Menezes Joins DragonSpeed for 4H Red Bull Ring

Gustavo Menezes has joined DragonSpeed’s LMP2 driver lineup for the second European Le Mans Series round of the season at the Red Bull Ring.

The American will team up with full-season drivers Ben Hanley and Henrik Hedman in the Pro-Am class No. 21 Oreca 07 Gibson after reigning IMSA DPi champion Ricky Taylor joined DragonSpeed for last weekend’s 4 Hours of Barcelona curtain-raiser.

Menezes is signed to Peugeot’s Le Mans Hypercar program and is also due to represent Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus LMH in the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship.

The 26-year-old drove a DragonSpeed Oreca in last year’s short-format IMSA race at Sebring where he teamed up with Bronze-rated driver Hedman.

“I’m extremely excited to rejoin DragonSpeed for the next ELMS race,” said Menezes, whose last ELMS drive came in 2018 with LMP2 outfit Algarve Pro-Rebellion Racing.

“After taking victory on track at Sebring last year with Henrik only to lose the win over a 1.3 second drive time deficit, we have some unfinished business.

“With Ben such a strong competitor, I’m also looking forward to driving alongside him for the first time. Elton [Julian, team principal] is a great friend and I feel completely at home in the team, so when I got the call there was no doubt I’d be there.

“The ELMS is incredibly competitive this year, which only adds to the attraction.”

Julian added that DragonSpeed plans to get Taylor, who drives the Wayne Taylor Racing Acura in IMSA, back into its LMP2 squad for future races “when circumstances allow”.