Oliver Jarvis will be hoping to secure his second successive class victory at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The Audi Sport works driver will drive one of the five Audi R8 LMS entered in the 52nd running of the traditional season-opening event, racing for Fall-Line Motorsports alongside Charlie Putnam, Charles Espenlaub and James Walker.
“It’s great to be heading back to Daytona to try and repeat the win we achieved last year,” said Jarvis. “I loved racing at Daytona for the first time last year and am thrilled to be invited back as part of Audi’s customer racing programme. It will be quite different this year with the race being run as part of the TUDOR Championship after the merger of GRAND-AM and the American Le Mans Series. It means the race is being run to a different set of regulations to last year with the most significant change being the fact that each car must be shared by at least one amateur driver. This is the reason I’m not partnering with the same drivers I won with last year and I’m certain the rule will have a significant outcome on the result.”
Jarvis, along with many of the large grid contesting the Rolex 24, tested at Daytona earlier in the month, setting the 16th fastest time in the 30-car GTD class, less than a second off the class fastest Flying Lizard Audi R8 LMS.
“Following the “Roar Before the 24” test earlier this month, I feel confident that Fall-Line is a strong team and that I’ve got very good co-drivers alongside,” concluded Jarvis. “The level this year is extremely high and there are at least 15 cars in our GTD class that are capable of fighting for the class win. The key will be to stay out of trouble and be on the lead lap for the last four hours when it becomes a sprint to the finish.”
