Hunter-Reay joins Mazda for IMSA endurance races

Mazda Team Joest has signed 2012 IndyCar Series champion and 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay to share the No. 55 Mazda RT24-P with Jonathan Bomarito and Harry Tincknell at IMSA’s long races. Hunter-Reay steps into the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship DPi opportunity after driving for the team on one occasion last season, and occupies the Michelin Endurance Cup seat filled by Olivier Pla in 2019.

Pla shifts across to the No. 77 Mazda RT24-P helmed by Olivier Jarvis and Tristan Nunez.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Mazda Team Joest for the 2020 IMSA endurance races,” Hunter-Reay said. “I filled in for Harry at Mid-Ohio last year, teaming up with my buddy Jonathan Bomarito, and from the first practice I knew the car really suited my driving style. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the whole team – it's a first-class effort all around. We capped off the weekend with a double-podium for Mazda, and I've been eager to get back in the RT24-P ever since. I'm excited for what this team is capable of in 2020, and I'm ready to get to work."

With the rest of the line-up remaining the same, barring the exit of the retired Timo Bernhard whose role RHR will fill, new Mazda Motorsports director Nelson Cosgrove sees great possibilities on the horizon.

"It's a great honor to lead this program into its [fourth] season, and this is the season that I think will be pivotal for Mazda Team Joest,” he said.

“The program's first season was clearly a learning year, while last year the program learned how to become a race winner. 2020 is the year that Mazda Team Joest contends for an IMSA championship. The pieces are already in place with one of the strongest driver line-ups in the championship and a car, engine and technical package that has a lot of potential left in it after winning three times last season."