P4, and so close to the Rolex 24 podium for Inter Europol by PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports

Daytona, Florida. (January 29, 2024) — Having run at the sharp end of the field and led on numerous occasions during the Rolex 24 at Daytona, it came down to the final hour with five LMP2s all on the lead lap and Tom Dillmann giving his all in a dramatic conclusion to finish fourth, just three-tenths of a second behind the third-placed car.
 
The event was the first for the #52 Inter Europol by PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports squad, with all four drivers - Nick Boulle, Jakub ‘Kuba’ Śmiechowski, Tom Dillmann, Pietro Fittipaldi - and the team, putting in a fantastic performance in the opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
 
767 laps, 24 hours of racing and 36 pitstops, and at its conclusion, just 20 seconds covered the top five finishers, underlining the fine margins in this most competitive championship. 
 
The race got underway Saturday afternoon, and it was action from the start. Having qualified a brilliant second last weekend at the Roar before the Rolex 24, Nick showed the team’s intentions by quickly moving to the head of the field and then pulling a ten-second advantage ahead of the first Full Course Yellow. 
 
He handed the car over to Pietro, who arrived in the early hours of Saturday to sub for the injured Clément Novalak, who was at the circuit this weekend to support the team.
 
A multi-car shunt soon brought out the second pause, Pietro running second and lapping on the pace of the race leader as he quickly acclimatised to the Oreca 07 once again. There were further FCYs, with Kuba leading during his first stint on older tyres before Nick resumed for the second time to run third.
 
13 hours of darkness saw Kuba and Nick conducting most of the running, maintaining top three positions. Sunday brought overcast skies and lengthy spells of green flag running. With points awarded at six hour intervals, the #52 car racked up the points heading into the crucial final hours.
 
Tom and Pietro alternated, running third ahead of a penultimate stop with 70-minutes remaining. With just one scheduled stop to go, Tom began his double stint, only for a FCY to close up the top five runners with 35-minutes remaining.
 
With everything to play for, Tom gave his all in a fantastic battle for third, fourth and fifth positions but was ultimately pipped for the podium position by the #74 with 15 minutes remaining. He took the chequered flag just 0.293 shy of a podium position.
 
The second round of the championship takes place at Sebring in March, with Nick, Kuba and Tom racing for LMP2 honours.

Nick Boulle
“It was a long, tough race for every team, and the level of competition is very high. That said, I think the crew is disappointed because we felt like we deserved more than a fourth-place finish, but sometimes, leaving with that feeling before the next race is a good thing to motivate everyone even more!

“The positive takeaways were that we made no big mistakes in the pit lane and had no penalties, so the team performed very well together for our first effort. I think it will only improve from here, and now we have a point to prove in Sebring.”

Jakub Śmiechowski
"An incredibly tight race. We did a great job, and fourth place doesn't reflect that. The season has just begun, so you can count on us to bring you a ton of emotions."

Tom Dillmann
“We had a great race that we can be proud of. I want to thank all my teammates for their hard work these last two weeks at the track. I really enjoyed my first Rolex 24 and my first race with the team. It hurts to miss out on a podium when you’re so close, but we move on to the next one at Sebring!”

Pietro Fittipaldi
“I want to thank the team for the opportunity and last-minute call-up for the Rolex 24, and I wish Clement a speedy recovery. I’ve very happy with the job that everyone did, we finished P4 at the end and we were in the fight for the podium position all the way to the finish line. Thank you to my teammates for their excellent work and to the team for the perfect execution.”

Photo credit: Sideline Sports Photography⁣

Inter Europol by PR1/Mathiasen Motorsport confirms driver lineup for the Rolex 24 at Daytona

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fresno, California - Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024 - The No. 52 Inter Europol by PR1/Mathiasen Motorsport Oreca 07 will be raced at the forthcoming 24 Hours of Daytona by Jakub ‘Kuba’ Śmiechowski, Tom Dillmann, Clément Novalak and Nick Boulle.
 
Kuba is the team’s Silver-graded driver and helped Inter Europol to second in the FIA WEC LMP2 standings in 2023, including the Centenary edition of Le Mans, where he and his teammates secured an unforgettable victory for the team. 
 
Tom Dillmann and Clément Novalak, both Gold-graded drivers, have already been confirmed with Inter Europol Competition for the European Le Mans Series and now double-up duties this year in IMSA’s endurance events. 
 
Tom has plenty of prototype experience, having previously won the Michelin Le Mans Cup in LMP3 machinery, competed in the Hypercar class and raced the Oreca LMP2 with recent success in the Asian Le Mans Series.
 
Clement is stepping from FIA Formula 2 to LMP2 competition in 2024 and, along with Kuba and Tom, tested with the team last month. The two French drivers duly make their race debut in green and yellow at Daytona International Speedway.
 
Nick is the team’s Bronze-graded driver and has plenty of Rolex 24 experience, having first raced at Daytona with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsport in 2016, where he secured a podium position. He won the LMPC class in 2017 and secured a further LMP2 podium in 2020.
 
The 2024 season gets underway with the ‘Roar before the Rolex 24’ on 19 January, which includes six test sessions and qualifying for the Rolex 24, which runs from 27-28 January. 

Jakub Śmiechowski (Poland)
“A new year brings us new challenges! After a great 2023 season, we are focusing on IMSA this year. We have a very good and experienced team and intend to take full advantage of that. We start with the legendary race at Daytona. After the first tests in December, I am very satisfied. Of course, I have to get used to the American style, but I think we already got along perfectly during the tests. Combining the experience of Inter Europol Competition and PR1, we will certainly be strong!”
 
