Mazda squad adds Hinchcliffe, Pigot for Rolex 24 attack
The Mazda Prototype team has announced IndyCar drivers James Hinchcliffe and Spencer Pigot will join the squad for this month's Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Photo by: IndyCar Series
The pair join the Japanese marque's four full-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship drivers, Jonathan Bomarito, Tom Long, Joel Miller and Tristan Nunez, in the two SpeedSource-run Mazda RT24-P cars.
Pigot joins Bomarito and Nunez in the #55 car, while Hinchcliffe will race alongside Long and Miller in the sister #70 machine.
For Hinchcliffe, it marks a return to Daytona after having to sit out last year's race after injuries sustained in the run-up to the 2015 running of the Indianapolis 500, the Canadian reuniting with the team he has contested the 24-hour race with four times previously.
“It’s great to be back behind the wheel at Daytona," said the SPM IndyCar regular. "It sucked sitting out last year’s race, but my focus at the time was getting myself back in shape for the IndyCar season.
"Coming back to Mazda and SpeedSource, where I've done all of my races at Daytona, is like coming home and I can't thank Sylvain [Tremblay, SpeedSource owner] and John [Doonan, Mazda Motorsports director] enough for the chance.
"I can't wait to be working with everyone there again, to get my hands on the new car, and try and deliver a win for Mazda.”
Pigot, who has secured a road course deal with Ed Carpenter Racing in the 2017 IndyCar Series, added: “I’m really looking forward to driving for Mazda again in my second Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.
"The Mazda RT24-P is an incredible car and being able to help develop and improve the car from the very beginning has been a great experience. Mazda has given us a car capable of fighting for the win and I know we have the team to get the job done.”
Be part of Motorsport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments