Newgarden, McLaughlin to make IMSA debuts in Daytona 24 Hours
Team Penske IndyCar drivers Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin will make their IMSA SportsCar Championship debuts in the Daytona 24 Hours next month with LMP2 squad Tower Motorsports.
Two-time IndyCar champion Newgarden and his race-winning team-mate McLaughlin will share the team's ORECA-Gibson 07 with 2021 Formula Regional Americas champion Kyffin Simpson and the team's 2022 LMP2 champion John Farano.
Along with Farano’s title, the Rick Capone-run squad won the teams' title this year as Farano and Louis Deletraz racked up two wins and three further podium finishes.
Newgarden described the IMSA season-opener as “an event that was on my bucket list, along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans”, and said he was eager to make a successful start to his 2023 campaign with Tower.
”I am beyond grateful for this opportunity,” said Newgarden.
“We’re a group of very competitive people, and we all want to win.
“I think this is a very exciting challenge and I believe this team can accomplish great things together.
”I have a close relationship with Scott (McLaughlin) as well and I couldn’t be happier to be doing this with him as team-mate.”
Three-times Supercars champion and 2019 Bathurst 1000 winner McLaughlin added: “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to race with this amazing group of drivers.
#8 Tower Motorsport Oreca LMP2 07: John Farano, Louis Deletraz
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
“This is a stellar lineup and a perfect chance to show what we can do together.
“This is a proven crew that clearly knows how to win races, and that’s exactly what we’re setting out to accomplish at Daytona.”
Simpson ran IMSA’s four endurance rounds, driving Gradient Racing’s Acura NSX in the GT Daytona class, and won at Petit Le Mans.
Farano declared: “We know we have the potential to challenge for a win at Daytona. There’s nothing we want more than to expand on our strengths and pick up some more hardware when we cross that finish line.
“I’m elated to partner with Josef and Scott, who are seasoned pros and will undoubtedly bring that added spark and determination to the team.
“I am equally excited to welcome the very talented Kyffin Simpson to our team and looking forward to sharing our car with him for all the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races.”
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