AWA will return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2023 with a two-car effort.
The Canadian outfit will be fielding the #13 Orlando Corporation LMP3 D08, and the #17 Agritainer LMP3 D08 in the LMP3 class during the upcoming Rolex 24, and beyond.
Orey Fidani, AWA’s series regular, will be joined by returning seasoned drivers Matt Bell and Lars Kern, in addition to newcomer Mortiz Kranz. Anthony Mantella makes his Rolex 24 debut along with Wayne Boyd, Argentinian prototype sensation Nicolas Varrone and Thomas Merrill.
Andrew Wojteczko, Team Owner: “The opportunity to campaign two cars in the 24 Hours of Daytona is truly a privilege, and I’m very grateful for the trust placed in our team to carry out this task. We’ve got two competitive lineups, and I’m really looking forward to kicking off the event in a few short weeks.”
#13 Orlando Corporation Duqueine D08
Orey Fidani, driver of the #13 Duqueine D08 : “We learned a lot after our successful first LMP3 campaign last year, and I am elated to be participating in my second WeatherTech season. We now have a year under our belts, and the learning curve won’t be as steep. We are here to bring back some hardware and win the title. With that in mind, I am excited to take part in my second Rolex 24 at Daytona. Last year was a blast, and this year we have a competitive line-up to get us on the podium and seal the win.”
Matt Bell, driver of the #13 Duqueine D08 : “I’m really pleased to be teaming up with AWA for a full-season campaign in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship. Over the course of the last season we grew from being the new boys on the block to serious podium contenders by the end. Hopefully we can pick up where we left off and fight for the title in 2023. I can’t wait to get things started in Daytona!”
Lars Kern, driver of the #13 Duqueine D08 : “I’m delighted to continue with AWA, Orey and Matt for another year, and it’s a pleasure to welcome Moritz to our line-up for the Rolex 24. After a challenging beginning to the 2022 season, everything seems to be in the right place to fight for top honours. We had a great preparation race at Paul Ricard (France), and I feel dialed in for Daytona. I can’t wait to start.”
Mortiz Kranz, driver of the #13 Duqueine D08 : “I cannot wait to join AWA for the 2023 edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona! The grid will be fully packed, so it’s already shaping up to be an intense race. AWA is a highly professional team with a very strong driver line-up. We’re going to have a lot of fun out there and I’m looking forward to a successful weekend!”
#17 Agritainer Duqueine D08
Anthony Mantella, driver of the #17 Duqueine D08: “ I’d rather go fast than give quotes. Let’s go!”
Wayne Boyd, driver of the #17 Duqueine D08 : “I am super excited to kick off our 2023 IMSA campaign. It doesn’t get any better than the Rolex 24 at Daytona. It is such an iconic race and it feels like the perfect place for the season to get underway. We had a superb test out there a few weeks ago, we definitely learned a lot and we feel confident with our strong pace. We are absolutely going into this race with a winning mindset. I’m relatively new to the team but I feel at home already and I’d like to thank everyone, especially Anthony, for the opportunity to be part of this program.”
Nicolás Varrone, driver of the #17 Duqueine D08 : “First of all, I am really happy and thankful to be joining AWA for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and for the Endurance season. It’s a dream for me to be driving in this fantastic race, and I can’t wait to get to the track. I am proud to be joining this great line-up with Anthony and Thomas. They did a great job last year in IMSA. I am equally excited to be partnering with Wayne. I’ve raced against him in Europe and I know that he is an incredibly fast driver. I think we have a lot of potential to secure a great result at Daytona, I can’t wait to get the season started. Lastly, I would like to thank the AWA crew, Anthony, and Matt Bell for the confidence they have shown in me. Let’s do this!”
Thomas Merrill, driver of the #17 Duqueine D08 : “ I’m very excited to be joining AWA for the Rolex 24. I’ve admired AWA’s progress from afar, they have had great growth lately and are clearly on course to be a top team in the IMSA paddock. Matt (Bell) and I have been teammates at Daytona in the past. We always work well together, so I expect us to be a very strong team. I’m looking forward to getting out to Florida and getting down to business with this great group!”
