Nolan Siegel Replaces Danny Soufi In Polesitting SCM Ligier

Nolan Siegel has replaced Danny Soufi in the driver line-up for the pole-setting #33 Sean Creech Motorsport Ligier JS P320 for this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The 18-year-old joins João Barbosa, Lance Willsey and Nico Pino in the car.

behind the wheel of the pole-winning No. 33 SCM Exelixis/Focal One Ligier JS P320, as the Jupiter, Fla.-based team contests the first of two home races.

Siegel competed in three WeatherTech races last year in the LMP3 class, finishing sixth in his first Rolex 24 with Mühlner Motorsport and earning his first series podium with a second-place finish at the Motul Petit Le Mans with JrIII racing.

Siegel will drive three vastly different race cars over the course of the week. He joined his HMD Motorsports team on Monday, testing the INDY NXT Dallara IL-15 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He then returns behind the wheel of the #39 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.

“Thanks to Sean and Lance for this opportunity!” said Siegel. “The priority for me this week is getting to know the team, getting laps in the LMP3 car, and getting into the WeatherTech sessions now that all the classes are running at different speeds than last year. Of course, it will be a balance on Thursday and Friday, between that and the IMPC sessions and race on Friday. This is the first time I’ll race two different series on one weekend but I’m not the only driver doing it and I’ll have enough time to focus on both.

“This team has a great car, with two second place finishes in this race and pole last weekend,” Siegel continued. “Luck always plays a part, but this is a very experienced team – I’ve raced against them before and they’re always competitive. I don’t see why we can’t win. I’ve watched IMSA since I was a little kid in karts so it would be a huge milestone to win this race. It’s a dream for every driver.”

“Nolan brings a good deal of experience,” said team principal Sean Creech. “He also knows IMSA procedures – pass arounds, class splits, all the processes that are a big part of sports car racing. There’s night racing, with the lights coming into the car, with the speeds of the cars around you and how the faster cars can really dive bomb into Turn One and the Le Mans Chicane. The closing speed of the GTP cars is so much faster than the LMP3 car so it’s a lot to take in, to be aware of. He has experience at Daytona in these cars and that’s huge for us.”

19-year-old Danny Soufi tested with the team at last weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24. While the team was impressed with his pace and consistency, they felt that the track time was not sufficient to get him up to speed with the nuances of IMSA racing that would enable him to perform at the level the team believes he is capable of.

“We had the opportunity to test Danny last month and bring him on board as a valued member of this team,” said Willsey. “He did a very good job last weekend with the practice time available but in the end, the time was not sufficient to give him the chance to perform at the level we know he’s capable of, or to get up to speed with IMSA’s rules in regard to multi-class racing. We look forward to working with him over the next two months in anticipation of his involvement at Sebring.”