Category: IMSA

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 28, 2024) – The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team made their debut at the Rolex 24 At Daytona to kick off the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) driver Kyle Marcelli began the 24-hour sportscar racing classic from fourth on the GTD grid. In the opening sequence of the race, multiple cautions kept the field together including for the first pit stop cycle. Unfortunately, the team received two drive-thru penalties in what looked to be a promising day for the WTRAndretti GTD team which sent the No. 45 DEX Imaging machine a few laps down early in the race.

Danny Formal, Ashton Harrison and Graham Doyle got comfortable in the No. 45 DEX Imaging machine throughout their stints, with multiple cautions allowing the team to regain their laps back. The team then encountered a suspension issue after light contact during the overnight hours forcing the WTRAndretti crew to repair back at the garages.

Due to the multiple lap deficit to the GTD leader, the WTRAndretti used the remainder of the Rolex 24 At Daytona to gain valuable knowledge and experience on the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2. The No. 45 team ended the 24-hour event 17th in the GTD class.

Next on the schedule for the WTRAndretti GTD Lamborghini team is another iconic endurance event – the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 16, 2024, at Sebring International Raceway. As an endurance event, the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 will see full-time drivers Marcelli and Formal along with Doyle tackle the 12-hour race.
Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti: “It was a good learning experience. My expectations were pretty high about that car actually. But other things happened. I’m really proud of all the drivers, Kyle, Danny, Ashton and especially Graham Doyle. It was a daunting situation for him to be in and he had the incident in the night. He got back in the car and thankfully he did, because he finished the race, and did a great job. Overall, it was a great learning day and I’m really proud of everyone on the team, the crew, drivers, and partners: DEX Imaging, Lamborghini, Harrison Contracting and Gainbridge, very excited to continue onto Sebring.”

No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2
Kyle Marcelli, 2024 Full Season Co-Driver: “These races are never easy. This one in particular tested our character and our strength. We didn’t really have the pace that we thought we were going to have. Certainly not the pace during the Roar and Qualifying. That sort of had us on our back foot. We had a little bit of attrition to deal with about halfway through the race. Just really proud of the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team for never giving up. All the teammates just kept digging and put the time in, and the guys on the stand kept calling the strategy and doing the right thing. At the end of the day, we finished 17th in class, and we finished! Huge learning experience. This was the first race for the team in GTD and I think we have shown, a lot of potential. I think we have a lot of great relationships that are forming with Lamborghini, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and all the partners. The future is bright, and I am looking forward to the next round at Sebring.”

Danny Formal, 2024 Full Season Co-Driver: “We finished, that’s the number one win we take away from this. A new team, new program, and new drivers, at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, so just finishing is a huge accomplishment. We had some issues in the middle of the night, but the team never stopped working. I’m so grateful for WTRAndretti, DEX Imaging, Lamborghini Squadra Corse, my teammates: Graham Doyle, Kyle Marcelli, Ashton Harrison and the entire crew. It’s a dream come true to be part of this organization. Obviously, it’s not the way we wanted it to end but this is just getting started for us. We’re a new program, but we have a great team behind us. We’re ready for the Sebring 12 Hour. I love that track and we did quite well last year. It’s where I signed my first contract with WTRAndretti at Sebring in 2020, so it brings back memories. I’m really excited to go there and show them what we’ve got.”

Graham Doyle, 2024 Endurance Co-Driver: “This race is definitely a special one. The start of hopefully many more endurance races to kick off to a great season ahead with WTRAndretti. The race didn’t exactly go to plan, we had an incident during the night session and went some laps down, but we really rallied as an entire team. WTRAndretti did an awesome job, and we got the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini back together, got back out there and were able to finish the race. That’s pretty special and it’s going to mark a good season.”

Ashton Harrison, 2024 Rolex 24 Co-Driver: “I can’t believe it’s actually over. Now I am looking forward to some much-needed sleep. I’m super proud of everyone in the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini GT3 EVO2 team. It’s been a long night with a lot of highs and lows. It was definitely a challenge, and we did our best. When we had hiccups on the road we overcame them, and the crew worked so tirelessly. It’s been very rewarding and I hope the WTRAndretti crew know how much we appreciate the hard work that they put in getting this car ready for the race and also throughout all the hiccups we had in the middle of the race. I’m looking forward to what’s to come and I’m excited for Danny and Kyle for their full season effort, plus to see Graham continue to perform in these endurance rounds.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

WTRAndretti’s long term partnerships include Lamborghini Squadra Corse, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and Gainbridge.

Pole-winning No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R takes Endurance Cup points lead

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2024) – A twice-around-the-clock race evolved into a 30-minute sprint Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.

The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, which started first, finished second in the 62nd Rolex 24 At Daytona to begin defense of its Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) championship and Cadillac’s Manufacturer title.

Tenacity of drivers Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken and Tom Blomqvist and the Action Express Racing team complemented a reliable and fast hybrid racecar and efficient pit stops to start the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season in the physically demanding race on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn course.

The runner-up finish is Cadillac’s 223rd podium in all classes/series since 2000, including seven in the GTP era. The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R grabbed the early lead in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.

“It’s great to make it to the podium, building on last year’s success. Every member of the team can be very proud of their efforts on preparing the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R for success, from both a technology and durability standpoint,” said John Roth, global vice president of Cadillac. “For more than a century, racing has provided a testbed for Cadillac to transfer knowledge and technology between race cars and production vehicles, and our V-Series portfolio demonstrates how we seamlessly bring learnings from the track to the road.

“The podium finish today demonstrates the remarkable capabilities and determination of the people at Cadillac and is a significant milestone as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of V-Series. Of course, our goal is always to win so we will enjoy the moment, learn and look to Sebring.”

The 72nd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is March 16. The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R is the defending GTP pole and race winner, and Derani has been victorious four times at the 3.74-mile course.

