Neil Verhagen (born February 18, 2001) is an American racing driver. He has been part of the BMW factory driver roster since 2023. His biggest career accolade is winning the 2026 24 Hours of Daytona as well as that year's IMSA Sportscar Championship in the GTD Pro class.
Verhagen is the youngest driver to win the SCCA National Championship Runoffs, having accomplished this in the Formula F category.
Early career
Karting Neil started indoor karting along with his brother Alex. The duo trained and raced at the Grand Prix New York facilities in Mount Kisco, New York, under the instruction of racing driver Stevan McAleer. McAleer raced many classes and won the 2015 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge in the ST class. After racing at the Oakland Valley Race Park club scene, Verhagen joined the WKA and various Rotax Max racing series. In 2012, he finished second in the Florida Winter Tour Minimax series. Verhagen beat many hopefuls such as Logan Sargeant, Patricio O'Ward and Trenton Estep.
To increase their sons chances at a successful racing career, the Verhagen family moved form Ridgefield, Connecticut, to Mooresville, North Carolina, in 2014. The family exchanged the WKA scene for the United States Pro Kart Series.
Lower formulae
Verhagen made his auto racing debut at Road Atlanta in the Skip Barber Winter Series. The young driver won the first three races of the championship at Road Atlanta and Sebring International Raceway. Verhagen, racing a Mazda powered Reynard chassis, finished second in the championship. Later in 2015, Verhagen debuted in the F1600 Championship Series. At the Pittsburgh International Race Complex Verhagen competed in a Spectrum. At the F2000 Championship Series finale at Pittsburgh, Verhagen finished tenth in a RFR F2000.
For 2016, Verhagen joined K-Hill Motorsports in the F1600 Championship Series. He won the championship beating teammate Peter Portante both racing Mygale SJ11 chassis. Verhagen also competed in the SCCA club racing scene. Winning the SCCA Majors Tour Northeast Conference, Verhagen qualified for the SCCA National Championship Runoffs. Verhagen went on to become the youngest driver to win the Runoffs at 15 years and 242 days. Winning the Runoffs, Verhagen qualified for the 2016 Mazda Road to Indy Shootout.
Formula Renault In 2017, Verhagen was inducted into the Red Bull Junior Team and moved up to the Formula Renault Eurocup with MP Motorsport, alongside fellow Red Bull Junior Richard Verschoor. He had one podium at Hungaroring and finished the season eleventh, behind his Dutch teammate.
The following year, Verhagen returned to the Eurocup with Tech 1 Racing, where he finished the championship eleventh.
BRDC British F3 In 2019, Verhagen lost his backing from Red Bull and moved to the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship with Double R Racing. He ended the season fifth overall, having taken seven podiums throughout the campaign.
Sportscar career
2020: Victorious GT debut Verhagen moved to sportscar racing in 2020, driving for Walkenhorst Motorsport as part of the BMW Junior Team in two rounds of the Nürburgring Endurance Series. This included the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, which the American won in the SP8T category driving a BMW M4 GT4.
2021: Nürburgring Endurance success For the 2021 season, Verhagen stepped up to the SP9 Pro class to partner Daniel Harper and Max Hesse in a full-time campaign of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, where the trio would compete in a BMW M6 GT3 car. Verhagen ended up second in the standings, having taken two victories.
2022-2024: GT World Challenge The GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup would be Verhagen's destination in 2022, racing for the BMW Junior Team with ROWE Racing, once more alongside Harper and Hesse. After taking their first points in Imola with a fourth-placed finish, the trio ended up fifth in the 24 Hours of Spa, beating their teammates in the sister car. A further points finish at the Hockenheimring left the American eleventh in the championship, one place ahead of the more experienced line-up of the other Rowe Racing entry.
As a result of their accomplishments, Verhagen, Hesse and Harper were introduced as fully-fledged BMW works drivers before the 2023 season.
