SunEnergy1 to Make GTD Return at Rolex 24

Kenny Habul’s SunEnergy1 Racing will make its first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship appearance in three years at the Rolex 24 at Daytona later this month.

Bronze-rated competitor Habul will share the No. 75 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo with factory drivers Raffaele Marciello and Luca Stolz, and Canadian racer Mikael Grenier.

It is the third confirmed Mercedes GT Daytona entry for the Rolex 24, following recent declarations of single-car efforts for HTP Winward Motorsport and Alegra Motorsports.

A Mercedes-AMG spokesperson confirmed to Sportscar365 that Gradient Racing will operate the SunEnergy1 entry. Gradient also assisted in SunEnergy1 Racing’s appearance at the Indianapolis 8 Hour last season.

SunEnergy1 Racing’s most recent IMSA GTD involvement came in 2018, when Habul contested the first five races of the season including Daytona.

The Australian then switched to International GT Open for 2019, while his program last year consisted of outings in the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour and the Indianapolis 8 Hour.

All three of Habul’s Daytona co-drivers competed in GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS last year.

Marciello drove for AKKA-ASP, Stolz represented Haupt Racing Team and Grenier drove for Lamborghini outfit Emil Frey Racing.

Marciello was instrumental in his co-driver Timur Boguslavskiy winning the GTWC Europe overall drivers’ championship, and was only unable to clinch the title himself because of a date clash that prevented him from taking part in a Sprint Cup meeting.

The Italian, who won the GTWC Europe overall accolade in 2018, will make his IMSA debut in the Rolex 24.

Stolz has contested Daytona three times before, including twice in a Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG.

Grenier, meanwhile, was a member of SunEnergy1 Racing’s most recent Daytona crew in 2018 alongside Habul, Thomas Jaeger and Maro Engel.

It has not been announced whether SunEnergy1 will contest further IMSA races beyond the Rolex 24.