Second DragonSpeed Le Mans Entry Spurs IMSA Schedule Change

DragonSpeed will now run only 2 more IMSA races this year. LeMans is far more important

DragonSpeed, the American-flagged international sportscar team, received a boost last week with confirmation from the ACO of its second entry for the 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours, following months of uncertainty due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s edition of the endurance classic, rescheduled to 19-20 September from its traditional mid-June date, will mark the fourth year in row that DragonSpeed has brought a pair of entries to La Sarthe.

In addition to fielding its regular European Le Mans Series number 21 LMP2 Oreca O7-Gibson for Ryan Cullen, Memo Rojas, and Pipo Derani, the team will now also run its Rolex 24-winning number 27 machine in the twice-round-the-clock marathon for Bronze pilot Henrik Hedman, Ben Hanley, and Renger van der Zande. All six are Rolex 24 winners – three with DragonSpeed.

“We are thrilled that Henrik's car has now been added to the Le Mans entry list," said DragonSpeed team principal Elton Julian. “It’s a just reward for his commitment to the ELMS, the FIA World Endurance Championship, and Le Mans itself since 2016."

Henrik Hedman said, “I’m so pleased to return for my fourth Le Mans. With victories at Daytona, Spa, and Paul Ricard, a top result at Le Mans is what’s left on my bucket list. Returning with Ben and Renger will be extra sweet, as the poor reliability of our LMP1 package the last two years really hampered our efforts as a team. Now we have a fair shot at our dream of a podium finish at Le Mans."

The demands of preparing and transporting DragonSpeed's US-based LMP2 car for Le Mans have meanwhile led to a further adjustment of its 2020 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship plans, with the team’s remaining US calendar now reduced to the Road America round in August and the Sebring 12 Hours in November.