Performance Tech Confirms O’Ward for Season; Masson for TPNAEC

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Pato O’Ward has been confirmed at Performance Tech Motorsports for a full-season IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign, with Kyle Masson set to complete the team’s lineup for the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup races, the team announced on Friday.

O’Ward will join James French at the wheel of the team’s Oreca FLM09, which claimed a dominant Prototype Challenge class victory in last weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, along with Nick Boulle.

“We had opportunities arise going into Daytona and if we had a good showing we could get Pato’s deal done,” team principal Brent O’Neill said. “He’s really just awesome, he and James will be great together.

“It’ll be a good pairing and a plus for us is that we have two silvers that are really fast. It gives us options in the pits with what we can do with strategy.”

The 17-year-old Mazda Road to Indy star became the second-youngest winner in race history, behind Michael De Quesada, who claimed GT Daytona class honors in the Florida endurance classic.

“I’m really happy that Performance Tech accepted me as a person and driver,” he said. “I loved working with James, Nick and Kyle. I’m excited for the rest of the season, hopefully the field grows.

“I really want a good car count for competition. We had a strong car at Daytona and I think we’ll have a strong car moving forward. The objective is always to win, it’s not always possible but that’s the target, to win the championship.

“I just want to say thank you to Brent, the team, my family and all my sponsors for this opportunity.”

Masson, meanwhile, will pull double duty between the team’s Prototype Challenge Presented by Mazda effort and the three remaining Patron Endurance Cup races.

“I think keeping the group that swept Daytona together is a smart move and I am ecstatic about the opportunity to stay with them,” he said. “I am looking forward to seeing what we are capable of at Sebring.

“I have high hopes and expectations coming off a dominant win at the Rolex 24.”

The Performance Tech entry will be one of four expected full-season PC entries in the final year of the spec prototype class in the WeatherTech Championship.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John