High Class Racing is contemplating expanding its recently formed collaboration with Isotta Fraschini into the FIA World Endurance Championship and/or the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, according to team principal Anders Fjordbach, who has been taken aback by the substantial driver interest since the partnership was announced.
The Barcelona-based squad was confirmed last week as the new operators of the Tipo 6 LMH-C, a prototype built to LMH specifications, although specific plans for the car were not disclosed.
Speaking with Sportscar365 at Le Mans, Fjordbach outlined intentions to compete in the forthcoming 2026-27 Asian Le Mans Series, which will mark the Hypercar class’s inaugural season.
Nevertheless, a program beyond the winter series is being considered by Michelotto Engineering and Isotta Fraschini Milano.
“We will be at Asian Le Mans, I’m pretty convinced,” Fjordbach told Sportscar365. “But it’s not entirely up to us; there are many factors. You need an entry granted.”
“But I know Michelotto is pushing very hard for this.”
“We are fortunate to have a large pool of customers and drivers reaching out. There’s still no final lineup.”
“Yet it’s exciting to see how strong the interest has been. I’ve never had this many meetings since the announcement. There are a lot of people contacting us who want to be part of it, including drivers.”
That early enthusiasm could help broaden the program into the WEC or WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, subject to entry approvals from the respective sanctioning bodies.
In the WEC, where the Tipo 6 LMH-C debuted and ran part of a season in 2024 before withdrawing after a split with former operators Duqueine Team, a two-car mandate in Hypercar has since been introduced.
Even if the project secures the necessary budget, space on the grid could become a constraint next year, with Ford and McLaren Hypercar programs set to launch, alongside a potential continuation of the Signatech-run Hypercar effort with a different OEM.
“It’s very clear that Michelotto, Isotta Fraschini and us are keen to pursue WEC,” Fjordbach said. “This is, of course, not the cheapest endeavor.”
“Additionally, an entry must be granted and all the accompanying requirements met.”
“Having two cars isn’t an issue, but financing it is somewhat more challenging. We have the cars; I believe they have four or five [chassis].”
“Finances are not the simplest part. I think both ourselves and Michelotto have strong partners. I’m convinced that if everyone wants it, it can happen.”
Asked about the WeatherTech Championship, where High Class ran an LMP2 program from 2021-24, Fjordbach suggested it could present a more realistic option in the near term.
“It wasn’t our first thought, but with IMSA currently having fewer entries, there’s been renewed interest,” he explained.
“We aren’t the largest operation; that’s clear. When facing Toyota, there might be a simpler path through IMSA.”
“But we must evaluate it. IMSA does allow running just a single car. It’s on the other side of the world, yet we bring five years of LMP2 experience there.”
Asked about the prospect of a boutique LMH-based brand competing in the WeatherTech Championship, IMSA President John Doonan referred to the sanctioning body’s eligibility rules.
“There are universal regulations requiring a certain number of road cars to be produced globally to qualify,” he noted. “We would apply the same policy as in our current regulations.”
However, Doonan added that IMSA remains “ready to welcome any and all entrants” to GTP.
“The present regulations stay in effect through 2029, so we would continue to welcome any of the current LMH competitors into IMSA competition,” he said.
Fjordbach also remarked: “WEC remains the primary objective. It’s about Le Mans and the World Endurance Championship. Yet I personally believe IMSA offers a more attainable route.”
“The only challenge is timing. It begins so early in January. You must attend the sanctioned test in December, and that is coming up very quickly.”
“In three or four weeks, we’ll know considerably more, as we’ll have thousands of kilometers logged on the car and a clearer view of where we stand.”
High Class, which has recently relocated to a spacious new workshop in Barcelona, is assembling a dedicated team for the Isotta Fraschini project.
Fjordbach indicated a comprehensive testing program is planned for next month in Italy, spanning three consecutive weeks across several circuits, with potential runs at Silverstone and Barcelona later in the summer.