Derani earned the Rolex 24 pole with a track-record lap time in the 15-minute qualifying session January 21, and the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R led multiple times for multiple laps throughout the race.

Blomqvist, who was aiming to become the second driver to win the Rolex 24 three consecutive years, drove the final 2 hours, 56 minutes and battled drivers of eventual winner No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsports, taking the lead in Turn 1 with 1 hour, 18 minutes left. The No. 7 Porsche nosed in front exiting pit lane under full-course caution with 43 minutes left, held off multiple Blomqvist challenges over the duration won by 2.112 seconds.

The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, with drivers Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande, Scott Dixon and Alex Palou, also started on the front row and was a serious contender for the victory until a surprise development in the wee hours Sunday.

van der Zande was making significant headway hours after the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R fell off the lead lap because of a cut tire and drive-thru penalty for a pit lane speed violation when, just shy of 3 a.m. ET, the Dutch driver coasted onto the Turn 1 apron without power.

After examination in the garage, the Chip Ganassi Racing-campaigned GTP entry retired.

Cadillac Racing issued a statement: The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R experienced a mechanical powertrain issue in the second half of the grueling race that resulted in retirement of the entry. Cadillac Racing will investigate to find the root cause and prepare for the 72nd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Runner-up finishes in Rolex 24 At Daytona

2023: Cadillac Racing (Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken, Tom Blomqvist)
2021: Action Express Racing (Jimmie Johnson, Simon Pagenaud, Mike Rockenfeller, Kamui Kobayashi)
2019: Whelen Engineering (Eric Curran, Felipe Nasr, Pipo Derani)
2018: Whelen Engineering Racing (Eric Curran, Felipe Nasr, Mike Conway)
2017: Mustang Sampling Racing (Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi, Filipe Albuquerque)

An interview with Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken and Tom Blomqvist, drivers of the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R:

TOM, TALK ABOUT THE CLOSING STAGES OF THE RACE, AND THE BATTLE WITH FELIPE (NASR)…

“First, I want to say what a fantastic job that the whole Whelen Cadillac team has done this whole two weeks. My teammates have been absolutely fantastic. Not a single stint wrong all race, really. It was kind of between the last, well, what feels like the whole race, between the No. 7 Porsche, they were really, really quick at times. We were quick at times. I think, if I look back, we were maybe a little bit better taking care of tires when we were double-stinting. They were really strong at the restarts, especially during the night when it was a little bit cooler and there was rubber on the track. It kind of came down to those that couple of stints. I was slowly chipping away. Managed to close the gap. We then decided to take an early stop to try and undercut them. Thankfully, I was able to get by on-track. The whole goal there was then to make a gap, because obviously we were going to have a little bit longer of fuel stoppage time at the next stop. That yellow basically ended our chances, really, especially where we are on pit lane, coming under yellow and not really being able to react to the car behind in terms of pulling early, for example. That hurt us, really. I think it was going to be a bit closer if that yellow hadn’t of come out, because I felt there at the end of the race we had the pace advantage. It was just so difficult to pass. The Porsche was really strong on the straight. We were really good in the infield. It was hard to make anything count. I felt like there weren’t many cars there at the end of the race in terms of traffic to find an opportunity. And then Felipe (Nasr) at the end there, I think he made one small mistake where he went wide by a few meters, but other than that, there was no opportunity. Huge hats off to them. They were fantastic, really.”

TOM, YOU DID A TRIPLE (STINT) AT THE END. WAS THAT ALWAYS THE PLAN FOR YOU TO BE IN FOR THE END?

“We didn’t change our driver rotation the whole race. It was always kind of the way it was going to work out was for me to finish, even if we were running a completely green race. And then we decided to just put more time because there was only three of us. Obviously, we had to spend more time in the car to maximize rest out of the car. That was kind of the strategy we went with. These guys did some math and stints during the night doing four so I could get enough rest to jump in and not have to do four, basically. That was always the plan. We just basically extended our driving, so there was a lot of tenuous seat time. It worked out. I think overall it was a good way to go.”

TOM, ROUGHLY 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE END OF THE RACE, THE GAP WAS DOWN TO 0.8 SECONDS. YOU MENTIONED ALREADY THE YELLOW AND TRAFFIC. WAS THIS THE REASON THE GAP INCREASED AT THE END?

“At the end there, I think Felipe (Nasr) just got a little bit more lucky on the last two laps where some of the traffic was slowed up into the bus stop. It just kills you. He got away there at the very end because of that. And then in terms of the fuel consumption, we had the least amount of energy to use. Obviously, our car was the lightest, but we had the least amount. Maybe they were a little bit better, but we also rolled the dice a little bit in terms of stopping early to try and create an opportunity to actually get ahead on track. It’s always easier, you know, when you’ve got track position. You can figure out a way to maintain that. They maximized what they had.”

PIPO, TALK US THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE TEAM IN THE PITBOX AT THE END.

“First of all, it’s always a thrill. We are here to enjoy those moments. It’s made it a fantastic race to watch for the fans. Obviously we are competitors and we want to be out there. But there is nothing better than fighting wheel-to-wheel with great competitors and having such an amazing finish to a race that had been like that for the beginning to the end. So yeah, a nail-biter I think. We had our moment. Tom did a fantastic job to come out to undercut and get by Felipe. Obviously with Daytona being the way it is, the pit is inverted so they could see where we were and short-fueled to come out ahead. At the end of the day, that is part of the game. We gave everything we could. It was definitely harder to be on the outside than in the car. I’m sure it was the same for Jack. We knew Tom was going to do the job, and we came up just short. I’m really proud because I think we did a fantastic job… everyone involved in the team. We didn’t make a single mistake the whole week. We came here with a very competitive car. We were out front from the beginning to the end of the race. I had great battles. There is nothing better to enjoy and celebrate motorsport with a race like this. Next time if I’m not finishing the race, I hope these guys can make it a little bit easier on the heartbeat.”

