United Autosports Moves to IMSA Full-Time in 2024

Photo: United Autosports

United Autosports will move its current FIA World Endurance Championship LMP2 program to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship full-time next year.

The Anglo-American squad announced on Friday that it will field a pair of Oreca 07 Gibsons in the series for the entire season, amid confirmation on the elimination of the class in the WEC.

Drivers for the program, which requires a Bronze-rated pilot in each car, have yet to be announced, although team co-owner and managing director Richard Dean told Sportscar365 they’ve received high levels of early interest.

United has taken part in selected IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races in the past, although it has never mounted a full WeatherTech Championship LMP2 campaign, which will likely consist of around seven races next year.

“We have reacted quickly to redirect our entire WEC LMP2 team to IMSA for the foreseeable future,” said Dean. “This will see United set up a new U.S. base this year in a preparation for a fully focused effort.

“While it is a shame for the LMP2 category to lose the WEC, it is as a direct result of the success of Hypercar, which for the sport as a whole can only be a good thing.

“This change provides an exciting new challenge for our team.

“We have raced in IMSA before but never for a full season and we have always had ambitions to take on and win in the IMSA series.

“The racing in IMSA is as pure as it gets, the drivers love it, the fans love it and we will do everything we can to rise to the challenge.”

Dean told Sportscar365 they’re evaluating options for a new U.S. workshop somewhere on the east coast, with its current outpost in Palm Beach, Fla. not large enough to handle its 2024 WeatherTech Championship program.

He explained the desire to have a base near an airport with non-stop flights to Manchester, England, as it will continue utilizing its UK-based crew.

“To run two cars in a full season we need a little bit more than just somewhere to just park a truck and unload,” Dean said.

“It needs to be a proper base. It’s not going to be quite our headquarters in the UK equivalent, but it needs to be something that we can operate out of properly with two cars.

“So we need a bit more space and more of a permanent workshop.”

In addition to the WeatherTech Championship effort, United has also confirmed intentions of returning to the European Le Mans Series with at least two LMP2 entries alongside an Asian Le Mans Series program next season.

With its continued participation in two ACO-run series, Dean said he hopes that will help secure a pair of entries for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which will continue to accept LMP2 cars.

“This is our seventh consecutive Le Mans,” he said.

“Our ELMS program stays exactly the same, and [we plan] to do Asian Le Mans, so we would hope that our continued participation in all ACO events and level of success in those events will get us in the door for an eighth consecutive Le Mans with two cars.”

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