Starworks Motorsport returns to the LMP2 category in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship 2020.
The team from Deerfield Beach, Florida will enter a brand new ORECA 07 Gibson, with the 4 Michelin Endurance Cup races plus the Daytona 24 Hours confirmed so far. They do hope to find the budget for the three sprint races on the LMP2 calendar too, so they can do the full LMP2 season in IMSA.
The team will run under the Tower Motorsport by Starworks banner, with John Farano and his company being a part of the programme. He will be joined by long-time Starworks driver Ryan Dalziel for all rounds – no matter if it’s five or eight races. They will share the car with David Heinemeier Hansson as the third driver for the five endurance rounds. Farano won the LMP3 title in the European Le Mans Series in 2018, before he went on to the LMP2 category in 2019. He currently races in the Asian Le Mans Series for RLR MSport, where he won the opening round in Shanghai a few weeks ago.
Photo: ORECA
David Heinemeier Hansson is currently racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Team Project 1 Porsche in GTE Am, but has been going forth and back between LMP2 and GT categories. He most recently raced LMP2 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2019. He actually finished on the overall podium in 2017, until the team lost that result. DHH is regarded one of the best “real” Silver ranked drivers in the sportscar world, but is often overshadowed by young drivers from Formula 2 or Formula 3, with more or less professional drivers, that the gentleman drivers have no chances of competing with, regarding their laptimes – even though both are ranked Silver.
They will bring a fourth driver for the Daytona 24 Hours. That will be Nico Lapierre, who will try to help the team win a set of the wanted Rolex watches. Lapierre is former Toyota Gazoo Racing works driver, and he won the FIA WEC LMP2 title and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2019 for the Signatech Alpine Matmut outfit. He went on to win the opening round in the FIA WEC 2019/20, with the brand new LMP2 team, Cool Racing.
Starworks Motorsport has a lot of experience with ORECA cars, racing with the FLM09, formerly known as LMPC in the American Le Mans Series and IMSA. The team has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Sebring 12 Hours, plus the FIA WEC LMP2 title in 2012.
DHH has raced for the team in 2016, while Dalziel and Lapierre were teammates at ESM in FIA WEC.
The team will assemble for the first time on 3-5 January, where the ROAR Before The 24 test will be run, before the 24 hours race will run three weeks later. The design of the car will be revealed in the near future.
