Building on the team’s dramatic victory at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) will head to Sebring International Raceway with a revised driver lineup.
Stoffel Vandoorne will make his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut next month as he joins MSR’s full-season IMSA drivers Tom Blomqvist and Oliver Jarvis for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The trio will share the driving duties onboard the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05. MSR IMSA endurance driver Helio Castroneves will compete at Texas Motor Speedway for the IndyCar race weekend.
The Sebring outing will mark several firsts for the former Formula 1 pilot and current FIA Formula E racer. Vandoorne will make his first-ever IMSA start and the 12 Hour will be his debut outing at Sebring International Raceway. Having tested the DPi for MSR, the Sebring round will also mark his first foray into DPi competition as the fabled Sebring event plays host to the second leg of the 2022 IMSA Michelin Endurance Championship.
Vandoorne comes into the race weekend with a strong endurance racing resume, having scored five WEC podium finishes in 2021 alongside current MSR driver Blomqvist, with the two racing to runner-up in the LMP2 championship. Vandoorne also has two 24 Hours of Le Mans race starts to his credit, with a third place LMP1 finish in 2019.
“I’m really excited to be joining Meyer Shank for the Sebring 12 Hour,” said Vandoorne. “For me it will be the first time racing in Sebring, and the first time racing in IMSA competition which I am excited for because the racing in America is very close. I feel lucky to also be joining the team that just won the Daytona 24 Hours, so it’s going to be a really great experience. I know my teammate Tom (Blomqvist) already from last year racing in WEC and Olly I know him as well from endurance racing, but it will be the first time teaming up with them together. I’m really looking forward to the weekend and hopefully we can bring home a good result for the team.”
Team co-owner Mike Shank is looking forward to continuing the momentum that the team has going into the second race of the IMSA season.
“Stoffel impressed us at a test last week and will be a great addition to the team for Sebring,” said Shank. “It was our initial intention to have Helio race in both the IMSA and IndyCar events that weekend, but logistically it became a bit difficult. Tom has said great things about Stoffel from their time racing in WEC together last year, so I think we have another strong lineup heading into the race weekend.”
Source. Sunday Group
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