Whelen Engineering Racing enters Saturday’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta seeking its third consecutive IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC), and is also mathematically eligible to claim another IMSA Prototype championship for the organization (NBC broadcast starting at 12:00 PM ET).
Action Express Racing has won the unique endurance championship embracing the four longest races on the IMSA schedule five times since the sports car unification in 2014.
Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani will co-drive the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R with long-time associate Eric Curran in the 10-hour race.
“I’m looking forward to Road Atlanta and getting back into our endurance race mode for the final race of the season,” said Nasr. “Road Atlanta is a wild track and one of the classic endurance races on the calendar. I really enjoy driving through those eesses, it is just an iconic track. It will be great to have Eric (Curran) back with us, I think we are a very good combination with our experience and speed.”
Nasr, Derani and Curran won the 2019 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring – sweeping all three Michelin Endurance Cup segments – in addition to placing second in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Detroit Belle Isle among four podium finishes.
Driving for a different team, Derani captured the pole for the 2018 Motul Petit Le Mans. He also qualified second in 2017 and finished second in the event for ESM in 2016. This will be Nasr’s second start in the event, finishing eighth with Whelen Engineering last year.
Track activity begins with three practice sessions on Thursday. Friday includes final practice, with a 15-minute DPi qualifying session at 4:45 p.m. ET.
The 22nd Motul Petit Le Mans takes the green flag at 12:05 ET on Saturday, with national live broadcast coverage starting on NBC at 12:00 PM ET.
