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Grand-Am: Simon Pagenaud to contest curtain-raising 24 Hours of Daytona

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Antoine Cremer
The 2012 rookie of the year in the IndyCar series, Simon Pagenaud, will contest the curtain-raising event of the Grand-Am series, the 2013 24 Hours of Daytona, January 26-27.

The Frenchman signed with the start-up DP team of Joe Sahlen for the famous twice-around-the-clock race. He will share Team Sahlen's No. 42 BMW/Riley with Wayne Nonnamaker and Dane Cameron.

Pagenaud's reputation in endurance racing is well established. The 2006 Formula Atlantic champion raced for Peugeot during its LMP1 days, notoriously finishing second overall in the 2011 24 Hours Le Mans, and earning the pole in the same race a year before.

"He is obviously a driver who gets the maximum out of the car," said Will Nonnamaker, Team Sahlen's sporting director. We are excited about bringing him back to endurance racing with the hope of even more success."

Moreover, DTM driver Mike Rockenfeller too got the green light to race in the 51st running of the fabled Daytona event. The 29-year-old German who won overall in 2010 will line-up in 2013 with Action Express Racing.

Antoine Cremer
Antoine Cremer
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