract more bronzes to the field.
“Personally, I love being here with all the silvers. I would like more bronzes on the grid, just more cars in general would be awesome. But I joined and I'm here to compete against silvers, and I love doing that. So that's why I'm here in IMSA.”
After getting his first career win at Indy, Iribe stated the obvious about Saturday’s ten hour enduro.
“It all comes down to the last race, just how IMSA and the fans want it. Not exactly how we want it, but we'll take it, and it'll be exciting. Can't wait for Petit.”
Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute. Follow him on X @DennisKrause500 or motorsportsminute.bluesky.social or motorsportsminute on Threads or MotorsportsMinute+ on Facebook.