PWC: Changes ahead for K-PAX?

The K-PAX Racing Pirelli World Challenge team has earned multiple championships in the GT category with the Colorado-based 3R team running the program, but that could change next season.

Rumors of a split between K-PAX owner Jim Haughey and 3R owner Bob Raub made the rounds among GTD entrants at Petit Le Mans, and Haughey confirmed it is a possibility.

"The rumors are probably true, although I explore the options available to me every year," he told RACER.

"I don't know for a fact that's true yet," added Raub. "I'm at COTA right now and we've agreed to talk about it when I get back."

K-PAX ended the PWC season on a high after winning the season finale at Miller Motorsports Park with driver Robert Thorne in the No. 6 McLaren MP4-12C GT3, and if they do part ways, it would leave Haughey with a valued program to build on his own or bring elsewhere, and free one of the most successful teams in PWC history to run new customers. If they stay together, the K-PAX McLarens could be primed for a serious run at the 2015 GT championship.

The K-PAX/3R partnership began in 2007 and delivered immediate results, producing back-to-back PWC GT titles with Porsches. 3R's expertise allowed Haughey and auto manufacturer Volvo to make an ambitious leap for the 2009 season as Raub's team led the build and development on turbocharged inline-5-cylinder all-wheel-drive S60s that delighted fans, earned numerous wins and secured the 2010 GT championship.

With ongoing Balance of Performance adjustments reducing the S60's competitiveness on an annual basis, the team parked the Swedish machines at the end of 2013 in favor of the British MP4-12Cs. K-PAX/3R made a strong impression in 2014 as Thorne and former Champ Car driver Alex Figge were immediately competitive in their McLarens.

The marque introduced the 650S GT3 as the MC12's successor for 2015 and Haughey expects to see his cars carrying the updated badges.

"We're staying with the same marque and we will be in the 650S next year; there's two ways to go with buying an update kit or buying new cars, and I think it's important for us to be in the latest model year for the car," he said. "The base of the car is the same, but other components are different."

Haughey confirmed he's committed to PWC next season, and with the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship moving to GT3 regulations in 2016 that would allow him to campaign his McLaren's with minimal changes, he also said taking in some of the marquee events on IMSA's calendar could be worth exploring in the future.

"Yeah, if you could take these cars from one series to the other – you'd need refueling equipment and fire suits and more guys and it would cost more money – I'd be open to it. Maybe not a whole season, but I'd be open to doing a few races," Haughey noted. "It's nice to have options on where to race [GT3 cars]."​