PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports has announced that Tom Kimber-Smith and Jose Gutierrez will drive for the team in the full 2017 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with Mike Guasch joining them for the four NAEC rounds.
The team competed a test at Sebring International Raceway this week to familiarise itself with its new Ligier JSP217, after years of competing in the IMSA Prototype Challenge class.
“The LMP2 is a monster,” explained full season driver José Gutierrez. “This was a very productive test. We did a lot of laps in the new Ligier, and I’m in love with the car.”
“It was my second time in the car since the first test in Daytona, and I absolutely love every second I get to spend behind the wheel,” said Gutierrez. “I’m still getting accustomed to the speed, more braking power and more downforce compared to the LMPC, but I can´t wait for the Roar before the 24 and to show what PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports can do in 2017.”
Kimber-Smith is no stranger to LMP2 cars having won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice in the LMP2 class in 2011 and 2012, so he is more than ready to get behind the wheel of the Ligier for the 2017 Weathertech Sportscar Championship.
“The test at Sebring went really well. We had three full days of putting mileage on the Ligier car, and it was a great experience for us as drivers and also the whole team as it was our first real taste of the car,” said Kimber-Smith.
“We are working through our test plan and also getting familiar with procedures. It’s great to have done some testing before Christmas and before we hit the track at the Roar in January.”
Guasch, who won this year’s ELMS LMP3 title with United Autosports, drove with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports from 2013-2015 and won the LMPC Driver’s Championship in 2013 as a PR1 driver. Guasch enjoyed a successful 2016 in the European Le Mans Series but is excited to return to PR1 for the four TPNAECC races.
The PR1 team returns to the track on January 6-8 for the Roar before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway later that month.
