Kiko Porto’s (Banco Daycoval / Toyota Gazoo Racing / Team: Rafa Racing) first season in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge comes to a close, marked by challenges, learning, speed, and, above all, resilience. At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, the Brazilian driver completed the tenth and final round of the championship this weekend behind the wheel of the Rafa Racing Team’s Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO, sharing the No. 12 car with American driver Varun Choksey. The two-hour final round once again brought together a competitive field in the GS class and put the drivers’ and teams’ abilities to the test on one of the most iconic tracks in American motorsports. Before the start, Kiko and Varun expressed confidence in the Toyota’s potential, even though they were starting from tenth place in the class—a position secured by the American driver in qualifying. The plan was to turn the car’s strong pace into a comeback race. A Crowded Grid and a Tough Qualifying Session Qualifying was one of the first hurdles of the weekend. With more than 30 cars sharing a track where a lap takes about a minute and a half, finding space for a clean lap became an especially difficult task. Kiko highlighted this very scenario when analyzing the team’s performance in qualifying. “I wasn’t the one who qualified; it was my teammate. Qualifying was kind of tough. We’re starting from 10th. There was a lot more speed in the car, but the traffic was really the most annoying part. There were more than 30 cars on a little track that takes a minute and a half to lap, so it was pretty annoying,” explained Kiko Porto. Comeback and a Fight to the Checkered Flag During the race, Varun Choksey took the first stint behind the wheel and managed to bring the No. 12 Toyota into a competitive position before the pit stop. The American handed the car over in sixth place in the GS class, making way for Kiko to take over and handle the second half of the race. From that point on, the challenge became making up ground amid the intense traffic of the field. Kiko returned to the track in 21st place in the GS class and began a climb that required pace, concentration, and the ability to capitalize on every opportunity. Lap after lap, the Brazilian worked his way through the field, putting the Toyota back in a position to contend for key positions in the final stages of the race. He recovered all the way to 8th place at the finish line. However, a penalty knocked car number 12 out of the top finishers’ list. “It was a really tough race. It wasn’t the way we wanted to end the year, but now we have to look ahead to 2027,” said Kiko. A Debut Year with a Victory Kiko Porto’s debut season in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge also stands out as a significant achievement in the 2026 season review. As the 2025 VP Challenge champion, the Brazilian moved up to a new category and faced a different landscape, featuring GT4 cars, endurance races, intense competition, and the need to share the wheel during the races. The year ends with a victory at the Canadian round, a result that marks a season of growth within the Rafa Racing Team. At 23, Kiko wraps up his first season in the Michelin Pilot Challenge with the experience of someone who had to navigate various track conditions and high-speed racing strategies. Kiko Porto heads into another season representing Toyota Gazoo Racing in 2027, carrying with him the lessons learned from the championship. His first season in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge may be over, but the Brazilian’s story on North American tracks is far from reaching the checkered flag.