Castroneves added to MSR Acura line-up for Petit Le Mans
Helio Castroneves will contest next month's Petit Le Mans IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season finale for the Meyer Shank Racing Acura squad, it has been announced.
Castroneves, who scored his fourth Indianapolis 500 win for MSR earlier in the year, will join Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya at the wheel of the team's Acura ARX-05 for the Road Atlanta event on November 10-13.
He replaces Olivier Pla, who had been Cameron's full-season teammate at MSR this season. Montoya was the designated third driver for the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Sebring 12 Hours, with Cameron and Pla racing as a duo elsewhere.
It will mark Castroneves' second IMSA start of the year as he was part of the Wayne Taylor Racing Acura line-up that won the Rolex 24 in January along with Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque and Alexander Rossi.
The Brazilian driver commented: “I’m so excited to be joining Meyer Shank Racing, Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya for Petit Le Mans. Road Atlanta is such a great track and racing under the lights is something really special.
"Luckily I have a win there last year in the same car [driving for Acura Team Penske], so I’m hoping that I can jump right in and get up to speed. We had a test there last week and we’re feeling pretty confident about the #60 Acura.”
Cameron and Pla sit fifth in the IMSA Prototype drivers' standings heading into the season finale with a best finish of second in the Sahlen's Six Hours at Watkins Glen.
No explanation was given by MSR as to why Pla is not taking up his usual seat at Road Atlanta.
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