AFS/PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports announced today that the team has acquired a brand new ORECA 07 LMP2 which it will start using at the next round of the IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca next Sept 7-9.
The team will renew its relationship with ORECA after many years of victories, podiums and championships together in the LMPC class. The California based squad plans to enter the #52 AFS/PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07 into the last two events of the 2018 championship, in preparation for a full season effort in the newly announced standalone LMP2 pro/am class in 2019.
The team drivers Gustavo Yacaman and Sebastian Saavedra will get a chance to drive their new machine during the first session of the Laguna Seca event, as the duo looks to capture their first podium of the season.
Bobby Oergel
Team Principal
AFS/PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports
“I first want to thank the Nicolet and Crawford families and Onroak for their continued support and efforts to help us as a team over the last couple of seasons. Max, Jacques and Pierre have been great to work with and we look forward to continuing that relationship with our LMP3 and F4 programs. On the switch of chassis, It’s a tough time of the year to make this change for sure but there’s no time like the present to make the preparations for next year and push hard to finish off 2018 with a good result.”
Ray Mathiasen
Team Principal
AFS/PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports
“This has been an eventful week for the team. The separation of the DPi and LMP2 classes in 2019 is something Leslie and I feel was necessary and a very welcome change for the future. And now we have been able to purchase our new equipment from ORECA in time to be able to compete at Laguna Seca, our home track, and at Road Atlanta. This will give us the valuable experience we’ll need to prepare for 2019 giving Bobby and crew the opportunity to once again return to the podium finishes that have escaped us since our move up to the prototype class. We couldn’t be any more enthusiastic about the rest of this season and next year. “
Anthony Megevand
Customer Racing Service Manager
ORECA
“We are happy to welcome back Bobby and the AFS/PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports team in the ORECA family. We know them since many years from the LMPC era and not racing together in LMP2 was a kind of unfinished story. It’s a strong commitment from the team and we are looking forward to see AFS/PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports on track with ORECA 07.
Laguna Seca will be definitely a special race: first time for AFS/PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports with the ORECA 07 and on their home race. There will be a learning process but we know how great the team can do and we are ready to take on this challenge by bringing our support.
So far, we have had a successful summer with three overall win in a row and it looks like we have exciting time ahead with Laguna Seca and Petit Le Mans.”
