PR1/Mathiasen Seeking Out Bronze Driver for 2024 Program

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports is seeking out a Bronze-rated driver to replace the departing Ben Keating in its Oreca 07 Gibson for the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season according to team principal Bobby Oergel.

The California-based team, which is currently second in the LMP2 standings with Keating and Paul-Loup Chatin heading into next month’s Motul Petit Le Mans title-decider at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, will no longer have the driving services of Keating next year, who has been confirmed as part of United Autosports’ new WeatherTech Championship LMP2 effort.

“We’re shopping the Bronze seat pretty hard,” Oergel told Sportscar365. “We’re interested in any Bronze that’s capable of running P2 properly. We’re looking hard.”

Despite still working on its driver puzzle, Oergel said they’ve submitted a full season entry request for LMP2, having been ever-present in the class since its move from Prototype Challenge class competition.

When asked if they have a pro driver in place, Oergel said “that part is pretty easy.”

He added: “To be fair, there’s some very nice Silver drivers that are very attractive to use for the endurance races.”

Oergel is hopeful the team’s strong performances, highlighted by a class victory at Road America and additional podiums at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Watkins Glen International, could help attract a capable Bronze to the squad.

“I sure hope so,” he said. “I don’t know that I can factually say that’s going to make a big difference to anybody but I hope it helps.

“We’ve had good success. We’ve tried to run a slim program that operates at the top end.”

The LMP2 class in the WeatherTech Championship is poised to feature double-digit numbers next year for the first time, with several LMP3 teams stepping up and European-based teams, such as United, making the switch from the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Oergel said he’s excited at the category’s future prospects.

“It’s everything that we tried to start hoping to build in 2018,” he said. “Personally, that’s a reward to watch it grow, it really is.

“To have been a part of it from the beginning, even back to 2010 with the original program… I think it has as much merit as the series will allow it to have.

“It will be as big as they allow it to be.”

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