After a year away from racing, 2024 Michelin Le Mans Cup GT3 champion Matt Kurzejewski has returned to the paddock, stepping up to LMGT3 with Proton Competition in 2026.
Driving the no51 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 alongside teammate Alessandro Balzan, Kurzejewski took four victories and three second places from the seven races, including scoring pole position in Barcelona and Portimao to secure the 2024 MLMC GT3 title with a 42-point margin over the rest of the field.
Despite not stepping into a race car in 2025, the 34-year-old American from Mansfield, Pennsylvania was extremely busy, as he explained. “I’m very pleased to be back in the paddock. 2025 was a big year personally, my wife and I welcomed our first child, which has been an incredible experience. Professionally, I spent a lot of time focused on the company, so I wasn’t in a race car for over a year.”
The 2024 Michelin Le Mans Cup was Kurzejewski’s first experience of ACO rules in Europe. How important was this first step in his development as a racing driver? “My 2024 season in the Michelin Le Mans Cup was very important for a number of reasons. It was my first experience in GT racing and in a true multi-class endurance environment. Prior to that, I had been racing in Ferrari Challenge in the U.S., which is much more sprint focused.
“One of the biggest takeaways was gaining experience with ACO rules and procedures. The ACO environment, across MLMC, ELMS, and WEC, operates quite differently from IMSA and other U.S. sanctioning bodies. Having that full season of exposure is a major advantage. It helps with understanding race procedures, pit protocols, and overall race management, which ultimately reduces the risk of penalties and allows you to focus more on execution and performance.”
Matt Kurzejewski will be racing an LMGT3 Porsche 911 with Proton Competition. This will be his first season in a Porsche, how is he coping with the transition from Ferrari? “I spent four years in the Ferrari and really fell in love with that platform. At the end of the day, they are both race cars, but they have very different characteristics. Historically, I’ve gravitated toward front-engine cars, so both the mid-rear engine Ferrari and rear-engine Porsche require a different driving approach.
“For me, the transition comes down to patience and understanding weight distribution to shorten the learning curve. The Ferrari 296 is designed to be driven precisely within its operating window, right at the limit, but it demands respect. The Porsche, on the other hand, feels like it encourages you to lean on it at and even slightly beyond the limit, which can be very rewarding once you understand it.”
So how is he getting on with his new team? “I spent four years with Ferrari-aligned teams and built strong relationships during that time, so making the move to Proton wasn’t something I took lightly. It meant starting fresh in many ways.
“That said, Proton presented a great opportunity to join a very experienced team with a strong history and a competitive driver lineup. I tend to be more quiet and reserved by nature, so there’s an adjustment that comes with integrating into a new environment, but I’m gaining traction quickly. The team has been very welcoming, and there’s a strong foundation here to build something successful.”
The first race is the 4 Hours of Barcelona where Kurzejewski took pole and won the MLMC race in 2024. What does he think the Spanish circuit? “I’m very excited to return to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. It’s a great venue and a perfect place to open the season. My favourite sequence is Repsol through Seat, Wurth, and into Campsa. It’s a technical section that really rewards commitment and precision, and when you get it right, it’s very satisfying.”
What about the other circuits on the 2026 calendar, some of them Matt Kurzejewski raced on in 2024? “Any seat time is valuable, especially when returning to circuits. Having prior experience at most of the tracks on the 2026 ELMS calendar definitely helps shorten the learning curve and allows you to focus more on fine-tuning performance rather than starting from scratch.
“I’m very excited about racing at Silverstone for the first time this year. It’s one of the most historic circuits in motorsport, with a lot of character and very high-speed sections that really reward commitment and confidence. It’s a track that challenges both the driver and the car, so I’m looking forward to that opportunity.
“That said, I’m probably most excited to return to Imola. It’s one of my favourite circuits. It has a great flow, a lot of technical sections, and a strong sense of history. It’s a place where you really feel connected to the track, and it’s always rewarding to drive there.”
Is stepping up to LMGT3 in the ELMS is going to be a challenge that Kurzejewski relishes? “The LMGT3 class is extremely competitive; there are a lot of strong teams and driver lineups, so execution is everything.
“My approach to endurance racing has always been to focus on running our own race. Stay disciplined, minimize mistakes, execute consistently, and avoid unnecessary risks. If you can do that over the course of a race, opportunities tend to come to you. That mindset has contributed to my success, and it’s what I’ll carry into this season.”
So, what does Matt Kurzejewski like to do when he is not racing? “Outside of racing, I’m heavily involved in the operations and growth of my company. I approach business very similarly to racing, success comes from executing at a high level across every part of the operation.
“My friends and family would probably say I’m very driven when it comes to work. At the same time, I make it a priority to stay active and spend time with the people closest to me. Lately, a big part of that has been adjusting to life as a new dad.
“In my free time, we spend a lot of time on Keuka Lake during the summer and skiing in the winter. I really value that balance, being able to step away, reset, and enjoy time with family and close friends.”
