NTE Sport Switches to Lamborghini in Full Season Effort

Image: NTE Sport

NTE Sport has switched from Audi to Lamborghini machinery for its planned full-season IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign in the GTD class.

Confirmed on Friday, the Dallas-based team will field a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo in this month’s season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona for Don Yount, Benjamin Hites, Jaden Conwright, and Markus Palttala.

All four drivers have previous experience with the team last year in the GTD class.

The squad’s full season lineup will be announced at a later date although Sportscar365 believes that newly minted Lamborghini GT3 Junior driver Conwright is likely to be in one of the seats.

“I’ll be very excited to get the race season officially started,” said team owner Paul Mata. “We’ve had a lot of moving parts over the course of this short off-season, and I’m proud of the program we’ve put together.

“We’re thrilled to get to work with Chris Ward and everyone at Lamborghini Squadra Corse, and can’t wait to see what we can do with such a strong lineup. It’ll be a great season.”

NTE contested four races last year, all with Yount, with Conwright running the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen alongside Palttala before completing the season at Motul Petit Le Mans with Hites.

Conwright is also coming off being selected as the first recipient of the IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship.

“I can’t thank everyone from NTE Sport enough for the opportunity to race with them again in 2022,” he said. “Participating in my first Rolex 24 at Daytona and the first 24-hour race of my career is something I anxiously look forward to.

“It’s been a busy and productive off-season, working with IMSA and Lamborghini for the first time, but I can’t wait to finally get the season started at one of the world’s most premier endurance sports car races.”

Hites, who has also become a Lamborghini Junior driver this year, added: “It is a great effort and I’m thankful to the NTE Sport team to give me the chance to drive with them again.

“I know Jaden and Don, and I’m convinced that with Markus Palttala, our No. 42 Lamborghini will be a podium contender.”

Daytona will mark Bronze-rated driver Yount’s seventh consecutive Rolex 24.

“This might be the strongest lineup I have been involved with for the 24 Hour and I’m excited to see what we can do with the NTE Lamborghini,” he said.

“It’s good to be back in the car with Markus after our fourth place Watkins Glen run and Benjamin had a very strong Petit Le Mans. Jaden will be ready as always for extra-long stints. It’s a strong lineup with a new car and we have a lot to prove.”

Palttala added: “I’ve never driven a GT3 Lamborghini before but I’ve raced against it enough times to know that it is a very competitive race car.

“It’s fairly similar to the Audi the team was running last year, so although we are surely facing a steep learning curve, hitting the track for the first time at the Roar, I’m confident we can target a top result.”

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