DALLAS, Tex., (January 9, 2023) – The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opens this month at Daytona International Speedway and NTE/SSR is returning for a third attempt to claim victory at one of the most prestigious races in sports car racing. The No. 42 Huracán GT3 will debut its new EVO2 kit at the 61st Rolex 24 At Daytona, with drivers Don Yount, Jaden Conwright, Kerong Li, and Alessio Deledda.
“The Rolex 24 field is at capacity, and it’s such an honor for NTE/SSR to be included in such a prestigious event against some of the world’s best teams and drivers,” said NTE/SSR Principal Paul Mata. “I got my start as a mechanic and to now be a team owner, competing against this field with such a strong lineup really calls the best out of each and every person at NTE. We’ve proven to be competitive against many of these teams, and now we are ready to fight for our place on the podium of an important event. I believe we have the lineup to make that happen.”
Gentleman driver Don Yount has been a pillar of NTE/SSR since the team’s IMSA WeatherTech debut in 2021 and has been a part of the majority of the team’s WeatherTech races since. He recently earned a top-ten finish alongside former Porsche factory driver Marco Holzer and current co-driver Jaden Conwright at the 2022 season finale, Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. His best finish with the team currently stands with a fourth-place finish at Watkins Glen International’s Six Hours of the Glen. With a third-place Rolex 24 best result from 2017, Yount currently holds the highest finish at Daytona of the NTE driver quartet.
Jaden Conwright, inaugural recipient of the IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship, will continue to receive some support from the scholarship, continuing to work towards his aspiring career as a full-time driver in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship. Conwright completed the most races in the year of any NTE driver, racing in all seven of the team’s races in the twelve-race calendar. He returns to the team’s Rolex 24 lineup with hopes of being locked in as one of the team’s full-season drivers.
Kerong Li made his sports car racing debut in 2021 at Road Atlanta with NTE/SSR in the Michelin Pilot Challenge. Since then, the young racer has continued to develop his craft in the sports car racing arena, participating in the 2022 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe’s Pro-Am Cup, and the 24H GT Series powered by Hankook. Li will be one of few drivers to race the prestigious Rolex 24 under a Chinese license, an honor he wears proudly heading to the big event.
Alessio Deledda joins NTE having recently competed in the DTM championship with GRT Grasser Racing in a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo. He began his career in motorcycle racing, moving to open wheel racing in 2018 in the Italian Formula 4 championship. He climbed the open-wheel ladder to the FIA Formula 2 championship in 2021 before moving to sportscars in 2022.
The GTD class will have a 15-minute qualifying session to set the starting order for the big race on Sunday, January 22 at 1:25 PM Eastern, and the other classes will follow, going until 3 PM. IMSA Radio and IMSA TV will offer live audio coverage of the event worldwide on imsaradio.com and imsa.com/tvlive, respectively. The entire field will have several days to rebuild the cars in preparation for the main event, the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The green flag will drop on Saturday, January 28, at 1:40 PM Eastern, airing live it its entirety at Peacock. For more information, visit imsa.com.
DRIVER QUOTES
Don Yount
I can’t wait to get back to Daytona and the huge field set for 2023. I know the guys at NTE will bring a strong car for the fight. It will be a long race with a lot of cars on track. Anything can happen and we are looking for a good result for the drivers and team.
Jaden Conwright
I’m really looking forward to returning to the Rolex 24 At Daytona with NTE/SSR. Last year we had a really solid race going until the issue 19 hours in, so I feel like we’re heading back with some unfinished business. Now that we’ve had a year to improve and develop, I think we’re much more prepared to tackle this difficult race. Looking forward to finally hitting the track in the new Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2 during the Roar Before the 24.
Kerong Li
Daytona is one of my biggest dreams for a long time and finally we make that come true this year. I’m looking forward to the biggest endurance of the world and hope we get that Rolex!
Alessio Deledda
I am very excited about this new adventure. It will be a completely new experience in different aspects. I have never raced an endurance race and participating in the 24 hours of Daytona will certainly be exciting since it is one of the most prestigious races in the world, but also very demanding both mentally and physically. Racing in America is new for me and I will meet everyone at NTE/SSR for the first time. I’ve been practicing the circuit on the simulator, and it looks very fun. My pace has been good, and I’ve improved with each lap. Pace is very important over the duration of this race. I can’t wait to get started!
About NTE Sport
NTE Sport is based in Dallas, Texas, and first raced in 2020. Owner Paul Mata has been in the industry for over 20 years before starting his own team and has always focused on bringing together a diverse group of individuals to provide new opportunities and bring new people into the sport. Past female drivers include Sheena Monk and Ashley Freiberg, and drivers from diverse racial backgrounds include Ryan Nash, Jaden Conwright, and Kerong Li. Dedicated to bringing highly skilled individuals from various backgrounds, NTE Sport aims to continue to make North American sports car racing a fun, welcoming, supportive environment while participating in the most competitive series in North America.
About Star Spangled Racing
Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Star Spangled Racing is a newer sports car racing team, established in 2020 by first-generation immigrant Tiger Tari from Turkey. Tari is an accomplished businessman, race car driver, and philanthropist with big motorsport ambitions. Star Spangled Racing provides driving opportunities in the USA and Europe. Follow on Instagram here.
About Southwest Funding
Southwest Funding began operations in 1993 under the name Dallas Residential Mortgage. We enjoyed great success early on and before long we were serving the entire state of Texas. This growth caused us to change our name to Texas Residential Mortgage.
As we continued to grow and thrive in the industry, Texas Residential Mortgage was changed to Southwest Funding to better accommodate our growing business in other states.
Today we’re still thriving, thanks in part to happy customers who have spread the word about what our company is doing to help borrowers get a home loan that fits their situation in an enjoyable and timely way. www.southwestfunding.com
Lamborghini Dallas
Lamborghini Dallas has earned the Highest Rated Lamborghini Dealer in the United States award by DealerRater 10 years in a row. With a state-of-the-art showroom, factory-certified service facility, parts depot, and a team of master technicians, Lamborghini Dallas is dedicated to the legacy of the famed raging bull. As a member of Boardwalk Auto Group, we cultivate a focus on top-flight performance. It’s the driving force behind every nameplate we represent, every car we maintain, and every customer we have the privilege to serve. Performance. It’s what we do.
Group A Apparel
We are an action sports apparel brand for the adrenaline minded athlete. Focused on Functional Fitness, Motorsport, Surf, Snow, Skydiving, etc., we aim to support and grow the ever evolving ecosystem of global action/adventure sports.
Website: www.GroupAapparel.com
Instagram: @GroupAapparel
