Proton Competition will enter and operate a third entry at the upcoming Rolex 24 at Daytona, fielding a second Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in GTD Pro with WeatherTech backing.
The German squad, which will also field the two main WeatherTech Racing cars in the new class, will also field the #15 Mercedes-AMG for Dirk Mueller, Patrick Assenheimer and NASCAR star Austin Cindric.
The entry will be sponsored by WeatherTech as well as Montana-based car dealership Mercedes of Billings. The dealership was purchased last year by David MacNeil, WeatherTech founder and CEO and father of Cooper MacNeil, who will be piloting the team’s other two entries.
“The second Mercedes entry came about with Proton being contracted to prepare the car,” MacNeil said. “It was also an opportunity for Mercedes of Billings to have a presence in the race as well.”
“The Rolex 24 is a showcase for sportscar racing around the world and is really the only on-track competition going on this time of year. We are excited to have a third WeatherTech liveried car on the grid for the 60th running of this great race.”
Winward Racing name drivers for GTD title defence
Winward Racing has meanwhile named its four-car driver squad for its title defence in the GTD category.
Confirmed by a post on social media, defending class winners Russell Ward and Philip Ellis will be joined by the duo of Lucas Auer and Mikael Grenier aboard the team’s sole Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.
Auer raced for the team last year during its DTM campaign, while Grenier has been a regular part of the team’s squad in various championships.
