Past Winners and Newcomers Alike Fill Out Rosters
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A pair of Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) teams, one in GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and another in GT Daytona (GTD) have announced drivers for their entries into January’s Rolex 24 At Daytona that opens the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
CrowdStrike Racing by APR has added Toby Sowery and Malthe Jakobsen in the No. 04 ORECA LMP2 07 to go with full-season drivers George Kurtz and Colin Braun. While Sowery will be making his series debut, Jakobsen competed in six Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) races over the past two seasons, including a winning effort with Sean Creech Motorsport at the 2022 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
“My overriding feeling is excitement about CrowdStrike Racing by APR and its driver lineup, particularly as Colin has a winning pedigree at Daytona,” said owner/driver Kurtz, whose team finished 0.016 seconds shy of winning the LMP2 class at this year’s Rolex 24. “Malthe is incredibly quick, Toby is a rising star for us and, having put in a lot of work during the offseason, we have an eye towards winning the Rolex 24 At Daytona.”
AO Racing announced that Matthew Brabham will join full-season drivers PJ Hyett and Paul-Loup Chatin in the No. 99 ORECA for the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races, with Alex Quinn the team’s fourth driver in the Rolex 24.
Brabham is the grandson of three-time Formula One champion Jack Brabham and son of four-time IMSA GTP champion Geoff Brabham. He’s also the nephew of IMSA champion and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner David Brabham.
“I’ve always wanted to race in IMSA and follow in the footsteps of my dad, Geoff, and Uncle David,” Brabham said. “To finally be given the opportunity to do so is something really special to me, and I will be giving everything I have to try and add some history of my own.”
Quinn was part of the PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports team, along with Chatin, that finished second in the Michelin Endurance Cup LMP2 standings this year. He’s eager for the opportunity as AO Racing moves into the class in 2024.
“It’s an exciting time to be a part of this team, the beginning of their LMP2 journey, and that is special for me,” Quinn said. “I had a great season last year racing with Paul-Loup so it’s great to be back with him, and then, of course, excited to get to work with PJ and Matt for the first time.”
The driver lineup for SunEnergy1 Racing’s Rolex 24 entry in GTD PRO features Mercedes-AMG factory drivers Jules Gounon, Maro Engel and Luca Stolz along with team owner Kenny Habul in the No. 75 car. Gounon and Engel are returning to defend the GTD PRO class victory they accomplished this year in the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes. Stolz and Habul drove in the GTD class at this year’s Rolex 24.
Wright Motorsports has filled out its lineup for the No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R competing in the GTD class. WeatherTech Championship newcomers Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer are slated for the five Michelin Endurance Cup races plus the sprint race at Long Beach. Jan Heylen, the 2022 Rolex 24 GTD winner with the team, will join them for the endurance events, with Porsche factory driver Fred Makowiecki completing the Rolex 24 lineup.
“We’re proud to see another Wright Motorsports effort move up to face new challenges,” team owner John Wright said. “Adam and Elliott had a strong season last year in SRO America’s GT World Challenge America, and our team is well-equipped to ensure a strong debut in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. With Jan and Fred alongside them, we are eager to see what we can achieve in this fiercely competitive series.”