Hunter-Reay in IMSA return with Ganassi Cadillac for Sebring 12

Hunter-Reay, the 2012 IndyCar champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner, is without a full-time open-wheel ride for 2022 after losing his drive at Andretti Autosport to Romain Grosjean.

The 41-year-old tested for Ed Carpenter Racing last October with a view to driving that team's #20 entry, but incumbent Conor Daly was given the nod to continue for 2022.

Hunter-Reay will now link up with Renger van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais in Ganassi's #01 Cadillac DPi-V.R, marking his first sportscar appearance since he won the 2020 season-ending Sebring 12 Hours for Mazda.

It marks a reunion for Hunter-Reay and van der Zande, who teamed with Jordan Taylor in the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac to win the 2018 Petit Le Mans and finish second in that year's Sebring 12 Hours.

“It’s beyond belief that Ryan Hunter-Reay is available to be a Cadillac teammate at Sebring,” said Chip Ganassi Racing’s managing director Mike Hull.

“Chip Ganassi Racing has admired his ability to consistently win major globally recognised events. He has that special knack to be a separator.

“We’re excited that Ryan’s an integral part of our team at the 12 Hours of Sebring.”

Hunter-Reay said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Chip Ganassi Racing and returning to Cadillac for the 70th running of the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Hunter-Reay won on his last IMSA start at Sebring in 2020 with Mazda

Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images

“This is a tremendous opportunity to work with one of the very best teams and manufacturers in motorsports. Sebring is my home track, and the 12 Hours of Sebring is one of those iconic events that you focus on as a competitor.

“After winning the 2020 race overall, I’ve been eager to get back with a top team and compete for another win.”

As previously reported, the sister #02 Cadillac in which Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn will contest the full season is again to be complemented by Kevin Magnussen - who contested the full 2021 season at CGR alongside van der Zande - ahead of his switch to Peugeot's Le Mans Hypercar project.

Ganassi had drafted in three of its IndyCar drivers for the Daytona 24 Hours, but the clashing IndyCar race at Texas Motor Speedway has precluded Scott Dixon, Alex Palou and Marcus Ericsson's participation.

The team's fourth IndyCar regular, Jimmie Johnson, will however contest Sebring in an Action Express Cadillac alongside Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Rockenfeller.

Cadillac has won three of the five 12-hour races at Sebring International Raceway in Daytona Prototype international competition dating back to the start of the regulations cycle in 2017.

Lynn paired with Jordan and Ricky Taylor to win the 2017 edition for WTR, with further successes coming the way of Action Express crew Felipe Nasr, Pipo Derani and Eric Curran (2019) and all-French JDC Miller Motorsports trio Sebastien Bourdais, Loïc Duval and Tristan Vautier in 2021.