Renger van der Zande, already slated to run a full season of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with Wayne Taylor Racing, revealed on Sunday that he will also add a slate of FIA World Endurance Championship events between 2018 and 2019, joining DragonSpeed’s newly formed LMP1 program.
Van der Zande, who previously raced with DragonSpeed in the Prototype Challenge class of the American Le Mans Series in 2013, will partner Henrik Hedman and Ben Hanley, and will make his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut with the team in June.
Welcome Back to the Future! Our @FIAWEC LMP1 Driver roster is complete👍🏻Click on Video...Some recognize that helmet 😜@24heuresdumans @gibsontech1 @DallaraGroup @benhanley85 @Rengervdz @henhed10 #10STAR @Michelin_Sport #oneteamonedream (super sub driver announced shortly 😎) pic.twitter.com/vQXGoHUbsB
— DragonSpeed (@DragonSpeedLLC) February 4, 2018
Stoked to announce I will be driving in the @FIAWEC in 2018 with @DragonSpeedLLC! Making my debut in the @24hoursoflemans is a little boys dream come true and say what: in a LMP1 car!! 😍 A big thank you for all involved! pic.twitter.com/YBWZtNbgEQ
— Renger van der Zande (@Rengervdz) February 4, 2018
However, it should be noted that there is one conflicting weekend in 2018, as IMSA visits the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course the same weekend that the WEC opens its season at Spa (May 6). With van der Zande’s IMSA program with Wayne Taylor Racing taking priority, DragonSpeed will be in need of a replacement, which will be revealed at a late date.