willpower. (Al Steinberg photo)
Reigning NTT IndyCar Series Champion and former Indy 500 winner Will Power will make his Rolex 24 debut in Daytona, Fla. on January 28th and 29th with American-based Australian Kenny Habul.
The pair share the No. 75 Sun Energy1 Racing Team Mercedes-AMG GT3 with German ace Fabian Schiller and Zimbabwean Axcil Jeffries in the GT Daytona (GTD) class, which now includes 25 competitors from nine different manufacturers.
“The Daytona 24 is an iconic event on most drivers’ wish lists and I have to thank Kenny (Habul) for this opportunity,” said Power.
“I look forward to driving the heavier GT car and gaining experience for hopefully many more races like this in the future – including the Bathurst 1000 and the Bathurst 12 Hours in Australia.
“It’s quite funny looking back at how Kenny and I raced Formula Fords against each other all those years ago and now we’re going to be teammates.
“He chose a business path rather than chasing his racing dream and has obviously been incredibly successful. It’s been great to see him enjoy his racing later in life and actually improve with age,” Power continued.
“Kenny obviously knows what it takes to be successful in business and applies all of those lessons to his racing – his win at the Bathurst 12 Hour last year is proof of that.”
The #75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. (IMSA photo)
Last week, SunEnergy1 became the 61st and final competitor for the 24-hour sports car endurance race, which is also the season opener of the 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship.
Born and raised in Toowoomba, Queensland, Power learned his trade in Formula Ford in Australia before moving to Europe to further his open wheel career.
He eventually found himself in the Champ Car with Derrick Walker Racing and Team Australia, winning the last Champ Car race in Long Beach, California in 2008 for KV Racing.
Power grew up just hours from Habul’s hometown of Surfers Paradise, Queensland, and the two competed in the National Formula Ford Championship.
While Power will make his debut at Daytona, Habul will have his sixth start at the American endurance classic, with the solar energy entrepreneur achieving his best result of 2021 as second in the GTD class.
“Will is a monster of talent and a genuine person, and we look forward to him making a valuable contribution to our 24-hour Daytona campaign,” said Habul.
“He has a reputation for being fast in everything he rides and I’m sure he’ll be up to speed in our gear in no time.
“Will and I have been friends since we raced Formula Fords against each other in the late ’90s, and it’s quite ironic that we now have homes in North Carolina that are just a few miles apart.
“We stood on the podium together as kids at the 1999 Formula Ford race at the Gold Coast IndyCar event and dreamed of racing Indy cars one day. Will made that dream come true and then some. I’m so proud of him,” Habul continued.
“I think the mix of me, Will, Fabian and Axcil will be competitive and it would be nice to come away from the weekend with a Rolex watch.”
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