By alley - Dec 14, 2016, 4:44 PM ET

IMSA: 3GT adds Cindric for endurance races

Austin Cindric, Dominik Farnbacher, Ian James and Gustavo Menezes will join 3GT Racing for the four Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup races in 2017, filling out the team's driver lineup for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

James and Menezes will share the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 with Sage Karam and Scott Pruett, while Cindric and Farnbacher will team with Robert Alon and James Hawksworth in the No. 15 entry.

Lexus and 3GT Racing took an interesting route for its two-car GTD effort. With 56-year-old legend Scott Pruett as the leader, the other three full-timers are 26 or younger; Alon is 26, Hawksworth is 25 and Karam is just 21. At age 16, Cindric became the youngest winner in the history of IMSA's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge in 2015.

Farnbacher helped develop the Lexus RC F GT3 in Japan and Europe. "The first race we did with that car was in October and we won the VLN9 race on the Nürburgring Nordschleife," he said. "The car has huge potential to be competitive in Daytona and for the rest of the season. Right now, we are focused on the Rolex 24, that is our main goal."

Farnbacher brings considerable GT and endurance racing experience to 3GT Racing. He has two wins in the 24 Hours of Daytona (GTD class in 2015 and GTS class in 2005) and a runner-up finish in the GT2 class of the 24 Hours of LeMans in 2006. Farnbacher drove for the SRT Viper program from 2012-14, and he has wins in IMSA, Grand-Am and the American LeMans Series.

Menezes has previous experience racing with owner Paul Gentilozzi. The California native competed for Gentilozzi's RSR Racing from 2013- 15. Most recently, Menezes captured a LMP2 class victory in the 24 Hours of LeMans this year, and three total WEC victories in 2016.

James comes to 3GT Racing having previously scored wins in IMSA, Grand-Am and ALMS. A native of England, James finished third in the LMP2 class of the 24 Hours of LeMans in 2006. James is now an American citizen and resides in Phoenix. He garnered the ALMS' Rookie of the Year honors in 2004.

The four endurance drivers will join 3GT Racing for the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test at Daytona International Speedway from Jan. 6–8. The RC F GT3 then makes its competition debut in the Rolex 24 at Daytona later that month.