IZOD Indycar Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year Simon Pagenaud has agreed to co-pilot Team Sahlen’s entry at this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. Joining Wayne Nonnamaker and Dane Cameron in the #42 BMW Riley, Pagenaud brings extensive sports car racing experience to the first year Daytona Prototype team. Previously, Team Sahlen has fielded cars in Grand-Am’s GT and GS classes. 2013 marks the team’s graduation to the Daytona Prototype ranks.
Pagenaud’s only previous Grand-Am Series start came in a ST Series race at Laguna Seca, Where he finished in 6th for Compass 360 racing. Simon’s sports car experiences are quite strong, as he qualified on pole for the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans and also finished 2nd overall in 2011 with Peugeot. He was also the American Le Mans Series champion in 2010.
When asked about his new ride, Pagenaud said “Team Sahlen is showing great promise and together we will face a fantastic challenge. I want to thank them for giving me the opportunity to compete in the Rolex 24 At Daytona for the first time. Dane is a great talent who I watched in Star Mazda and I am looking forward to working with Wayne and the whole team. I will do my best to bring my ‘A’ game and help the team complete their goals.”
Team Sahlen has racked up 53 victories and 4 championships in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Series since 1984. In the GT Class of the Grand-Am Rolex Challenge series, Team Sahlen has a win, five podiums and two poles since 2011.
The 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona is January 24-27 at Daytona International Speedway.
