According to a report from Sportscar365, Pipo Derani has decided to part ways with Action Express Racing at the end of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. After a six-year partnership, the two-time IMSA champion will not be returning to the team next year. The season will conclude on October 12th at Road Atlanta.
During their time together, Derani and the team achieved great success. They won the DPi championship in 2021 and the GTP championship in 2023, as well as two Endurance Cup titles, all while driving Cadillac cars. Derani also secured three consecutive pole positions this year at the Roar Before the 24, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
In collaboration with his Action Express Racing teammates Jack Aitken and Endurance Cup driver Tom Blomqvist, Derani piloted the #31 Cadillac V-Series.R to two second-place finishes in Daytona and Long Beach. Unfortunately, his race in Sebring ended prematurely due to an incident that left him upside down and out of contention.
Recently, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Derani faced another setback when he collided with the tire barrier at the Indianapolis corner. Despite the impact, he managed to bring his #311 AXR Cadillac back to the pits. Currently, Derani occupies fourth place in the driver standings alongside his teammate Aitken.
This decision to part ways with Action Express Racing is just the beginning of several expected changes before the 2025 season and the GTP category. Chip Ganassi Racing has already announced its separation from Cadillac earlier this year.
Derani joined the Action Express Racing team in 2019 after a successful three-year stint with Extreme Speed Motorsports. During that time, he achieved his first victory at Daytona in his IMSA debut and secured four wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Au cours de son passage chez AXR, Derani a établi un impressionnant record avec 28 podiums, dont sept victoires, dont deux aux 12 Heures de Sebring et une à Petit Le Mans.
En regardant vers l’avenir, les GTP poursuivront leur saison avec des courses à Road America, à l’Indianapolis Motor Speedway et la finale de la saison à Road Atlanta, après les Six Heures de Glen le 30 juin.