Following the retirement of John Edwards after the opening round of the 2023 GT World Challenge America Season, Neil would join Canadian team ST Racing for the remainder of the season. He would also continue racing with his Junior teammates in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with ROWE, as well as compete in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring also with his Junior teammates. He would end the year with a win with ST Racing in race 2 at Road America, a win in NLS 3, and a podium at Monza in GTWC Europe.
Neil would continue full time with ST Racing in the 2024 GT World Challenge America season, this time taking 3 Wins 1 pole, and 10 podiums on a run that would land them 2nd in the championship by only a handful of points after a mechanical issue forced an early retirement from the final 8 hour round at Indianapolis. He would also race for Paul Miller Racing for the first time, joining the #1 Car for the 2024 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events, where he would be successful in winning the MEC championship.
2025: Full-Time IMSA SportsCar Championship Debut Following Bryan Sellers' step away from the driving side of racing, Neil would take on a full season programme with Paul Miller in the 2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship. The pair, however, would struggle and eventually finish behind fellow Junior team graduates, Dan Harper and Max Hesse, in the sister car. Having shown pace at times despite inconsistency, the pair would take a victory at the Road America event, and a further podium at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
2026: IMSA Champions and Two 24H Class Wins 2026 would prove to be Neil's best year to date. Continuing his full time programme in IMSA with a new full season partner in Connor De Phillippi, they would start off strong with a win at the 2026 24 Hours of Daytona alongside Dan Harper and Max Hesse. While they would not win again for the rest of the season, a strong consistent run with 3 additional podiums and 3 further top 5 finishes in a highly competitive GTD Pro season was enough to earn both drivers their first IMSA SportsCar Championship, as well as wrapping up the MEC.
2026 would also see Neil drive the fan-favourite BMW M3 Touring 24H in the Nürburgring. Taking an extremely popular 4th Overall and 1st in the SP-X Class.
Racing record
Racing career summary
SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPodiumsPointsPosition 2015 F1600 Championship Series N/A300003133rd F2000 Championship Series100002137th 2015-16 Skip Barber Winter Series N/A200015319th 2016 F1600 Championship Series K-Hill Motorsports21947158321st 2016-17 MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Championship MRF Racing400001115th 2017 Formula Renault Eurocup MP Motorsport2300015911th Formula Renault NEC510014714th 2018 Formula Renault Eurocup Tech 1 Racing2000005911th Formula Renault NEC1000003113th 2019 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship Double R Racing2401073575th 2020 Nürburgring Endurance Series - Cup 5 Walkenhorst Motorsport2100115.8320th 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP8T11001N/A1st Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP8T FK Performance Motorsport3000111.254th 2021 24H GT Series - P4 BMW M Motorsport110010NC† Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9 Pro BMW Junior Team7200439.222nd 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 BMW Junior Team Shell10000N/ADNF 2022 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup BMW Junior Team with ROWE Racing500003611th 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 BMW Junior Team Shell10000N/ADNF Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9 Pro BMW Junior Team200010NC† Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP85 BMW M Motorsport100000NC† 2023 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup