Dallas, TX — Nick Boulle and de Boulle Motorsports hit the track earlier this month in a last-minute run for a shot to win the ROLEX 24 Hours of Daytona again. The returning champion from 2017 was confirmed as the Silver rated driver for the PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports #52 Oreca LMP2 car.
Boulle joined PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports to test last year’s championship winning Oreca alongside his three strong teammates. The team will be made up of two European Gold-rated drivers of Simon Trummer (SUI) and Gabriel Aubry (FRA) and Bronze-rated Ben Keating (USA). The exciting lineup of drivers represents a formidable challenge for the win in the LMP2 category this year which is currently made up of 7 cars. Each entry is a homologated LMP2 car made to fit rules determined by the international FIA endurance racing category that races across the world from Le Mans, France to Asia and more. The cars each feature 600 horsepower Gibson V-8 engines capable of exceeding 300kph (185mph) along the banks of Daytona International Speedway before braking at incredible pace of up to 4-G in deceleration.
The Roar Before the 24 kicked off the racing season at Daytona as the three-day test served as the final dress rehearsal before the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. The Roar gave teams in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship the opportunity to test their cars, engines, drivers and crew ahead of the season-opening at the Daytona International Speedway. Drivers and engineers ran through pit stops at speed, driver change practice, tune their car’s suspensions and aero settings. The upcoming race, the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, is certainly the crown jewel of the championship that fittingly hands winners of each class the coveted white dial in steel and 18K yellow gold ROLEX Daytona.
The test marked the first time Boulle had been on track since his run at the Watkins Glen 6-hour which sadly ended prematurely due to engine and electronic issues. The team was able to finish several practice sessions in first place and several others in the top 3 as the #52 LMP2 car ran flawlessly. The 58th running of the race will mark Boulle’s fifth chance to race for another win at the ROLEX 24 Hours of Daytona.
Boulle commented, “We had a really successful and very busy weekend getting acclimated and working on the car as a team for the first time together. I’m happy with how the car is progressing and I have faith in Bobby and Tim to make sure it’s right where it needs to be for the race. Now, with only a few weeks to go – we just have to get there and see how the race progresses. I know Gabi, Simon and Ben are ready so I’m working hard to make sure I carry my weight as well.”
The ROLEX 24 Hours of Daytona takes place Jan. 25-26 with the green flag waving Saturday, January 26th at 12:35 pm. CST and concluding Sunday, January 26th at 12:35 pm CST. The race can be watched live in its entirety from home with NBCSN, NBC Sports online and IMSA.tv. The race is also broadcasted live over the air with IMSA Radio. To keep up with Boulle’s progress use scoring.imsa.com. For a detailed track and broadcast schedule visit http://imsa.com.
This year, de Boulle Motorsports and Boulle have partnered with several prominent companies including: KETSALI, McFadden & Miller, Meridian Veterinary Capital, and de Boulle.