IMSA: Ligier JS P2 confirmed for Michael Shank Racing

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Michael Shank Racing will run a Ligier JS P2 chassis in 2015, constructor Onroak Automotive has confirmed Friday.

The team is due to premiere the car at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, after continuing with its existing Daytona Prototype at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January to open the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season.

“The completion of this agreement with MSR for the sale of a Ligier JS P2 is a great satisfaction for Onroak Automotive,” Onroak president Jacques Nicolet said in the release. “MSR is one of the best-established, well-known teams in endurance in the United States.

“The fact that they have chosen us to make the transition to LM P2 is a real reward for all the efforts we’ve invested this year to make ourselves known on the American continent. I would like to wish MSR the greatest possible success in this fresh chapter in their history, and we’ll do all we can to support them in this new adventure.”

Added Shank, “This is really exciting news for me and this entire team. Getting John (Pew) and Ozz (Negri) back, I think we’ve got all the tools we need to be successful in 2015.”

This is the second American team to purchase a Ligier JS P2; Krohn Racing announced its purchase at the Circuit of the Americas FIA World Endurance Championship/TUDOR Championship weekend in September.

Motocross: Chase Sexton to miss Hangtown after midweek practice crash

Sexton Hangtown practice crash
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Chase Sexton announced on Instagram he will sit out this weekend’s Pro Motocross race at Hangtown in Rancho Cordova, California after a practice crash on Tuesday left him with a concussion.

Sexton’s crash on Tuesday happened during a test session at Fox Raceway.

“Bummed to make this post but I’ll be sitting out this weekend,” Sexton said. “As you guys saw I had a big one during qualifying at Pala, then another one on Tuesday this week that banged me up pretty good. Nothing broken just need a few days to get back to 100%.”

Despite his crash in the first qualification session in Pala, California, Sexton mounted up for both motos and finished second in each race behind his teammate Jett Lawrence, who was making his Motocross debut and won with a pair of first-place finishes. Sexton padded his SuperMotocross points’ lead over the injured Eli Tomac, who is still second in the combined Supercross and Motocross standings despite missing the SX finale at Salt Lake City and the outdoor opener with a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Sexton has an advantage of 78 points over Cooper Webb and cannot give up his SMX lead by missing this round.

At stake, however, is the risk of losing ground to Lawrence in the Pro Motocross championship. Sexton currently trails his teammate by six points and is liable to lose significant ground this weekend.

In addition to his concussion, Sexton has also been diagnosed with mononucleosis and the combination of the two conditions caused the team to make the difficult decision to keep him out of the lineup at Hangtown.

“I’m super-bummed to miss this weekend’s race,” Sexton said in a press release. “I feel like I rode well at Pala, and I was really looking forward to Hangtown because it’s a good track for me. Unfortunately, I was already pretty banged up from my qualifying crash on Saturday, and now with mono and Tuesday’s concussion on top of it, I want to do the right thing and hopefully be back on the track soon.”

A return date for Sexton has not yet been announced.

Other 2023 Injury News

450 riders
Eli Tomac, Achilles tendon | It was just a freak deal
Justin Barcia,
collarbone and shoulder
Jason Anderson, vertebrae
Christian Craig, elbow
Marvin Musquin, wrist
Malcolm Stewart, knee | Signs two-year extension
Aaron Plessinger, hip | returned at Salt Lake City
Dylan Ferrandis, concussion | Will not return until Motocross
Cooper Webb,
concussion | returned at Pala

250 riders
Nate Thrasher, hip
Stilez Robertson, leg
Cameron McAdoo, shoulder
Seth Hammaker, arm and wrist
Austin Forkner, knee | Injury isn’t the hardest part
Jo Shimoda, collarbone | returned at Atlanta
Jalek Swoll, arm | returned at Pala