Scott Dixon and Jack Aitken Complete the Three-Car Lineup for the 2023 Season Opener
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Cadillac Racing has completed its driver lineups for the 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona, naming IndyCar great Scott Dixon and Formula 1 reserve driver Jack Aitken to fill out the three-car roster in the new Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class.
Dixon, the six-time IndyCar Series champion and four-time Rolex 24 winner, will rejoin co-drivers Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande, this time behind the wheel of the Cadillac V-LMDh prepared by Chip Ganassi Racing. Aitken will co-pilot the Action Express Racing Cadillac V-LMDh alongside Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims.
The third Cadillac entry for the Rolex 24, also from the Ganassi stable, has Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook sharing driving duties. That car will then move over to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship season.
Dixon, 42, is entering his 23rd season with the Ganassi team. He has raced in the Rolex 24 every year since 2004, winning overall in a Cadillac with Wayne Taylor Racing in 2020 – the only time he hasn’t driven a Ganassi-entered car in the race.
“The Rolex 24 At Daytona is the most significant race of the IMSA schedule that happens to also be the first race of the year,” said Mike O’Gara, Chip Ganassi Racing director of operations. “Scott brings a level of stability since he’s been with us for 20-plus years. He’s the steady guy who provides a good perspective to hop in the race car and give us a fresh, reliable outlook. He’s not an extra driver to get us through the 24-hour race. He’s adding to the program even though he’s only driving the car a few times a year.”
Dixon has already been part of the Cadillac testing program with the LMDh and is looking forward to intense competition with the new GTP class also featuring entries from Acura, BMW and Porsche.
“I find sports car racing very enjoyable, especially once you get into these endurance races, you’re driving the car a lot,” Dixon said. “I just love driving cars and being a part of interesting and high-end experiences like these with Cadillac. It’s a great fit and ultimately the pure love of racing.”
Aitken, 27, has been an F1 reserve driver for Williams since 2020. He drove in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class this year in the European Le Mans Series with TF Sport and made his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut in an LMP2 for Algarve Pro Racing.
“The prospect of working with Action Express and Cadillac on the V-LMDh program had me gripped as soon as it became a possibility, and working to make that a reality over the past weeks has only solidified my opinion that we’ll be taking on a fantastic calendar of events with an extremely motivated and top-level crew,” Aitken said. “It will be a true pleasure to represent a brand like Cadillac at a time when the endurance world is entering what many are calling a golden era of sports car racing. I cannot wait to start work with everyone, including my teammates Pipo and Alex, who’ve been very welcoming already.”
Gary Nelson, team manager at Action Express, said he’s thrilled to add Aitken to the driver lineup as the team chases more success in the top level of WeatherTech Championship prototype racing.
“We have won six IMSA endurance championships and five IMSA overall championships in the past nine years,” Nelson said. “Strong runs throughout the endurance events are critical for both championships. We are expecting great things in 2023, and with Jack’s help we can’t wait to get started on our sixth overall and seventh endurance championships.”
All three Cadillac GTP cars and all nine drivers are scheduled to participate in an IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday and Wednesday. The 2023 WeatherTech Championship season gets underway with the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test sessions Jan. 20-22, followed by the Rolex 24 At Daytona race week Jan. 26-29.