PIPO, TALK ABOUT STARTING YOUR TITLE DEFENSE WITH A STRONG RESULT.

“It’s great. I think last year if you look at how we started the year, I think we finished fifth here in an up-and-down season. So we had a winter where we said we have to improve this and this and this. We’ve been checking those pockets and mark sure we can come back stronger in ’24. We certainly rolled out with a very competitive car and we did a fantastic race. Hats off to the entire team. We were flawless the whole race. So to begin the season with a pole position and a second-place, it gives us great hope that we are on the right path to fight for another championship. Hopefully it’s not going to be as up-and-down as it was last year. But we’re very happy with how Daytona went, despite coming just short. Everyone should be proud and looking forward to the next one.”

JACK, TALK US THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE TEAM IN THE PITBOX AT THE END.

“It’s a different kind of pain finishing second by that little. We’ve said it many times already this week that we have a lot of confidence in our lineup that we felt comfortable with anybody being in the car for the finish. Tom did a great job, and I really thought he possibly secured us the win with the move on Felipe before the yellow. Just watching from the sidelines like Pipo said, it’s definitely a bit hard on the nerves because you can’t really do anything at that point. It was still heartwarming to see the reaction in the garage that everyone on the Cadillac crew were able to hold their heads high because they put a lot in over the last two weeks after a pretty intense year last year as well. It’s not a long offseason. We’ve come out swinging. So hopefully that is a good indication for the rest of the year. But it definitely stings right now, rightly or wrongly.”

TOM, DID YOU THINK YOU WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO FORCE THE PORSCHE INTO A MISTAKE?

“I tried. But like I said before, I remember him running wide just one. We were both really on it because the lap times came down at the end. We did all we could to secure victories for our teams. It was fun. There was a lot of adrenaline in the car, but it was so close. That’s motorsports sometimes.”

No. 1 Cadillac V-Series.R quotes

Renger van der Zande: “I was really moving; I came through the field so easily. The car was lightning fast and credit to Cadillac and the Ganassi team to give us such a big car to win a race like this. It’s just a shame it has to end like this so early. This is motorsport, we’re fighting with the very best and we’re on the limit with everything to have a competitive car. I have three amazing teammates, a whole team here to win and I think we had the best chance to win. It’s just a shame.”

Sebastien Bourdais: “This end result is obviously disappointing because everyone at Cadillac and Chip Ganassi Racing has put in so much work to get to this point. We showed that we had the pace to compete in this race, but things just didn’t fall our way. We continued to push until the very last minute.”

Scott Dixon: “The team did an amazing job. We worked well together and had great speed with a lot of possibilities, but it’s sad to go out of the race like we did so early on. That’s the way it rolls sometimes. I’m just thankful for everyone from the team at GM and Cadillac. I know there’s an amazing amount of effort that goes into this race and the whole season. The only way is up from here.”

Alex Palou: “Very sad that we couldn’t finish the race after an amazing couple of weeks in Daytona preparing for this big race. We were looking really good, and the Cadillac was super quick in all track conditions. It was an absolute pleasure to drive the 01 and share car with Renger, Sebastien and Scott. Thank you to the team for all the hard work and I know it will pay off down the road.”

After several trips to the garage, the No. 33 Ligier JS P217 LMP2 retires from the Rolex 24 with electrical and bodywork-related issues ahead of the checkered flag

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (28 January 2024) – Despite months of preparation and team effort, the 2024 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Rolex 24 at Daytona was not the opening event that the Sean Creech Motorsport (SCM) team was looking for, as a multitude of issues with the reintroduced Ligier JS P217 saw the team end the day in the garage.

The result was especially difficult given the pace and reliability the Ligier had displayed at last weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex. But it was a case of “that was then, and this is now” for the team, as they finished the race ninth in the LMP2 class.

The Jupiter, Fla.-based team, in concert with Ligier engineers and Ligier North America motorsport manager Chris Lowe, have worked to develop an information database for the Ligier JS P217 through several pre-season test sessions, with steady progress at the Roar that saw the team lead the LMP2 class early in two sessions. The car’s continued pace in official sessions this past week had drivers Lance Willsey, João Barbosa, Jonny Edgar, and Nolan Siegel feeling confident in their No. 33 SCM Focal One Ligier JS P217 going into the race weekend.

However, near the end of final practice on Friday, Willsey experienced an issue coming out of turn one that sent him into the turn two wall. With significant damage to the Ligier, the team set about repairing both mechanical parts and bodywork damage. Team mechanics worked hard and fast to be ready for Saturday morning, when the red, white, and blue-liveried Ligier assumed its position on the sixth row of the LMP2 class.

Over the first two hours of the race, multiple incidents depleted both the LMP2 and GT fields while Willsey stayed out of trouble and laid down consistent laps. Barbosa took the next double stint, taking the car to P7 before handing back to Willsey on used tires – but with increasing braking and rear stability issues.

Those issues came to the fore as Willsey’s stint continued, with several quick spins, including one to avoid a GTP car who’d made a very tight pass. But shortly after sunset, a slowly draining battery began showing up on the pit box telemetry. Realizing there was an ongoing battery/alternator issue, the team made several trips to the garage to diagnose and fix the issue.

Once the team had affected repairs, Siegel headed out on track just after 9:30pm. After Siegel’s double stint, Edgar took the helm for the first time in the race, and his first laps of night racing – and proceeded to set lap times consistent with the leaders.

Willsey drove a solid early morning double stint before the round of Barbosa-to-Siegel-to-Edgar that the team hoped would take them to the finish. The trio took the car easily through the morning’s racing, until a sudden failure of the rear decklid – which had been checked to be secured on the pit stop – sent the car back to the garage and out of the race.

All four drivers expressed significant disappointment that the crew’s hard work and dedication did not show in the final result – full season drivers Willsey and Barbosa (who have 36 Rolex 24 appearances between them), Edgar (experiencing his first endurance race), and Siegel (who helped the team to a second place finish last year at Daytona).