ROWE Racing500013310th Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9 Pro BMW Junior Team310020NC† 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP910000N/ADNF Michelin Pilot Challenge - GS Fast Track Racing2000015059th GT World Challenge America - Pro-Am ST Racing710351216th Intercontinental GT Challenge10000428th ADAC GT Masters FK Performance Motorsport200001627th ESET Cup Endurance - GT3 Trevor Racing10000124th* ESET Cup Sprint - GT321102433rd* 2024 GT World Challenge America - Pro-Am ST Racing 13 3 1 1 10 223 2nd 24H Series - GT4 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Pro Paul Miller Racing 5 0 0 1 1 1400 15th2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Pro Paul Miller Racing10111227947thGT World Challenge Europe Endurance CupAlManar Racing by WRT100000NCIntercontinental GT Challenge10000430thTeam KRC10000 Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie - SP8T ST Racing2026IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD ProPaul Miller Racing1012143012 1stGT World Challenge AsiaTeam KRCNürburgring Langstrecken-Serie - SP-XSchubert Motorsport24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP-X11111N/A 1stChina GT Championship - GT3TBC by 610Racing
SCCA National Championship Runoffs
Year Track Car Engine Class Finish Start Status 2016 Mid-Ohio Mygale SJ11 Honda Fit Formula F 1 1 Running
American Open-wheel racing results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest race lap)
F1600 Championship Series Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Rank Points 2016 K-Hill MotorsportsATLATLATLWGLWGLWGLVIRVIRVIRMOHMOHMOHPITPITPITNJMPNJMPNJMPVIRVIRVIR 1st 832
Complete Formula Renault NEC results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 DC Points 2017 MP Motorsport MNZ1 MNZ2 ASS1 ASS2 NÜR1 NÜR2 SPA1 SPA2 SPA3 HOC1 HOC2 14th 47 2018 Tech 1 Racing PAU1 PAU2 MNZ1 MNZ2 SPA1 SPA2 HUN1 HUN2 NÜR1 NÜR2 HOC1 HOC2 13th 31
Complete Formula Renault Eurocup results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Pos Points 2017 MP Motorsport MNZ1 MNZ2 SIL1 SIL2 PAU1 PAU2 MON1 MON2 HUN1 HUN2 HUN3 NÜR1 NÜR2 RBR1 RBR2 LEC1 LEC2 SPA1 SPA2 SPA3 CAT1 CAT2 CAT3 11th 59 2018 Tech 1 Racing LEC1 LEC2 MNZ1 MNZ2 SIL1 SIL2 MON1 MON2 RBR1 RBR2 SPA1 SPA2 HUN1 HUN2 NÜR1 NÜR2 HOC1 HOC2 CAT1 CAT2 11th 59
Complete BRDC British Formula 3 Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Pos Points 2019 Double R Racing OUL1 OUL2 OUL3 SNE1 SNE2 SNE3 SIL11 SIL12 SIL13 DON11 DON12 DON13 SPA1 SPA2 SPA3 BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 SIL21 SIL22 SIL23 DON21 DON22 DON23 5th 357
Complete Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie results Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pos. Points 2020 FK Performance Motorsport BMW M240i Racing SP8T NÜR1 NÜR2 NÜR3 4th 11.25Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 NÜR4 NÜR5BMW M240i RacingCup 5 NÜR1 NÜR2 NÜR3 NÜR4 NÜR5 20th 15.83 2021 BMW Team RMG BMW M6 GT3 SP9 NÜR1 NÜR2 NÜR3 NÜR4 NÜR5 NÜR6 NÜR7 NÜR8 2nd 39.22 2022 BMW Junior Team BMW M4 GT3 SP9 NÜR1 NÜR2 NÜR3 NÜR4 NÜR5 NÜR6 NÜR7 NÜR8 NÜR9 NC† 0BMW M MotorsportBMW M4 GT4 ConceptSP85 NÜR1 NÜR2 NÜR3 NÜR4 NÜR5 NÜR6 NÜR7 NÜR8 NÜR9 NC 0 2023 BMW Junior Team BMW M4 GT3 SP9 NÜR1 NÜR2 NÜR3 NÜR4 NÜR5 NÜR6 NÜR7 NÜR8 NÜR9 NC† 0 †As Verhagen was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.
Complete 24 Hours of Nürburgring results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 2020 Walkenhorst Motorsport Dan Harper Max Hesse BMW M4 GT4 SP8T 78 19th 1st 2021 BMW Junior Team Shell Augusto Farfus Dan Harper Max Hesse BMW M4 GT3 SP9 54 DNF DNF 2022 BMW Junior Team Shell Dan Harper Max Hesse BMW M4 GT3 SP9 86 DNF DNF 2023 BMW Junior Team Dan Harper Max Hesse BMW M4 GT3 SP996DNFDNF 2026 Schubert Motorsport Connor De Phillippi Jens Klingmann Ugo de Wilde BMW M3 Touring 24H SP-X 156 4th 1st
Complete GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup results