- United Autosports confirm return to the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup in 2022
- Jim McGuire and Guy Smith to team up once again in LMP2
- Co-driver for the season and fourth driver for the Rolex 24 at Daytona still to be announced
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United Autosports are delighted to confirm they will return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the four IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races in 2022.
The team will enter the #22 Oreca 07 into the LMP2 class for drivers Jim McGuire, Guy Smith and a third driver who will be announced next week. The fourth driver, who will join them for the Rolex 24 At Daytona will also be announced in due course.
This year, Jim and Guy, along with Wayne Boyd, have raced at three of the four endurance races – the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen and the Motul Petit Le Mans, finishing on the podium at Watkins Glen.
Next year, United Autosports will return to the Rolex 24 At Daytona for the first time since they entered the world-famous endurance race in 2018, where they finished fourth. The team also entered the race in 2011 with a Riley Ford Daytona Prototype for Martin Brundle, Mark Patterson, Mark Blundell and United Autosports Team Owner, Zak Brown, where they also finished fourth.
The team and all their US racing activities will be based out of their new workshop in Columbus, Ohio as they prepare for the start of the 2022 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. The season begins on 22-23 January with the ROAR before the 24, followed by the Rolex 24 At Daytona on 29-30 January. The team will then visit Sebring for the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring in March, followed by the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen in June. The final endurance round will take place at Road Atlanta for the Motul Petit Le Mans in October.
Jim McGuire:
“I’m super excited to return to IMSA next year with United Autosports in the Oreca LMP2 for the full endurance championship. In 2021, we ran three of the four races, and we learned a lot. We had an exceptional time and the team put forth an amazing effort to execute and make it all happen. I’m really looking forward to returning. I think we will have good pace and I’m hoping to be chasing for podium finishes.”
Guy Smith:
"I am very excited to be returning with United Autosports to the IMSA endurance races next year. I have really enjoyed this past year. It's been a big learning curve for all of us, but I feel that we will be in a really good place to attack the 2022 endurance season. I am especially looking forward to making a return to Daytona, it's been a long time since I raced there, luckily finishing on the podium on multiple occasions. Driving with Jim again will be great, he's been consistently improving throughout the season and hopefully we can carry that momentum into next year and start the 2022 season off strongly."
Zak Brown:
“I’m delighted the team is going to be entering the four IMSA endurance races next year. We love racing over in the US and I’m pleased to welcome Jim and Guy back to the team.”
Richard Dean:
“The whole IMSA team under John Doonan have done everything they can to make us feel welcome in their series and the racing is just fantastic. The highlight will be to head back to Daytona for the 24-hour race. It is such an incredible event and we have been looking to get back to it since we last raced there in 2018. I’m pleased to welcome Jim and Guy back to our IMSA team too. Jim has done a fantastic job this year, consistently pushing himself every race and at Petit Le Mans he really did show how far he had come with a super strong performance. There will be a lot of work for the team between now and the ROAR before the 24 as it’s only seven weeks away, but I can’t wait to get back there in January already.”