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American endurance racing rookie eager to fulfil early-season potential in France
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Inter Europol star produced podium-challenging pace in Catalunya curtain-raiser
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Atlanta, GA native got to grips with Circuit Paul Ricard during Ultimate Cup outing
Shawn Rashid has contested two races in recent weeks, and on both occasions, he was solidly in the hunt for silverware until ill-fortune intervened. He is hoping the forthcoming round of the 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup will herald an overdue return to the rostrum.
Having switched from single-seaters to endurance racing towards the end of last year, Rashid immediately proved his prowess in the long-distance discipline with champagne celebrations in his first two appearances.
Heading into the Michelin Le Mans Cup’s curtain-raising contest in Catalunya, the American had his sights set on completing the hat-trick – and when Inter Europol Competition team-mate Alex Bukhantsov qualified the pair’s #34 Ligier JS P325 on pole position in the keenly-contested LMP3 Pro/Am category, he looked to be firmly in contention. Unfortunately, the racing gods decided differently.
“The opening hour, when Alex was in the seat, was full of neutralisations,” Rashid reflected, “and then just a couple of laps after I took over, something on the car broke, which gave me a whole load of understeer to deal with. That in-turn affected our tyre degradation and left me struggling for speed.
“I fought as hard as I could, but fifth place was the maximum we could achieve when we should have been on the podium. That was obviously disappointing, as I believe we are in with a genuine shout of battling for the championship this season, so to give away points so early on put us straightaway on the back foot.”
From there, the Atlanta, GA native was offered a chance to accrue vital track time around southern France’s Circuit Paul Ricard – a venue he had not previously visited, and which will host round two of the 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup campaign this weekend (1-2 May).
The opportunity arose in the European Endurance Prototype Cup – part of the Ultimate Cup European Series – in a high-calibre, 35-strong field that included the likes of former FIA World Endurance Champion and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, Neel Jani.
Although his fellow drivers had years of experience in the Nova NP02 prototype, Rashid demonstrated his quick-learning capabilities by posting the fastest lap of the #777 trio in both qualifying and the race, which was cut short from its scheduled six-hour duration – scuppering another rapid run that had looked likely to yield a trophy. Still, as data-gathering dress rehearsals go, it was very much mission accomplished.
“The European Endurance Prototype Cup has a pretty healthy level of competition, with a number of European Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup drivers using it for preparation purposes as it travels to many of the same circuits,” explained the Purdue University Industrial Engineering graduate. “It was a last-minute deal, but given I had never been to Paul Ricard, it was too good an opportunity to turn down.
“I really liked the Nova NPO2 – it felt like an LMP2 car, albeit not quite as fast, and was very enjoyable to drive. We weren’t super-quick over a single lap, which made qualifying a bit of a challenge, but that was because we had set the car up to look after its tyres really well, which paid dividends in the race, when we were able to punch in consistent times throughout.
“That said, it wasn’t without its dramas. The engine in the car in front of me blew at the beginning of my first stint, which covered my windshield in oil, and later, I had to contend with the setting sun, which combined with a dirty screen made it pretty difficult to see! Then during my second stint, a lot of fog rolled in over the circuit, so it was like driving into a cloud; that was kind of cool but also kind of scary!
“Overall, it was another weekend where we should have come away with a podium, but the result in the European Endurance Prototype Cup was never the ultimate objective – the main benefit was the invaluable experience I gained in advance of this weekend. Hopefully, that will enable us to hit the ground running and kick-start our Michelin Le Mans Cup season with a top three finish, so we can collect as many points as possible towards our championship bid!”
Rashid’s manager, former British Touring Car Championship Independents’ title-winner, Rory Butcher, shares the Oxford-based racer’s optimism.
“Shawn showed a lot of promise in the first round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup in Catalunya,” mused the Scot. “He is already settling into the team, car and series extremely well and the final result did not reflect the potential of the package, because the pace is clearly there.
“The aim of last weekend’s track time was to give Shawn a head-start when he returns to Paul Ricard this weekend, and with that extra experience now under his belt, I have no doubt he will be pushing for the podium again – if not better.”
You can watch Shawn in the Michelin Le Mans Cup live and for free on FIAWEC+, including official race coverage, replays and highlights. The full race weekend timetable for round two of the season at Paul Ricard can be found here.