United Autosports is moving its American operations to a new 18,000-square-foot workshop in Charlotte, North Carolina ahead of the start of its full-season, two-car IMSA LMP2 effort in 2024.
The new workshop (featured), located on Thunder Road in the motorsport hub of Mooresville, is 700 miles north of United’s previous US base in West Palm Beach, Florida. The space is currently home to IMSA LMP3 race team Jr III Racing and is complete with state-of-the-art equipment and three 53ft race transporters.
“This is a really important step for United Autosports,” said Zak Brown, chairman and co-founder. “With this Mooresville workshop, we are building the foundations of a strong IMSA operation, making our ambitions clear for 2024 and beyond. I look forward to seeing the United team in action in our new stateside home.”
The IMSA squad will operate on a transatlantic schedule between the UK and US, using the facilities, equipment and expertise across both bases.
“Having a permanent motorsport facility in the USA is an important step towards achieving our IMSA ambitions,” added Richard Dean, CEO and co-founder. “Charlotte is also the perfect location for our team and for our activities in North America.”
To bolster this international effort, there will also be a core group of full-time United Autosports staff in the USA, headed up by a familiar face in the IMSA paddock: Billy Glavin.
“We are particularly excited about the appointment of Billy Glavin to ‘General Manager United Autosports USA’ and the subsequent collaboration with his Jr III team,” says Dean.
Glavin, owner of Jr III Racing, has been appointed the general manager of United Autosports USA, and will oversee all the operations at the workshop and the US team of mechanics, logistics and administration personnel.
United has confirmed to DSC that Jr III will continue to operate separately from United in the workshop. Jr III has however decided to pause its IMSA programme for 2024 at the end of the current season to focus on vintage preparation and restoration programmes as a result of Glavin’s new role.
“When I first started Jr III Racing in 2017, United Autosports was a company I aspired to emulate with their success in professional racing as well as their commitment to vintage race cars,” said Glavin. “So to be joining with them and expanding their presence in America is a tremendous honour.
“My team and I are looking forward to stepping up from LMP3 machines into LMP2 machines,” he continued. “I anticipate the LMP2 field to be very competitive next year so to enter into the season with such a strong team as United Autosports will be a really exciting experience.”
So far United Autosports has named two drivers for its 2024 IMSA campaign – Ben Keating and Alex Quinn.
Image courtesy of United Autosports