“Coming off the highs that we experienced at the Roar to, well, to the agony of defeat that we faced here in the race, it’s very, very unfortunate,” said Willsey. “It’s also, quite frankly, unacceptable. The team did a great job throughout; it was all hands-on deck. We especially appreciate the heroic efforts by Chris Lowe, who helped us wherever he could all weekend.

“We lost over half our test days (to either weather or the Bus Stop re-pave) and that lack of testing became quite obvious to us and to everyone who saw our performance here,” continued Willsey. “It’s not who we are. But we will learn from this and come back stronger at Sebring. We have a long list of things we need to go through and accomplish and while it’s a gravely disappointing race performance, it was through no fault of the team. It was just a variety of circumstances, primarily electrical related loss of power steering at inopportune times, and a lack of available parts when we needed them. It was unfortunate but we will learn from it and come back stronger.”

“We had such a promising performance at the Roar, a great baseline setup for the car,” said Barbosa. “But obviously it’s a new car for the team and this was the first time we’d really run the car for this long – and unfortunately, some of the weak points of the car came through and that put us behind a little bit. But the pace was there. We were not the fastest, but we were very consistent, able to keep up with the guys up front. It’s just a shame not to be able to finish the race, given all the hard work that the team put in.”

“Over the past week, there have been times that I think the car’s been quick, quicker than any of us – and probably the rest of the grid – expected, which was nice to see,” said Edgar. “But obviously there are some issues that came forward, most of them unfortunately showing up in the race. We expected problems with the car, since it hadn’t been raced in a few years. But for me, plenty of positives throughout the race – my first proper endurance race and two double stints running at night. So in those terms, I’m happy with the experience: I’m just sorry we didn’t have a better result to show for all the work that all of us, everyone in the team, put in this last week. But I’m still very thankful for the opportunity to race and happy to have been here.”

“It was a super challenging day,” said Siegel. “Probably the most challenging day that a lot of people on this team have ever had in racing. But when you start a program like this with a new car, new everything, I don’t think anyone expected us to go through the race with no issues. The team is working through all the issues, and I know things will get sorted out for the future. I was appreciative of all of the guys on the crew for pushing through and staying up all night during the race, working on the car – we came to the garage multiple times and each time everyone got straight to work, with no complaint: everyone was just fully focused on the task at hand. We had some really competitive hours in the car overnight, and I felt the pace and balance of the car was the best that I’d felt it – which in a way is even more frustrating, but we made a ton of progress and I think it’s promising that there’s pace there and hopefully, when everything gets sorted out, the car will have a fighting chance in the rest of the races.”

For Creech, the work toward the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring has already begun.

“We’ve spent a great deal of time with Ligier this weekend, and we anticipate that will continue as we figure out everything that happened here this week,” said Creech. “We have an idea of where the weaknesses are and we will all address that in the coming weeks, in the shop and in testing.”

SCM thanks partner Focal One for its continued support.

Next up for Sean Creech Motorsport will be the second of two home state events to start the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring March 13-16.

About SCM

Team leader Sean Creech has competed in a multitude of sports car series from 1990 until the present day, including Group C, IMSA GTP, WSC, Grand-Am, SRO World Challenge, and IMSA. SCM will contest the full WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2023 with João Barbosa and Lance Willsey. http://seancreechmotorsport.com/

About Focal One

One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime in the United States. The Focal One® HIFU Prostate treatment offers patients a non-invasive outpatient procedure to target prostate tissue while avoiding the common side effects such as loss of urinary continence and sexual function. The Focal One treatment uses high-performance, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to precisely target and ablate the prostate, allowing patients to quickly return to normal activities. http://www.focalone.com/

• Corvette Z06 GT3.R made its worldwide competition debut to open the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Daytona.
• Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports No. 3 and No. 4 Z06 GT3.Rs combined to lead 118 of 773 laps in incredible GTD PRO fight
• Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims, Daniel Juncadella led the Corvette Z06 GT3.R runners with a fifth-place finish in No. 3 Oshkosh/Mobil 1 Corvette.
• New Corvette showed impressive performance in deep GT field with 36 entries from 11 manufacturers
• Despite retirements, first Corvette Z06 GT3.R customer team AWA logged a considerable number of laps and miles in first race with the Corvette brand
• Focus for Corvette Racing program is to learn from Daytona experiences ahead of FIA WEC race in Qatar and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in IMSA competition

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2024) – The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R showed promise during its competition debut in the Rolex 24 At Daytona with four of Corvette GT3 cars in the hands of teams Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports and AWA.

Although Sunday’s checkered flag flew without a Corvette win, there are plenty of positives and lessons to carry forward to the Z06 GT3.R’s upcoming events in IMSA, the FIA World Endurance Championship and GT World Challenge America.

Both Corvettes from Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports completed the full 24 hours with the No. 3 of Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims and Daniel Juncadella led the way with a fifth-place finish. The trio led 118 laps during Saturday and Sunday with the sister No. 4 Z06 GT3.R of Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg and Earl Bamber leading 38 additional laps.

Both of the Pratt Miller Corvettes experienced separate mechanical issues – the No. 3 had a cracked oil tank and the No. 4 had to replace a power steering pump inside the final six hours.

In GTD, AWA decided to withdraw the No. 13 Corvette (power steering) and the No. 17 Corvette (electrical), also in the last quarter of the event. The team and Chevrolet Competition Engineering will work together to determine the root causes and address ahead of the next race at Sebring. Chevrolet thanks the AWA team for its hard work and collaboration leading up to and during the Rolex 24.

Despite missing out on a fifth class victory for the Corvette Racing brand since 2001, the competition groups learned a considerable amount while running all four cars in the season-opening race. Throughout its history, Corvette Racing has prided itself in taking lessons away from the racetrack and making its racecars – and production vehicles – better. That will continue being the case as the Corvette Z06 GT3.R moves forward.

