Prototype Ace Will Make His GTD Class Debut in Season Opener
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Two-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship champion Pipo Derani will join DXDT Racing for the 2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona, completing the team’s lineup in the No. 36 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R for January’s twice-round-the-clock classic. Derani, already the proud owner of a Rolex Daytona watch courtesy of his overall victory in 2016, joins the team after a successful test in November.
Derani burst onto the American sports car scene in 2016 and made an immediate impression in the top class of prototype racing with Patron Extreme Speed Motorsports, winning the Rolex 24 and the Twelve Hours of Sebring in his first attempts. Derani moved to Action Express Racing in 2018, where he won two championships behind the wheel of the No. 31 Cadillac (2021 in the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class, 2023 in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class). Last week, he was named as one of two drivers leading the development of the all-new Genesis LMDh prototype program, set to debut in 2026.
Over the years, Derani has built a reputation as a savvy endurance driver, evidenced by his successes in IMSA’s Michelin Endurance Cup, which includes two championships amid 12 podiums and seven victories. His four Sebring victories rank third all-time. Derani is excited to bring some of that experience and know-how to DXDT, albeit in a new class as he and the team make their Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) debuts in January.
“I am excited to join DXDT for the 24 Hours of Daytona,” Derani said. “(Team manager) Erin Gahagan and I worked together many years ago at Patron ESM and I have a huge respect for the work she does. DXDT had so much success last year and has a very promising and exciting new chapter in IMSA starting in 2025. I hope that by joining them for Daytona, I can contribute to their IMSA success.
“I would also like to thank the fact that Genesis Magma Racing allowed me to join DXDT for this race, as it’s a great way to kick off the year and stay sharp and race ready. I tested the car in early December and have enjoyed my time behind the wheel, so it made sense to accept DXDT’s invitation for Daytona and to work with Erin again.”
Team owner David Askew is looking forward to having Derani with the team, where he will share the No. 36 Corvette with co-drivers Salih Yoluc, Charlie Eastwood and Alec Udell.
“Pipo is a great addition to our team for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona,” Askew said. “He’s a proven winner at this race and in this series, so he knows how to get the job done. He was a great help to us at the test back in November, and after watching him race and win in endurance races for the last decade, I know he has that special something to help us win this race. I can’t wait to see him in the car in January!”