Tom Blomqvist has joined the #31 Wehlen Engineering Action Express Racing-run Cadillac driver line-up for the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as the Endurance driver.

After recently winning the 26th edition of Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, Blomqvist will continue racing in IMSA through his drive with the reigning GTP champions for next year’s season.

Jack Aitken will be promoted from his ‘endurance’ role to become a full-season driver, partnering up with Pipo Derani whilst Blomqvist will join Action Express Racing (AXR) as a third driver for the Endurance Cup races.

Blomqvist said: “After another great season with Meyer Shank Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, it is an honor to be joining Action Express Racing and Cadillac for the endurance rounds of the 2024 campaign.

“It is a series I love being a part of, and I’m delighted to be returning once again.

“To be able to come back to the series and to try to defend my title at Daytona (aiming to take a third consecutive one) is a huge motivation and I can’t thank Meyer Shank Racing and Honda Performance Development (HPD) enough for allowing me the opportunity.”

Gary Nelson, team manager for AXR, added: “We’re thrilled that Tom is going to join our team for the IMSA endurance events.

“We feel that with his experience and recent successes it’s a natural fit for Jack Aitken and Pipo Derani.

“We’re looking forward to getting in some work this winter so we can hit the ground running when we get to Daytona.”

The son of 1984 World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist will run his IMSA Endurance campaign simultaneously alongside his full-time Meyer Shank Racing IndyCar duties next year.

Meanwhile Alexander Sims will remain within the General Motors family, as he will join the Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in the IMSA GTD Pro category next year, in a Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

There are six rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech Endurance Cup in 2024, beginning at the prestigious 24 Hours of Daytona at the end of January.

The second round follows after with the 12 Hours of Sebring in March, and the 6 Hours of the Glen in June, followed by a six-hour Battle on the Bricks race at Indianapolis in September.

Abiding by tradition, the 10-hour Petit Le Mans race will conclude the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech season on 12 October.

Jack Aitken will race for the Action Express Cadillac Racing team in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship next year, replacing the departing Alexander Sims.

Aitken has been racing in the Endurance Cup rounds this year for Action Express, alongside Sims and their Brazilian teammate Pipo Derani. The trio won in Florida at the 12 Hours of Sebring, but Aitken crashed on the opening lap of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

With impressive performances nonetheless behind the wheel of the #31 Cadillac V-Series.R, the team has decided to promote him to full season duties. Alongside his IMSa programme this year, the British-Korean driver has also been racing in DTM, racing a Ferrari 296 GT3 for Emil Frey Racing. Finally, his a reserve driver for Williams F1 team, where he made his one and only F1 start in 2020.

“Ever since I started this program with Cadillac Racing and Whelen Engineering, everybody has been incredibly kind and passionate in helping push me and the team forward,” Aitken said. 

“This is one of the reasons I’m incredibly excited to become a full-time member of the team next year. The competitiveness of IMSA and the quality of the calendar are another couple of reasons, and I thoroughly enjoy the style of racing I’ve experienced already this year in my endurance outings.”

Meanwhile, Action Express team manager Gary Nelson said: “Jack came to the top of all the categories late last year when we were researching the various drivers who would be available for our endurance role.

“He has proven to be fast on the track, a fast learner of the GTP car and an asset to the team. We see Jack being a great pairing with Pipo in his expanded role next season.”

Jose Maria Lopez will join the line-up for Action Express Racing’s all-star Cadillac at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The two-time WEC champion will join Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller and Toyota team-mate Kamui Kobayashi aboard the #48 Ally Cadillac DPi-VR, which will once again contest the Michelin Endurance Cup.

Johnson, Rockenfeller and Kobayashi form the line-up for the full campaign, while Lopez only joins for Daytona. He takes the seat that was occupied by Simon Pagenaud last year.

The Argentine driver has not contested the twice-around-the-clock enduro at the Florida venue before, but has limited previous experience from racing a Ferrari GT car in the American Le Mans Series.

“My experience in America is not huge,” Lopez said. “I raced my first endurance event back in 2007 in the 12 Hours of Sebring, and from there, I always wanted to come back and race in America again. “I love the way racing is and my teammates Kamui and Mike always tells me how much they enjoy racing in such a competitive category and series like IMSA.

“Driving with Jimmie Johnson is very special. As a big fan of motor racing, I’ve always followed NASCAR and Jimmie was my favorite driver. I can definitely say that I am a big fan. So, to share the car with him is a huge privilege. Regarding Mike, I have always watched him racing. His career is impressive and I’m looking forward to working and learning from him too.

“It will be great to continue as a teammate with my friend and brother Kamui. I have the honor to race and share a lot of time with him as teammates at Toyota. I know him very well as he knows me, so I am very happy to once again share a car in this very special race.”

The #48 Cadillac will return for a second attempt at the Michelin Endurance Cup after a first year in 2021. The Hendrick Motorsports-supported DPi recorded its best finish on debut at Daytona, when it finished second overall only behind Wayne Taylor Racing.

“It’s good to have Jimmie back leading the driver lineup in the Ally Cadillac for the four endurance events in 2022,” said Gary Nelson, Action Express Racing team manager. “We have a little more time to get up to speed this time for the Rolex 24 in January.

“The team showed a lot of promise last year, finishing second at the Rolex and showing strong pace at Sebring. We will be working closely with Rick Hendrick’s group led by Chad Knaus.”

“Jose Maria is new to the car this year. He is a Le Mans 24 winner and WEC champion, and I am sure he will be up to speed very quickly when he steps in the Ally Cadillac.”

Action Express Racing will be fielding a second Cadillac DPi in the 2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona with a star-studded driver line-up that features seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, run in partnership with Hendrick Motorsports.

Johnson will drive the Ally-sponsored #48 Cadillac DPi-VR alongside 2020 Rolex 24 winner Kamui Kobayashi, 2019 Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud and 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller.

For Johnson, it is his first appearance in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in a decade, as he last contested the race in 2011.

“The Rolex 24 at Daytona is one of the marquee races in the world,” Johnson said. “It’s such a challenging event for both team and driver and requires such a high level of concentration throughout.

“It’s just such a fun and unique race to compete in. This will be the first time I’ve raced with Action Express and have been very impressed with the team and its preparation.

“I’m also excited to have Ally on board and to be co-driving with Simon, Kamui, and Mike who are three world-class drivers with experience in this race and the DPi class.

“I’ve finished second in this event [in 2005 and 2008] so I’m looking forward to trying to get on the top step in 2021.”

After running a single car in 2020, Action Express Racing will return to running two cars as its regular #31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac has also been entered for Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr and Mike Conway. Conway and Kobayashi will be racing for the first time since the pair locked up the World Endurance Championship last November.

We’ve been talking to Jimmie about running with us for many months,” said Action Express team manager Gary Nelson. “It all came together in November with the support of Hendrick Motorsports and their tremendous partner, Ally.

“Jimmie has a lot of experience at Daytona, not only on the oval, but turning into the infield as well. Simon brings a lot of endurance experience and Kamui adds a wealth of car set-up knowledge and speed to the car.

“We won the Rolex 24 with Mike in 2010, so he is familiar with how we operate. We’re looking at having a great ten days in Daytona starting with the Roar Before the 24.”