The next race for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R is the Qatar 1812 Kilometers to open the FIA World Endurance Championship on Saturday, March 2. TF Sport will field two of the Corvette GT3 racecars for the full season. Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports and AWA will next compete at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, March 16.

ANTONIO GARCIA/ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 OSHKOSH/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – FINISHED FIFTH IN GTD PRO: “This is always a tough race, and this one was flat-out. The Rolex 24 is hard on equipment, and unfortunately we had our one issue. It is always great to be in the hunt and put pressure on our competitors so they may make mistakes. It’s a shame, for sure. I would have loved to be in contention late with the new Corvette. We learned a lot that we can use to push the Z06 GT3.R forward. We will use all those lessons to improve for the next race Sebring. It’s a classic event for us and we’ll definitely try to go for the win there.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 OSHKOSH/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – FINISHED EIGHTH IN GTD PRO: “Overall I’m proud of our effort today and what we showed with this new Corvette Z06 GT3.R. The pace was good and the balance was good. I think all of us as drivers were happy. Unfortunately for us, we had one main item that set us back and cost us time. But this is a new car and we’ve never seen that problem in testing. That’s why these 24-hour races in some ways feel like sprint races. This is a great learning opportunity for us, as well. There are things we will find and be better for the rest of the year. Realistically when you look at all the cars in the GT classes today, I don’t think anyone had a clean run. It shows how hard everyone was pushing, especially us. So yes, it’s somewhat disappointing because both cars led and were in the top-three for most of the race. These require perfection from everybody. Our race wasn’t perfect, but it was close. We can be proud of that.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Gear up for an epic adventure as Mangus Racing takes on the legendary Daytona International Speedway for the 2024 Rolex 24 at Daytona! This year, the team is set to embark on a thrilling journey with their chosen theme, “Magnus Racing and the Dial of Daytona.” This weekend, the team is ready to uncover the mysteries of the track and race against time in pursuit of victory.

Join drivers John Potter, Andy Lally, Spencer Pumpelly, and Nicki Thiim as they commandeer the No. 44 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in a quest for glory, digging up the iconic track’s secrets of the past to find success for the future. Expect daring maneuvers, strategic pit stops, and the thrill of the chase as Mangus Racing brings this archaeological adventure to life at the Rolex 24.

Don your fedoras, grab your bullwhips, and mark your calendars for tomorrow, Saturday, January 27th, at 1:40 PM ET as the action unfolds. Tune in on Peacock to witness Mangus Racing’s quest for the ultimate treasure – victory at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. It is a prize we have secured twice before as a team, in 2012 and 2016. It’s a race against time, and Mangus Racing is ready to face the challenges head-on. Adventure awaits at the Daytona International Speedway!

Gear up for an epic adventure as Mangus Racing takes on the legendary Daytona International Speedway for the 2024 Rolex 24 at Daytona! This year, the team is set to embark on a thrilling journey with their chosen theme, “Magnus Racing and the Dial of Daytona.” This weekend, the team is ready to uncover the mysteries of the track and race against time in pursuit of victory.

Join drivers John Potter, Andy Lally, Spencer Pumpelly, and Nicki Thiim as they commandeer the No. 44 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in a quest for glory, digging up the iconic track’s secrets of the past to find success for the future. Expect daring maneuvers, strategic pit stops, and the thrill of the chase as Mangus Racing brings this archaeological adventure to life at the Rolex 24.

Don your fedoras, grab your bullwhips, and mark your calendars for tomorrow, Saturday, January 27th, at 1:40 PM ET as the action unfolds. Tune in on Peacock to witness Mangus Racing’s quest for the ultimate treasure – victory at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. It is a prize we have secured twice before as a team, in 2012 and 2016. It’s a race against time, and Mangus Racing is ready to face the challenges head-on. Adventure awaits at the Daytona International Speedway!

TV Schedule

Saturday, January 27 – Sunday, January 28

1:40 PM – 1:40 PM

Flag-to-Flag Coverage

Peacock (USA)

imsa.com/tvlive (International)

Network TV – Saturday

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM NBC

2:30 PM – 8:00 PM USA

10:00 PM – 11:59 PM USA

Network TV – Sunday

6:00 AM – 12:00 PM USA

12:00 PM – 2:00 PM NBC

Daytona Beach, Florida (Friday, January 26, 2024) – Loris Spinelli had a fantastic qualifying session on Sunday to put the No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracan EVO2 fifth on the IMSA WeatherTech GTD grid for this weekend’s season-opener at Daytona International Speedway with a qualifying time of 1:44.709. Spinelli was just 0.002 seconds behind the fastest GTD Lamborghini driven by Kyle Marcelli and just slightly over two-tenths of a second behind the pole time of 1:44.494.

Spinelli, a Lamborghini factory driver, will be joined this weekend by fellow Forte Racing drivers Misha Goikhberg, Devlin DeFrancesco and fellow Lamborghini factory driver Sandy Mitchell. The four drivers have been very successful in their respective careers and the team is confident that with such a strong driver lineup they can continue to carry the momentum they built at the end of the 2023 season. The goal is to start the 2024 season as they finished 2023, with a win!

“Qualifying went really well,” Spinelli said. “At Lamborghini we are all quite close with our pace. We have the speed to chase the fastest for the race. Everything will work around the strategy at the last. The guys are really working hard to make it possible. I’m really looking forward to the last couple hours of the race. See where we are, and we can attack.”

Forte Racing full-season driver Misha Goikhberg will start his 10th Rolex 24 At Daytona this weekend. With one 24 Hour win under his belt (2016 Prototype Challenge), he’s confident that he and his teammates have the car and the talent to get back to the top step of the podium. Goikhberg was instrumental in the team’s 2023 Petit LeMans win and having him return for this season, and next, gives the team the consistency they need to be contenders for the IMSA WeatherTech GTD Championship. He’s confident that, if the team can stay out of trouble, Forte Racing has a shot at winning this weekend to start the season.

