PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports has announced they will run their #52 Oreca 07 LMP2 in the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship LMP2 category, with Matt McMurry and Gabriel Aubry their full-time drivers.
McMurry and Aubry come in to replace Sebastian Saavedra and Gustavo Yacaman, with the move also confirming the end of the teams’ partnership with AFS Racing after just a solitary season in 2018.
McMurry has previous IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship experience in a multitude of classes, including DPi, LMP2 and GT Daytona, and was part of the Spirit of Daytona Racing line-up for four races in the Prototype division in 2018.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to continue to prove myself in the prototype ranks and really appreciate the call up from Bobby and the team’s supporters,” said McMurry. “Daytona is always a great way to start the season.
“The drivers present are so strong and I can’t wait to take on the challenge.”
Aubry makes the full-time switch to the American-based series and will race alongside his commitments in the FIA World Endurance Championship where he currently holds the LMP2 class championship lead with Ho-Pin Tung and Stephane Richelmi for Jackie Chan DC Racing, with the Frenchman having also raced in the GP3 Series and European Le Mans Series in 2018.
“I am delighted to start a new adventure in the US, and to join a great team as PR1,” said Aubry. “I am looking forward to race and compete in this new environment. The championship will take us to legendary tracks to which I will have to quickly adapt.
“I am also pleased to do this program on the LMP2 ORECA 07, the same car I am used to racing in WEC. I’ve been training hard since my last race in Shanghai and I can’t wait to be back in a car in Daytona.”
The additional drivers for the endurance races, starting with the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January, will be announced at a later date.
