Blackdog Racing and rookie driver Liam Harrison made good early impressions in the opening weekend for Toyota GR Cup – the team’s first foray into the single-make championship.
Harrison, in the No. 55 Blackdog Cars Toyota GR86, just missed a pair of top-10 finishes at the Arlington Grand Prix and the first two GR Cup rounds for 2026. The 21-year-old placed well within the top-half of the field in both rounds – 13th in Saturday’s Race 1 and 11th in Race 2.
Harrison also visited the podium on his first weekend as a full-time GR Cup driver by winning the Hard Charger Award for the opening race as he gained six spots from his 19th-place starting position – a solid accomplishment for his first race with Blackdog Racing and first street-course race, not to mention the first race in GR Cup for Blackdog engineering and crew members.
Progress for Harrison and the team was steady throughout the weekend at the first-year street event. His fastest laps of the weekend were in Race 2 and Race 1, respectively with his best lap Sunday eighth-best among the 25 cars in the field as he ran inside the top-10 in the race’s first half.
Blackdog Racing now moves to Sonoma Raceway on March 27-29 for the first full weekend of SRO Motorsports America competition. In addition to Harrison’s GR Cup entry, the team’s No. 33 McLaren Artura GT4 will start its season in Pirelli GT4 America with Michael Cooper and Tony Gaples looking to repeat as race winners from 2025.
LIAM HARRISON, NO. 55 BLACKDOG CARS TOYOTA GR86:
“Overall, I’m happy with the weekend and my first event with Blackdog Racing. There was a lot that was new for all of us on the team – my first race in the series as a full-time driver, my first street race and the team’s first race in GR Cup. You always want to be farther up the field but I’m confident we’ll get there. This was really my first opportunity to go up against a lot of drivers and teams who have a lot more experience in this type of racing, and I learned a ton on-track and in our debriefs after each session. We have a lot to be proud of and to build on for Sonoma and the rest of the championship.”
RAY SORENSON, TEAM MANAGER, BLACKDOG RACING:
“We’re really proud and happy for Liam. This wasn’t an easy place for anyone to start their first full season, but we’re all pleased with the progression he made in each session as the race went on. He was a little disappointed with Q1 but we were all confident he could make his way up through the field, which he did really well. So that gave him a lot of confidence that he could run toward the front with guys who have a lot more experience in this series. There is still a lot for us to learn about this car, but this was a good and solid first step. Our expectation is both the team and Liam should make steady progress forward starting at Sonoma.”
About Blackdog Racing
Ever dreamed of piloting a real SRO GT race car? Blackdog offers rental and “arrive and drive” racing in addition to purpose-built cars. Email sales@blackdogpeedshop.com to discuss the best way to put you in the driver’s seat!