“We’re looking to have a solid race, not make any mistakes and be there at the end,” Goikhberg said. “I think it’s a benefit to qualify up front because it’s going to be easier to hopefully stay out of trouble. The longer we run according to our plan, stay clean and manage our tires, the better shot we have. I’m very excited and hope we have a solid, mistake-free race.”

While NTT INDYCAR driver Devlin DeFrancesco has also won at the prestigious Rolex 24 At Daytona as part of the winning LMP2 team in 2022, he’s still hoping to add another watch to his collection. DeFrancesco will participate in all five 2024 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races. With all three of Forte Racing’s endurance drivers having won at least one endurance race, the team is expected to be in contention for the win on Sunday.

“I’m happy we’ve qualified up front and are out of the mess,” DeFrancesco said. “We have a strong car and a very good team. We need to make sure we make no mistakes and execute for 24 hours. This will be key for us to have a strong finish.”

Lamborghini factory driver Sandy Mitchell has extensive experience with endurance racing including two wins, a second and a third-place finish in the 24 Hours of Spa. In an effort to add to his already impressive endurance results, Mitchell returns to the Rolex 24 At Daytona for his second attempt at winning the iconic race.

“I think the ROAR went really well,” Mitchell said. “We progressed throughout the days and put in a really solid qualifying. We’re starting fifth in class which is a nice place to start, right up at the front end of a really stacked field in GTD. I think the level (of competition) this year is super high, as high as I’ve ever seen it. It’s going to be exciting going into the race. I think a lot of people think they have a chance to go and win this race with how close it’s been throughout testing, so that’s going to be fun. From our side, we’re feeling confident. We’ve got a really strong driver lineup in terms of all four drivers having pretty similar pace, which I think during the night, that kind of thing is going to serve us well. We’ve just got to keep the car out of trouble and go and fight for the last few hours.”

GTD team manager Michael Harvey is confident of the team’s chances this weekend. “We are optimistic as we head into the 24 weekend, buoyed by the great support and collaboration from the Lamborghini family. Our drivers are eager to get going, tapered with a calm approach to the challenges ahead.”

Make sure to tune in and watch the No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini this weekend at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The iconic race will air on network TV for the start of the race live on NBC Network at 1:30 p.m. before switching to USA Network at 2:30 p.m. USA Network coverage is Sat., 1/27 – 2:30-8 p.m., 10 p.m.-12 a.m. and Sun. 1/28 – 6 a.m.-12 p.m. Peacock will have flag-to-flag coverage of the entire 24-hour race starting at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday 1/27.

About Forte Racing (Formerly known as US RaceTronics)

Forte Racing is a Los-Angeles based Motorsport team supported by Lamborghini Squadra Corse and competing in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, the IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series.

Founded in 2023 and operated by US RaceTronics, the Italian-American team’s GT Daytona title contender is a Lamborghini Huracan EVO2 GT3 driven by Pro driver Loris Spinelli and Misha Goikhberg. The ream finished the 2023 season with four top-five finishes in the last five races of the season and included a 2nd-place finish at Indianapolis and a win at the season-finale Petit LeMans. The team finished an impressive rookie season fifth in the IMSA WeatherTech GTD Championship.

The team line-up for the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech GTD Championship includes the team’s 2023 Petit LeMans winning driver Goikhberg and Spinelli along with NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Devlin DeFrancesco for the five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races.

US RaceTronics (USRT) was founded by Shane Seneviratne in 2005 to compete in the Atlantic Championship, a formula race car series. The team finished 5th in points its first year and continued its success during the succeeding years, ultimately amassing a total of 21 podiums, 7 poles, 5 race wins and finishing 3rd in the 2009 Atlantic Championship. USRT was put on hold after series officials announced the Atlantic Series was put on hiatus.

Seneviratne fully returned to racing in 2015 after receiving an invitation to manage the O’Gara Motorsport entries in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North American (LBSTNA) Series. The team won the Team Championship, Dealership Championship, Pro Championship and Amateur Championship that season.

The success of 2015 reignited Seneviratne’s passion for racing and he relaunched US RaceTronics to compete in the 2016 LBSTNA Series. The team has won multiple North American and World Championships and expects to add to their success as they enter their eighth season in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North American Series. The team also competed in 2023 with one car each in the IMSA WeatherTech GTD Championship and the IMSA VP Challenge and will be expanding their entries in 2024.

For more information on how to become a driver with US RaceTronics, learn more about the Series, or attend a race, visit www.usracetronics.com.

About O’Gara Motorsport

O’Gara Motorsport was founded in 2014 by owner Tom O’Gara and celebrated winning the 2015 North American Lamborghini Super Trofeo driver and team Championships. The team goal is to achieve victories in the Series as well as showcasing the brands of their sponsors both on and off the track. With a vertically integrated platform that starts at the dealership and accelerates to the top levels of professional sports car racing, everyone at O’Gara is dedicated to providing a comprehensive program for anyone, from the casually curious to the dedicated racer.

About Change Racing

Founded by Lamborghini Charlotte CEO and long time real estate developer, John E. Littlefield, Change Racing is the premier championship winning team. Claiming 18 titles in various classes; Change Racing has competed in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series since its inception in 2013.

Most recently claiming the 2021 Amateur World Championship in Misano, Italy. Change Racing also claimed all SIX 2020 North American Championships, including the Pro, Pro-Am, Am and LB Cup class championships as well as the Team and Owner championships.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (January 26, 2024) – Race is almost here for the competitors of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and Wright Motorsports is at the ready to once again battle for glory at the iconic Rolex 24 At Daytona. The team secured victory in the grueling 24-hour endurance race in 2022, and this year returns with a strong new lineup to attempt another win on Saturday, January 27, and Sunday, January 28.

