Jarvis won't defend IMSA crown in 2023
Oliver Jarvis will not defend his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship title next season and will not remain part of the Meyer Shank Racing driver line-up, the Briton has confirmed.
Photo by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images
The team has maintained a wall of silence on the identity of Tom Blomqvist’s teammate in the squad’s new Acura ARX-06 LMDh in 2023.
“I’m not staying,” said Jarvis, who joined the team after four IMSA seasons with Mazda. “It was a one-year agreement and there has been a decision not to continue. For whatever reason it didn’t work out.”
A move to another team for a full campaign isn’t on the cards for Jarvis, because his latest deal with the United Autosports LMP2 squad for the FIA World Endurance Championship commits him to all the races and wouldn’t allow him to take part in the two IMSA fixtures that clash with the WEC.
Jarvis is now looking towards a campaign in the IMSA enduros at Daytona, Sebring and Road Atlanta.
“I have enjoyed my time in IMSA, so I’m keeping my eyes open; there are other opportunities,” said the 38-year-old. “It would have been nice to continue with Shank into the LMDh era. I came into the team with the goal of winning big races and challenging for the title, and we won the Daytona 24 Hours and the title.”
#60 Meyer Shank Racing W/Curb-Agajanian Acura DPi: Oliver Jarvis, Tom Blomqvist, Helio Castroneves
Photo by: Gavin Baker / Motorsport Images
No comment was available from Shank apart from the line in a statement last week announcing its drivers for the enduros that co-champion Blomqvist’s full-season teammate will be announced at a later date.
The backstory to Jarvis’s departure from Shank appears to be linked to the team’s failure to take up its option on his services for 2023 at the allotted time. Jarvis then opted to sign a new contract with United, crucially one that gave it first call on his services. There he will be joined by Blomqvist, who has come in to drive the #23 Oreca 07 in place of Alex Lynn.
Shank is known to have tested a number of drivers recently. Neel Jani, Patrick Pilet and Felipe Fraga were among them.
Blomqvist was confirmed for 2023 by Shank in August, while last week it was announced that he will be joined for the enduros by the team’s two IndyCar drivers. Helio Castroneves will race ARX-06 at Daytona, Sebring and Road Atlanta, while Simon Pagenaud will come in for Daytona.
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