United Autosports confirm first 2017 ELMS LMP3 driver line up

United Autosports have confirmed their first driver line up for their second year in the European Le Mans Series.

John Falb, Enzo Potolicchio and Sean Rayhall will join the LMP3 championship winning team in 2017 in one of their Ligier JS P3 sports prototypes. John, Enzo and Sean have all previously raced a Ligier JS P3 in the European series, having raced for Graff in 2016 scoring a season best fourth place.

American racer John, started his motorsport career on two wheels, but moved onto car racing in 2010. He won the Radical Club championship two years in a row and the 2013 and 2014 Radical Cup USA championship. John entered the IMSA Prototype Lites series in 2014 and won the Masters Championship in 2014 and 2015.

Venezuelan driver, Enzo (Vicente) Potolicchio has previous racing experience with United Autosports, having joined them for the 2012 Gulf 12 Hours in their Audi R8 LMS scoring a third place finish. Enzo has also raced in the World Endurance Championship and in 2012 won both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring in an LMP2 car. He has also had success racing sports cars in the 24 Hours of Daytona, the Rolex Sports Car Series and the Blancpain Endurance Series.

21-year-old Sean Rayhall, has been racing since he was seven years old. He began racing karts and moved to car racing in 2007. In 2013 he switched to racing sports cars and entered the prestigious Petit Le Mans, finishing second in class. In 2014 Sean raced in the United Sports Car Championship in the PC class, finishing sixth in the PC Championship.

United Autosports are the 2016 European Le Mans Series LMP3 Champions, having won three out of six races and scoring eight podium finishes - a record of at least one every race.

John, Enzo, Sean and the team will now begin a winter test schedule to prepare themselves for the forthcoming year. The 2017 European Le Mans Series will visit six of the best race circuits in Europe including, Silverstone (UK), Monza (Italy), Red Bull Ring (Austria), Paul Ricard (France), Spa Francorchamps (Belgium) and Portimao (Portugal).

John Falb, driver, United Autosports: “I have thoroughly enjoyed the European Le Mans Series in 2016. It offers a great platform in LMP3 with lots of tough competition. We are pumped to be joining United Autosports for the 2017 season. They have proven that they have a serious and professional programme that gets results.”

Enzo Potolicchio, driver, United Autosports: “After my first season in ELMS, it will be great to be back as I know how it works and I’m familiar with everyone in the paddock. I’m looking forward to coming back to United Autosports after my short experience with the team, I made friends and had a good time. We had friends in common, including Tom Kimber-Smith, whom I won Le Mans with. I’m very happy that John made the decision to return to racing in ELMS and to keep the three of us together after the learning curve he went through, dealing with the GT and LMP2 cars on track at the same time and learning all the tracks he didn’t know, so I think we definitely have a good package for next year and I’m looking forward to it.”

Sean Rayhall, driver, United Autosports: “United Autosports have had a great effort this year winning the championship. Both cars have been strong at pretty much every track we’ve been to so I’m really grateful to be joining the team and I’m looking forward to working with them all. It was great to meet some of the guys at Estoril last weekend and to get a feel of what we are going to be dealing with next year. I’m really excited to be part of a winning programme again.”

Zak Brown, Team Owner and Chairman, United Autosports: “It’s great to have John, Enzo and Sean joining us next year. They like what we do and they’re a great bunch of drivers so I’m hopeful of a great year working with them all.”

Richard Dean, Team Owner and Managing Director, United Autosports: “I’m pleased we already have one car signed and sorted already - it’s unusual to have done a deal so early on but I’m glad we did and I’m looking forward to working with John, Enzo and Sean. We have worked with Enzo before so a lot of the team know him from the Gulf 12 Hours race a few years back. John and Sean are new to the team, but from what I have seen so far, I think they will settle in well. I can’t wait to go testing now.”

United Autosports