Crown Racing to Enter IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge at COTA with McMurry and Clapham

Crown Racing will field the RACER.com No. 17 Ligier JS P320 in its first IMSA endurance event as the team expands from Radical Cup success into IMSA prototype competition.

TUCSON, Ariz. and AUSTIN, Texas, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Crown Racing will make its IMSA endurance debut at Circuit of the Americas, entering the RACER.com No. 17 Ligier JS P320 for the next round of the IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge, held May 7 through May 9 at the 3.426-mile, 20-turn Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The two-hour race marks a significant step forward for Crown Racing as the organization expands its competitive platform from Radical Cup competition into IMSA prototype endurance racing. 

The entry pairs Chris McMurry, a veteran prototype racer and accomplished entrepreneur-racer, with Brady Clapham, the recently crowned Radical Cup North America Pro 1340 Champion. Together, they bring a unique blend of endurance-racing experience, Radical Cup momentum, and prototype discipline to Crown Racing's first appearance in the IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge. Radical Motorsport identified Clapham as the 2025 Radical Cup North America Pro 1340 Champion, supported by Crown Racing with Radical Arizona, while prior Crown Racing communications have highlighted McMurry's American Le Mans Series background and recent Radical Cup success.  

Introduced for 2026, the IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge adds a new endurance component to the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, expanding the platform from traditional 45-minute sprint racing into four, two-hour endurance events for LMP3 competitors. The inaugural season includes Sebring International Raceway, Circuit of the Americas, VIRginia International Raceway, and Road America.  

For Crown Racing, COTA represents more than a new race. It represents the next step in the company's long-term motorsports vision.

"Crown Racing has grown through preparation, relationships, and the belief that every program we touch should be built the right way," said Joey Martin, Team Manager, Crown Racing. "The IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge gives us the opportunity to take what we have built in Radical competition and apply it to a larger endurance platform. Chris and Brady are the right pairing for this moment. They understand the discipline, the patience, and the execution required to compete in this environment, and we are proud to take this step with them at Circuit of the Americas."

Crown Racing has established itself as a competitive force in Radical competition, including its work with Radical Arizona and its growing driver roster across Pro 1340 competition. In 2025, Crown Racing entered the Radical World Finals at VIR with a four-driver Pro 1340 roster that included McMurry, Clapham, Jace Bacon, and Seth Bacon. That program highlighted the organization's increasing footprint in national Radical competition and created a natural bridge toward IMSA's endurance-focused LMP3 platform.  

The COTA event is expected to challenge every layer of the organization. Unlike a sprint format, the IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge places a premium on multi-driver execution, pit-lane discipline, race strategy, communication, and consistency over a full two-hour window. IMSA's Sebring preview described the format as a two-driver endurance race with minimum and maximum drive-time requirements, and the series has positioned the Challenge as a new development pathway inside the IMSA ecosystem.  

"Crown has always been more than a race team," said Austin Martin, Director of Marketing, Crown Racing. "We are a group of people who believe in building something with purpose, doing the small things with excellence, and representing our partners in a way that carries real weight. Entering the IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge with Chris, Brady, RACER.com, and the No. 17 Ligier is a proud moment for us. It is our first endurance event, but it does not feel like a one-off. It feels like the beginning of where Crown Racing is meant to grow."

For McMurry, the event brings a return to the prototype environment where he built much of his racing résumé. His past experience includes American Le Mans Series prototype competition, including a third-place 2013 ALMS P1 championship result alongside Tony Burgess with Dyson Racing, and he has remained active in high-level Radical competition in recent seasons.  

"The appeal of this program is the seriousness behind it," said Chris McMurry. "Crown Racing has built a culture that values preparation, detail, and people. That matters in endurance racing. You need the car, the drivers, the crew, the strategy, and the communication to all work together. COTA is a demanding place to begin, but it is also the right kind of stage for this team."

Clapham enters the event as one of the standout young drivers from the Radical Cup North America Pro 1340 field. Radical Motorsport's 2025 World Finals coverage recognized him as the Radical Cup North America 1340 Champion, and he has been connected publicly with Crown Racing and Radical Arizona in national Radical competition.  

"This is a big opportunity, and I am grateful to be part of it with Crown Racing," said Brady Clapham. "The Radical program has helped prepare me for this kind of step because it teaches you to be precise, aggressive when you need to be, and disciplined over a race distance. Sharing the No. 17 Ligier with Chris at COTA is something I am really looking forward to. The goal is to learn quickly, execute cleanly, and give the team something strong to build from."

The IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge at Circuit of the Americas is scheduled for Saturday, May 9, with IMSA listing the race broadcast from 12:00 p.m. to 2:05 p.m. ET on YouTube, available globally.  

As Crown Racing prepares for its first endurance start, the team sees the program as part of a broader trajectory. With success in Radical Cup competition, a growing partnership network, and increasing involvement in prototype racing, Crown Racing's move into the IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge reflects a deliberate step toward a more expansive future in IMSA competition.

"This is the kind of opportunity that shows where Crown Racing is headed," Joey Martin added. "We respect IMSA, we respect the level of competition, and we understand that endurance racing exposes everything. That is exactly why we want to be here."

About Crown 

We build, restore, and race high-performance and collectible vehicles from our Tucson, AZ headquarters.
Driven by the pursuit of excellence, fueled by passion, led by integrity, and defined by discerning driver expectations.

Racing runs complete programs worldwide across Radical, Prototype, Vintage, GT, and more. We deliver a turnkey race operation - car, logistics, crew, and paddock handled. You arrive ready to drive. Winning is the measure.

The Customs side of Crown creates ground-up builds, restomods, and heirloom restorations crafted to the same standard we race. We also design, fabricate, paint, and finish in-house.

Two disciplines. One standard. Faster weekends. Stronger programs. Memories that last.

SOURCE Crown Concepts