PR1/MATHIASEN MOTORSPORTS FINISHES 2ND AT 12 HOURS OF SEBRING AFTER STARTING ON POLE

March 20, 2019 – Sebring, Florida – PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports had a weekend of highs and lows after starting the 67th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts in pole position and just missing the top step of the podium in the second race of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

The team of PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports nearly secured pole position at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona earlier this year, so expectations were high going into qualifying at Sebring International Raceway.  Matthew McMurry threw down a spectacular flying lap right at the checkered flag to score his first career Motul Pole Award with a lap time of 1:49.728 in the No. 52 ORECA LMP2.

The race began under heavy rain conditions and the first hour was run under caution. Despite the conditions, McMurry and his teammates Gabriel Aubry and Anders Fjordbach held the lead in the LMP2 class until the No. 52 fell victim to a left-rear suspension failure. PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports was forced to return to their trailer and repair the car before returning to the fight.

Jumping back into the race in 2nd place, the repairs made by the PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports crew allowed their drivers to eat away at the laps they had lost and push to catch the leading car. Unfortunately, despite having set the fastest lap of the race and being faster than the leading LMP2, the gap was too significant, and PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports finished the 67th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts in 2nd place. Next, PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports will go from the east coast to the west coast on April 13th for the Bubba Burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach.

Matt McMurry

Driver - #52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07 LMP2

"We had the pace to win by a pretty big margin, but sadly a suspension failure took us out of contention for the win. We had a great car all weekend, and the team did a great job getting us back out on track quickly after the suspension problem. It was very disappointing, but I know we definitely have the pace to win."

Gabriel Aubry

Driver - #52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07 LMP2

"Such a hard weekend in Sebring.  We had lost our chances of wins early in the race due to an unusual suspension failure that brought us back to 24 laps behind the leader. The team proved the strongest pace over the last 9 hours of the race, but just as Daytona it is not what we were looking for. It doesn’t reward the team for the work during both races, and I hope luck will turn our way to do it properly."

Anders Fjordbach

Driver - #52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07 LMP2 

"A dream came true, to participate in one of the American classics, Sebring. It was a big experience for me, I’m a big fan of the American way to do racing, it’s very interesting. However, our result was very disappointing. We drove a perfect race, with great pace, great pit stops, great strategy, no contacts. But an early suspension failure made us drop back 24 laps and that was game over, unfortunately."

Bobby Oergel

Team Principal

#52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07 LMP2

"The race started out as planned with keeping the car safe and examining the tough rain conditions. Once things settled down, Matt worked his way to the lead, and all was going well. Sadly we had a failure that was very odd, and this put us 24 laps behind. The drivers and team all did a great job to earn back 11 of those laps, but in the end, we needed more time."

SCOTT HUFFAKER AND MIKE GUASCH JOIN PR1/MATHIASEN MOTORSPORTS IN SEBRING FOR PROTOTYPE CHALLENGE

March 13, 2019 – Sebring, Florida – PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports will officially expand its operations with a new LMP3 entry in the IMSA Prototype Challenge category this weekend at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Autoparts with drivers Scott Huffaker and Mike Guasch.

Huffaker will be making his IMSA debut this weekend after winning the 2015 Pacific Formula 1600 Championship and placing 3rd in the 2016 Pacific Formula 2000 Championship with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports. The American also raced with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports in the finale of the 2018 Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda at Circuit of The Americas.

Guasch is also no stranger to the PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports crew. The California native has an extensive racing resume dating back to the American Le Mans Series where he won the Prototype Challenge Championship title with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports in 2013. Guasch’s next decoration while being paired with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports came in 2015 when they placed 2nd overall in the United Sports CarChallenge in the Prototype Challenge class. In 2016 Guasch took his career abroad in the European Le Mans series where he won another championship title in the LMP3 category. Due to the demands of his off-track career and the launch of his racing documentary “The Gentleman Driver,” the sixty-one-year-old took a break from driving in 2017 and 2018 and will use the 12 Hours of Sebring as a season opener in preparation for the 2019 European Le Mans Series.

Huffaker and Guasch will pilot the #52 Ligier JSP3 against the 24 other Prototype Challenge entries for the one hour and forty-five-minute race. Practice 1 and 2 concluded today’s track activities with the next session, qualifying, scheduled for 8:00 A.M. EDT tomorrow. Racing will go green tomorrow, Thursday, March 14th at 12:35 P.M. EDT. More details can be found at https://prototypechallenge.imsa.com/events/2019-mobil-1-twelve-hours-sebring-presented-advance-auto-parts

Scott Huffaker – Driver

“I’m excited to be here this weekend regardless of feeling a little under the weather. I think this weekend should go really well. I haven’t had much time in the car, but I’m excited to be a part of this competitive series, and I’m hoping we do well.”

