Williams Racing F1 driver Lance Stroll has completed an all-star line-up in a Jackie Chan DCR JOTA LMP2 car for the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January.
In addition to Stroll, the line-up will include some of the world’s most talented young racers in one of the two Jackie Chan DCR JOTA run Oreca-Gibson cars.
Felix Rosenqvist, Robin Frijns and Daniel Juncadella will join Stroll aboard the car in what is sure to be one of the most talented quartets on the grid.
The 2018 Rolex 24 at Daytona will be the first time the Jackie Chan DCR JOTA team has raced at one of the racing industry’s most famous venues and it will do so with a brace of Oreca-Gibson LMP2 entries.
Stroll has had an impressive rookie season in Formula One accruing multiple points’ finishes and a podium position at Baku in June with the Williams Martini Racing team.
The Canadian has a glittering CV which includes titles in every category he as raced in. His accomplishments this season include the two records of being the youngest ever front-row starter of an F1 race and the youngest to ever stand on a podium.
26 year-old Rosenqvist is currently rated as one of the best young racers currently outside of Formula One and will take part in his second Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The Swede is a former FIA Formula Three, F3 Masters and Macau Grand Prix champion and has recently won races in both the Indy Lights and FIA Formula E Championships, as well as multiple podium positions in the ultra-competitive Super Formula series in Japan this year.
Dutchman Robin Frijns is a factory supported Audi driver, who like Rosenqvist, has cultivated a glittering reputation on the International racing scene.
Frijns is a former World Series 3.5 series champion and has most recently raced in the FIA Formula E Championship and aboard a GT3 car for the Belgian Audi Club WRT squad in the Blancpain Series’.
Daniel Juncadella comes to Daytona with Jackie Chan DCR JOTA as a factory Mercedes driver who has competed predominantly in DTM and GT3 over the past few seasons. Like Rosenqvist, the Spaniard is also a former FIA F3, F3 Masters and Macau Grand Prix champion.
Most of the drivers are well known to each other, having either competed in the same series or in the case of Stroll and Rosenqvist within the same team. The pair were teammates in the 2015 FIA European Formula Three championship at Prema Powerteam where Rosenqvist took the title, a feat which Stroll duplicated a year later.
All of the Jackie Chan DCR JOTA drivers have endurance racing experience but Stroll and Rosenqvist are the only ones with race knowledge of the world famous Daytona International Speedway.
The team has made a major impact on global endurance racing since its inception early this year.
A headline grabbing second and third overall at the Le Mans 24 Hours last June also saw the Chinese entered team, known as Jackie DC Racing x JOTA in the FIA World Endurance Championship, lead the race overall for several hours.
Wins at Silverstone and the Nürburgring ensured a runners-up position was confirmed in their rookie season in the WEC.
JOTA Sport, the operational experts behind the Jackie Chan DCR JOTA squad, has achieved success in all spheres of top class international sportscar competition since they were formed in 2000 including the 2014 Le Mans LMP2 crown and the 2016 European Le Mans Series title.
The 2018 Rolex 24 at Daytona will have its most competitive grid in recent years. The Jackie Chan DCR JOTA cars will go up against multiple manufacturer entries including entries from Mazda Team Joest and Acura Team Penske, as well as former winners Tequila Patron ESM and Wayne Taylor Racing.
The race will take place over the weekend of 27-28 January. The traditional ‘Roar Before the 24’ test at the Florida venue will be held over 5-7 January.
The line-up for the teams’ second car will be announced shortly.
Quotes:
Lance Stroll, Driver for Jackie Chan DCR JOTA
“We are going to Daytona to enjoy, compete and of course try and win. I always want to be best and most competitive I can be.
“I’ll be out there with some of my buddies in the same car and it is going to be a pleasure to do this race again as I just love to race. We are the four young guns so it will be great fun I’m sure because we go way back together. A big part of Daytona is who you share the car with so I’m really looking forward to it.
“There won’t be any fuel or tyre management to worry about, and it will be racing hard and racing in traffic which I will enjoy. I’ve heard a lot of great things about the Jackie Chan DCR JOTA team so I can’t wait to be a part of it.
“I am really grateful to Williams Martini Racing for realising I want to keep my racing sharpness through the winter and letting me race at Daytona.”
David Clark, Director of JOTA Group
“The collection of talent that we have been able to secure for the Rolex 24 at Daytona is very exciting. As a team this shows the trust in quality that the Jackie Chan DCR JOTA team can bring to the best endurance races in the world.
“Lance, Felix, Daniel and Robin are a collection of some of the finest young talents to emerge in recent years. To have them all in the same car for such an important race like the Rolex 24 at Daytona is an important milestone in Jota’s history.
“What Lance has achieved in his short career has been super impressive and he is clearly a quality racer and has a great future ahead of him. It will be fantastic to have him in the team.”
David Cheng, Driver and co-founder of Jackie Cheng DC Racing
“I’m delighted to welcome Lance, Felix, Robin and Daniel into our team. Their speed and calibre is well known, as well as their past experiences with sports car and endurance racing.
“With this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona being the most competitive I’ve seen in decades, the addition of this fantastic line up will help us ensure the best odds to pursue the top step of another famous 24 hour podium.”