Stevenson Motorsports to Turn First Laps in new Audi R8 LMS at Roar Before the Rolex 24

With a much sought-after IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Series Championship under its belts, Stevenson Motorsports starts the new year with a new direction as the Jacksonville-based team fields a two-car GTD entry in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar competition. Returning to the GT ranks once again in IMSA’s top series won’t be the only new aspect for the 2016 season as the team prepares for the trip to Daytona International Speedway and the traditional Roar Before the 24. The 2015 championship squad also features brand new machinery in the Audi R8 LMS as well as a combination of some new and familiar hands behind the wheel. Stevenson Motorsports fans will once again find themselves rooting for the traditional team numbers 6 and 9 to kick off the 2016 campaign. The No. 6 Stevenson Motorsports Audi R8 LMS features a familiar driver lineup with the 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Championship winning driver duo of Andrew Davis and Robin Liddell, as well as Stevenson driver and new father Lawson Aschenbach and fellow Stevenson Motorsports veteran Matt Bell. The No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports entry features a driver lineup that includes IMSA veteran Boris Said and speedy Australian CASCAR Super Series transplant Kenny Habul in the Sun Energy1-liveried No. 9 Audi R8 LMS. The duo will be joined during the Roar Before the 24 by Tristian Vautier and Dion Von Moltke, who are also set to test the No. 9 entry. The annual Roar Before the 24 is a three-day test that provides teams and drivers a chance to prepare for the season-opening Rolex 24 endurance challenge. For Stevenson Motorsports, the test marks the first official running for the team with the new Audi R8 LMS on track. 2016 is Stevenson Motorsports’ 14th consecutive IMSA season, with a strong core of crew members that have been a part of the effort for several years. While the team cars are all-new, Stevenson Motorsports will rely on the championship-winning chemistry to attack the new challenge under the leadership of Team Owner Johnny Stevenson, team manager Mike Hoffman and strategist Mike Johnson to prepare them for anything. “There is a lot that will be new for us, and for everyone, for the 2016 season”, said Johnson. “But we are definitely more than ready. We have two cars, but we operate as one big team, both at the shop and during the race weekends. That approach should help us get comfortable with this new Audi R8 LMS quickly. Last year was a big highlight for the team, to be able to deliver that championship for Mr. Stevenson. But even before we were able to do that, we were already working on plans for this year. Hopefully we can have a productive few days at the test and come back at the end of the month to launch another fight for a championship.” The team will look to quickly acclimate their new drivers and machinery to the 3.56-mile road course of Daytona International Speedway in eight sessions over the three-day test period.

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