From rookie to champion in one single season; it’s a storyline that cannot be told by many, but for Jaden Lander, it’s his reality. The Rotek Racing driver partnered alongside Robb Holland for a Pirelli GT4 America campaign in the Am class, and the rest is history.
The pairing proved to be a strong duo early on, and Lander knew they were a good match before even embarking on the journey together.
“Robb and I got connected through some mutual contacts back in 2023,” Jaden Lander explained. “He told me about his team and his goals, and we got along right away. Our visions were aligned, and we felt like we were both in this for the long run.”
Holland’s mentorship was exceptionally valuable, and his guidance aided Lander in getting settled into the series quickly. Familiarizing himself with a new car and adapting to the level of competition came with some hurdles, but he was ultimately able to find his footing fairly quickly.
"The Porsche was definitely tricky for me to wrap my head around at first,” he stated. “It took me a couple of races to get up to speed and figure out how to drive it. I’d only ever raced front-engine cars before, so that was a big adjustment. It was great having Robb as a teammate and working with the whole Rotek Racing team. We had to put in the work to get everyone on the same page and in sync, but once we got that momentum going, things started to click.”
The inaugural three-hour Lone Star Enduro at Circuit of The Americas was where the magic began to happen. Lander and Holland secured a podium finish in the endurance event, and from there they only continued to get stronger. Even if the tough moments, he was able to take the challenges in stride, trusting that the pendulum would swing back in their favor soon enough.
“COTA was restorative for us,” he said. “From there, we continued on an upward trend. There were of course some races that didn’t go our way, like at Barber Motorsports Park where we were taken out, but it was beyond our control. It was unfortunate that it disrupted our winning streak, but we were able to pick back up in Indy, where we won the first race of the weekend and ultimately secured the championship in the final round."
While he always had the big picture of winning the title in mind, Lander learned and appreciated the process of planning for each individual race.
"At the beginning of the season, the goal is always to win the championship,” he elaborated. “But realistically, championship discussions don’t really start happening until midway through the season. Early on, the focus is on coming out strong, finishing races, and maximizing points. As a team, we sat down and came up with a plan for the rest of the season, which we executed to the best of our ability. Of course, races never go exactly as planned, but we focused on controlling what we could and sticking to our strategy. That approach really paid off in the long run."
Even in times of turmoil and disappointment, Lander was able to maintain a positive outlook and focus on key takeaways from the experience. While others may point to race wins and dominant drives as their highlights of the season, he recalled the lessons he learned in what was arguably the team’s most difficult event.
"I’d say one of the standout weekends for me was at Barber,” he recalled. “I’d never been to that track before, and while we had a single test day the week prior, it was still a bit of an unknown. I ended up loving it and it’s now one of my favorite tracks in the U.S. We had a strong Qualifying session and put the car on pole for both rounds. We were initially leading Race 1 but got caught out by a yellow flag and ended up finishing second. Race 2 was even more intense; I was caught in the biggest crash of my career—a 10-car pileup on the first lap. Thankfully, it wasn’t my fault, but dealing with the mental and physical aftermath of that crash was a challenge. Despite all that, I really enjoyed that weekend because of how strong we were overall.”
The setbacks in Alabama meant that the points margin was even tighter heading into the final event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He was then tasked with dealing with the surmounting pressure, putting his mental strength and fortitude to the test.
"I’d never been in a position to win a championship before, so it was all very new to me,” he admitted. “Robb, on the other hand, had been in this situation many times. We just focused on the basics—hitting our marks, not overcomplicating things, and staying consistent. On Saturday, we converted pole position into a dominant win. Sunday was much tougher, with temperatures about 20-30 degrees hotter, which really challenged the Porsche. It all came down to the last lap, and the emotions were overwhelming.”
As Lander had completed the opening stint in the final race, he had to watch from pit lane as Holland took over for the second half. He was unable to sit still as the minutes elapsed, waiting with anticipation to see if it would all work out accordingly. It was a close battle, with the championship-winning move only taking place in the final corners. In the end, they got the result they needed and officially clinched the Am class title at the last possible moment.
“I was so stressed on the pit wall, pacing around, that our Team Director and engineer Brian eventually told me to take a walk because I was driving him crazy,” he laughed. “That final lap brought such a range of emotions, and I couldn’t have been happier for the team, for Robb, and for Porsche. When he crossed the line and we realized we’d clinched the championship, it was pure elation. Standing on the podium at such an iconic track as Indy was an unforgettable moment."
"Wrapping up the championship at Indy felt like a huge accomplishment, especially because I’ve had a complicated history with that track,” he added. “I’ve struggled to be competitive there in the past, so this year’s success was a huge confidence boost. Putting the car on pole and securing the win was incredibly satisfying. As a driver, confidence and momentum are everything. Without that, it’s hard to find those last few tenths of a second you need. After the race, everyone on the team was smiling for days."
As he looks ahead to 2025, he has added another goal to his checklist, this time expanding beyond the world of sports car racing.
"One of my personal goals is to compete in the Baja 1000,” he exclaimed. “I’m planning to head to San Diego in December or January to start preparing. I’ll work on building a regimen to be competitive and qualify for the event. It’s an ambitious goal, but I’m determined to make it happen! Of course, I also want to secure another sports car championship, but Baja is something I’m really passionate about pursuing."