THOR Boss Ian James: Second IMSA Valkyrie 'Unlikely' In 2027

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Last weekend at the Detroit Sports Car Classic, Heart of Racing team boss Ian James all but ruled out a second Valkyrie GTP entry for the team next season.

Speaking to Sportscar365.com, James labeled the idea "unlikely," even after what is understood to be a strong push from IMSA asking/probing if THOR would consider adding a second Valkyrie to the grid with the imminent departure of Acura on the horizon. 

"There's no change in the plans currently," James told Sportscar365.com. "It's the fan favorite, so I think there's more pressure from the fans than from IMSA, to be honest!"

As far as the 'plans' that James referred to, the goal for the Valkyrie LMH stateside was to build a strong foundation of consistent performances before adding a second car would be considered. As things stand, James and the team don't view the car is at that stage of competitive performance just yet, and the race results back it up.

"We still have work to do [with the car]...Until we've passed that summit, then it's not really a consideration. We need to be consistently running towards the front in all different conditions, in all types of tracks, then we can consider [what expansion] looks like."

Interestingly enough, Sportscar365.com also reported that the Aston Martin and THOR are preparing the first round of Joker EVO updates for the Valkyrie, with James telling reporters at Le Mans that the car will be updated in time for the 2027 season in both the World Endurance Championship AND IMSA WeatherTech Championship, which is absolutely huge. Those EVO Jokers cost a ton of money and resources, and the fact that the car is being updated in both series' shows the team is giving it their all to get the car to its potential peak.

Using the scales of relativity here, the LMH Valkyrie has been a great success for Aston Martin and THOR since its racing debut last season. The car is a true one-of-one in regards to the design as it still serves as the only Hypercar or GTP entry to be derived from a preexisting production road car, while also being the only non-hybrid machine of the lot. Every other LMH or LMDh was built from the ground up as prototype racers with hybrid technology. 

Everyone is willing to give the Valkyrie as much development runway as realistically possible because the whole project is one of the most ambitious in motorsport history, and certainly in this new generation of prototypes. The good news is that things have gone much better in Year 2 competing in the WEC with the #007 car scoring points in both of the opening rounds of the season, while the #009 was on track for what would have been a double-points finish for the team at Spa before it crashed out in almost-catastrophic fashion late in the action.

With Le Mans approaching, the #007 currently sits ninth in the Drivers' championship while Aston Martin are fourth in the Manufacturers' title fight with 14 points, tied with Alpine.

Things have been slower out of the gate this season in IMSA as the #23 has yet to finish above P8 through five races. The development curve is proving steeper in IMSA for a litany of reasons, whether it's the vastly different track layouts that are on the schedule, a smaller crew, or just fewer resources to expend. As is the case in both the WEC and IMSA, the Valkyrie serves as the baseline for BOP ratings and adjustments as the car is the lightest in terms of weight while also having the maximum power output in both stages. Perhaps the engineers and technical teams in the WEC have balanced the Valkyrie quicker and better than in IMSA, but the tweaking will continue nonetheless.

Regardless, with an EVO Joker coming and no signs of changing course, you have to feel good about how THOR aren't shying away from their struggles.

The pressure to perform is present for every team in racing and the Valkyrie is no different. Like was said previously, there is some built-in leeway for the circumstances of how the car came to be, never mind it also being such a massive fan favorite that many will operate with plenty of patience as we turn into the second half of 2026 and then into 2027. 




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