After a productive three-day test at the Roar Before the 24, followed by the official series practice sessions, the team is ready for action. The Wright Motorsports No. 120 Porsche, driven by Adam Adelson, Elliott Skeer, Jan Heylen, and Fred Makowiecki, ran in the top-five positions for four of the five test sessions, starting the first official test of the year strong. For drivers Adam Adelson and Elliot Skeer, the familiar co-drivers will be making their Rolex 24 debut with veterans Jan Heylen and Fred Makowiecki. Their entry will see Wright Motorsports return to the GTD class, the fourth of four classes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. With 23 cars entered, the class is the largest of the series, with each entry being comprised of a mixture of professional and amateur drivers.

The strategy of driver order throughout the race can be the key to any team’s success, as well as the timing of the pit stops, using caution periods to the best advantage, fuel consumption, and steering clear of danger throughout the night and be well positioned to fight in the final afternoon hours. While drivers rotate through driving stints, the mechanics and engineers will eat and rest in pit lane, trying to steal naps between the almost hourly-pit stops. Last year’s race saw 16 of the 61 entries retire early, claiming over a quarter of the entries.

A free full-driver autograph session will take place Friday, January 26 in the Fan Zone at 2:15 PM ET. IMSA’s fan-friendly approach will allow fans to participate in the pre-race open-grid fan walk before the green flag waves on Saturday, January 27 at 1:40 PM. General admission attendees will be able to walk behind pit lane, as well as all over the grounds of Daytona International Speedway, able to experience the endurance event from vantage points all over the property.

For fans watching from home, the first hour of the race will air on network TV on NBC starting on Saturday at 1:40 PM, then begin the tradition channel hop. Fans in the USA who have subscribed to Peacock streaming can watch live from start to finish on Peacock, while international audiences can watch on imsa.com/tvlive. For full event information, visit imsa.com.

DRIVER QUOTES

Adam Adelson

The Roar was super positive for us. We’ve been working hard to get the car to a place we’re happy with and my co-drivers have been absolutely incredible in their coaching efforts with me. As we get closer to what will be the biggest race of my career, I feel more and more grateful for everything Wright Motorsports has done to help me get to this point. I’m feeling really good about our competitiveness and can’t wait for our car to take the green flag.

Elliott Skeer

Giving a pre-race quote for the Rolex 24 puts a smile on my face! The Roar went pretty much exactly to plan, and everyone at Wright Motorsports is in good spirits. Adam has been driving brilliantly to start the year and I can’t wait to see how well he adapts to such a race. For me, it’s a pretty special feeling, going into the biggest race weekend of my career, and knowing just how ready I am to get this started.

Jan Heylen

I’m super pleased with how the Roar went. Over the winter, we reshuffled some positions within the team and added on some new talent to build an even stronger team. Our strong performance at the Roar showed that Wright Motorsports has made all the right decisions to excel as a team. In terms of performance, all the hard work from the last year paid off with the No. 120 Porsche feeling the best yet. We had a smooth Roar without any hiccups and all the drivers got the time they needed in the car. Adam and Elliot were up to speed from day one. I can’t wait for Saturday to come around.

Fred Makowiecki

After a productive Roar where learned a lot and tried different philosophies, now it’s time to summarize everything and bring it all together to have a strong Rolex 24 At Daytona. We have a strong package and now is the time to be passionate on track and be there in the morning on Sunday.

Event Schedule | All Times Eastern
Saturday, January 27
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM Open Grid Fan Walk
1:40 PM Race Start

Sunday, January 28
1:40 PM Race Finish
TV Schedule

Saturday, January 27 – Sunday, January 28
1:40 PM – 1:40 PM

Flag-to-Flag Coverage
Peacock (USA)
imsa.com/tvlive (International)

Network TV – Saturday
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM NBC
2:30 PM – 8:00 PM USA
10:00 PM – 11:59 PM USA

Network TV – Sunday
6:00 AM – 12:00 PM USA
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM NBC

Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series and international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team, and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship. In 2021, Wright Motorsports had a wildly successful season, capturing nine championships across their five racing efforts.

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R entry quickest in morning, afternoon test sessions

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 25, 2024) – The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R topped the time sheet in the morning and afternoon test sessions Thursday in preparation for the 62nd Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou bested the field-leading lap time set earlier in the session by teammate Renger van der Zande on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona International Speedway course at 1 minute, 35.589 seconds as the ambient temperature pushed 80 degrees Fahrenheit with similar humidity.

In the late morning session, Scott Dixon recorded the quickest lap time in the 10-car Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) field at 1:36.012.

Cadillac Racing entries have stood atop the speed chart in six of the eight sessions during the Roar Before The 24 last weekend and today. Another session tonight and a final warmup Friday are on the schedule as Cadillac teams prepare for the twice-around-the-clock test Saturday and Sunday.The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, with Pipo Derani behind the wheel, earned the pole with a track-record lap time and Sebastien Bourdais drove the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R to second to complete the front row lockout.

Jack Aitken and Tom Blomqvist join Derani, the reigning IMSA GTP champion, to drive the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, which checked in with best lap times of 1:36.619 in the morning and 1:35.788 in the second practice.

An intervierw with Alex Palou, drive of the No. 01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R

How have things progressed in the GTP class, and how are they going for you and your team?

“Yeah, it’s been a good day for us so far in the 01 car. I believe we were fastest this morning with Dixon in the car and (Sebastian Bourdais), and then this afternoon with Renger (van der Zande) and I. Pretty cool. A lot of learning. Every time you go out on track, it’s very different with conditions, traffic, and so on. So, yeah, just learning as much as possible from the traffic and also from the car, trying to get the most we can for the race. It’s going to be, obviously, a long race so we’re trying to maximize the performance from the car. Pit stop practice with a driver change is something I’m not really used to, so that’s been the biggest thing for me.”

You’ve raced this race once before. What is it that makes you so comfortable in the car so quickly? Is it prior experience, a good fit?

