DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Camaraderie. Environment. Racing at house.
They’re phrases Logan Sargeant didn’t reference steadily throughout his two-year sojourn into Method 1, the place he made waves as the USA’ most up-to-date full-time driver from 2023 to 2024. He even scored some extent on house soil at Circuit of The Americas in Austin – the primary American to take action within the collection in 30 years.
However what Sargeant went by means of in world presence he lacked when it comes to competitors, racing on the entrance of the sphere the place he is aware of his expertise belongs because the Williams workforce was a constant midfield runner with solely occasional points-scoring potential.
The Floridian took a self-imposed racing hiatus after he and Williams parted methods halfway by means of 2024, and a would-be plan to run a Le Mans Prototype class automobile in Europe to begin 2025 modified earlier than the season even started.
It was because of a mix of relaxation and refreshment that revitalized Sargeant’s racing return, which is able to come within the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks on the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Sargeant will share the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 in LMP2 with Benjamin Pedersen and Naveen Rao.
The PR1 workforce has a championship-winning pedigree – 5 of them, in reality, in LMP2 – which sweetened the pot as Sargeant’s new administration group, led by Corvette Racing driving veteran Oliver Gavin, related the dots to place Sargeant in contact with workforce principal and co-owner Bobby Oergel’s squad for the ultimate two races of the season.
A check at Indianapolis final month prematurely introduced again the juices and in Sargeant’s eyes, dusted off the cobwebs.
“The environment inside sports activities automobiles is actually pleasurable,” stated Sargeant, who’s pushed a number of LMP2 and GT3 races a number of years in the past. “You’re working together with your teammates in the direction of their widespread objective and have that camaraderie; that’s one of many components I really like about it.
“The half I’m most trying ahead to going again is all of us working collectively, making compromises for one another. And right here it’s simply racing at a excessive degree once more, and that’s what I’m most trying ahead to.
“I took that break, however it was a a lot wanted one, and I really feel tremendous recent coming into it. That check was tremendous helpful for me to search out my ft once more, and, yeah, I really feel tremendous prepared and simply grateful for the chance.”
Sargeant enters a lineup with good firm. Pedersen set a file because the quickest qualifying rookie within the Indianapolis 500’s 100-plus 12 months historical past and gained Rookie of the 12 months honors there in 2023. His greatest end in his first full IMSA season is third on the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Rao is ready for his second begin of 2025 and he has previous IMSA paddock expertise together with a Prototype Problem collection championship in 2020.
Pedersen, who examined alongside Sargeant at Indianapolis, set the willingness to work collectively was instantly spectacular.
“It was Logan’s first introduction and the primary time I met him was really on the seat match, and we went straight to enterprise immediately!” Pedersen laughed. “He obtained in in my seat and every thing was actually shut to begin, however he asking, ‘Can I transfer the pedals somewhat bit?’ I used to be like, ‘Completely. How a lot do you want? Are we speaking three inches or a millimeter?’ And it’s like, oh, identical to a millimeter. And I used to be like, that’s no downside. That’s a straightforward compromise.
“It issues that you just’re snug, however you’re not going to be utterly excellent as if it had been your individual automobile, however fortunately, we’re all fairly comparable in top, which makes it simple and we will share the identical seat base and there’s another groups the place that’s not the case. So I feel we’re fairly effectively off and it was a fairly simple welcoming for Logan in that regard, I might say.”
Oergel is used to seeing his workforce on the entrance of the sphere and so 2025 has been an odd and uncommon “off 12 months.” A few of that has been as a result of midseason driver shift that noticed Pedersen enhance his presence from Michelin Endurance Cup third driver to now Rao coming into because the workforce’s third major Bronze-rated driver this season. The opposite half has been the power of IMSA’s LMP2 class, the place each the caliber and amount of entries has elevated.
“It has been a bit up and down for us, however not for lack of effort and having every thing at our disposal to have good outcomes,” Oergel stated. “It’s simply with out that sprinkle of luck, generally it simply doesn’t work. And on the finish of the day, it’s been numerous years because it’s been a tough one, however so be it, we transfer ahead and go for W’s within the final two right here.
“For me, the neat piece right here is that this group of drivers. It’s fairly distinctive, it’s neat to place all of them collectively and we’re very lucky to have been capable of come collectively the best way we’re in the previous couple of races.
“Benjamin rose to the event … and with the ability to convey Logan in to partake within the factor is totally improbable when it comes to the third position at this second. So, it’s neat to have two, what I might name ‘gunslingers’ within the bundle. and have the ability to simply depend on these guys are going to care for no matter we have to do.”
Rao, an engineer by commerce, added, “I might say that the sport has actually been raised on the Bronze aspect. I imply, a few of the Bronze drivers are actually sooner than numerous skilled drivers. You’ve simply obtained to be on high of your individual recreation, your individual psychological recreation, all of that if you get within the automobile. In order that problem is what I actually love right here, and what brings me again.”
Alas, many eyes will likely be on Sargeant within the placing No. 52 automobile’s teal livery as soon as the PR1 ORECA hits the monitor in Indianapolis. Inevitably, questions will comply with about whether or not his two-race bow into LMP2 will portend a better top-level prototype presence. He’s taking it race-by-race for now.
“In truth, I’m very nearsighted proper now,” Sargeant explains. “I simply wish to, for one, get again in a automobile, you realize, actually, actually discover my rhythm once more. which I really feel like already was coming very naturally within the check.
“I don’t go into Indy feeling underprepared, I am going into Indy feeling nice, and that’s how I take a look at it. , I am going in and I really feel ready, I really feel good. And I’m simply able to, you realize, ship for the workforce, and hopefully produce good outcomes and that in flip will end in doorways opening for subsequent 12 months or so. That’s how I’m it.”
