IndyCar Series star Simon Pagenaud will likely be behind the wheel of a Corvette C7.R at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring, according to multiple sources talking to RACER.
Pagenaud joined Roger Penske’s Chevy-powered IndyCar team for 2015 after taking fifth in the 2014 IndyCar standings racing for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports’ Honda outfit.
The 30-year-old Frenchman apparently will be running for Corvette Racing in the first two rounds of the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup, but he may not be able to participate in the other two NAEC events (Sahlen’s 6 Hours of the Glen and Petit Le Mans) because of IndyCar and testing commitments.
Pagenaud is on vacation in France and likewise Corvette Racing officials could not be reached to confirm the reports.
We do know that Pagenaud has won four races in the Verizon IndyCar Series and is one of the most sought-after talents in open-wheel racing. Under the terms of a multi-year agreement with Team Penske announced in September, Pagenaud will drive the Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet beginning in 2015.
After finishing among the top five in the championship standings each of the last three seasons, Pagenaud has established himself as one of the top drivers competing in the Verizon IndyCar Series. The native of Poitiers, France earned two wins, one pole, three podium finishes and eight top-five results in 2014 while finishing fifth in the title chase.
“Simon Pagenaud is a very talented, focused and determined driver,” said Roger Penske, whose team won the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series title with driver Will Power. “We know how tough he has been to compete with over the last few seasons and we are very happy to welcome him to Team Penske starting in 2015. With Simon coming on board to join Will, Helio (Castroneves) and Juan (Montoya), we feel we have four drivers very capable of winning on any given weekend and four guys who are legitimate championship contenders.”
Pagenaud joins Team Penske with a championship history. He won the Champ Car Atlantic Series open-wheel title as a rookie in 2006 and produced four wins en route to the American Le Mans Series sports car LMP1 crown in 2010. With a diverse background that includes racing in the European Formula Renault series, Pagenaud has also excelled in sports car competition with starts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as the Rolex 24 at Daytona on his resume.
“Getting a chance to race for Team Penske is almost like a dream to me,” said Pagenaud. “I have always admired the team and everything that Roger Penske has accomplished in racing. I am so excited to become a part of Team Penske and I can’t wait for the 2015 season to start.”
Source:
RACER
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