South African Ready for the Start of the International Endurance Racing Calendar
South African Jordan Pepper and his #19 Iron Lynx team are all set to take on one of the most iconic races in motorsports, when Rolex 24-hour at Daytona takes place between 27 and 28 January 2024. While most other motorsports competitions are waiting for their season to start, the IMSA Sportscar Championship brings in the new year with a bang and Pepper is eager to set the tone for the rest of the season with a strong result this weekend in Florida, USA.
Last year, Pepper spent most of his year between the States and Europe performing duties as a test driver and racing in the IMSA Endurance Cup and GT World Challenge Europe Series’ with mixed results. It was also the first year that team Iron Lynx, for whom Pepper raced most of the 2023 season, worked with Lamborghini which translated into a learning curve for the team as a whole. Pepper is itching for a win.
“As a collective, we’ve learnt some lessons last year in terms of how the new car performs and I think we’ve implemented some great steps forward as a whole. And yeah, just excited to get on track, fight for wins and podiums and just compete up front where we belong,” commented Pepper on his first season with Lamborghini Squadra Corse.
“Daytona is one of my favourite races – it’s cool to kickstart the season here but it is mentally demanding to start the championship and the year out with the 24-hour race.”
“I love the format of the IMSA championship and how strong the field is with the number of professional drivers that are here at Daytona. It’s also a pro that if you have a great weekend and manage to come out on top, you get a shiny brand-new Rolex to go with it. It really makes the race special.”
Mirko Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli. Franck Perera will join Pepper in the Iron Lynx #19 competing in the Daytona Pro, while fellow Lamborghini Factory Driver with the team already locking down a P4 in Qualifying at ROAR before the Daytona24. Ex-F1 star Romain Grosjean will lead the charge for the Iron Lynx #60 car.
As the green flag drops, Pepper and Iron Lynx are primed for Daytona, ready to chase victory and get the season off to an exhilarating start.