BEN KEATING TO END FULL-TIME WEC AND IMSA CAMPAIGN
One of endurance racing’s most respected drivers, Ben Keating, will step back from full-time competition in the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at the end of the 2026 season. The 55-year-old American plans to focus on one-off races instead, with events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Rolex 24 At Daytona still part of his plans.
Keating has no plans to retire from racing altogether. He told Sportscar365 that he wants to choose races that sound fun rather than commit to another full season, while also making time for other parts of his life.
The decision brings an end to a remarkable run in endurance racing. Keating made his IMSA debut in 2011 and joined the WEC field in 2019. Across the two championships, he has won four class titles in LMP2 and GTE.
His biggest success came in the WEC’s GTE Am class. Keating won the world title in 2022 with TF Sport and repeated the achievement in 2023 with Corvette Racing. He is the only American to have won the WEC’s GT Am title more than once.
He has also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice. His first victory came in 2022 with TF Sport and Aston Martin, before he returned to the top step in 2023 with Corvette Racing. The back-to-back wins made him one of the most successful American Bronze-rated drivers in the history of the race.
Keating’s IMSA career has been just as strong. He won the Michelin Endurance Cup in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021, as well as the LMP2 championship in 2021. He has also won major endurance races such as the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans.
In 2026, Keating has been competing full-time in the WEC’s LMGT3 class, while also making selected IMSA appearances. He has continued to show that he can compete at a very high level against professional drivers, even as he approaches the end of his full-time career.
The American’s decision also means that he will no longer have to balance two full championship campaigns at the same time. Instead, he will be able to choose the races he wants to do, making the most of the final years of his career.
For endurance racing fans, it is not the end of Ben Keating’s story. It is simply a change of direction for a driver who has already achieved almost everything possible in the sport.
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