Dalla Lana Planning Rolex 24, Bathurst 12H Double

Photo: Aston Martin Racing

Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy and Mathias Lauda are set to undertake the Daytona-Bathurst double, with the trio of drivers planning efforts around the two early season endurance races.

Dalla Lana confirmed to Sportscar365 they’ll be in a HTP Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 for the Feb. 3-5 event at Mt. Panorama, with the car and class for their Rolex 24 at Daytona program still to be confirmed.

It will mark the Canadian and his Aston Martin Racing WEC co-drivers’ Bathurst debuts.

“I had done some stuff with Stefan Wendel who’s running Mercedes’ GT3 program,” Dalla Lana told Sportscar365. “I met him back at Schubert BMW.

“We knew each other and have just been poking around to see if we had the appetite to do some things.

“Everyone’s been telling me about [Bathurst]. I think even when I raced with Boris [Said] back at Turner and was telling me about it.

“We all had it on our list, right up there with Nurburgring, as an event to do.

“It’s a great team; they just won the Blancpain GT [championship]; hopefully we can keep up to their standards.”

Dalla Lana said the leading option for Daytona would be a GT Le Mans class effort with a factory Aston Martin Vantage GTE, but IMSA’s manufacturer partner fee has been the holdup.

He said a fallback option could be with HTP in a Mercedes-AMG GT3, which is set to become an eligible car for WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona class competition next year.

“I’m sure we’ll be doing something in America to start the year,” he said. “If it’s not with Aston Martin, although I’m optimistic there too,” he said.

“We’ll be at Daytona for sure, It’s just a question of what category and the car.

“I think [HTP] probably has some appetite to come over to the U.S. I think we would be a pretty good team in GTD if we came that way. We have a few opportunities there.”

The Canadian driver said Sebring also remains a possibility, but will depend on what team and car his driving squad opts for. He said the current chances are 50/50.

“Depending on the deal if the car has to come over, the costs are better for two races, I’ll do Sebring,” he said.

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