From Le Mans to the Lone Star State, Genesis’ New Racing Team Is In It for the Long Haul

The luxury arm of Hyundai Motor Group launched its foray into motorsports last year If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. Genesis Magma Racing has a team, a car — a very decent one given its recency — and now it wants to build a fandom. “You only win because there is a group,” three-time Le Mans champion and former Formula One driver Jacky Ickx told attendees gathered in the sleek paddock lounge above the Genesis Magma Racing garages on a recent afternoon in Austin. To the right of the cluster of couches and armchairs, large screens displayed a map of the Circuit of the Americas and the activities on the famed racetrack, orange and black flickering through the visuals. “I am not nostalgic about my past, but I am nostalgic about the people,” Ickx reminisces. “I didn’t pay enough attention to those who were making these wins possible.” The luxury arm of Hyundai Motor Group launched its foray into motorsports last year, at a sprint speed of just 500 days between announcement and their first appearance at the Six Hours of Imola in April. Just months into their first season, the most recent addition to the World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar class is already making a statement. In June, the team achieved a monumental feat for endurance racing — having a car finish the grueling 24 hours of Le Mans. A few months later, they made their American debut in Austin at the Lone Star Le Mans 2026 . SERFOSS A car and a competent team of drivers are just a handful of pieces to the puzzle. Engineers, data analysts, coaches, physical therapists, mechanics, and a whole host of business side wizards all pull in tandem to manufacture and maintain the machine. At COTA, GMR once again out-drove their age, putting both cars through Hyperpole and placing 8th and 10th on the starting grid. While race day was marred with pit lane issues and an unfortunate incident early in the race, car #17 — piloted by two time World Endurance champion André Lotterer, IMSA title winner Pipo Derani, and European Le Mans Series Rookie of the Year Mathys Jaubert — pulled off its best ever finish in seventh place. “I have the fortune to be with a group of people from Genesis, a young brand, 10 years old,” Ickx — now an ambassador and consultant for the young team — added. “United by the passion for Korea to enter for the very first time into motor racing. We have everything to learn, we have to make our experiences.” SERFOSS Those experiences extend to the fans, and what better location than the modern racing playground at the Circuit of the Americas. Guests of Genesis Magma Racing were treated to a weekend packed with up close, in depth encounters with team members, drivers, and their machinery. We were even able to take a hot lap for a first person view of the track in the 2027 GV60 Magma, a volcanic orange, electric sport SUV with up to 641 horsepower, butter smooth handling, and the athletic DNA of its racing counterparts. Two state of the art racing simulators allowed guests to get a taste for the experience of driving the GMR-001 hypercar around COTA (complete with haptic feedback for whenever you run off the track), and the Genesis One Lounge offered the perfect respite to refuel, re-caffeinate, and enjoy a close up aerial view of MGR’s pit crew at work. Under the format of a six-hour endurance race, it was a pleasure to experience such access with the luxury of time. A ride up the COTA tower to spend some time watching drivers battle it out from a birds eye view at 250 feet above the track; a tour through the MGR garages ahead of qualifying; forays to fan zones and sought after viewing corners without the pressure of time. A custom cowboy hat design station to help keep the sun of Central Texas out of your eyes. It’s a motorhead’s paradise. SERFOSS It helps that Genesis is attempting to provide fans with an experience unlike any other. At the core of their brand ethos is the Korean of son nim, which translates conceptually to “honored guest.” “The best gift [we can give our guests this week] is air conditioning,” one organizer joked. And they weren’t kidding. In the blistering temperatures of Texas’ late summer, beating the heat is a full-time concern. Ice cold paletas, and neck towels are readily distributed, invited guests are greeted with a welcome basket featuring sunscreen, electric handheld fans, and newly released GMR hats. Transportation to and from COTA, meals and activities were provided in a fleet of sleek GV70s, complete with ventilated seats for quick cool downs. Overall, the weekend produced a feeling of accessibility. The drivers are quick to snap photos and sign merchandise for those on the grid, and support staff is generous with their distribution of flags and driver cards to passing fans. They notice when one is sporting GMR merchandise in the wild. Down the paddock, storied teams like Ferrari, Ford, Porsche, and Toyota have entire eras of racing to back up their presence on the grid, champions and legends among their ranks. Genesis Magma Racing is making their presence known through performance, and banking that an American fandom will follow in their slipstream.