AWA Joining LMP3 Fray after Successful Season in Michelin Pilot Challenge
By Mark Robinson
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Canadian team AWA is joining the prototype ranks in 2022, entering a Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The move comes on the heels of a successful 2021 season that saw AWA win two races in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
“LMP3 cars are fast, enjoyable machines,” AWA team principal Andrew Wojteczko said. “The LMP3 class has no Balance of Performance (BoP), and it is more economical than GT Daytona (GTD). It is a competitive class with expectations of significant growth in coming seasons. To make the switch to LMP3 was a logical progression for our team.”
Kuno Wittmer, the 2014 WeatherTech Championship GT Le Mans (GTLM) champion, will anchor the driving rotation in the No. 13 AWA Duqueine D08. Driving for AWA this season in the Michelin Pilot Challenge, Wittmer won at Daytona International Speedway and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and finished third in the season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Orey Fidani, who won with Wittmer at Daytona but missed the Mid-Ohio victory to remain home for the birth of his child, will be the other fulltime driver of the No. 13.
“I am extremely delighted on being back in the WeatherTech Championship,” Wittmer said. “Having joined AWA in late 2019, the connection with the team and co-driver Orey Fidani has been an incredible adventure so far. We had the chance to test the LMP3 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park a couple times and we all fell in love with it.”
Lars Kern, who picked up a GT Daytona (GTD) class win this season for Pfaff Motorsports (another Canadian team) at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts, will be AWA’s third driver for the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races, with Matt Bell the fourth driver for the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona next month.
“It’s great to stay in IMSA and be with AWA,” Kern said. “The team did a tremendous job in the Michelin Pilot Challenge, and it will be exciting to see their transition to the WeatherTech Championship. I am paired with experienced drivers who know IMSA in and out, so I think it’s going to be straightforward, but it’s always exciting to start the season with the biggest event.”
AWA also announced that it will enter an LMP3 in the IMSA Prototype Challenge development series for driver Anthony Mantella.
Previous 2022 WeatherTech Championship Team/Driver Announcements
Daytona Prototype international (DPi)
Action Express Racing: No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R, drivers Pipo Derani and Tristan Nunez (story here)
Chip Ganassi Racing: Two Cadillac DPi-V.Rs, drivers Earl Bamber, Sebastien Bourdais, Alex Lynn and Renger van der Zande (story here)
JDC-Miller MotorSports: No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi V.R, drivers Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook, Loic Duval and Ben Keating (story here)
Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian: No. 60 Acura ARX-05, drivers Oliver Jarvis, Tom Blomqvist and Helio Castroneves (story here)
Wayne Taylor Racing: No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05, drivers Filipe Albuquerque, Ricky Taylor, Will Stevens and Alexander Rossi (story here)
Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2)
DragonSpeed: No. 81 ORECA LMP2 07, drivers Henrik Hedman, Juan Pablo Montoya and Sebastian Montoya (story here)
High Class Racing: ORECA LMP2 07, drivers Anders Fjordbach and Dennis Andersen (story here)
Racing Team Nederland: No. 29 ORECA LMP2 07 for IMSA Michelin Endurance cup races, drivers Fritz van Eerd, Giedo van der Garde, Dylan Murry and Rinus VeeKay (story here)
United Autosports: No. 22 ORECA LMP2 07 for IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races, drivers Jim McGuire, Guy Smith, Phil Hanson and Will Owen (story here)
Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3)
Andretti Autosport: No. 36 Ligier JS P320, drivers Jarett Andretti, Josh Burdon, Gabby Chaves and Rasmus Lindh (story here)
Jr III Racing: No. 30 Ligier JS P320, drivers Ari Balogh and Garett Grist (story here)
GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO)
BMW Team RLL: Two BMW M4 GT3s, drivers to be named (story here)
Corvette Racing: No. 3 Corvette C8.R, drivers Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg (story here); No. 4 Corvette C8.R for Rolex 24 At Daytona, drivers Tommy Milner, Nick Tandy and Marco Sorensen (story here)
Vasser Sullivan Racing: No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3, drivers Ben Barnicoat, Jack Hawksworth and Kyle Kirkwood (story here)
GT Daytona (GTD)
CarBahn with Peregrine Racing: No. 39 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO, drivers Jeff Westphal and Robert Megennis (story here)
Cetilar Racing: No. 47 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo for IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races, drivers Roberto Lacorte, Giorgio Sernagiotto, Antonio Fuoco and Alessio Rovera (story here)
Magnus Racing: No. 44 Aston Martin Vantage GT3, drivers to be named (story here)
Vasser Sullivan Racing: One Lexus RC F GT3, drivers to be named (story here)
Wright Motorsports: No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3R, drivers Ryan Hardwick, Jan Heylen and Zacharie Robichon (story here)