Lopez joins Kobayashi and Johnson in Cadillac
Jose Maria Lopez is teaming up with Toyota World Endurance Championship team-mate Kamui Kobayashi for his Daytona 24 Hours debut this month. The Argentinian will drive the second Action Express Racing Cadillac DPI contender (right, below) in the IMSA Sportscar opener on 29-30 January.
Lopez joins Kobayashi, Mike Rockenfeller and Jimmie Johnson in the Caddy run in conjunction with the Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR squad, which will contest the four long-distance IMSA races. Kobayashi, Rockenfeller and Johnson have also been confirmed for the subsequent Sebring, Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta rounds.
“It’s good to be a ‘rookie’ after 30 years of racing,” said Lopez (right), who retained his WEC title last November with Kobayashi and Mike Conway. “I’ve been trying to race in North America for a long time. I always liked IMSA and American racing. Finally, this year I’ll be part of an IMSA team.”
Lopez does have one start in a US sportscar series: he contested the 2007 Sebring 12 Hours, when it was a round of the American Le Mans Series, at the wheel of a Risi Competizione Ferrari.
Weathertech Racing is expanding its assault for Daytona. In addition to the Porsche 911 GT3-R it will run in a full IMSA GT Daytona Pro campaign in conjunction with Proton Competition, it will field a Mercedes-amg GT3 Evo in the opener.
Cooper Macneil, son of Weathertech founder David, will drive both entries. Porsche factory driver Julien Andlauer and marque regulars Matteo Cairoli and Alessio Picariello will be his team-mates in the 911, while Merc works contractees Jules Gounon, Maro Engel and Daniel Juncadella will co-drive the AMG GT3. “I’ve won Sebring twice, Petit Le Mans three times, been on the podium at Le Mans twice, and now need to win the Rolex 24,” he said.
Aston Martin will also be represented in GTD Pro this year. Heart of Racing, third in last year’s GTD points, is expanding into IMSA’S new top GT class. It will field a Vantage GT3 for factory driver Ross Gunn and Alex Riberas, with works star Maxime Martin joining them for the enduros.