No. 84 D3 Transformers Ligier Js P320 06152021

Dawson Racing, NTe Sport Joining Action at Watkins Glen

The Iconic Transformers Brand Will Be Featured on the No. 84 LMP3 Entry

 

By Mark Robinson

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Transformers are coming to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

 

Dawson Racing announced Tuesday that it will field an entry in the Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) class for the upcoming races at Watkins Glen International – the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on June 27 and the WeatherTech 240 on July 2. The No. 84 D3+Transformers Ligier JS P320 will be driven by Dominic Cicero and Theodor Olsen in both races, with Ben Devlin joining them for the six-hour endurance event.

 

Dawson Racing is guided by the father/son duo of Ian and Simon Dawson, who are eager to join the WeatherTech Championship at the historic road circuit. Hasbro, which introduced the Transformers brand in 1984, has been a partner of Dawson Racing since 2017.

 

“We’re very happy to finally roll out the D3+Transformers race program,” said team CEO Ian Dawson. “Simon and I have worked on this concept for a number of years and have now got the program where we want it and finally getting on track at Watkins Glen with IMSA. The support and faith Hasbro has shown us on this collaborative project has been incredible and we can’t wait to have the Transformers car on track and launch the brand to the racing world.”

 

Olsen, a former Norway Athlete of the Year, will be making his WeatherTech Championship debut, but Cicero and Devlin are no strangers to IMSA competition. Cicero appeared in 23 IMSA top-tier series races from 2004-2009, making three starts at Watkins Glen. More recently, he drove an LMP3 in the IMSA Prototype Challenge. Devlin counts four wins among his 64 IMSA starts from 2001-2016, including an SRPII class win in 2001 at Watkins Glen in a non-endurance event.

 

The entire team is excited to bring the popular Transformers franchise to the WeatherTech Championship.

 

“The D3+Transformers racing platform has been a long time in the making,” said Matt Proulx, Vice President, Location Based Entertainment. “Ian and Simon have expanded the D3+Transformers concept over time, and we are truly ecstatic over the direction that they have taken it. We appreciate their focus on family values and how diligently they have worked to create the most exciting and engaging program for the Transformers brand and the most ideal way to get it launched on track.”

 

Nte 06152021

NTe Sport Returns to Compete in Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen

 

NTe Sport will have a pair of Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen winners in the car when it competes in the race later this month. The team announced that Don Yount and Markus Palttala, winners of the 2018 Watkins Glen race in the GT Daytona (GTD) class, will team with series newcomer Jaden Conwright in the No. 42 Audi R8 LMS GT3 for the 2021 six-hour event.

 

“We’ve been working hard to assemble a program to get us back on track for WeatherTech (Championship) events,” team owner Paul Mata said. “We had a gearbox issue at Daytona in the final hours and have been working hard to make sure we get back out there to continue to race and grow at top levels like WeatherTech.”

 

It will be NTe Sport’s first WeatherTech Championship appearance since the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona. Yount was part of the driving crew that finished 15th in GTD.

 

“I’m excited for the lineup and opportunity to race in the Six Hours of The Glen,” said Yount. “It’s good to be reunited with Marcus Palttala. We won together at Watkins Glen in 2018 and will look to repeat the success this year. Jayden will be quick and great addition to the team for the race.”

 

Tickets for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and the WeatherTech 240 are available at TheGlen.com.