Mike Guasch - Driver

“I’m really excited I got the call from Bobby last minute and got the chance to come out here to Sebring and get some time in the LMP3 car. I’m heading off to Europe in three weeks, so this is a nice warm-up race for me.

It’s also a great opportunity for me to promote “The Gentleman Driver” documentary, which we will have on the car. We are going to do the best we can and kick some butt.”

ANDERS FJORDBACH JOINS PR1/MATHIASEN MOTORSPORTS FOR 12 HOURS OF SEBRING

March 12, 2019 – Sebring, Florida – PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports announced today that Anders Fjordbach will join their LMP2 program for the second race of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the 12 Hours of Sebring. 

Fjordbach joins PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports with extensive endurance racing experience. The Denmark native has won two 24 Hours of Dubai titles and finished on the podium two additional times. He has raced in seven other 24-hour races including the 24 Hours of Spa and Nürburgring. The twenty-eight-year-old will be a part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the first time after competing in the Blancpain GT Endurance Series, Asian Le Mans Series, and European Le Mans Series. 

Fjordbach will pilot the #52 ORECA 07 LMP2 alongside teammates drivers Matt McMurry and Gabriel Aubry for the endurance race. The activities of the 67th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts will begin on Wednesday, March 13th with the LMP2 category of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship officially on track on Thursday. Race day, Saturday, March 16th will include a warm-up at 8:00 A.M. EST and the green flag set to wave at 10:40 A.M. EST. For more information visit https://www.imsa.com/

Anders Fjordbach - Driver

“Sebring is one of the classics and one of the races I have watched for many years while racing in Europe and Asia. I am so happy to make my American racing debut at Sebring with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports.

I believe we have a strong package and we can reach for the top step Saturday evening. I must thank Chris McMurry, my teammate in Asian Le mans for giving me this chance! I can’t wait to be in Florida!”

Gabriel Aubry – Driver

“I'm really excited to come back to the US for Super Sebring! It will be an amazing and busy week ahead. After Daytona, I feel that we need to finish the job and bring back the trophy to the team.”

Matt McMurry - Driver

“I’m excited to be heading back to Sebring for another shot at the top spot on the podium. I’m looking forward to the possibility of rain during the race!”

Ray Mathiasen - Team Owner:
" I am looking forward to the upcoming 12 hours of Sebring weekend. We have a great group of drivers who demonstrated at Daytona that we can be fast and if our luck holds out I'm confident we will be competing for P1 in our class at the end of the 12 hours. In 2019 we have added another ORECA 07 to our stable and have also purchased a Ligier P3 to compete in the Prototype Challenge class which should greatly enhance our driver development program. This weekend we will be competing for the first time with both cars. It will be a busy weekend for the team. But I'm sure Bobby and crew will be up to the task."

PR1/MATHIASEN MOTORSPORTS FINISHES 4TH AT ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA

January 30, 2019 – Daytona, Florida – PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports finished 4th at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona scoring valuable points for the rest of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

High hopes surrounded PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports after their performance at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 where they posted the fastest lap time in the LMP2 class. When the historic weekend finally came around, the team was prepared and had a full line-up of drivers that included Matt McMurry, Gabriel Aubry, Mark Kvamme, and Enzo Guibbert. Aubry qualified the #52 ORECA 07 in 2nd with a time of 1:36.42.

Aubry gave PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports a clean start to the 57th running of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona and maintained an excellent pace for the first few hours of the race. Significant rainfall was looming on the event and accidents began to happen in the early stages of the shifting weather. Kvamme suffered a spin that lead to another car making contact with the right rear of the #52. The car was sent back to the garage where the crew of PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports worked diligently to get back on track. Although laps accumulated between PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports and the rest of the LMP2 entries, the team knew it was most important to finish and that anything can happen in this level of an endurance race.

Around four or five in the morning, the weather became relentless. Many competitors fell victim to the inclement conditions and never made it back out on the track. Race control threw the first red flag on Sunday morning where they waited over an hour for the rain to let up. Attempting to go green again, the officials did their best to keep the race going but were forced to have the competitors follow a safety car under yellow for two hours. Another green was attempted, but the Rolex 24 at Daytona was eventually cut eleven minutes short. As the checkered flag waved, PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports saw had survived the fight finishing in 4th.  

