The Tequila Patrón ESM squad has announced the signing of Nicolas Lapierre and Oliver Pla to fill the seats during the North American Endurance Cup section of the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship.
The team, that runs a Nissan Onroak DPi will see both drivers join the outfit alongside Scott Sharp and Ryan Dalziel in the #2 as well as the #22 driven by Johannes van Overbeek and Pipo Derani. ESM though is yet to announce who will join which car.
Lapierre is already an incredibly experienced driver, who has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 class for two of the last three years, having also experienced LMP1 machinery in 2017.
“I’m delighted to join Tequila Patrón ESM,” said the Frenchman. “I have already taken part in a few IMSA races and I’ve always loved it. In a few occasions I raced against Tequila Patrón ESM and I know how competitive the team is. We will have a strong package next year.”
As for Pla, he is no stranger to the IMSA series, having raced in both the GT Le Mans class and the Prototype class, though in a Ligier as opposed to a Nissan, during an incomplete 2017. Like Lapierre, he was also present at Le Mans this year.
“I’m delighted to join the Tequila Patrón ESM team for the endurance races in the NAEC,” said Pla. “Racing against ESM in the past I know what they are capable of and I think we will have everything to perform at the very best.”
The NAEC will feature four rounds this year, two of which, the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Twelve Hours of Sebring will begin the campaign, ensuring both drivers will need to adapt to the car quickly.
