Corvette Racing has announced Australian driver Ryan Briscoe and French IndyCar star Simon Pagenaud will join their driver roster for the opening round of the Tudor United Sportscar Championship, the 53rd annual Rolex 24 At Daytona, and the following round, the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Briscoe first raced for Corvette Racing last year, and his making his return to the Chevy camp this year. Pagenaud has never raced for the team before, however he’s widely recognized as one of the more talented drivers on the IndyCar grid, finishing third in last year’s championship. Briscoe also has a number of IndyCar wins under his belt, and nine prototype class wins in the now defunct American Le Mans Series.
“Corvette Racing’s driver lineup for the Daytona and Sebring races represents a highly talented collection of drivers who are intensely focused on working together toward the common goal of winning,” Mark Kent, director of Chevrolet Racing said in a statement. “Both Ryan and Simon are world-class drivers who know the kind of preparation, patience and skill needed to succeed in the top levels of endurance sports-car racing.”
Pagenaud has also signed with Team Penske for the 2015 Verizon IndyCar season, where he will drive a Chevrolet-powered Dallara IndyCar. Last year Pagenaud raced for Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports, which uses Honda power in their cars.
“Corvette is definitely an icon in American racing and as an American sports car,” said Pagenaud. “When I was racing with for another manufacturer, I always noticed the presence of the Corvette and Chevrolet fans. I’ve always said that Corvette Racing is a proper program – well put together with a very impressive presentation, great drivers and a fantastic team. The results speak for themselves. It’s great to be part of it now. It is definitely a very different experience compared to prototypes but I have some good experience in GT cars.”
Briscoe will share the driving duties of the No. 3 Corvette C7.R with Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia, while Pagenaud will field the No. 4 C7.R with Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner. Catch the team at Daytona from Jan. 24-25 as the Rolex 24 kicks off the second ever Tudor season.
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