DragonSpeed Stacks Driver Lineup With IndyCar Talent For 2022 Rolex 24 At Daytona

With the 2022 Rolex 24 at @daytona on the horizon, we are very pleased to welcome back @eric.lux and @devlindefran to the team and also proud to add Super Talents @coltonherta and @patriciooward to the lineup. #Oneteamonedream Thank you to all our partners. We aim to make you proud 👊🏼 @kimoa @rembrandtcharms @jonessodaco @atmofizer @cgrnenergy @simplyevusa @gainbridgelife @neftvodkaus @flexboxracing @motul @orecagroup @gibsontechnology @michelinmotorsport @control_telemetry @salas_center_montmelo >>> Image & Caption Credit: dragonspeed_official (2021)

DragonSpeed Stacks Driver Lineup With IndyCar Talent For 2022 Rolex 24 At Daytona

DragonSpeed is set to return to the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January with an all-star lineup featuring INDYCAR racers Devlin DeFrancesco, Colton Herta, and Pato O’Ward alongside Bronze-ranked Daytona veteran Eric Lux.

The US-flagged, Barcelona-based DragonSpeed team – LMP2 Pro/Am class winners at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours – has its sights set on returning to Daytona’s victory lane after taking the LMP2 laurels at the Rolex 24 in 2019 and 2020. DeFrancesco and Lux were part of the DragonSpeed squad which claimed third in the 2021 race, and are back with new teammates O'Ward and Herta in 2022.

DragonSpeed is aiming to reclaim the LMP2 Rolex after the team finished third this year as Era Motorsport won for the first time.

O’Ward took a Prototype Challenge class win at Daytona in 2017 driving for Performance Tech Motorsports, at the top of a title-winning season for the Mexcian driver.

Now racing with Arrow McLaren SP, O’Ward finished third in the NTT IndyCar Series standings this year behind Josef Newgarden and champion Alex Palou.

Herta, meanwhile, formed part of the BMW Team RLL factory crew that won the GT Le Mans class in 2019 with a BMW M8 GTE.

The 21-year-old American recently placed fifth in the IndyCar championship table and won the final two races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Long Beach.

Herta is set for his prototype racing debut, while O’Ward got behind the wheel of an Oreca twice during the 2018 IMSA season.

DeFrancesco will join the pair on next year’s IndyCar grid after signing with Andretti Autosport for his series debut. The Canadian formed part of DragonSpeed’s Daytona squad in January, sharing the LMP2 ride with Lux, Fabian Schiller and Christopher Mies.

“This gives our streak of attracting the best driving talent to DragonSpeed another massive bump,” said team principal Elton Julian.

“We already know how well Eric and Devlin can perform with us at Daytona from last year, and adding two of IndyCar’s brightest stars to our 2022 squad makes our prospects even more exciting.

“I can’t help but think it’s too bad we couldn’t secure a DPi for this race, as this line-up clearly deserves one – we certainly tried!

“Most of our LMP2 rivals are capable of delivering a fast, efficient and reliable run. We aim to do the same and give our all-stars – all with plenty of Daytona experience – the platform they need to make the difference.

“I’m super impressed by IMSA and the turnaround for LMP2 they’ve achieved going into 2022.

“The Rolex and the rest of the WeatherTech season look to be incredibly competitive, in LMP2 and across the board.”

DragonSpeed has already committed to a full season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s LMP2 class with Juan Pablo Montoya and Henrik Hedman.

Because Daytona only counts for points towards the Michelin Endurance Cup, the team was able to create a different lineup for the season-opening Florida enduro.

(ht: sportscar365 & DragonSpeed)

The 2022 season officially begins in less than two months ... on January 21 at Daytona International Speedway for the annual Roar Before the 24 with the momentous Rolex 24 at DAYTONA immediately following. Practice begins on Thursday, January 27 with the race running January 29-30.

... notes from The EDJE 

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TAGS: DragonSpeed, @eric.lux, @devlindefran, @coltonherta, @patriciooward, IMSA, Michelin Endurance Cup, LMP2, Rolex 24 at Daytona, The EDJE

Mazda to field Prototype Class SKYACTIV Technology diesel in 2014

SpeedSource Race Engineering will be responsible for the Mazda cars on the track - drivers and race management to be announced at a later date. Image Credit: Mazda Motorsports (2013)

Mazda to field Prototype Class SKYACTIV Technology diesel in 2014

At Mazda, “Never Stop Challenging” isn’t just a catchphrase, it’s a company maxim. 

After nearly two years of planning, Mazda Motorsports will field a pair of factory-backed SKYACTIV-D Smart Diesel-powered racecars in the top Prototype Class for the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship (USCC), beginning with the Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 25-26, 2014. This is a major step up for Mazda, having won the 2013 Grand-Am GX Manufacturers Championship. Mazda will be challenging for overall race wins against the toughest sports car competitors in North America.

“This is the most significant step Mazda has taken towards returning to the global racing stage since our overall victory at Le Mans in 1991,” said John Doonan, director of Mazda Motorsports. “And thanks to our SKYACTIV-D Mazda6 racecars winning nine of 12 Rolex GRAND-AM GX races and the GRAND-AM GX Manufacturers Championship this year, we’re confident that our two prototype cars will challenge the best North America has to offer.”

Long-time racing partner SpeedSource Race Engineering, the team that oversaw Mazda’s GX-class championship in 2013, will carry responsibility to develop and run the cars on track. Additionally, Mazda also is in discussions with customer teams interested in the prototype class, as well as teams interested in developing the championship winning Mazda6 into a GT Daytona class car.

Sylvain Tremblay, Owner, SpeedSource Engineering noted; “As a racer, you always want to be in the fastest class. The development of the Mazda SKYACTIV-D was a great deal of work by Mazda and SpeedSource and it will be quite the task to take this to the front of the prototype class in only our second year of competition. Mazda and SpeedSource will have a busy November and December of testing as we prepare for Daytona.”

As part of its challenger frame of mind, Mazda is the only OEM racing with a diesel engine. The SKYACTIV-D Smart Diesel race engine is a true production-based engine and a carry-over from the development work done with the Mazda6 GX-class racing cars. The engine is 51 percent stock by parts count, and 63 percent stock by weight. Mazda chose this path as it is the most honest way to demonstrate the performance, quality, durability, and reliability of Mazda powerplants.

Driver line-ups and team partners will be announced at a later date. The cars will make their first public appearance at the “Roar Before the 24” test at Daytona, January 3-5, 2014.

... notes from The EDJE