Kobayashi "confident" of fighting for Rolex 24 hat-trick
Kamui Kobayashi says he's feeling confident of fighting for a third consecutive Rolex 24 at Daytona victory after signing to race Action Express Racing's star-studded second entry.
Toyota LMP1 star Kobayashi will partner NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson, IndyCar champion Simon Pagenaud and Le Mans 24 Hours winner Mike Rockenfeller in AXR's second Cadillac DPi-V.R for this month's opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Initially it seemed like Kobayashi might be denied the chance to fight for another win in the Florida endurance classic following Wayne Taylor Racing's defection from Cadillac to Acura, with his links to Toyota preventing him from representing Honda-owned Acura.
But the Japanese driver was offered a reprieve by two additional Cadillac entries joining the grid, and in the end he opted to accept an offer to pilot AXR's second car.
However, he wasn't able to take part in a private test last month at Daytona, where Johnson, Pagenaud and Rockenfeller were in action, owing to his Super Formula commitments.
#48 Action Express Racing/Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R: Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller, Simon Pagenaud
Photo by: Brian Cleary
"It seems like I will just join for the Roar [pre-season test], so it’s a bit last-minute," Kobayashi told Motorsport.com. "But I think I have enough experience [to manage].
"I am lucky to get the offer from Cadillac. When I got the call from them, I saw it was the best opportunity. Of course Chip [Ganassi] is joining Cadillac as well, and they are experienced in sportscars but they have less experience with DPi cars.
"Action Express is one of the best. And my teammates Jimmie, Simon and Mike, they are strong, so I’m feeling pretty confident."
Asked if he had been contacted by Ganassi about a drive, Kobayashi replied: "No, but when I saw the announcement and I thought maybe I should push [for a seat], but then I had a call from Action Express, so I just decided [to accept]."
Kobayashi admitted that he'd never met seven-time Cup champion Johnson before but is excited to do so at the Roar test, which takes place a week before the race itself.
"My role is to bring experience and performance, and the goal is to win the race," he added." In the end I think we need to work well with my teammates. They will be strong, so we’ll do our best to win. Winning three in a row would be pretty cool."
As well as Kobayashi, also aiming for a hat-trick of Rolex 24 wins will be WTR outcast Renger van der Zande, who will be joined by Formula 1 exile Kevin Magnussen and IndyCar champion Scott Dixon in the Ganassi Cadillac.
Latest entry list for 59th Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona
#10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R. Cadillac DPi, DPi: Kamui Kobayashi
Photo by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images
NASCAR's Austin Dillon to run Rolex 24 with RWR Eurasia
DragonSpeed reveals full two-car Rolex 24 line-up
The British pair at the heart of Lexus's sportscar push
Have you heard the one about two British guys driving for a Japanese manufacturer in America’s top sportscar series? Time to sit down and talk with Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat about racing across the pond… and your accent being mistaken for Australian!
Why Peugeot couldn't afford to take a Le Mans gamble in 2022
Ahead of the much-anticipated arrival of its new 9X8 Hypercar, Peugeot revealed that it would not be entering this year's Le Mans 24 Hours with its incoming machinery. Although development restrictions for homologated cars are partially responsible, the French marque can draw on its own lessons from its history in sportscars
Why the GTP name undermines convergence between IMSA and WEC
OPINION: The adoption by IMSA of the GTP name for its forthcoming LMDh versus Le Mans Hypercar era in 2023 appeals to fans of nostalgia - but it undermines the commonality achieved by bringing its rulebook into line with the WEC. GTP or Hypercar, both sides should settle on a single name
Celebrating the weird and wonderful monsters of sportscar racing
Few disciplines of motorsport offer better possibilities to build a colossus of the track than sportscars. For Autosport's recent Monsters of Motorsport special issue, we picked out some of the finest (and not so fine) that have graced sportscar classics including Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring
How Castroneves and Meyer Shank conquered another US classic
Helio Castroneves continued his fine start to life with Meyer Shank Racing that netted the 2021 Indianapolis 500 victory by prevailing in last weekend's Daytona 24 Hours together with teammates Tom Blomqvist, Oliver Jarvis and Simon Pagenaud. As Cadillac fell by the wayside, the Brazilian veteran won out in an all-Acura duel to the finish
How Derani's long road to title success exorcised painful memories
It took Pipo Derani no time at all to establish himself as a winner in IMSA, winning the Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours on his first two starts in 2016. But it took until the final corner of the 2021 season before he could become its champion, the culmination of a journey that he believes has made him a better driver.
The significance of the next step in WEC/IMSA convergence
Following the latest convergence connection permitting Le Mans Hypercars from the FIA World Endurance Championship to compete against LMDh entries in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship from 2023, it could open up enticing options not only to manufacturers but also for the calendar and race formats
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.