No. 18 Roster Is Young but Experienced
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – DragonSpeed has completed its driver lineup for the Rolex 24 At Daytona as the team chases its third straight win in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship opener in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class with a two-car entry.
A youthful trio of drivers with endurance racing experience have been named to join previously announced Eric Lux in the No. 18 DragonSpeed ORECA LMP2 07. German GT standouts Christopher Mies and Fabian Schiller, along with rising open-wheel driver Devlin DeFrancesco, fill out the lineup for the No. 18.
The driver roster for the sister No. 81 entry, consisting of Rob Hodes, Garret Grist, Rinus VeeKay, and Ben Hanley, was also previously announced.
“The (No.) 18 car’s drivers combine youthful speed with extensive endurance racing backgrounds, experience at Daytona and factory race team discipline,” team principal Elton Julian said. “I have no doubt they will be contenders for the win in LMP2 with a laser-like focus on what it takes to get there. In addition to reuniting with Eric, we are delighted to welcome Devlin, Chris, and Fabian to the team for the first race of what we all hope will be a much better year for our sport and the world.”
Mies, 31, has claimed GT3 titles in the FIA European, Blancpain, Australian and German championships, has twice won the Nurburgring 24 Hours and was the GT Daytona (GTD) class winner at the 2017 Motul Petit Le Mans. Schiller, 23, competed in the 2019 Rolex 24 as well as six other 24-hour events at Nurburgring and Spa. DeFrancesco, the 20-year-old from Toronto, was runner-up in the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 series and will be making his third Rolex 24 start.
“It means a lot to be back at Daytona for the Rolex 24 after missing last year,” said Mies. “It will be my first time in an LMP2 car, so I really appreciate the trust placed in me by Elton as well as my sponsors Montaplast and Wilhelm May. Together with Eric, Devlin, and my friend and rival Fabi, we will have one of the strongest driver crews, and I can’t wait to get started.”
The No. 18 DragonSpeed entry was the 2019 Rolex 24 LMP2 winner, with the No. 81 taking honors in 2020. DeFrancesco believes the team can make it a three-peat later this month.
“The Rolex 24 is an amazing world-renowned event and it’s awesome to be part of it again,” he said. “I grew up in Florida and have a lot of friends, family and sponsors who come out to watch whenever I race here. DragonSpeed is a great team and always rolls out a fast car, so this year I’m aiming to go home with that gold Rolex Daytona watch on my wrist!”
The WeatherTech Championship season opens with the Roar Before the Rolex 24 from Jan. 22-24 that includes testing and the Motul Pole Award 100 qualifying race to set the starting grid for the main event the following week. Rolex 24 race week runs Jan. 27-31, with the green flag for the 24-hour event at Daytona International Speedway waving at 3:40 p.m. ET Saturday, Jan. 30.