Tom Dillmann (France)
“I'm very enthusiastic to race in the IMSA series for the first season of Inter Europol stateside. To race on those legendary tracks and events with a chance to maybe add trophies and lines to the resume is something really to look forward to!”
 
Clément Novalak (France)
“I’m thrilled to be racing this year at the Daytona 24 hours in IMSA with Inter Europol. It was amazing to test with them last year for my first time on American soil, and I’m really looking forward to racing with them. I’ve matched well with the boys and girls over at IEC/PR1, and they’ve really helped me out in getting comfortable with the car, so I can’t wait to be back in the car at the Roar.”

Nick Boulle (USA)
"To say I am super excited to be back racing in the LMP2 class with PR1 Motorsports and the Inter Europol squad is an understatement. Inter Europol brings a lot of knowledge and history to the team for this year, and combining that with PR1 Motorsport’s focus on success, I think, will make for a potent combination. 

"I’ve heard nothing but good things about the Inter Europol crew. My first working days with the team will be at the Roar Before the 24, and while it has been some time since I have gotten behind the wheel of a prototype, I think the team will help me get comfortable and back up to pace quickly as we prepare for the Rolex 24 and the season we have ahead together."

PR1/MATHIASEN MOTORSPORTS CLINCHES LMP2 CHAMPIONSHIP

PR1/MATHIASEN MOTORSPORTS CLINCHES LMP2 CHAMPIONSHIP

For Immediate Release

Braselton, Georgia, [October 16, 2023] — PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports celebrated a triumphant conclusion to the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season by capturing both the LMP2 Team and Driver championships at the 26th Motul Petit Le Mans race held last Saturday at Michelin Road Atlanta.

In a thrilling display of resilience and skill, the No. 52 Wynns/Max Connect/RainX/Client Command/Apex Protect Oreca 07 LMP2 entry, piloted by Ben Keating, Paul-Loup Chatin, and Alex Quinn, overcame challenges and battled through the chaos of the 10-hour race to secure the championship titles.

The weekend commenced with the team posting the second-best time during Thursday's practices. Qualifying happened on Friday under damp track conditions, with Keating stealing the pole in the last 4 turns, by a 0.020 margin over championship contender No. 11 TDS Racing.

Race day brought both adversity and glory. Despite an early spin by pole-sitter Ben Keating, the team showcased remarkable recovery and determination. A late-race incident involving Quinn in the gravel trap tested the team's mettle, but Quinn skillfully was able to put the No. 52 back on track. Quinn handed off to Chatin, who was able to secure the third and final spot on the podium, securing the championship with a 37-point lead over rivals CrowdStrike by APR.

Bobby Oergel, team principal, commented on the roller coaster event: “What a roller coaster event petit turned into. The whole team including Ben, Paul and Alex did everything we could to win the championships. Getting hit from behind multiple times took us out of the possibility to win but a podium finish and winning both the team and driver championships makes it a great year for sure. With the level of the LMP2 category being so high I am over the moon being able to win 5 (whether it be driver, team or North America Endurance Cup) championships in a row and over 20 of them since our team entered IMSA in 2010. I can’t thank our whole crew, current and all alumni drivers enough for these accomplishments.”

Ray Mathiasen, team principal, acknowledged the challenges faced during the race: “We had the pace to win this race and were P1 after 8 hours when two incidents pushed the No. 52 back during the last 2 hours of the race. Lady Luck played a significant role; good and bad. However we managed to finish on the podium and win another championship. Leslie and I are very proud of how the team performed this year against a strong field in LMP2. We want to thank everyone associated with the Wynn’s No. 52 car this year. Winning the championship was not easy. It was a great season!”

Ben Keating expressed his gratitude: "I can’t put it into words. This team is really special. We have all been family for the past 3 years. We have found a way to accomplish the goals one way or another. We have overcome adversity. We have been lucky and unlucky. We have been really fast and not so fast. But, we have found a way to win. I do this for fun, and the main part of that is to be with people you enjoy. This team is made up of great people. Additionally, achieving the result makes it even more fun, and this team has found a way to achieve the results we set out to achieve. I am so grateful to PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports. This has just been really special.”

Paul-Loup Chatin emphasized the significance of the team's flawless performance: “I am really happy to win the IMSA Championship with Pr1 and Ben Keating without forgetting Alex who deserved this title too. I can’t thank all the PR1/Mathiasen crew enough for the amazing job they have done all year long. We made zero mistakes and it was the key to win. It’s really a team victory and I am proud of that. It is my first full season in IMSA so it means a lot to me.”

Alex Quinn, appreciative of the team's effort, said: “I’m incredibly happy to have helped this amazing team to take the championship win. It has been a really competitive championship and I have learnt so much throughout all the four races I took part in. I cannot thank the team enough and look forward to the future.”

For the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the California-based team announced a new partnership with polish-based team and 24 Hours of Le Mans winners, Inter Europol Competition. The team will be known as Inter Europol by PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports. Jakub (Kuba) Śmiechowski is confirmed as the team’s Silver-graded driver for the endurance rounds. The full driver line-up will be announced shortly.

“Our new affiliation with Inter Europol Competition should put us in a good position to obtain another championship trophy next year!” concluded Ray Mathiasen, PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports team principal.

Photo credit: Sideline Sports Photography⁣

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