Actor Erik Valdez to Run Partial CTSC Season with Rebel Rock

Actor Erik Valdez will join the Rebel Rock Racing team for selected Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge rounds in the No. 88 Porsche Cayman in ST.

Valdez will share the car with Jim Jonsin at Daytona, Sebring and further races to be determined that don’t conflict with his shooting schedule. Up to five or six races are possible.

“We’ll do Daytona and try to do Sebring – I’ll drive all the way across the state if I have to – and see how it goes from there,” Valdez said. “My hope is to also do Watkins Glen because I’ve never driven it and it’s one of my favorite venues historically, COTA – I’m from Texas originally and I’ve seen every Formula One race since they opened and it seems like an amazing facility to drive – and probably (Mazda Raceway) Laguna Seca and a couple of others if we can make it all work.”

Daytona will be his professional debut, although Valdez has competed in club racing and tested open-wheel formula cars. He has also served as an instructor at the Bondurant School in Arizona.

The 35-year-old Texan has been on Breaking In, 90210, and General Hospital and is currently playing the recurring role crime lord Carlito Solano on USA’s Graceland, which began this year.

Rebel Rock is yet to announce the rest of its 2015 lineup, but has tested several drivers this offseason. The team ran two GS-class Porsche 997s and two Caymans in ST a year ago, with the ST cars featuring more of a revolving driver lineup.