DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 20: Austin Cindric, driver of the #2 Discount Tire Ford, celebrates in the Ruoff Mortgage victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 20, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rick Ware Racing has confirmed its entry of an ORECA 07 Gibson in the LMP2 class for a full-season campaign in the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. In addition, RWR is announcing its driver line-up.
The team’s full-season driver line-up will consist of Eric Lux and Pietro Fittipaldi. Devlin DeFrancesco will complement the duo for the remainder of the Michelin Endurance Cup events. Defending Daytona 500 champion, Austin Cindric, will round out the quartet for the twice-around-the-clock season opener.
With Lux and DeFrancesco coming in as defending winners in the LMP2 class of the 2022 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the team feels the addition of Cindric and DeFrancesco will bolster the duo’s chances of allowing them to make it two-in-a-row.
Additionally, 2023 marks Rick Ware’s 40th season of participation in professional motorsports.
“The 24-hour race at Daytona is one of the Crown Jewels of motorsports,” said Rick Ware. “It’s right up there with the Daytona 500, Indy 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans. I couldn’t be happier about the driver line-up we’re bringing to the Rolex 24 this year. It’s great to have drivers with F1, NASCAR, Indy Car and various other levels of racing experience driving our car this year.
“Daytona is one of my favorite tracks because RWR has competed there in NASCAR, IMSA and Supercross before. It truly is the World Center of Speed.”
Eric Lux has many accolades to his racing resume. A notable one, he is still the youngest driver to ever complete the Rolex 24 at Daytona at the age of 16-years-old.
“I am thrilled to join Rick Ware Racing and have the opportunity to defend my Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona win, and to fight for the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship,” Lux said. This will be my 19th season in professional racing and my 13th visit to the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.
“Devlin had the fastest time in our LMP2 car last year at Daytona and he never puts a foot wrong. Adding reigning Daytona 500 Champion Austin Cindric and Haas F1 Team reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi to the lineup makes us the strongest team in the LMP2 category. I can’t wait to get down to Daytona and kick off the season. I’d like to thank Rick Ware Racing and so many others who worked tirelessly over the past couple months. They did a spectacular job to create a championship caliber program, securing the best team members, mechanics, engineers, and drivers.”
Pietro Fittipaldi brings a pretty impressive pedigree with having F1 Grand Prix race starts and single seater titles under his belt.
“I’m very happy to be racing with RWR again,” Fittipaldi said. “The first time I raced with Rick was in the 2021 Indy 500 and we won the Fastest Qualifying Rookie of the Race Award. Racing in another marque event like the Rolex 24 has always been a dream of mine.
“To watch my uncles Christian Fittapaldi and Max Papis run that event was pretty cool. I grew up watching this race and I feel it was one of the reasons I got into racing. It’s also very exciting to be doing the whole IMSA LMP2 Championship season with Eric Lux. Having teammates for Daytona in Austin Cindric and Devlin DeFrancesco for the Rolex 24 is pretty amazing, as well.”
Francesco is hoping to repeat last year’s feat of winning the 2022 LMP2 class Rolex 24 at Daytona victory.
“I am super pleased to join RWR for the endurance races,” DeFrancesco said. “I think we have a very strong line-up of very talented and diverse drivers. I’m looking forward to starting the 2023 season in the best way possible fighting for a Rolex.”
Cindric already established himself as an accomplished road racer before earning last year’s Daytona 500 championship and the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year honors. Ware noted it was great to have a Ford teammate like Cindric, who RWR races with 38 times a year in NASCAR, and the respect he has for the Cindric family.
“The Rolex 24 is an event that I’ve always been passionate about,” Cindric said. “With it being my fifth attempt, I’m hungry to continue my pursuit for a win and a Rolex watch. I have a great, experienced lineup of co-drivers with a winning pedigree.”
The green flag drops for the 61st Rolex 24 at Daytona on Saturday, January 28 at 1:40 PM ET.
— Rick Ware Racing —
