United Autosports has confirmed Ben Keating and Alex Quinn as drivers for the team’s IMSA WeatherTech LMP2 campaign next year.
The Wakefield-based outfit will return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2024, firstly announcing two active IMSA LMP2 teammates in their line-up.
Ben Keating has won the 2022 and 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours in the GTE-Am category, with the latter marking the 100th anniversary of the French classic earlier in June, and has also won the WEC GTE-Am title at Monza.
The bronze-licensed Texan has also been victorious at coveted IMSA races, such as the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2015, and the 12 Hours of Sebring twice in 2021 and 2022.
He has combined GT and LMP2 commitments during the recent years, being affiliated with PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports for LMP2 in IMSA since 2020.
“2024 will be a season of change for me, and I am very excited about it”, said Keating who currently leads the IMSA LMP2 championship.
“I have been with PR1 for the past three years and we have seen an enormous amount of success, but I am really excited to complete the full 2024 IMSA season with United Autosports.
“My past has been awesome and I am equally excited about the future.”
His co-driver will be Alex Quinn, a 22-year-old who is his teammate at PR1 in the current IMSA season as the ‘endurance driver’ in the #52 Oreca.
IMSA’s driver line up is divided so that each entry has two full-time drivers (one professional and one amateur), and an endurance driver who will join them at the Endurance Cup races, with a fourth driver for the 24 Hours of Daytona season-opener (1).
The British driver from Cornwall has outgoing experience in single-seater championships, with a 2018 GT4 effort in British GT.
His ongoing IMSA duties with PR1 will conclude at the IMSA finale, a 10-hour Petit Le Mans race in October, before he partners with Keating at the Daytona 24 Hours next January.
“I’m really excited about this new venture with the United Autosports team”, commented Quinn.
“And, of course, to be joining Ben for another year in IMSA.”
“It’s an honour to be teaming up with United Autosports, a team with so much experience in LMP2.
“I am really enjoying my first season in endurance racing, hopefully Ben and myself can finish the season strongly, and looking ahead, I am feeling positive that we can challenge for the title in 2024 with United Autosports.”
Richard Dean, CEO of United Autosports, added: “The signing of Ben and Alex for IMSA next year is a show of intent from our team.
“We are all very motivated to be working with these talented and proven winners in IMSA.
“We are coming to IMSA to win races and having Ben and Alex join our team gives us every chance of achieving that.”
Keating and Quinn will co-drive one of the team’s two Oreca 07s next year at all seven races utilising the LMP2 class.
With subject to ACO approval, Keating may also compete for United in an eighth race elsewhere.
United Autosports will unveil the rest of their 2024 IMSA LMP2 driver line-up in due course.
Editor’s Note:
United Autosports has clarified that Alex Quinn will be the endurance driver in the 2024 driver line-up in the same car as Ben Keating.
He will not partner Keating for all seven rounds which involve the LMP2 class, but he will compete for the team at all Endurance Cup rounds.
This is five out of the seven rounds: Roar Before The 24/24 Hours of Daytona (January), 12 Hours of Sebring (March), 6 Hours of the Glen (June), Battle on the Bricks (September), Petit Le Mans (October).
See (1) for explanation on IMSA driver line-ups.
Their next driver announcement will follow soon.