BRASELTON, Ga. — MLT Motorsports has announced their entry into the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen race to be held on June 25 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l.
The team will field the No. 54 LMP3 Ligier JS-320 entry with drivers Jason Rabe, Andrew “Pinky” Pinkerton and Stevan McAleer. This marks the first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race for the team this season, in addition to their full-time entry in IMSA’s VP Racing SportsCar Challenge series in an LMP3.
“First, I need to give a huge thanks to all of the partners for believing in me and making this dream come true,” said Rabe. “Belle Haven Investments, Notlad Racing, AdeptID, OwnBackup, Aufgang Architecture, and of course, MLT Motorsports.
“Making my IMSA WeatherTech debut at Watkins Glen is very special because it’s a home event at one of my favorite tracks. I used to camp in the infield in my car for a lot of the IMSA and IndyCar races wishing to be on the other side of the fence. Now here I am about to race in the six-hour endurance classic, which is extra special since it’s the last year of LMP3 in WeatherTech. It’s a big class field, and I get to race with my friends!”
Rabe will be joined by Pinkerton, an MLT Motorsports engineer, and strategist usually found on the pit box. This week he takes on driving duties to help improve the team’s 2022 result at The Glen.
“First off, I am extremely grateful to Dr. Mike and the whole of the MLT team for trusting me with this responsibility.” Pinkerton continued, “This will be my first WeatherTech race behind the wheel after calling strategy and engineering the LMP3 program for the past year with the team. Our car has pace, and we were well-positioned strategy-wise during last year’s race. After a strong test last month and doing our homework in the shop, I am excited to show what we can do as a team.
“On the driving side, I can’t wait to share the car with Jason and Stevan around the extremely quick Watkins circuit. Physically it is a very demanding track as you are constantly under load in high-speed corners and really have to trust the Ligier’s aero-platform.”
Rounding out the trio of drivers is veteran McAleer who will also be competing in the Michelin Pilot Challenge series that weekend. A previous winner at The Glen, McAleer is no stranger to the 2.45-mile historic road course.
“I’m very excited to find myself back in WeatherTech for the Six Hours of the Glen,” said McAleer. “I tested with MLT last month in their Ligier LMP3 car and was thoroughly impressed with their program, staff, and car performance. I am good friends with Jason Rabe, so this is how the discussions began, and we have always talked about being teammates one day, so this will be a memorable moment.”
Having logged the most laps at the track, McAleer has high expectations for the race, saying, “Pinky was plenty fast at the test, so I have high expectations for the team and result.” He continued, “This will be the first Weathertech race for Pinky and Jason, so traffic management will be key, and as always with endurance racing, the pit stops have to be executed quickly with no penalties. I do fully believe we will be in the running to fight for the win.”
Rabe added, “Having Stevan and Andrew as my co-drivers is pretty cool, and that’s a big part of why this event means even more to me. They are both incredibly talented, and we’ve all known each other for a while now. We coach and race in many of the same paddocks, motor clubs, and school programs. We are looking forward to going after a trophy in our MLT Motorsports LMP3 Ligier JS-320!”