“It helps to have done the race before, obviously. It also helps they give me a lot of track team, honestly. I had full sessions last week, which normally the fourth or third driver doesn’t get it. I’ve been getting a lot of laps. I think it helps having the teammates that I have, that they don’t need so many laps in the car. It fits. The car feels really good. It’s really intuitive, so it’s been more the differences with INDYCAR and traffic and managing all that stuff. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters. We’re not going to have clean laps during the race, so it’s all about working on traffic and driver changes for me. It’s where I can gain the most.”

Do you think it’s also because they have trust in you?

“I hope so, yes. Not from the drivers, but yes, from the team. They know I log the tires all the time, or I leave the belts too tight, or there is always something going on when I’m in the car. We’re trying stuff. I just need to get used to all of the processes with the driver change. It’s been a lot better this week than we were last week.”

The Cadillacs were fast in the cold last weekend. You guys qualified 1-2 and you’re quick again today in the heat. Are you confident you’re ready for whatever the race conditions that get throw at you?

“Yeah, absolutely. We don’t really know what other teams or manufacturers are doing. We know what we are doing. The car feels really good, honestly. We’ve made a lot of progress from last week in what the drivers have said, (Scott) Dixon, and Renger (van der Zande). It’s a lot better than the test we had in December as well, so the team did amazing work. We’re confident, but then it’s a 24-hour race, so it’s all about keeping the car in one piece until the last two hours, then go for it. It’s going to be up to the drivers to take care of the 01 car.”

Jack Aitken, No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R: “Tricky conditions compared to the Roar last week just from it being warmer and ratcheting up the pace as well in terms of taking a bit more risk with the car and really dialing in on the settings we’ll have for the race. We have a couple more sessions to keep dialing in the car and everything is going to plan.”

Exciting lineup of Cadillac vehicles on display

Spectators can see the award-winning lineup of Cadillac vehicles, including the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing that is the Official Safety Car of the 62nd Rolex 24 At Daytona, at the Cadillac display in the midway. Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-midnight Saturday and 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday.

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 25, 2024) – Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Global (WTRAndretti) enters the Rolex 24 At Daytona for the first time with a full-time GTD entry. The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 will start fourth for its’ debut in the sportscar classic. Full time co-driver Kyle Marcelli handled the qualifying duties at the Roar Before the 24 last weekend with co-drivers Danny Formal, Graham Doyle and Ashton Harrison also all getting comfortable behind the wheel throughout the test sessions.

Preparations for the Rolex 24 At Daytona begin with practice on Thursday, January 25th at 10:05 a.m. ET. The field will see the green flag fly for the iconic 24-hour event at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 27th with IMSA radio and NBC’s family of networks (NBC, USA Network, Peacock) providing flag-to-flag coverage of the racing action.

Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti: “Well, it is exciting for us to now be in GTD in a professional way through Lamborghini’s support to WTRAndretti, and also DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and Gainbridge coming on board as big partners with us. I think we have a strong package. It is the debut race for Graham Doyle, 17 years old. All he has done is a year of Lamborghini Super Trofeo where he did very well. We have our two lead drivers, Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal, who will do the full season, as well as Ashton Harrison who has been driving for us for several years and won championships. It is nice to have someone else in the race in a different class. It is very new to me, and I think it is great as we can all learn together, both on the GTD and GTP side as we have a lot of cross over between mechanics and engineers. It all just makes our program all that stronger.”

No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2
Kyle Marcelli, 2024 Full Season Co-Driver: “We checked a lot of boxes during the two-day Roar Before the 24 test. There were a number of new car challenges to sort through but I’m very pleased with how we concluded the event. The Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona is now raced like a 24-hour sprint race! It’s flat out from the drop of the green flag. That said, the car needs to be in perfect condition for the last two hours. So, driving fast but more importantly smart is the key for the first twenty-two hours. GTD is now more competitive than ever. In my opinion, every car on the grid could win the race. It will be interesting and exciting!”

Danny Formal, 2024 Full Season Co-Driver: “Well, the Roar Before the 24 is done. An amazing weekend with an amazing car and crew. So grateful for this opportunity to be part of WTRAndretti, DEX Imaging, Lamborghini, everyone is just working so hard for us and trying to make us have a great Rolex 24. All the team that you know laps at night, did our pitstops, we work through everything. GTD is extremely competitive right now. There are 36 cars counting GTD PRO, so it’s just incredible how the growth of the class has just become one of the biggest classes in IMSA. We are ready. Kyle did a fantastic lap and put us P4 starting this week. Super excited, motivated and ready to try to win, try to fight for a nice big Rolex at the end of the race.””

Graham Doyle, 2024 Endurance Co-Driver: “During the two-day Roar Before the 24 test, I believe we truly made strides towards creating the best possible car for the Rolex 24 this coming weekend. As a team, I believe we work through some of the bugs and have found ourselves a very competitive strong car that is ready to take on the challenge of the race. The 24 Hours of Daytona is a race like none other. Instead of being a true long endurance race, I believe it should be considered a 24-hour sprint race because as we know it is flat out from start to finish. But you need to keep the car in one piece to truly compete. As a team, I believe we are ready to take on this challenge, and I think next weekend will be able to show how much we are capable of.”

Ashton Harrison, 2024 Rolex 24 Co-Driver: “The first race of 2024 is here. The entire WTRAndretti team did an incredible job giving us a fast Lamborghini at the Roar and into Qualifying. Really proud of the lap Kyle laid down to give us a great starting position for this ‘sprint’ race. Looking at the qualifying times just shows how competitive and strong this GTD class is and proves that every team has the capabilities to be up front. I’m excited to be attempting my second Rolex with WTRAndretti and with the boys. We’ll give it our absolute best and be prepared for anything with the overall goal of winning a Daytona Rolex.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

WTRAndretti’s long term partnerships include Lamborghini Squadra Corse, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and Gainbridge.