Viso, Saavedra Set to Join Starworks DP for Rolex 24

The number of drivers with IndyCar experience competing in this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona will grow by two, to north of 30.

Sportscar365 has learned E.J. Viso and Sebastian Saavedra will round out the lineup in Starworks Motorsport’s Dinan-powered Riley Daytona Prototype.

Viso and Saavedra join previously announced drivers Alex Popow, Scott Mayer and Brendon Hartley in the No. 78 car. The intention is for both Viso and Saavedra to run the entirety of the four-race Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup.

Viso will make his second Rolex 24 appearance, while Saavedra makes his Rolex 24 debut. Viso finished 15th in class co-driving with Popow and two others in a Starworks-run Ford Riley in 2011, but he does have additional prototype experience from when he and Popow were part of the PC class-winning lineup for CORE autosport at the 2012 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Saavedra made a single Rolex Series start in a Michael Baughman Racing Corvette in the series’ 2012 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

At the moment, neither Viso nor Saavedra has a confirmed IndyCar ride this year, so were available for the first race of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season.

As far as the rest of the team’s lineup, Popow will pull double duty between Starworks’ DP and PC class entries, while Hartley is making his first race appearance since being named a Porsche factory driver.

Hartley and Mayer co-drove to overall victory in last year’s race at Elkhart Lake’s Road America.