Reigning IMSA GTD PRO champions and 12 Hours of Sebring class winners AO Racing have confirmed that “Rexy,” the team’s normally GTD PRO-entered Porsche 911 GT3 R, will switch to IMSA’s GTD class for the series’ next round on the streets of Long Beach, April 11-12. The popular dinosaur-liveried Porsche will see a switch of driver squads as well as classes with Porsche driver Laurens Vanthoor and silver-ranked Jonny Edgar taking to the wheel.
“Long Beach is a very special event, and it’s unfortunate that it’s not on the GTD PRO calendar,” said team principal Gunnar Jeannette. “A lot of Rexy and AO fans expressed their desire to see Rexy racing around the famous streets, and ‘life found a way!’
“With our full-season drivers off at a GT World Challenge race, we’ve been able to draft in some fantastic guys to fill their shoes in Laurens and Jonny. A big thank you to PJ Hyett, Porsche Motorsport North America, and everyone else that has come together to help make this one-off GTD race a reality for Rexy and AO.”
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Reigning FIA World Endurance champion Vanthoor will arrive at long Beach with a 100% record of winning drives in IMSA this season after his Porsche Penske Motorsport GTP car took the wins at both the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.
“I’m really looking forward to driving the famous Rexy car,” said Vanthoor. “The Grand Prix of Long Beach is one of my favorite events on the IMSA calendar. It’s always a great atmosphere and the whole event just feels special. I know some of the AO Racing guys from the Porsche RSR program, and I can’t wait to get to know the rest of the team. Hopefully, we have a strong weekend.”
Silver-ranked Edgar, meanwhile, moves across from AO’s LMP2 ORECA, as LMP2 another class not on the Long Beach running order. The street race will mark the British driver’s first official race in the Porsche, although he has already completed private testing in preparation for the event.
“I’m really looking forward to racing at Long Beach with Rexy,” said Edgar. “I’m really excited to race a Porsche for the first time and for my first time at Long Beach. It’s a very exciting event and I think it’d be really cool to share the car with Laurens as well. I think we have a really good chance at winning the race.”