The second race of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be another test of endurance at the 12 Hours of Sebring on March 16th. For tickets and more information visit https://sportscarchampionship.imsa.com/events/2019-mobil-1-twelve-hours-sebring-presented-advance-auto-parts

Matt McMurry

Driver

#52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07 LMP2

“We had a great car and driver lineup going into the race, and we're definitely hoping for better than 4th place. Sadly, the accident in turn one and the rain pretty much denied us any chance of getting on the podium. Everyone on the team did a great job all weekend, and we learned a lot about the car, so we’re in a good position for Sebring in March.”

Gabriel Aubry

Driver

#52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07 LMP2

“The team and drivers had a strong start to the week, and even a good fight for top position in the first few hours of race. Unfortunately, in endurance racing, mistakes can come quickly and this one blew our chances early in the race. I’m proud that everyone fought through the very end of this 24-hour race in such terrible conditions. We keep our heads up, focusing on the good work achieved during the week, and we are looking forward to the next big event in Sebring!”

Mark Kvamme 

Driver

#52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07 LMP2

“PR1 are first class ‘professionals’ in every sense of the word. Driving with Enzo, Gabriel, and Matt was a true pleasure.  I am confident if it were not for my spin and then being hit by another driver we would have been sitting on top of the podium. I can’t thank everyone enough for a fabulous experience racing with PR1!”

Enzo Guibbert

Driver

#52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07 LMP2

“It’s was a pleasure to drive with PR1/Mathiasen and for the first time in the United States and Daytona. The team did a perfect job during the whole week of the race. After two free practices and about twenty laps, I took the best lap in practice three. The first stint of driving in the race went really well and we were in third at 4.5 seconds off the leader. I enjoyed my adaptation to the car and the track. After my teammate had contact with another car, we stayed in the pits for two and a half hours. We ended up finishing fourth thanks to the mechanics and the job they accomplished. Not only during the race but also during the week along with the engineers. I also want to thank Bobby, the team manager for this opportunity.”

Bobby Oergel

Team Principal

#52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07 LMP2

“I’m very proud of the entire PR1/Mathiasen team and all four of our drivers for such a great job the whole month of January and into the 24. Our ORECA 07 was flawless, and we had such a clean and smooth race in the works. Sadly, a small error turned into a big issue after being hit very hard in our right rear. Even after the repairs were made the car was again flawless and quick. I couldn’t be prouder of our crew and drivers. I personally want to also thank the crew from ORECA, Xtrac and the Carl Haas folks for their help in getting us back on track in a quick, efficient manner.”

PR1/MATHIASEN MOTORSPORTS SET TO EXPAND TEAM IN 2019 AND BEYOND

February 7, 2019 – Daytona, Florida – PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports announced today that it will expand its operations throughout the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship by adding a new LMP2 ORECA 07 in order to double up its LMP2 team and also adding a new LMP3 entry into the IMSA Prototype Challenge category.

The new LMP2 chassis by ORECA will be used for a testing program in 2019 with the possibility of having an entry later in the year. The long-term plan is for a full 2020 season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. This news shows promise for the future of the LMP2 category which currently only has two full-season entries. PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports has always been known for bringing up-and-coming drivers through its ranks and they now believe a junior team in the LMP3 category will be a great place to foster that talent.

A testament to their efforts in this area is current drivers Matt McMurry and Gabriel Aubry of the #52 ORECA 07 LMP2 entry who posted the fastest lap time in the LMP2 class at the Roar Before the Rolex 24. The pair, joined by Mark Kvamme and Enzo Guibbert, had an amazingly strong outing at the Rolex 24 at Daytona despite a racing incident by Kvamme early in the race that put them out of contention for the podium.

The second race of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the 12 Hours of Sebring, will be the debut of PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports LMP3 entry. March 16th will mark the kick-off of the next endurance race of the season. For tickets and more information visit https://sportscarchampionship.imsa.com/events/2019-mobil-1-twelve-hours-sebring-presented-advance-auto-parts

Bobby Oergel

Team Principal

#52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07 LMP2

“This is an exciting time here at PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports and within the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as well. We are happy with the results we have been seeing and hope to continue seeing success with the new ORECA 07 chassis. We are also proud of the opportunities we have been able to provide to up-and-coming talent which is what led us to enter a car in the IMSA Prototype Challenge category. Sebring will be a busy weekend for us and we are looking forward to it.”