PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports

PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports is an American sports car racing team that currently competes in the LMP2 class of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.[1]

United States PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports
Founded1990
BaseFresno, California, United States
Team principal(s)
  • Bobby Oergel (Owner, Director)
  • Ray Mathiasen
Current seriesIMSA SportsCar Championship
Former seriesAmerican Le Mans Series
Rolex Sports Car Series
Indy Pro 2000 Championship
Current driversUnited States Scott Huffaker
United States Ben Keating
Denmark Mikkel Jensen
France Nicolas Lapierre
Drivers'
Championships
2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship – LMP2
2020 IMSA SportsCar Championship – LMP2
2019 IMSA SportsCar Championship – LMP2

History

American Le Mans Series

PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports began entering the series with the advent of the LMPC class in 2010, fielding a full-time entry for a revolving door of drivers.[2] The team would achieve a best finish of second on three occasions that season, at Lime Rock, Mid-Ohio, and Road America. The following season, the team notched their first series victory at Road America,[3] before taking class victory at Petit Le Mans to close out the season.[4] After a 2012 season which saw the team win just one race, the 2013 season saw the team claim class victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring and mount a title challenge, falling six points short and finishing third in the team's championship, but with season-long driver Mike Guasch taking the drivers' title. Guasch, PR1's first full-season competitor in their ALMS career, was awarded the championship on a recount, after it was determined the 8Star Motorsports entry that had finished ahead of the team was not eligible for full-season points.[5]

PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports' Oreca FLM09 at Petit Le Mans in 2011

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

The team maintained their level of competitiveness as the series merged to form the United SportsCar Championship. In its opening season, the team finished fourth in the team's and driver's championships with duo Gunnar Jeannette and Frankie Montecalvo, collecting podium finishes at Watkins Glen and Petit Le Mans. The 2015 began exceptionally for the team, taking class honors at both the 24 Hours of Daytona[6] and 12 Hours of Sebring. Although retirements at the following two races at Laguna Seca and Detroit would derail the team's title chances, another class victory at Petit Le Mans, the second in team history, would see the team claim the North American Endurance Cup title in the PC class.[7] In 2016, the team mounted their strongest title challenge yet, claiming the North American Endurance Cup for the second year running, but missing out on the PC class title on a races won tiebreaker with Starworks Motorsport.[8]

2017 brought about the introduction of the revised Global LMP2 specifications, and the overhaul of the series' Prototype category. As a result, the team stepped away from PC competition to field a Ligier JS P217 in the championship's new top class.[9] In their maiden season with the car, the team registered a best finish of fourth at Watkins Glen in July. The following season, PR1 entered their Ligier in a partnership with IndyCar team AFS Racing, with Colombian duo Sebastián Saavedra and Gustavo Yacamán behind the wheel.[10] After finishing no higher than sixth in the opening eight races of the season, the team took delivery of an Oreca 07 chassis to replace the Ligier.[11]

PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports' Oreca 07 at Road Atlanta in 2020

In 2019, PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports followed their chassis into the LMP2 class following the Prototype class split. The team won the 2019 class title in dominating fashion, winning all but the opening two races at Daytona and Sebring.[12] They retained the class title in 2020, adding a class victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring and claiming the Michelin Endurance Cup title in class as well.[13] 2021 saw the team claim their third consecutive LMP2-class title and second consecutive Michelin Endurance Cup crown, this time with Ben Keating and Mikkel Jensen at the wheel.[14] For 2022, the team expanded to running two chassis in the LMP2 class for the full season, retaining their championship-winning 2021 lineup in the #52 while adding Steven Thomas and Jonathan Bomarito in the new #11 entry.[15]

World Endurance Championship

For 2021, Patrick Kelly's Le Mans invitation prompted the team to step into the FIA World Endurance Championship for a partial season.[16] The team established a partnership with Tech1 Racing to run the opening round at Spa, alongside Le Mans.[17]

Racing results

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

YearFull-Time DriversClassMakeEngine1234567891011RankPoints
2014 Gunnar Jeannette
Frankie Montecalvo
PCOreca FLM09Chevrolet 6.2L V8DAY
4
SEB
9
LGA
4
KAN
4
WGL
3
IMS
5
ELK
7
VIR
8
COT
4
PET
3
4th255
2015 Mike Guasch
Tom Kimber-Smith
PCOreca FLM09Chevrolet 6.2L V8DAY
1
SEB
1
LGA
6
DET
7
WGL
2
MOS
5
LIM
1
ELK
4
COT
4
PET
1
2nd313
2016 Robert Alon
Tom Kimber-Smith
PCOreca FLM09Chevrolet 6.2 L V8DAY
2
SEB
2
LBH
6
LGA
1
DET
3
WGL
5
MOS
3
LIM
2
ELK
1
COA
2
PET
1
2nd355
2017 José GutiérrezPLigier JS P217Gibson 4.2 L V8DAY
9
SEB
7
LBH
5
COA
9
DET
10
WGL
4
MOS
8
ELK
7
LGA
7
PET
10
7th237
2018 Sebastián SaavedraPLigier JS P217 1-8
Oreca 07 9-10
Gibson 4.2 L V8DAY
12
SEB
11
LBH
11
MDO
6
DET
8
WGL
9
MOS
9
ELK
13
LGA
8
PET
12
12th211
2019 Matt McMurryLMP2Oreca 07Gibson 4.2 L V8DAY
4
SEB
2
MOH
1
WGL
1
MOS
1
ELK
1
LGA
1
ATL
1
1st270
2020 Patrick KellyLMP2Oreca 07Gibson 4.2 L V8DAY
2
SEB1
1
ELK
4
ATL
1
PET
4
LGA
1
SEB2
1
1st196
2021 Mikkel Jensen
Ben Keating
LMP2Oreca 07Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8DAY
7
SEB
1
WGL
2
WGL
1
ELK
3
LGA
1
PET
2
1st2162

* Season still in progress.

24 Hours of Le Mans results

YearEntrantNo.CarDriversClassLapsPos.Class
Pos.
2021 PR1 Motorsports Mathiasen
(run by Tech 1 Racing)[18]
24Oreca 07-Gibson Gabriel Aubry
Patrick Kelly
Simon Trummer
LMP2 (Pro-Am)261DNFDNF

References

External links