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Bennett: CORE Wound Down After Braun’s ‘Magic Opportunity’

CORE autosport was set to continue in IMSA LMP3 ranks until Braun received MSR call-up…

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Jon Bennett has revealed that he and Colin Braun held an “unwritten agreement” to continue racing together until Braun landed the “magic opportunity” of stepping into a top-class factory-backed team in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Braun was confirmed Friday by Meyer Shank Racing as its full-season driver in the No. 60 Acura ARX-06 alongside reigning DPi champion Tom Blomqvist, just one week after CORE autosport announced it was ceasing operations.

CORE team owner Bennett confirmed to Sportscar365 that the sequence of events was no coincidence after it became apparent that the 34-year-old sports car racing star would be driving for the defending top-class prototype champions next year.

“We were locked and loaded for the 2023 season until Colin got the opportunity,” Bennett told Sportscar365.

“We had an unwritten agreement that I would continue to enjoy racing with Colin but only until Colin found that magic opportunity.

“We were going to go around [racing] again, as I had agreed with Colin. I couldn’t agree to three or four or five [more] seasons but we were certainly going to compete in 2023.

“Instinctively, we both knew that this rebirth of factory prototype racing would bring some opportunities and I told Colin, ‘This is your time.’

“Colin doesn’t need any advice from me but he’s in a great place at Meyer Shank Racing. It’s a fantastic place for him to go.

“It’s not often you get to join the championship team from last year.

“It concluded the way I hoped it would and I think Colin will exploit this opportunity and really begin to showcase what’s been hiding in plain view in my race car, which is real talent.”

Bennett said the quick decision to wind down the team, which completed a test at Daytona International Speedway in its LMP3 championship-winning Ligier JS P320 Nissan earlier this month, was also made to make sure CORE’s crew would secure work for next year.

“I’m super excited for Colin,” he said. “We had ten incredible seasons together; I learned a lot from him and we had a lot of success together, more success than I would have ever imagined.

“I wished him the best and then my concern turned towards the team.

“My loyal teammates, Colin’s dad and my race engineer Jeff Braun, and Brian Colangelo, who managed CORE autosport, [were on my mind].

“Racing is an infinite loop, there’s no easy time to announce the winding down of a program.

“But I was very happy that just within a few days all of my teammates had found employment in the sport that they love.”

Braun, meanwhile, said he’s “super thankful” to Bennett for the decade-long run in IMSA competition which produced three championships and key victories in all of the major North American endurance races.

“Thankfully the timing of it all worked where we could end on a storybook year on the CORE side of things,” Braun told Sportscar365.

“It was a great place for Jon to stop and this opportunity was there for me to be able to jump on.

“I’m super thankful and fortunate for my time at CORE and really excited to get this new chapter started.”

Braun: “Huge Opportunity” to Step into DPi Championship-Winning Team

Braun said he’s relishing the chance to get to work with MSR for the first time in a full-season capacity, after several previous one-off drives with the team.

“I’ve always stayed in touch with Mike [Shank] and had a lot of respect for what he’s built and accomplished,” he said. “It’s been very, very impressive.

“The opportunity came up for me to jump in and try it out and do a test. It all kind of went from there.

“I couldn’t think of a better seat to have with people that I really respect and get along with well.

“It’s a huge opportunity given where the sport’s going and all of the momentum it’s got, not to mention being with [the team] that won arguably the two biggest races of the year and the championship.

“I’m super grateful and thankful. In a way, I feel like at my age with the level of experience I have, it’s the perfect timing to step into this kind of program.

“It’s going to be a blast. I can’t wait to get to work.”

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

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