Will Owen to Race in IMSA for Juncos Racing

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer

Juncos Racing announced today that former Pro Mazda racer Will Owen has secured a seat in the team’s Cadillac DPi-V.R entry in the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The Denver, Colorado native raced in the European Le Mans Series in 2017 and 2018 and raced twice at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing fourth in the LMP2 class in 2017 and third in the same class in 2018.

“I am so happy to announce that I will be returning to Juncos Racing in 2019 to compete in the IMSA series,” said Owen in a team release. “I have been dreaming of getting into a DPi car since I first saw them hit the track. The Cadillac DPi-V.R is one of the strongest race cars ever built, so it is an honor to have the opportunity to race it with Juncos against the best teams in the world.”

Team owner Ricardo Juncos announced in August that his team would expand into sports car racing, adding that to the IndyCar, Indy Lights and Pro Mazda teams. Juncos Racing won races in Indy Lights and Pro Mazda in 2018, winning the Pro Mazda title with Rinus VeeKay.

“We are thrilled to have Will Owen back with us for our maiden season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship,” said Juncos in a team statement. “Will brings valuable experience, having run in the ELMS Championship the past two years and finishing fourth and third in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We built a great relationship with him during his time with us in the Pro Mazda Championship, so we are looking forward to continuing our work with him for the 2019 season. I would like to thank Will, his family, Speed Group, and his sponsors for making this opportunity possible.”

Owen raced for Juncos Racing in Pro Mazda in 2015 and 2016, scoring three podiums in his rookie season and eight podiums out of 16 races in 2016. However, his claim to fame was his win at the first USF2000 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in 2014. Owen pitted for slick tires early in the race under a full course yellow and on a drying track managed to climb through the field to win.

Owen will test with the team in early December after the team finishes the first build of their new Cadillac DPi machine.