2022 IMSA Prototype Challenge champion Tonis Kasemets to join team veteran João Barbosa in the No. 33 Ligier JS P217
JUPITER, Fla. (July 29, 2024) – Sean Creech Motorsport (SCM) returns to Road America this weekend with a new face behind the wheel of the No. 33 SCM Focal One Ligier JS P217, as Tonis Kasemets teams up with veteran João Barbosa for the IMSA SportsCar Weekend.
SCM owns the final LMP3 class track record at Road America, set last year when the LMP3 cars were still a part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Kasemets, 50, has a lengthy and extremely successful record in the class – and he hopes that translates to this new ride, as he remains with Ligier but now drives the JS P217 in the LMP2 class.
“This is a little bit of a different animal,” said Kasemets. “I’ve never driven an LMP2 car, but I love the class. So this will be a new chapter, a new vehicle to try. But luckily, I’ll do it in the Road America, which I know really well.”
Originally from Estonia, Kasemets moved to the U.S. in 1993 and quickly earned a reputation for competing in a multitude of different series, including SCCA events, the open wheel junior series USF2000, Formula Atlantic and Formula Ford 2000 – culminating in five CART Champ Car World Series races in 2006. Kasemets added sports car racing to his repertoire in 2007 when he competed in his first IMSA Prototype Lites race in the Elan DP02, and later competed in what is now the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. In 2010, he drove in four USF2000 races for Oconomowoc, Wis. based Pabst Racing, starting a relationship with the team that continues to this day.
Kasemets has worked with Pabst Racing in the USF Pro Championships for 23 years, helping to engineer the team to three team championships and two driver championships, all while continuing his own racing career. In 2022, Kasemets dominated the IMSA Prototype Challenge series (now the VP Racing Challenge) behind the wheel of a Ligier JS P320, taking four of five victories, with podiums in all five races. He continued in the Ligier JS P320 last year, contesting three IMSA SportsCar Championship races. Now he turns his attention to a new challenge – his first race in an LMP2 car.
“It’s wonderful to have an opportunity like this come along when you are half a century old and they call you and they want you to be part of a team,” said Kasemets. “I do think some of the experience with the LMP3 car will translate, so hopefully that will help me to get on pace more quickly. I know a lot about the Ligier mechanically, how the cars are built, and my relationship with the factory is good. And since I moved here, Road America has become my favorite track, I know every rock can crack there. So it will just be a matter of improving my driving and getting used to the team. Last week’s test went well, everyone is really pulling in the same direction.”
Barbosa appreciated the chance to take the Ligier to Road America for the first time, and the chance to get to know Kasemets ahead of the race weekend.
“We’re always learning with this car,” said Barbosa. “We had some issues, so it was a good chance to get those out of the way before the race weekend. There was plenty of good data that will help us understand this car better, to keep improving. Of course we’re going to miss Lance this weekend, but it’s good to have a driver as experienced as Tonis, especially given his relationship with Ligier.”
SCM thanks partner Focal One for its continued support.
The IMSA SportsCar Weekend race takes the green flag Sunday at 3:10 p.m. Eastern. The race will be broadcast live in the U.S. on Peacock, and on IMSA’s YouTube channel, with a rebroadcast on CNBC at 6:00 p.m. International viewers can watch via IMSA.tv, with IMSA Radio also available at IMSA.com.
About SCM
Team leader Sean Creech has competed in a multitude of sports car series from 1988 until the present day, including Group C, IMSA GTP, WSC, Grand-Am, SRO World Challenge, and IMSA. SCM will contest the full WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2024 with João Barbosa and Lance Willsey. http://seancreechmotorsport.com/
About Focal One
One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime in the United States. The Focal One® HIFU Prostate treatment offers patients a non-invasive outpatient procedure to target prostate tissue while avoiding the common side effects such as loss of urinary continence and sexual function. The Focal One treatment uses high-performance, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to precisely target and ablate the prostate, allowing patients to quickly return to normal activities. http://www.focalone.com/
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