TCR Team Seeks Comeback at Daytona with New Driver Lineup
Rockwell Autosport Development has confirmed an entry to the first round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season at Daytona International Speedway.
The team’s single entry to the BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona will be driven by team principal Eric Rockwell, long-time crew chief Doug Oakley and former TCR race winner Tom O’Gorman. The trio will pilot a Gen 1 Audi RS3 LMS TCR SEQ.
Rockwell Autosport campaigned a two-car effort in the 2023 Michelin Pilot Challenge season, both finishing in the top 10 of the Touring Car (TCR) class standings. However, the Daytona round was one to forget, with the No. 15 finishing off the lead lap and the No. 10 collected in an incident and forced to retire. The team hopes to turn their luck around for this year’s race.
Team principal Rockwell drove eight rounds in the 2023 season in addition to handling team manager responsibilities. He returns to the driver lineup for the Daytona race on Jan. 26.
“After consecutive sixth-place finishes in Daytona in 2022 and 2023, I’m looking for more,” Rockwell said. “The Audi has historically been a quick car at Daytona and looking to see if we can capitalize on that. I can’t think of two guys that deserve this opportunity more than Doug and Tom, and I’m excited to be able to drive with them.”
O’Gorman will return to the TCR grid and Rockwell Autosport with this entry. A four-time race winner in the series, he joined the team for the 2023 Daytona round but the car was retired before O’Gorman’s scheduled stint in the race.
“I’m over the moon to be back in IMSA with Rockwell,” said O’Gorman. “Last year felt like a homecoming of sorts having been away from the IMSA paddock since 2019 – simply the opportunity to be back was amazing. But, with our race ending before I got in the car, I’m feeling hungry this year. We definitely have unfinished business and I’m fired up to get back behind the wheel.”
Oakley has been a crew chief, strategist and more since the team joined the IMSA grid in 2021. Also a long-time friend of the family and team, he has been competing in grassroots endurance racing with Rockwell for many years and will be stepping into the driver role for the first time in IMSA competition.
“I’m beyond excited to be making the move from behind the wall to behind the wheel,” shared Oakley. “Driving has always been my passion but you need to work your way up for opportunities like this. After the last three years of watching and learning, I’m ready to take the next step, and nowhere better to take that step than Daytona.”