Co-owner of United Autosports Richard Dean has described having two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Oreca 07s as both an advantage and a disadvantage for their race preparations.
The Yorkshireman told MotorsportWeek.com: “We’re the only team here in P2 with two cars – both an advantage and a disadvantage.
“So an advantage – all week we get through a lot more work and data and stuff –but during the race you know we’ve got to make sure we don’t fall over each other.
“[There is] absolutely there is no preference and no priority [between the two cars]. But clearly for 22 hours here, we don’t want to be falling over ourselves.”
Bijoy Garg of the #22 Oreca 07 starting fifth, added his thoughts on his potential rivals for the main race.
“Obviously the other [#2] car is really good. We think the CrowdStrike [by Algarve Pro Racing] is going to be pretty fast and then I feel like the Inter Europol will be pretty fast.
“At the end of 24 hours, you never know who’s going to be there.”
The United Autosports USA team are the only competitors running two LMP2 entries in the category of 13 ahead of the 24 Hours of Daytona. However, the team has run two cars in the FIA World Endurance Championship for multiple years now, so even if they are the only team running two in IMSA this year — the quality of the team should negate that.
With both the #2 and #22 Oreca 07-Gibsons, they are in the unique position of having double the chances of victory compared to their rival teams. The former will have Ben Hanley, Ben Keating, Pato O’Ward and Nico Pino in the car at various points during the race, while Bijoy will be joined by Felix Rosenqvist, Dan Goldburg, and Peugeot factory driver Paul di Resta in the latter.
After the WEC bade farewell to the LMP2 category on its full-season appearance, United Autosports decided to commit to a North-American LMP2 campaign, with their US base of operations in the Jr III Racing base, in Florida.
With the #2 in pole position — Ben Keating’s fifth consecutive Daytona 24 Hours pole position — and the #22 starting the 62nd edition of the Daytona 24 Hours in P5, their aims will be set on pursuing a double-podium finish, and ultimately their first Daytona 24 victory.
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