AXR signs Johnson, Kobayashi, Pagenaud for all IMSA enduros
Action Express Racing confirmed today that Jimmie Johnson, Kamui Kobayashi and Simon Pagenaud will reunite to run all three remaining rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Michelin Endurance Cup.

After this trio – along with Mike Rockenfeller – finished second in the season-opening Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, the Ally-sponsored Cadillac DPi-V.R was the subject of some speculation. In the past, AXR has proven well able to run two cars of race-winning potential, but last year entered just the #31 Whelen Engineering machine for Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani.
However, AXR has now confirmed that the #48 will also compete at this month’s 12 Hours of Sebring, the Six Hours of the Glen and Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.
“I had such a great experience at the Rolex 24 at Daytona finishing second in the Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R that I want to continue and run the rest of the IMSA long events,” Johnson said. “The whole experience working with the Action Express Racing team, sharing the Ally Cadillac with Simon, Kamui and Mike just made me want to do more racing in the series.
“The Cadillac DPi-V.R is such a great car to drive. I can’t wait to turn some laps at Sebring, The Glen and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
“Ally was open to the idea, so we are committing to the remaining IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events. It will be a busy year adding these races to my IndyCar commitments, but I am really looking forward to it.”
Pagenaud, the 2016 IndyCar champion and a sportscar ace, said: “It’s so great to be able to continue to perform in sportscars, which is where it all began for me and also prepare myself even better for my IndyCar campaign with Team Penske.
“Finishing second in Daytona left us with a taste for more. I’m looking forward to being on the grid at Sebring, Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta for the big ones with Jimmie and Kamui.”
Two-time Rolex 24 winner and former Formula 1 driver Kobayashi added: “I am excited to keep racing with Jimmie, Simon and the Action Express Racing team. There will be some new tracks for me, but I think I will be able to learn the new circuits pretty easily. I will be studying these new circuits on the team videos as well as YouTube.”
Team director Gary Nelson revealed: “Everyone involved with the Ally Cadillac program at the Rolex 24 had a great experience. I don’t think Jimmie slept. Every time I went to the engineering stand, he was sitting there observing, watching over the shoulders of our technical staff. All of the drivers contributed to a strong second-place finish.
“At the Rolex 24 we were honored to get support from Chad Knaus and several of the Hendrick Motorsports pit crew members. We are excited that we will be getting that help again for the remaining Endurance events and appreciate the commitment from Rick (Hendrick).”

Previous article
Marco Andretti considering IMSA LMP3 outings with cousin
Next article
Cadillac: LMDh regs have “caught our attention”

About this article
Series | IMSA |
Drivers | Simon Pagenaud , Jimmie Johnson , Kamui Kobayashi |
Teams | Action Express Racing |
Author | David Malsher-Lopez |
AXR signs Johnson, Kobayashi, Pagenaud for all IMSA enduros
Trending
24 Hours of Daytona Video Recap
24 Hours of Daytona: Fourth Place for Ferrari
Watch the entire Rolex 24 in just over a minute
Why a Mazda IMSA Prototype title would bring bitter joy
Can Mazda win this year’s IMSA Prototype championship? Undoubtedly. But it will be the culmination of an achingly hard struggle, after which the brand has decided to quit. David Malsher-Lopez tells the story of a bizarre blend of heartache and positivity.
The GTE dilemma that IMSA has created for the WEC
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s decision to scrap its GT Le Mans class for 2022 raises the question of whether the FIA World Endurance Championship should phase out GTE cars. But it's a much harder decision than it appears on the surface.
Nine things to watch at the 2021 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona
After a 100-minute sprint race to whet the appetite, the 2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship gets underway properly this weekend. With plenty of significant changes during the winter, here are the key points you need to keep an eye on
Why Magnussen is relishing a fresh start in sportscars
Having gone over seven years without a race win through spells with McLaren, Renault and Haas, Kevin Magnussen's departure from Formula 1 for IMSA with big-hitters Chip Ganassi Racing could give him what he craves most - a chance of success
Oliver Gavin's Corvette Racing highlights
Oliver Gavin has stepped down from the full-time Corvette Racing line-up after a stellar career with the team spanning nearly 20 years. He looks back on a stint that encompassed, among other successes, five Le Mans 24 Hours victories.
How Tandy joined an exclusive club of endurance legends
Victory at last year's Spa 24 Hours meant Nick Tandy had completed the unofficial sextuple crown of the world's six biggest endurance races, becoming the first Briton to do so. Ahead of his fresh start with Corvette Racing, he explains how he did it…
The 12 greatest Sebring 12 Hours ranked
The 2020 edition of the Florida sportscar classic is finally taking place this weekend, eight months after its traditional date in March. That meant there was plenty of time for Motorsport.com to pour over its previous 67 races and select the best.
Tony Kanaan’s top 10 races – in his own words
The 2004 IndyCar champion and 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan probably hasn’t yet driven his final IndyCar race, but we still asked him for the 10 most significant races of his career. He explained his choices to David Malsher-Lopez.