Newgarden, McLaughlin to debut in Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona
Tower Motorsports will run IndyCar aces Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin, in addition to Kyffin Simpson and 2022 LMP2 champion John Farano in next month’s Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.
Along with Farano’s title, Tower Motorsports won Teams’ honors in the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, as he and Louis Deletraz racked up two wins (including its third straight Petit Le Mans triumph), two seconds and a third at the Rolex 24.
Now it has signed two-time IndyCar champion Newgarden along with his race-winning Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin to spearhead the team’s attack on IMSA’s classic season-opener at Daytona.
“This is definitely an event that was on my bucket list, along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, so I am beyond grateful for this opportunity,” said Newgarden. “We’re a group of very competitive people, and we all want to win.
“I think this is a very exciting challenge and I believe this team can accomplish great things together. I have a close relationship with Scott (McLaughlin) as well and I couldn’t be happier to be doing this with him as teammate.”
For his part, three-times Supercars legend McLaughlin stated: “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to race with this amazing group of drivers. This is a stellar lineup and a perfect chance to show what we can do together.
“This is a proven crew that clearly knows how to win races, and that’s exactly what we’re setting out to accomplish at Daytona.”
Simpson, 2021 Formula Regional Americas champion, embarked on an Indy Lights career as a Chip Ganassi Racing protege, but also ran IMSA’s four endurance rounds, driving Gradient Racing’s Acura NSX in the GT Daytona class, and winning at Petit Le Mans.
“I'm proud to join Tower Motorsports in the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Daytona. I'm thankful for John Farano's support and am counting down the days to join him, Josef, Scott and the entire team. We're looking forward to putting our best foot forward with our eyes set on victory lane."
Farano declared: “We know we have the potential to challenge for a win at Daytona. There’s nothing we want more than to expand on our strengths and pick up some more hardware when we cross that finish line.
“I’m elated to partner with Josef and Scott, who are seasoned pros and will undoubtedly bring that added spark and determination to the team. I am equally excited to welcome the very talented Kyffin Simpson to our team and looking forward to sharing our car with him for all the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races.”
Rick Capone, owner of Capone Motorsports – which assists in operating the team – and also Tower Motorsports’ team manager, said: “We couldn’t have asked for a better 2022 season, and I’m confident that we will be able to add to our winning tally with the incredible driver lineup we have this year. I am beyond proud of what we have accomplished as a team, and I can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store for us.”
Photo by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images
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